Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Don’t You Want It at All?

Jude Sheridan hung up the phone and went inside. He saw Cecilia Croft busy in the living room and spoke in a low voice.

"Something came up at the office that I need to handle."

Cecilia Croft didn’t even look up, continuing with her task.

Jude Sheridan’s expression darkened. The feeling of being ignored was extremely irritating, but he patiently tried again.

"Cecilia, I’ll come visit your grandmother another day. You should spend more time with her."

This time, Cecilia Croft looked up, her gaze filled with scorn.

Cecilia Croft’s lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing. She just gave a cold laugh, gathered the clothes in her arms, and went into the bedroom.

Jude Sheridan frowned, stunned by the look of utter disappointment in her eyes.

He glanced at the closed door to Cecilia Croft’s grandmother’s room and hesitated for a moment before walking over. Just as he reached the door and was about to knock, the phone he was still holding rang again.

"I’m on my way."

After taking the call, he turned and left without a second thought.

Jessica Keller had slipped and fallen in the shower.

When Jude Sheridan arrived at the hospital, Jessica Keller was sitting quietly in the corridor. The moment she saw him, tears welled up on her pale little face. She let out a sob, and with tear-filled eyes, she opened her arms, asking for a hug.

Jude Sheridan walked over and took her in his arms, gently patting her back.

"How could you be so careless? What did the doctor say?"

Jessica Keller bit her lip, looking pitiable and aggrieved as she spoke.

"The doctor said it’s nothing serious. It was my fault, I wasn’t watching my step and slipped. Thank goodness our baby is okay."

"As long as you’re both okay."

He soothed her with a soft voice, but he wasn’t entirely relieved. He took Jessica Keller to see the doctor himself to get the full story.

The doctor gave them a list of precautions, specifically emphasizing that during the first trimester, the pregnant woman should avoid strenuous exercise and sexual intercourse.

Jude Sheridan showed no reaction, his expression impassive.

Jessica Keller, however, blushed and buried her face in Jude Sheridan’s chest.

After the doctor prescribed some folic acid and micronutrient supplements for Jessica Keller, Jude Sheridan took her and left.

On the way back to the apartment, Jude Sheridan maintained his indifferent demeanor.

Jessica Keller felt a little hurt, unable to sense any concern from him.

After he saw her inside, Jude Sheridan stood at the doorway and said in a low voice,

"I’ll hire a caretaker to look after you tomorrow."

Jessica Keller wrapped her arms tightly around Jude Sheridan’s waist, her eyes pleading with him not to leave.

"Jude, my ankle still hurts a little. Can’t you stay with me tonight?"

Her eyes filled with tears, showing her reluctance to let him go.

Jude Sheridan raised a hand and patted her head, but his expression remained unwavering.

"Be good. I have to go back tonight."

Jessica Keller’s eyes immediately reddened. "Is it because Cecilia asked you to go back?"

Jude Sheridan didn’t answer.

Taking the hint, Jessica Keller let go, feigning magnanimity.

"Fine, you can go then. I’ll be okay on my own."

With that, she turned her back to Jude Sheridan.

The embrace she had imagined never came. Instead, all she heard were the footsteps of a man walking away.

Whirling around, Jessica Keller only caught a glimpse of his hand as he closed the front door.

Her face instantly turned ashen. The tears in her eyes vanished, replaced by a look of intense resentment and ambition.

Jessica Keller bit her lip hard, staring at the closed door for a long moment before finally taking out her phone and making a call.

"Ma’am, it’s Jessica, we spoke once before. Jude probably didn’t tell you, but I’m pregnant. The doctor said there are signs of a threatened miscarriage, and I don’t have any family or friends here in Silvercrest, so I could only call you. I was hoping you could come to the city to take care of me. Would that be okay?"

The person on the other end was startled for a moment, then quickly replied, her voice filled with joy.

"Really? That boy of mine didn’t say a single word! Don’t you worry, I’ll head into the city first thing tomorrow morning to take care of you."

A smile played on Jessica Keller’s lips. "Okay, ma’am. I’ll be waiting for you."

’So what if Cecilia Croft can call Jude back?’

’As long as Jude’s mother is on my side, and with my baby on the way, it’s only a matter of time before Cecilia and Jude split up.’

After Jude Sheridan left, Cecilia Croft made herself dinner.

After eating, she lay on a wicker chair, idly scrolling through her phone.

An app she hadn’t opened in a long time suddenly sent her a notification for a new post.

"Since I’m pregnant we can’t have sex, so my boyfriend has to go to his fiancée to satisfy his physical needs. It’s a little frustrating, but I suppose I should be more generous."

Cecilia Croft saw the familiar username and gave a cold smile, not bothering to expand the post or look at the comments.

’She didn’t need to look to know it would be a torrent of angry comments.’

’Sometimes, you had to admire Jessica Keller. The girl had nerves of steel.’

Cecilia Croft put her phone away and went inside.

She had already packed up most of her things in Silvercrest and shipped them back to Karthus. The small villa, once cluttered, now looked stark and empty.

Looking at the unusually cold, empty house, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

But this feeling of loss didn’t linger for long.

’I have a meeting with the CEO of Apex Industries tomorrow to discuss a partnership. I need to rest up and be at my best.’

’The Croft Group has been going downhill for years. My sister has struggled to keep it afloat for so long; I can’t go back empty-handed.’

’The Apex Industries contract will be my gift to my sister.’

’Vantage’s rise wasn’t just due to its own merits; it was also thanks to the long-term support of its partners.’

’Jude has been surrounded by sycophants for years, and it’s definitely gone to his head.’

’He probably thinks that with Vantage’s current status, these partners should be begging to work with him, which is why he’s deliberately giving Apex Industries the cold shoulder.’

’When the representative from Apex Industries contacted me, they didn’t explicitly criticize Jude, but their dissatisfaction was clear.’

Cecilia Croft was already mapping out her path for when she returned to Karthus.

Lost in her thoughts, she eventually drifted off to sleep.

An unknown amount of time passed before the space beside her dipped, and an arm wrapped around her waist.

Cecilia Croft was startled awake. Her eyes flew open to see Jude Sheridan’s familiar face.

"Did I wake you?"

Seeing she was awake, Jude Sheridan tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. His deep voice was tinged with desire.

The cloyingly sweet scent of women’s perfume clinging to him made Cecilia Croft feel sick.

’I’d forgotten Jude had a key to my grandmother’s place.’

’Looks like I’ll have to change all the locks tomorrow.’

Jude Sheridan leaned down to kiss her, but Cecilia Croft immediately turned her face away.

Rebuffed, the man’s eyes darkened. Suppressing his irritation, he moved closer.

"Cecilia, how long has it been since we’ve been intimate? Don’t tell me you haven’t wanted it at all this whole time?"