Chapter 281 - 281: You’re The Woman In My Life

"Who's there?" Avery asks, tightening her grip on the glass bottle.

She throws the door open and sees Jessica rummaging through her suitcase. Jessica doesn't seem to hear her, so Avery creeps into the bedroom to get a better view. Jessica digs through the bag, tossing the book and the picture aside and grabbing the recording pen.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" Avery asks.

Jessica jumps and turns to face Avery. She laughs when she sees the champagne bottle in Avery's hand and bends her head to study the recording pen. She clicks the pen and pushes some of the buttons at random. The pen makes a crackling sound, and then Evan's voice fills the room.

"You're the only woman in my life," he says. "I want you to love me more than ever."

Jessica's eyes widen, and she almost drops the pen. She presses the rewind button, and Evan's voice fills the room again. Avery bites her tongue, fighting back the tears. Her chest aches, and it feels like all the oxygen has left the room. Jessica plays the recording over and over until Evan's low and charming voice is all Avery can remember.

"I hardly believe that's Evan," Jessica says coldly. "I mean, everyone knows he's cold-blooded and brutal. He has a reputation for rejecting every woman he's ever seen. What did you do to make him talk like that? Did you blackmail him or something?"

Avery balls her hand into a fist and asks, "You know what they call people who look through stuff that isn't theirs?"

"Oh please," Jessica says. "It's my responsibility to make sure you don't hurt my brother. And it's not like you would have permitted me to look through your stuff if I'd asked."

Avery drops the champagne bottle on the carpeted floor and walks toward Jessica. It's bad enough to hear Evan's voice when I'll never be able to see him again, she thinks. But it's even worse for Jessica to listen to it. That recording was private and intimate—just for Nanny and me. It feels wrong for her to listen to it like I'm betraying Evan.  

Avery grabs the pen from Jessica and turns the recording off. She drops it into her bathrobe's pocket and takes a deep breath. Her heart is still fluttering painfully in her chest, and her eyes burn with unshed tears. Her handshakes as she points at the door.

"Will you leave on your own, or do I have to kick you out?" Avery asks, trying to keep her voice calm.

Jessica narrows her eyes and looks Avery up and down. Her face is pale, and her forehead is wrinkled with worry. She walks toward the open door but pauses before stepping into the hall.

"What do you want from my brother?" Jessica asks. "You know Andrew is a sick man. He acts strong and healthy, but he's not well. I don't know what you want from him, but he can't give it to you. I'll make sure you never get a cent of his money. And he's too ill to have a normal s.e.x life with you."

"Even if I had an evil purpose, you couldn't stop me," Avery says with a laugh. "Your brother will give me what I want, and nothing you say will change my mind."

Avery sits at the vanity and picks up a hairdryer. She turns it on, drowning out Jessica's response. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Jessica stomp out of the room and into the hallway. Though Jessica is gone, her shoes have left prints on the carpet. Avery sighs and continues drying her hair.

Jessica stomps down the hall, too angry to pay attention to anything around her. She slams into something hard and strong hands grab her by the shoulders. She looks up and sees James.

"Watch where you're going," she snaps.

James smirks and takes his hands off her shoulders. He steps to the side and allows her to pass, then follows her down the hall. He stays several paces behind her.

Jessica looks over her shoulder and asks, "Can you walk faster?"

James nodded and quickened his pace. They come to the end of the hall, and Jessica stops outside her bedroom door. Though the door is unlocked, she waits for James to open it for her. She enters the room, and he follows her in, shutting the door behind him.

With a sigh, she kicks off her heels and unbuckles the tight belt around her waist. She unbuttons the top of her dress and fans her chest. James walks around the room, picking up her discarded clothes and putting them neatly in her closet. She slouches down on the sofa and looks up at James, fluttering her long eyelashes.

"Did you learn anything?" she asks.

"Yes, the heart in your brother's body originally belonged to Charles Meyers," James says.

"Charles?" Jessica asks, propping herself up with her elbows. "Oh, my God! Isn't he Jackson's cousin or something? No wonder Jackson has been acting so weird and distant lately."

Jessica knows that her b.r.e.a.s.ts are on display, and she looks up at James to see if he's looking at them. Instead of looking at her, he's staring at the air above her head. She sighs and lies back down.

"My sources tell me that Charles has an artificial heart," James says. "He's in a coma right now, and it's unclear if he'll wake up or not."

"He's still alive?" Jessica asks. "That's not good. If he wakes up, he'll want the heart back."

"That's true," James says. "You should also worry about Jackson—he wants to get Charles' heart back too." 

"Nonsense!" Jessica says, jumping to her feet. "My brother is finally recovering. Jackson can't take the heart away!"

She paces the room, trying to clear her mind. Suddenly, she remembers her conversation with Andrew: she asked him what Avery wanted, and he pointed at his chest. I thought he meant his love, but what if he literally meant his heart? She thinks.

She turns to James and asks, "Is that why Avery is here—is she after the heart?"

James shrugs and says, "If you want, I can drive the woman away for you. Just tell me what to do."

"Can't you figure it out yourself?" Jessica asks.

"I'm just a simple bodyguard," James says with a smirk. "I wouldn't dare act on my own."

Jessica walks to the closet, grabs a show, and hurls it at James. He easily catches it and drops it onto the carpet.

"Don't play innocent with me," she screams. "When I was drugged, you could have soaked me in cold water or left me alone. You could have done any number of things, but you r.a.p.ed me instead. You owe me, James. You owe me everything."

James stares at her expressionlessly, and she feels her cheeks flushing with anger. She flies across the room and pounds her fists against his solid chest. He makes no move to stop her.

"Were you the one who drugged me in the first place?" she asks. "What's wrong with you?"