Chapter 89: Chapter 89

Mrs. Jones finally turned away from her son and fixed her gaze on Andrea, standing quietly beside Jacob. She gave her a warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, dear. Jacob has told me so much about you," she said as she pulled Andrea into an embrace.

Andrea was taken aback that Mrs. Jones had failed to recognize her, which was a good thing for her, as she had told Mrs. Jones that she was purchasing the bag for her mother-in-law. She didn't dare imagine how Jacob, who was completely clueless, would react to it.

Although she didn't intend to keep it a secret forever, she didn't want him to find out this way.

Mrs. Jones finally released Andrea from the hug, and Andrea gave her a polite smile before taking a seat next to Jacob. "I'm so happy to meet you, Mrs. Jones. I'd like to apologise. I thought I would be able to meet you much earlier, but unfortunately, I couldn't," she said.

Mrs. Jones laughed heartily upon hearing this. "You are such a darling. You don't have to apologize. I totally understand. You are a mother of two, and I know it comes with lots of responsibilities," she said enthusiastically.

"By the way, how old are the little ones?" she demanded eagerly.

Andrea's lips parted slightly as she noticed Mrs. Jones staring at her with narrowed eyes, building a feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach.

Mrs. Jones suddenly snapped her fingers, realisation dawning on her. "Wait a minute! I know you! You are the lady I met at the boutique who was searching for a gift for your mother-in-law," she trailed off, the look of excitement in her eyes gradually fading away.

At that moment, the air in the living room seemed to have come to a standstill entirely for Andrea. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat as it picked up its pace, making her palms moist.

Jacob had a smile on his face as he looked back at his mother. "You must be mistaken. Andrea isn't married; although she has kids, she's just a single mom," he said, rolling his eyes.

Andrea's gaze flickered as she swallowed her saliva, feeling self-conscious as Mrs. Jones continued to stare at her. Mrs. Jones' unwavering gaze made Andrea's stomach begin to churn with unease.

Mrs. Jones suddenly laughed, 'Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry you both have a striking resemblance.

Andrea finally relaxed her tense mind and loosened her grip on her handbag, realising only then that she had been holding onto it tightly. She also chuckled softly. "It's okay, I understand; these days people do look alike."

"Thank goodness!" she thought inwardly and heaved a sigh of relief.

Mrs. Jones kindly invited Andrea to join them for lunch, but Andrea found herself unable to refuse, despite not wanting to be anywhere but home.

It was Saturday, and there was a chance that Sean might be home. The thought of him caused Andrea to wrinkle her face in annoyance. She was extremely angry at him for keeping such a huge secret regarding her life from her.

She got rid of her thoughts and nodded smilingly as Jacob ushered her to the dining room and pulled out a chair for her to sit on.

Andrea gave him a grateful look for his kind gesture before sitting down on the chair while Jacob settled down on the one next to hers.

The maids came one by one, placing the meals on the table. Jacob uncovered a plate for Andrea and asked her what she wanted to have before dishing out her meal. "Thank you," Andrea replied gratefully, appreciating Jacob's thoughtfulness.

"Don't mention," Jacob said, giving her a smile.

” Andrea, I didn't know you were coming today, nor do I have any idea what you like. Hopefully, this meal will be to your liking."

"I understand. Thank you, Mrs. Jones’’ she said genuinely.

Occasionally, the mother and son would engage in random conversations while they ate, and from the few hours that Andrea spent at their home, she could tell Mrs. Jones and her son shared a good bond. Indeed, Mrs. Jones is a very lovable person with good morals, and she felt an indescribable feeling of getting to know her even better.

She didn't know where these emotions were coming from until she thought about Mrs. Wilson, self-aware that she must have been throwing all sorts of insults at her until her throat ran dry while sitting pretty at her matrimonial home.

At that instant, she wished Mrs. Wilson was more like Mrs. Jones.

She removed her phone from her handbag and discovered that its screen was cracked. It was only then that she remembered that she had exited the car hurriedly while Drew was absent and accidentally dropped her phone to the ground.

