Chapter 80: Chapter 80

Glancing at the caller ID, Sean pinched the bridge of his nose, noticing Andrea's gaze was on him. He slowly raised his head from his phone and smiled at her.

"I'll be back. Make sure to have your breakfast," he placed a kiss on her cheek before strolling off.

As soon as Sean was out of Andrea's sight, he answered the call. "Yes, tell me quickly. Have you found anything yet?" Sean demanded promptly.

"Yes boss, I already sent all the information to your email, including her home and work address," Drew reported from the other end of the line.

A brisk knock was heard at the door, and Andrea quickly opened it, hoping Sean was back, but to her surprise, it was just Elena. She let her friend come in.

Elena came forward and pulled Andrea in for a tight hug. "Mr. Wilson told me you met your mom last night. Are you alright?" she said in a hoarse voice.

Andrea clicked her tongue. "Look at you, you are such a crybaby. I'm fine Lena. You don't have to worry about me." Deep down, she had the urge to beat up Sean badly for telling Elena after warning him several times.

Elena broke the hug and placed her hand on Andrea's shoulder with a worried look, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Yes. Did Sean mention where he was going? He left an hour ago to answer a call and he never returned. He knows how I'm feeling, yet he left me all by myself," Andrea said with a pout.

Elena shook her head, "He didn't mention, although he left in a hurry."

*****

A red flashy sports car slowly screeched to a halt outside Bluemoon Private Hospital, Jace stepped out from the driver's seat, in a pair of denim jeans and a black leather jacket that fit him perfectly.

He took off his sunglasses and stared at the huge building right before him, "Now where do I look for her?" he mumbled while walking into the building.

He headed straight to the receptionist desk. "I'm looking for a nurse named Jasmine Beth," his deep, magnetic voice grasped their attention.

"Hi, there are tons of nurses with the name Jasmine. Maybe if you could tell us what department she works in, we might be more helpful," Nora said, her gaze flirtatious as ever.

"Stop acting like a whore Nora. He clearly said he was looking for Jasmine Beth, if I'm not mistaken he's referring to the intern nurse," a young lady replied.

"That must be her. Can you tell me where I can find her?" Jace demanded while drumming his fingers impatiently on the counter.

Tiffany gave him an apologetic look. "I would have loved to take you there myself, but I'm not allowed to leave my desk since I'm on duty."

Before Jace could speak up, luckily Tiffany spotted a friend of Jasmine's and quickly waved at her. Amber walked over to them, holding a file. "What's up, Tiffany?"

"Can you please escort this gentleman to see Jasmine Beth?"

"Oh alright." Amber glanced at him with a suggestive smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Tiffany, Amber, and Nora." Jace flashed a smile before leaving with Amber.

Once he was out of sight, Nora and Tiffany couldn't help but gush loudly. "OMG, he's so drop-dead gorgeous. I can't believe I'm drooling."

"Is he perhaps Jasmine's boyfriend?" Nora gasped.

Tiffany groaned loudly, resting her chin on her hand. "She's so lucky. I wish my boyfriend was this good-looking; then I would flaunt him everywhere," she huffed.

Jace and Amber walked side by side and didn't fail to steal everyone's attention. The grin on Amber's face was evident; she had never been noticed ever since she began working here at the hospital, but the handsome guy right beside her made it possible.

Amber was so caught up in the moment that she didn't realize she had walked past her department. "Amber!" a voice called out to her from behind.

Both Jace and Amber turned around in unison and found Jasmine standing at a distance away from them.

Her eyes widened in shock as she recognized Jace, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had told her friend everything.

"Just who we were looking for," Amber came forward and linked her arm with Jasmine's.

"Are you sure you were looking for me? You knew where I was, so where were you heading earlier?" She rolled her eyes.

Jace also came forward with a smile. "Can you spare a bit of your time and come with me?"

"No. I'm very busy right now," Jasmine replied coldly, placing her hand on her waist.

Tiffany clicked her tongue. "You don't have to be like this. Your boyfriend came to see you all the way, and you are just going to send him away? Don't worry, you can go; I will cover up for you."

Jace leaned in and brought his lips closer to her ear. "I have your wallet with me. Are you sure you are too busy to talk?"

"Fine," she glared at him.

She led him to the garden situated just behind the hospital, where they settled on a bench. The sight of the serene surroundings, coupled with the gentle cool breeze, enveloped them in relaxation.

He cleared his throat, slightly breaking the awkwardness in the air. "I will start by apologizing to you. I'm really, really sorry about what happened between us," Jace said genuinely.

"Didn't I warn you never to…"

He brought his finger to her lips, shushing her. "Let me speak; I'm not done yet."

Jasmine's brows snapped together, and she hurriedly took his finger off her lips. "Just be quick about it, and don't you dare try to cross your boundaries again," she said through gnashed teeth.

