Chapter 443 Return to Bankgok
Jessie had been away from Ethan for ages, so her worries right now were totally understandable.
But even though they’d been apart for years, she still knew Ethan better than anyone. She knew that once Ethan set his mind on something, he’d move heaven and earth to make it happen. He wasn’t the type to go for quick wins. Ethan had always been a smart cookie, even as a kid, so there wasn’t much that freaked her out.
But seriously, was there any mom out there who didn’t worry about her kid?
"Maybe I’m just overthinking it. I just hope you’ve got everything under control. Have you sorted things out with the other families? Since you’ve tweaked your plan about Brady, shouldn’t you let them know?" Jessie shook her head with a wry smile and then got all serious.
"The Ashfords, the Millers, and the Harrises are all gonna be at Wilson Villa for the head-of-family ceremony. I’ve already talked to Carlos, Percival, and Dorian. No worries there!" Ethan said, oozing confidence.
"If you’ve got time, come take a walk with me!" Jessie seemed to realize she was stressing too much and switched gears.
"Where do you wanna go?" Ethan asked, curious.
"Alice started at the new branch office today, so it’s just us at home. Come with me to Bankgok!" Jessie stood up and started packing her handbag, clearly having already planned the trip. Even if Ethan couldn’t make it, she was probably going solo.
"Bankgok? Mom, feeling homesick?" Ethan was surprised. Bankgok was Jessie's hometown, and the Smith family was a big deal there, though they’d fallen on hard times recently.
Sure, the Smiths were a big deal locally, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the Wilsons, who were top-tier nationwide. Jessie marrying Matthew was a twist of fate that had really helped the Smiths out.
"It’s about time for a visit. It’s not far from Novaria, just a bit over three hours by car!" Jessie explained with a nod.
"Then I’ll take you back!" Ethan wasn’t about to say no. They had three days before they needed to be back with the Wilsons, and a quick trip to Bankgok wouldn’t take long.
Jessie’s parents, Carl and Nicole, had passed away early, and she probably wanted to pay her respects.
As they got closer to her hometown, Jessie got noticeably quieter, staring out the window as Ethan drove into Bankgok a little over two hours later.
Ethan sighed silently and let her be.
When Matthew met Jessie, it was pure chance. Back then, neither Jessie nor anyone in the Smith family knew who he really was. Matthew was a low-key guy who didn’t like showing off, which later caused drama within the Smith family about their marriage.
So yeah, Bankgok was both Jessie's hometown and a place of heartbreak.
When Jessie married Matthew against all odds, Carl even threatened to cut her off and never see her again.
Jessie was torn but chose to marry Matthew. Two years later, when Carl passed away, she went back to pay her respects and got a lot of flak from most of the Smiths.
Jessie’s mom, Nicole, always felt bad for her but couldn’t go against Carl, and missing Jessie took a toll on her health.
The year after Carl died, Nicole also passed away. When Jessie went back for Nicole’s funeral, the scorn was even worse than the first time.
This left Jessie heartbroken, and she never went back to Bankgok again.
Now, after all these years, she was returning to Bankgok, a place both familiar and strange.
Ethan barely remembered Bankgok. The first time he went back after Carl's death, he was just a toddler, and even the second time, his memories were fuzzy.
Jessie had never returned to Bankgok herself, just had people keep tabs on the family. So, Ethan didn’t know much about her relatives. He just knew Jessie cared a lot.
"Mom, we're like ten minutes away from Smith Village. Are we hitting up Grandpa and Grandma's old house first, or going straight to their graves?" Ethan asked as they got close.
"Let's go home first. After your grandparents passed, your uncle Gerald should be living in the old house," Jessie finally snapped out of her thoughts and said slowly.
Ethan nodded. He didn’t know the way to his grandparents' old house or their graves, but it wouldn’t take long for Alexander’s people to figure it out.
At the very least, Jessie wouldn’t forget where her home was!
After a long stretch of mountain road, Ethan finally drove Jessie to the long-absent Smith Village.
Smith Village was just a small town, mostly made up of people with the last name Smith, forming one big family where everyone was related.
Ethan had no memory of these Smith relatives, so he didn’t feel anything for them.
The only thing he knew was that besides his grandma, his uncle Gerald seemed to be the only one who genuinely cared for Jessie, and Jessie had the best relationship with Gerald among her siblings.
Soon, the car stopped by a cement road next to a field ridge.
"Mom, is that the old house where you used to live with Grandpa and Grandma?" Ethan asked, looking at a small villa in a courtyard a dozen yards away.
"The place is right, but this isn’t the original house. It must be newly built! Did Gerald tear down the old house and build a new one?" Jessie stared at the obviously new house, lost in thought.
"If we're in the right place, let's go ask and find out what's going on." Ethan drove the car towards the gate of the courtyard.
Judging by the courtyard and the villa's decoration, it was pretty good for an average family.
Jessie had mentioned that Gerald was an honest and straightforward guy. His life was decent but not affluent. Could he have made money in recent years?
After parking the car at the gate, Ethan and Jessie got out.
Inside the courtyard, Michelle Smith apparently heard the car and came out from the house, peering out through the iron gate.
"Who is it? Who are you looking for?" Michelle looked to be in her forties, well-maintained. Could she be Gerald's wife?
Ethan was puzzled. Gerald's wife should be in her fifties. How could she look so young?
"Excuse me, does Gerald live here?" Jessie walked up to the iron gate, looking at Michelle with a face full of surprise, clearly having no impression of this woman.
"Looking for Gerald? Go to the cemetery in the back mountain. What are you doing here? This land has long been my husband's!" Michelle's face turned hostile upon hearing this, and she snorted with disdain.
"How is that possible? Wasn't the original house Carl's? After he died, Gerald took care of it. How did it become yours?" Jessie was even more shocked upon hearing this.
"Who is it? What's all the noise outside?" At this moment, a middle-aged man also in his forties came out of the villa, looking impatient and shouting loudly.
"Are you Curtis Smith?" Jessie asked uncertainly when she saw the middle-aged man.
Curtis, Jessie's younger brother, was the youngest son of the Smith family!
She remembered that when she left Smith Village, Curtis was still in school. Twenty years had passed, but Jessie could still recognize his appearance!
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