Chapter 246 Jessica, Open the Door
Chapter 246 Jessica, Open the Door
It wasn't that Patricia deliberately targeted Jessica without reason the next day.
Yesterday night, she found an old, yellowed photo in Keegan's wallet. The girl in the photo had a neat ponytail and a shy yet pure smile. That was a picture of Jessica, a teenage Jessica, who had somehow been kept in Keegan's wallet for all these years.
It was Jessica in the past.
So, was the previous like incident real or fake?
Did Keegan's breakup with Trinity have anything to do with Jessica?
Why was Jessica?
Why did it have to be Jessica?
With such dissatisfaction and jealousy, Patricia instinctively wanted to confront Jessica when she saw her. But Keegan clearly didn't hide his nervousness and concern for Jessica in front of her. What rendered her speechless was Gabriel's appearance.
Patricia, who was abandoned on the roadside and indignant, picked up her phone to call a familiar media reporter.
As soon as the call was connected and before she could speak, she noticed someone beside her.
It was the short-haired woman who had been with Gabriel today, tall and slim, with a sharp gaze despite being a woman.
"What are you doing?"
Receiving a warning look from the short-haired woman, Patricia instinctively frowned defensively and took a step back.
Cynthia looked at her coldly and indifferently. "If you've thought of a way out, feel free to spread Mr. Harriman's gossip."
"But if you have no means of protecting yourself."
Cynthia's voice was slow, even, but cold. She looked at Patricia with eyes that seemed to flash with daggers, and her faint smile sent chills down Patricia's spine.
Patricia's eyes flickered, her hand stiffened on the phone, and she hesitated before slowly putting the phone down, not daring to make the call.
In the afternoon, Jessica went straight to the studio. After Mackenzie returned, they had a meeting in the studio, during which Jessica put her phone on silent.
It was dark by the time she took a cab back to Blue Bay Apartments. On the way back, she even thought that since she hadn't paid next year's rent and Gabriel had no intention of collecting it, she could move out anytime.
Since it never really started, it should end cleanly and thoroughly.
She had no experience in love, but at least she had a bottom line for handling feelings.
Rather than staying in such ambiguity, it was better to say goodbye early and leave no lingering connections.
After picking up Danielle and returning home, she knew the password had been changed, but since the apartment belonged to Gabriel, who knew if he had some other extraordinary way to get in?
She locked the door from the inside and, feeling weak, leaned on the sofa.
Today, Danielle seemed unusually quiet, perhaps scolded by a teacher at kindergarten. After playing on the carpet by the sofa for a while, she said she was sleepy and wanted to go to bed.
Coincidentally, Jessica wasn't feeling well today and didn't have much energy to play with her. After giving Danielle a bath and changing her into a nightgown, she let her lie down obediently.
Jessica took a quick shower herself and almost fell asleep in the bathtub. She quickly got out, measured her temperature, and found she still had a slight fever.
Jessica intended to sleep, but after her bath, she heard Danielle crying in the bedroom.
She hurried over and found Danielle rolling on the bed in discomfort. Hearing Jessica's footsteps, Danielle sat up, holding her little blanket pitifully, and said, "Mommy, I'm so cold."
Jessica walked over in surprise and touched Danielle's forehead, frowning at the heat.
How did Danielle get a fever, too?
Had she been too busy and not as meticulous as Caroline in caring for Danielle, sending her to kindergarten dressed too little?
Jessica quickly grabbed a thermometer to check Danielle's temperature.
Danielle had a fever of 101.3°F.
No wonder she seemed listless when she came home.
"You're running a fever. I'll get you some medicine. After you take the fever reducer, get some good rest," Jessica said as she got up to find the medicine.
When Danielle first had a fever as a baby, Jessica was terrified and felt helpless. But after years of single-handedly raising her, she no longer feared minor illnesses like colds and fevers. She kept a well-stocked medicine cabinet for Danielle.
After giving Danielle the fever reducer, Jessica almost forgot she wasn't feeling well herself. She stayed by Danielle's side, wiping her down with a warm washcloth to help her cool down physically.
Finally, after soothing Danielle to sleep, Jessica, exhausted, leaned against the bed and closed her eyes for a moment.
But she couldn't sleep soundly, constantly worrying about Danielle.
After about an hour, she woke up with a start, quickly checked Danielle's temperature, and found it had risen to 102.2°F.
Recently, with winter setting in, flu was rampant. Caroline's son had been hospitalized with Type B flu and a persistent high fever, treated only with anti-inflammatory injections and fever reducers.
Though experienced in child care, Jessica was feeling unwell herself. She got up to find more medicine, remembering a box of flu medicine from last year that was still good for another year and a half. She quickly mixed some with water for Danielle.
Danielle was always well-behaved when sick, unlike other kids who would cry and fuss. She would quietly sleep or cling to Jessica, saying she was sleepy. Danielle had always been healthy, but when she did get a fever, it was intense.
Once, Danielle's fever spiked to nearly 104°F. Jessica, in a U.S. hospital, felt like she was burning up with anxiety. After some medical advice on children's fevers by doctors, she gradually became more composed in such situations.
After a long ordeal, Danielle finally fell asleep. The fever reducer could only be taken every four hours, so Jessica kept using physical methods to lower her fever. By midnight, after giving Danielle a second dose, Jessica felt faint, barely making it to the kitchen for some water before returning to check on Danielle.
The heat still hadn't subsided.
If it didn't go down in another hour, she'd have to risk exposure to other serious flu viruses and take Danielle to the hospital.
Jessica sat by the bed, holding Danielle's hot little hand with one hand and stroking her forehead with the other, her head pounding.
Just then, the doorbell rang. She leaned against the bed with her eyes closed, not moving, as if she hadn't heard it. It wasn't until her phone suddenly rang beside her that she glanced at it. It was an unknown number.
She hesitated before answering.
Gabriel's voice came through the phone, cool and calm like a refreshing breeze on a hot summer night. "Open the door."