"Fine. I'm sorry. I will be straightforward with you. I like you, and I want you to give me a chance to make it up to you."

Jasmine scoffed loudly, her expression closed up as she folded her arms across her chest. "I see you brought me out here just so you could spout nonsense to me. Look, just get out from here and never come back."

Jace chuckled softly. "Expect more of me, babe," he smirked sinisterly, and with his hands tucked into his pocket, he walked away gracefully.

"Crazy fellow!" Jasmine snickered scornfully before stomping off.

........

Sean was on his way to the address Drew had sent him. He couldn't bear to see Andrea sad anymore, and he wanted to get answers from her mother on her behalf. Sean also believed there was a reason for Mrs. Williams' strange behavior towards Andrea, and he had vowed to find out before the end of the day.

The car came to a halt, according to the GPS indicating that the house was located right there. Sean leaned over to look out of the window, only to find an average-looking bungalow made of plywood.

He got out of the car and walked towards the front door to knock but heard light footsteps coming from the backyard. As he turned to investigate, he saw the same lady he had seen at the convenience store the previous night, Andrea's mother.

They stared at each other for a while, and Mrs. Williams shifted her gaze from him uncomfortably. "What are you doing here?" she demanded nonchalantly.

"Good afternoon mom. Can I come in?" Sean asked casually, with a hand tucked in his trouser pocket.

Mrs. Williams had a stunned look on her face, which did not last for a minute before she transformed back to her expressionless demeanor. She did not need to be told further; from this subtle detail, she could discern that the man standing before her was Andrea's husband.

"Come with me," she said, opening the door and leading him into the house.

Sean scanned the medium-sized living room, taking in the old-looking furniture and outdated household items that adorned the space. In short, it resembled a shabby warehouse, loaded with an array of antiques. From the look of things, it was evident that Mrs. Williams' life had been far from a bed of roses throughout the years.

On the wall hung a picture frame of Mrs. William with a young girl in a ponytail and rimmed glasses. Her radiant smile was contagious, and beside her stood a teenage boy, his expression stoic.

"They must be Andrea's step-siblings," Sean thought to himself inwardly.

They looked like a happy and merry family in the pictures, while Andrea had to suffer and endure a lot of injustices all by herself.

"Would you like to have some tea or coffee?" She asked, already walking towards the kitchen.

Sean jolted out of his thoughts and said, "You don't have to bother. I won't be staying for too long."

"Of course, an affluent guy like you wouldn't want to have anything from my place. It's understandable," Mrs. Williams remarked.

Sean was taken aback. He glanced down at his outfit and could not help but ponder what Mrs. Williams observed that allowed her to deduce his wealth. She smiled faintly. "I have seen you on TV and in magazines. You don't have to act clueless about what I'm saying."

Realization dawned on him. "Ah, I get it now. I'm sure you already know the reason why I'm here at your place today."

She shut her eyes tightly as she massaged her temples. "Can we not speak about this?"

"Why did you act like you didn't know your daughter last night?" Sean went ahead to ask the question that had been bugging his mind.

"I have my reasons for it that I can't tell right now," she replied.

Sean noticed she had trouble meeting his gaze, and he couldn't help but smirk. He was right when he said that something fishy was definitely up.

"You might not know this, but let me make something clear to you. Andrea is my life, and I don't joke with whatever has to do with her. I don't tolerate anyone playing with her feelings and emotions, even if that person should be her mother I would still get them punished."

Mrs. Williams glanced at him with a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? Do you think I'm playing with Andrea's emotions? Everything I'm doing is for her good, okay?" she raised her voice at him.

Sean suddenly brought out a cheque book from his pocket. "Just name the price. Tell me how much you want? In return, you have to answer my questions sincerely, and I might promise you won't get punished."

"You rich people think you can buy everyone and anything with your stinky money. I'd rather die in poverty than take this from you. Now leave my house. Your stay isn't welcome," she gritted her teeth in anger and looked away from him.

"You'd rather die? What about you watching your precious children die instead? I have all of their information with me. Your youngest goes to Preston High, and your eldest studies in Hale college. You may correct me if I'm wrong," Sean said it with a smug look on his face.

Mrs. Williams gasped loudly with her pupils dilated in shock, and cold sweats began to form on her forehead. "You...how did you know?"

"You clearly know my identity, and you should know it's a piece of cake to find out all of your information and get your kids killed. Trust me, with just a snap of my fingers, I will get my men to take action. As I'm speaking, they have already surrounded. They are only waiting for my orders," he added, crossing his long legs over the other.

Mrs. Williams gulped hard, and went down on her knees. "Please don't hurt them. I will answer all of your questions sincerely," her voice wavered and she began to whimper softly.