Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Andrea's words hinted that Lizetta was no different from those people; the only difference was that Mrs. Bernice Madden had been thoroughly duped this time.

Jerome paused his dining and glanced up at Andrea upon hearing this. He had asked Horace to gather some old photos of Hans and Daisylin as a young couple just yesterday. But perhaps because Andrea had been pampered by the Madden family, with her air of arrogance and her face always perfectly made up, Jerome couldn't see any resemblance between her and the Gardners, a couple who seemed to carry the aura of the marketplace on their faces.

"Bro, why do you keep staring at me? Did I say something wrong?" Andrea raised her voice suddenly.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Jerome's gaze softened, and at the same moment, his phone rang. He glanced down to swipe his phone open, tapped into WhatsApp, and started scrolling. The next second, his finger abruptly stopped moving across the screen, his emotions fluctuating rapidly. Suddenly, he looked up at Andrea again, his lips curving slightly as he said, "You didn't say anything wrong. She indeed has a deep connection with the Madden family."

Andrea felt a chill in her heart, sensing a deeper meaning in Jerome's words that made her uneasy. She gripped her spoon tightly, wanting to delve deeper, but Jerome had already shifted his gaze towards Nelson and said, "Grandpa, there are some details about our collaboration with the Wind Group that I'd like to discuss with you."

"Let's talk in the study after breakfast," Nelson nodded in response.

After breakfast, Jerome stood up, assisting the old man upstairs. Mrs. Bernice Madden was still keen on visiting the hospital, despite the servants' attempts to dissuade her. Andrea approached, "Grandma, shall I accompany you to the hospital to see Elsa?"

Mrs. Bernice Madden's eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly. Andrea then told the servant, "I'll be out with grandma. Just let grandpa know if he asks.” The servant agreed, and Andrea helped Mrs. Bernice Madden out the door.

Upstairs in the study, Nelson sat down and asked, "I thought the collaboration was going smoothly. What's the issue?"

Jerome didn't rush to answer.

Instead, he poured Nelson a glass of water and sent a WhatsApp message to their private doctor,

asking him to be ready to comnet

over

at any moment. After receiving reply, Jerome finally turned to Nelson and said, "Grandpa..."

He hesitated, unsure of how to start, and debated whether he should just show Nelson the results of the paternity test. Considering Nelson's fondness for Andrea and fearing the impact might be too great for him knowing that despite his robust appearance, Nelson suffered from high blood pressure, and chronic headaches. This visit to Zion City was also for treating his

headache.

"It's not about the business, is it? You're hesitating so much... Let me guess, does it have to do with Liz?" Seeing Jerome's expression, Nelson took a sip of water and chuckled.

Jerome was momentarily moved,

thinking Nelson had sensed

something, only to hear him

continue "Have you taken a liking to

Liz, afraid I wouldn't agree? Don't

worry, even though I hoped you'd

marry into the family, if you're not interested in Andrea, I..."

Before Nelson could finish, Jerome cut in, "Grandpa, about marrying into the family, I'm willing now."

Nelson was taken aback. Jerome and Andrea had grown up under his watch. Andrea used to chase after Jerome, who nearly left the Madden family to avoid her. Why the sudden change of heart?

Especially since Jerome had clearly shown affection for Lizetta, it made no sense that he'd suddenly be willing to marry Andrea after having a love interest... Something didn't add up, and a glimmer of realization flashed through Nelson's mind.