Chapter 236 Jessica Is Locked Up
Chapter 236 Jessica is Locked Up
"Go home?" Jessica reacted as if she had heard a joke, but she couldn't bring herself to laugh.
The servants of the Jenner family recognized her, especially the older ones who had never been particularly kind to her since she was a child. Seeing her suddenly brought back by Eugene, they were initially surprised but quickly exchanged looks that said 'mind their own business' and went about their tasks as if nothing had happened.
It was already late at night. Linda and Eugene's beloved actress daughter, Trinity, was clearly resting and did not come downstairs.
Jessica turned to the two bodyguards outside the door, walked over, and extended her hand. "Give me back my phone."
The two bodyguards stood there like statues, not moving an inch, as if they hadn't heard her.
When Jessica tried to take it, the bodyguard who had taken her phone pushed her hand away without any mercy, closing the door in front of her and locking her inside.
Jessica, unwilling to give up, was about to open the door when Eugene, standing behind her, said in a calm and ordinary tone, "It's late. No matter how much you fuss, it won't help. Go upstairs and rest. We'll talk in the morning."
"Talk about what?" Jessica sensed something in his words and immediately turned back. "Eugene, I'm no longer part of the Jenner family. Don't mess with me. If I really make a scene, you might not be able to protect your reputation in the imperial capital."
"Do you think you can threaten me, you little brat?"
The twenty-four-year-old Jessica sneered, "Unless you kill me, but do you dare? I'm in the entertainment industry now, a public figure. If I disappear without a trace, even if you are my father, if I die at your hands, do you really think you can clear your name?"
"What's all this talk about dying?" Eugene, in a tone that sounded like he was reciting lines, said coldly, "Go upstairs and rest. The room you used to stay in hasn't been touched much and has been empty. There are guest rooms on the second floor; pick one and stay there."
Seeing that Jessica had no intention of going upstairs to rest or cooperating, Eugene simply threatened. "The box with your mother's belongings is still in the attic. Do you want it?"
Jessica was silent for a moment, just staring at Eugene's face. After a long time, she said, "Having your blood in my veins is indeed my greatest shame."
Sensing a hint of compromise in her words, Eugene, as if he had expected it, said, "If you want to stay in the attic, it's not impossible. That room has been locked for five years and is full of dust. You probably won't be able to sleep."
The air was silent for a few seconds.
Without saying another word, Jessica glanced at the two bodyguards outside the door and said directly, "The attic key."
Eugene seemed rather satisfied with her reaction, turning to call a servant. The servant nodded and, a few minutes later, found an old-looking room key. When handing it to Jessica, the servant was careful not to touch her hand, as if Jessica were a ghost or a plague. After Jessica took the key, the servant quickly stepped back, keeping a distance and looking at her with the same disdain as always.
This house was still the same.
The old servants still didn't see her as a lady of the Jenner family.
How did those two bodyguards suddenly come up with calling her Ms. Jenner?
Jessica clutched the key, her eyes subtly scanning the surrounding double-layered floor-to-ceiling windows, but found no gaps through which she could escape. She took the key and, relying on her memory, walked up the stairs.
The so-called attic was actually the top floor of the Jenner family's main villa, a small room that was perpetually plagued by erratic temperatures, damp air, and cluttered with various items.
Most of the items inside were her old clothes and her mother's belongings, but there were also many other miscellaneous items. The door was often locked, and no one usually came to the attic, not even the servants, who didn't bother to clean it. Because of this, her mother's belongings had been left there, untouched.
When Jessica used to live there, at least she could tidy it up a bit. There was a small bed by the window in the corner where she could sleep.
Now, as she pushed the door open, she saw five years' worth of dust. The cluttered items even had gray cobwebs. She instinctively turned to ask the servant outside the door for some cleaning tools, but as soon as she stepped inside, the servant suddenly closed the door behind her.
She heard the sound of the door being locked from the outside.
She turned back and looked at the dust-covered door, then reached out to turn the handle.
As expected, it wouldn't open.
She was locked in.
What were they trying to do?
Did they think she was still that teenager who could be easily locked up?
However, the attic was on the fourth floor, the windows were small, and escaping wouldn't be easy.
She pondered for a moment, then stopped struggling with the door and walked inside. She waved away the cobwebs with one hand and the dust that was starting to choke her with the other.
She walked to the small bed where she had slept for many years and saw the rotting, yellowed sheets covered in dust. Suppressing her discomfort, she turned to the small cabinet by the bed and reached inside. Sure enough, she found a large box.
This box was a safe she had bought with her scholarship money back in the day. All her mother's belongings were inside. Although the safe wasn't very expensive, no one else could open it.
The Jenner family had always looked down on her mother's things. Linda didn't even bother to touch them. But they didn't know she had left this safe in the house. Only Eugene knew about it, but now it had become a bargaining chip to force Jessica into the attic.
Dawn broke.
Sleep was out of the question for Jessica.
Without her phone, she couldn't call for help. The window was too small for her to squeeze through, even less so now than when she was a teenager.. She couldn't save herself.
She could only wait for morning.
Eugene clearly had a purpose for bringing her back this time. Although he locked her up, he wouldn't let her starve. Someone would bring food eventually, and there would be other opportunities.
Without a phone or a way to tell time, she could only watch the sky outside the window change from dark to light. When she estimated it was around seven in the morning, she heard the sound of a servant approaching outside. But the servant didn't seem to be bringing food; instead, they were moving around outside, organizing something. No one knocked on the door or came in.
By around noon, Jessica couldn't wait any longer. She took off her dust-covered coat and placed it by the bed, then started to clean the room.
Without a cloth or water, cleaning was difficult. There was too much dust.
Eventually, she sat back the dusty bed, feeling lightheaded and suffering from a headache caused by the dust. She couldn't help but cough from the dust irritating her throat.
