The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

It wasn't until then that I finally caught the key parts of what Gary said-splitting up Steven and Jessica and making sure Steven paid for what he did. He hadn't mentioned anything about going after Jessica, which probably meant the Gibsons wanted her back in their family.

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "You used to treat Jessica like crap, and now you're trying to tear her and Steven apart. Let me guess you regret how you treated her and want her back with Casper?"

Teaming up with Gary to get back at Steven wasn't the worst plan. Steven might end up feeling guilty and miserable if I exposed Jessica's wrongdoings, but that wouldn't cut it for me. I needed something stronger.

Gary shot a look at Julia.

She let out a sigh before saying, "We were lied to. The person told us she was already pregnant with Casper's baby and that Jessica was the one who brokenoveldrama

them up.

"We felt awful, like we'd raised Casper to be a complete jerk. So, ever since Jessica and Casper got together, I haven't given her a single bit of warmth."

This was the first time I'd heard anything about the Gibsons, and it definitely caught my attention.

"So what happened next?" I asked.

Julia's expression darkened. "After Jessica and Casper divorced, we thought we were doing the right thing for everyone. But recently, we had a DNA test done on the baby boy we thought was Casper's, and it turns out he's not even related to

us.

"Meanwhile, Casper's still hung up on Jessica and won't be with anyone else. We don't want to end up without grandkids, so we figured we'd have to make some compromises."

After putting it all together, I smirked. "I get it. So, how do you plan on dealing with Steven? Count me in."

I pulled out my phone to check the calendar.

l.né

Jessica was two months pregnant when I divorced Steven. Seven months had passed since then, so she was only about a month away from her due date. fo

Teaming up with Gary and Julia meant that when everything hit the fan, Steven and Jessica would take a huge blow. Just thinking about it made me feel a lot better.

Gary paused before saying, "I haven't worked out the details yet."

Unbothered, I said, "No rush. Take your time. Just let me know when you've got a plan."

"How about we swap numbers?" he suggested.

I pulled up my QR code on my phone. "Go ahead and scan it."

He used WhatsApp to scan it, and once we were connected, I casually said, "I've

got things to do, so I'm going to head out now."

"Okay."

I got up and walked out.

...

Zane was in his office, buried in paperwork when his phone rang. He picked it up without thinking.

"Mr. Huxham, I've looked into your

1.n

situation. Willow's case is pretty complicated. She's not your biological daughter, and you're hot listed as her father on any official records, right?"