The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Stop by to see me? But Casper's place is way out of my way."

Gary sank into the couch, staring down at her. "Well, since we were already in the neighborhood to see Casper, we figured we might as well swing by."

Jessica's confusion deepened. "See me? Why?"

Gary didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked, "Are you pregnant?"

Jessica looked down at her stomach and shrugged. "So what if I am? Casper and I've been divorced for ages, and I've been with Steven for a while now. Isn't it only natural for me to get pregnant?

"You two used to hate me. Weren't you the one who said you'd be glad if I ended up with someone else? Well, I have. You should be happy for me."

She took a seat. When she'd been with Casper, she'd always played nice around Gary and Julia. She'd really thought of them as family and had tried so hard to get their approval.

But no matter what she did, it was never enough. For a long time, she wondered if the issue was with her. But after the divorce, things became clear when she finally cut ties with them.

It had never been about Jessica. Gary and Julia had been against her from the start. So, no matter how hard she tried, they were never going to accept her.

Jessica noticed the empty table, got up, grabbed a couple of disposable cups, and poured them some water. Gary watched her from behind, letting out a sigh while Julia nervously tugged at his sleeve.

Gary finally spoke up. "Yeah, at first, that's what I thought. I figured you'd be settled with Steven by now. But after seeing this..."

He looked around the room, his face full of disgust. "Why's the place he got you so tiny? It's nothing like the house you had with Casper."

"Steven gave me a huge villa once. I sold it a few days ago," Jessica said, her tone neutral, not sounding like she was showing off.

She picked up the contract and handed it to Gary. "Here, take a look. See how much I got for it."

Gary had figured she was justnoveldrama

talking big, but as he looked through the papers, he realized she'd pulled

in at least 100 million dollars from the sale. He stared at her, completely shocked.

Jessica didn't seem to care about his reaction. Smiling, she asked, "What's with the look? Surprised meone else would treat me well after I left Casper?" fo

Gary put the contract down. "Steven treats you well because he loves you. But

can you honestly say he'll treat Cody the same way?

"You can't guarantee that, right? Now that you're having his kid, once you two settle into your happy little family, what's going to happen to Cody?"

Jessica responded, taking her time, "That's none of your business.

You've never liked Cody. Even net

if

Steven wasn't the best to him, he's still better than you two.

"So, don't worry. Cody and Steven will get along just fine."