Andrea discovered a sequence of unanswered calls from Sean, Elena, and even Jace. She sent a text message to Elena, telling her she was fine and that she would be back home soon. As soon as it was delivered, her screen turned blank. "Damn you!" she said inwardly.

While her instincts told her that Jace's call was undoubtedly on Sean's behalf, out of concern for her, the thought filled her heart with joy, believing that Sean deserved it. She couldn't help but feel guilty and sorry for abandoning her kids to follow Jacob here. The pang of guilt washed over her completely as she began to wonder if they had taken their naps or not.

As Jacob's phone rang, he quickly excused himself and headed towards the living room. Mrs. Jones turned her attention to Andrea, holding both of her hands on the table. Andrea looked up at her with alarm as Mrs. Jones spoke.

"I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but Andrea, Jacob really likes you. I'm his mother, and I can tell he does. I don't want you to keep leading him on, or he might get the wrong impression and end up getting hurt in the process."

She then added in a gentle tone, "I know you are the girl I met at the boutique, and for some reason you are keeping your marriage a secret from Jacob. I see you both share a good relationship, and I don't want this to destroy your friendship. I hope you understand me."

Andrea was left speechless by the shock of it all; her jaw slackened as she stared at Mrs. Jones in disbelief. She shook her head strenuously after regaining herself.

"I promise I'm not trying to lead him on. I'm planning on telling him everything soon, and I really appreciate your keeping this a secret, Mrs. Jones."

Mrs. Jones smiled at Andrea and softly added. "You should do that soon; it's the only way he can get over you, even though it might be difficult. Even I would have loved it. Too bad you're taken." She touched Andrea's cheeks adoringly.

Andrea felt extremely grateful to Mrs. Jones for keeping it a secret, for the delicious meal, and for indirectly comforting her with her warm hugs and motherly affection towards her.

Mrs. Jones immediately let go of her hand as Jacob came back to the dining room. "Mom, I have a meeting by 4 p.m. I should drop Andrea off and get back to the office," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Mrs. Jones got up and gave Andrea a hug. "You should visit more often, dear, and maybe next time with your daughters,” she said before breaking the hug.

Flashing a polite smile, Andrea nodded her head in agreement. ’’ Thank you for lunch, Mrs. Jones. I will surely bring the twins to meet you when next I visit."

"I will be looking forward to that day," she grinned sweetly and waved blithely while watching them walk out of the house together.

Andrea let out a sigh. "Your mom is the best. She's so sweet and loving. I'm sure you must be feeling exceptionally lucky to have her.

"I do. I knew you two were going to get along with each other.” Jacob opened the door of the passenger's seat, and Andrea got in before he turned to his side and did the same.

Jacob started the engine, and they left the mansion in silence until he asked, 'Are you alright? You seem distant today. Why were you wandering around earlier when I found you?'

Andrea paused before replying, 'It's nothing significant. I had a minor disagreement with my aunt and decided to take a walk.'" she said and slowly raised her head to observe if he was suspicious of her.

Luckily, his gaze was fixed on the road as he drove. "I see," he muttered vaguely, making Andrea wonder what was going through his mind.

She couldn't bring herself to tell him that she had no biological parents. Andrea felt it sounded even worse than being an illegitimate child to her, so she decided to keep it to herself, even though she badly yearns to share her problems with someone who would give her all the comfort she needs at the moment.

Abruptly, Jacob slammed on the brakes, resulting in the car screeching to a halt at a red light. Andrea, who wasn't paying any attention, let out a loud gasp.

She looked ahead of her and immediately understood the situation. She placed her palm on her thumping heart, trying to steady her rapid breaths.

Jacob suddenly turned and looked at her. He brought his hand forward and gently relaxed his palm on her cheek, making her look up at him.

"I apologise for startling you," he said in a barely audible voice as he leaned in, his face mere inches from hers, causing her heart to quicken its pace and feel as if it might burst from her chest at any moment.