"Yvette, let's go. We need to talk about this privately. I don't want to gather our guests' attention," Rhea whispered as she smiled at Ivy, Yvette's mother. She had no idea who the lady was.
"Tita Rhea, Ivana and I are going home. I am glad that I witnessed the beginning of Jackson's downfall." Joana kissed Rhea's cheeks as she bid goodbye.
"Take care, both of you. Thank you for coming here and thank you for everything," Rhea said.
Ivana and Joana have already left.
"I am sorry if I bothered everyone." Ivy smiled at Yvette and Ythan before walking away.
"What are you going to tell your mom again, my daughter?" Ythan asked smiling. He signals that he will kill Ivy if Yvette turns on him. Rhea didn't see that because she was only focused on her daughter.
Yvette's tears flowed. She wants to save Jackson but she can't risk the life of her mother, Ivy. Even after she sold her to Ythan Marcus, she still loves her very much.
Rhea wiped Yvette's tears with her hand.
"I'm sorry, Yvette. You can forget about Jackson too. There are many other men in the world, my daughter. As far as I can see, he doesn't love you. I don't want you to beg for attention and time from a criminal. Your dad and I are here. We love you so much. Your father was the one who found the evidence against Jackson. Like me, he doesn't agree with the relationship between the two of you. We are just protecting you, Yvette," Rhea said with all her heart. The truth is, she is already playing with Yvette and Ythan.
"Your mom is right, Yvette. We only want the best for you," Ythan said.
"See? I told you. You are very lucky to have your father, Yvette. He loves you very much. Is that right Ythan?" Rhea smiled at Ythan.
"Y-Yes! Of course! I love our daughter so much," Ythan replied.
"I am sorry, mom. I don't feel like celebrating my birthday anymore. Moving on takes time. I hope, you will understand my situation. Excuse me," Yvette said. She walked out of the party hall.
Ythan was about to follow Yvette when Rhea suddenly stopped him.
"The party isn't over yet. It would be embarrassing to our guests if we left too." Rhea held Ythan's arm. Although she is angry with Yvette, she still cannot allow her husband to molest their adoptive daughter again.
"Are you serious about revealing your old appearance to the public?" Ythan asked with a frown.
Rhea nodded.
"For what use? You are living your life well. Aren't you afraid that it might backfire on you?" Ythan doesn't want his wife's former face to be in the news the next day. He does not want to have a rival for his wife's love and attention. He was also sure that Rhea would only do that for her missing daughter, Freya. He could not allow her wife and her real daughter to be together again.
"Revealing my face isn't for clout, Ythan. It is for justice. It is for my sanity. I am exhausted from being nice. The people who caused the loss of my family need to pay," Rhea murmured.
Ythan swallowed. He's guilty.
"You can do that silently. You don't need the sympathy of the public. Aren't you just looking for justice? We can do it silently. We ca—"
"Enough, Ythan. My decision is final. I am ready to become myself again. I am ready to embrace who I really am." Rhea walked away from her husband.
Ythan growled in anger. "You can't do this to me, Rhea. You can't ignore me. I am the reason why you got rich. I am also the reason why your life is comfortable now." He took out his cell phone and called one of his staff. "Do everything to ruin my wife's plans. Sudden black out, projector's malfunction, host's disappearance…anything! Just…just stop my wife." He smiled after he hung up. "Rhea, I will show you what I can do. I will remind you that you must obey and fear me," he whispered.
~~~~
"Jacob, I thought we were going to papa?" Freya asked with a frown when they got out of the car. Because they went to the secret villa instead of the Grays' mansion.
"Papa left," Jacob quickly replied.
"Huh? What do you mean? Where did he go? Why did he leave?" Freya asked one after the other.
"We need to pack our things. He's in critical condition. We will fly to the United States." Jacob quickly opened the door and ran towards the elevator. He didn't think that his excuse to Freya earlier would come true. His papa's personal bodyguard called him. Set reported that his father collapsed when he learned that Jackson was arrested by the police.
Freya immediately followed Jacob. "Do Jackson and Diana already know about this?" She and Jacob boarded the elevator. She watched his husband. There is a trace of concern on his face.
"Set will inform them." Jacob held his forehead. He leaned on the elevator. Suddenly his knees went weak so he sat down.
"Jacob!"
"I'm fine, wife. Don't worry about me." Jacob buried his face in his knee while holding his head by his hands.
"Papa will be fine. I know he can handle it," Freya whispered. She stroked Jacob's hair.
"Papa has been sick for a long time. We have known for a long time that he won't last long but..."
Jacob suddenly bursts into tears. His father has many shortcomings to him but despite all that, he still loves him very much. Don Vandolf has a strong personality which he always admires. Even though his father doesn't directly say that he loves him, he can feel it in his actions. He is not yet ready in case his father dies. He has not yet told him that he has forgiven him for all the sins he has committed against him...for all his shortcomings towards him and his mother. No father is perfect but all fathers love their children in their own special ways.
"Alright, just cry about it. I don't know how to cheer you up right now. I don't even know how to co-comfort you. All I know is that nothing is impossible with prayer that comes from the heart," Freya said, seriously.
Jacob suddenly raised his face. He grabbed Freya by the waist and touched her cheeks.
"Having you by my side is already a big help, wife. Thank you for always reminding me about God's unending grace and love. If you were not in my life, I would have lost my way. You are my most valuable asset, wife. I will be nothing without you. I love you, Freya Oligario." Jacob gradually brought his face closer to Freya's face. He kissed her passionately. He savored every kiss as his tears flowed. His hands also started to travel around her body.
"J-Jacob," Freya said between her soft moans. Her husband was doing it again. Her body couldn't resist his charm, smell and movements. Her body seems to have its own brain. Her temperature was slowly heating up when the elevator suddenly opened. They both stopped and laughed.
"Let's continue this in the States. For now, let's go to our room and prepare our things," Jacob said.
Freya was about to stand up when Jacob suddenly picked her up.
"Let me carry you. This is my payment for your service. Thank you for cheering me up, wife." Jacob kissed Freya's cheeks which made her blush.
Smiling, Jacob carried Freya towards their room. They packed their things one by one. Jacob stopped preparing his clothes when his cell phone suddenly rang. When he saw who was calling, he immediately stood up.
"Wife, I need to go outside. I need to take this call." Jacob said goodbye before he left the room.
Freya frowned. "Is it confidential? Why does he have to come out?" she asked herself with a snort as she looked at the door that had just closed.
Jacob walked further in front of their room before he answered the call.
"I'm busy. What do you need?" Jacob said to the caller.
["Your Majesty, we have a problem."]
Jacob's eyebrows met. "Is it urgent? If not, I will just call you when we arrive in the US," he said.
["It's not that urgent. Go ahead. I will just wait for your call, Your Highness.]
"Stop calling me that way. I'm not a king nor a prince," Jacob said as he hung up the call.