Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman

Even Dan and Jesse were shocked as everyone turned to look at Zed in bewilderment.

Zed nodded. Reading Benjamin's expressions, he said, "She told me that she would come back only after everything gets handled."

Silence fell on the room as Zed shared this piece of information.

Noticing the awkwardness engulfing all of them, Zed's eyes twitched.

'Is what Jean said true?

Jesse...' thought Zed.

He couldn't help turning his eyes on her. Jesse was clearly flustered as she fidgeted with her empty hands.

Jesse felt Zed's eyes burn into her back. And yet, she lowered her head and dared not to meet his gaze.

The blush was clearly visible on her fair complexion. Seeing this, Zed was immediately heavy-hearted. He turned to meet Dan's and Benjamin's eyes.

The two of men nodded at his signal and spoke almost in tandem, "The two of you go ahead with your conversation. We will go first."

With this, both grandfathers held each others's arms for support to walk towards their rooms.

Zed would be a fool to not notice anything strange about Jesse's feelings for him by now.

A bitter sadness made way into his heart as he couldn't believe what he had just found out. Looking at Jesse quizzically, he asked, "Jesse, is it true?" Zed didn't say it frankly, but Jesse knew what he was thinking.

In a flash, tears coursed down her cheeks. Looking at Zed's confused handsome face, she involuntarily asked, "Zed, do you hope it to be true?" "I..." Zed badly wished to say 'no'.

But looking at Jesse's sad, pathetic eyes, his heart softened.

"Why are you so foolish?" His tender affection for Jesse was obvious from Zed's tone. A while later, he added, "Can't we get along with each other just as siblings? Why do you treat me like this?"

"Zed..." Her eyes followed each of his movements and gestures closely. After mulling over the situation they were in, Jesse softly said, "There is no reason for love. It can't be controlled by reason. I also hope that I haven't fallen in love with you if it were in my control. All this while, I have been miserable and tired about my love for you..."

Before she finished speaking, pearl-like tears glistened on her smooth cheeks.

"Jesse?" Zed trembled all over on hearing Jesse's words, staring at Jesse with amazement who was now weeping quietly.

When they were kids and Jesse cried, she would throw herself into Zed's arms for comfort. But now, it had grown too complicated. Zed wondered how time had passed and when Jesse had grown up to become so strong and face everything on her own. Many things had changed as time passed by.

But only Zed hadn't changed. He still treated her as his little sister.

However...

It was just because of his oversight that Zed had successively hurt the two women that he treasured the most in his life.

Zed turned his reality over and over in his head to see if there was a way out of this without getting one of them hurt. At last, he blurted out just one word, "Sorry..." He hesitated again and wondered what to say next. Staring at the beautiful woman who he had spent his life with as a brother, he added, "My carelessness and negligence towards you have brought you this pain. It's all because of me."

Zed's apology stung Jesse as she suddenly looked up in grief. She vehemently shook her head sideways and said,"Zed, it is not your fault. Everything I do is out of my own will. I don't have any regrets, no matter how much pain I have suffered."

Zed gazed at Jesse with complex feelings, beating against his chest. And then, he saw the most brilliant and beautiful smile run across that familiar face.

Jesse's words distressed him, but he gathered to tell her the bitter truth. At last, he said, "Jesse, I have always cared for you as if you were my biological sister. The person I love is..."

"I know that." Before Zed could finish his words, Jesse hurriedly interrupted him and said, "Zed, you don't have to say anything. I know what you are thinking. I am fine. Please relax. Don't worry about me. More importantly, don't feel any guilt for me." Jesse still knew Zed the most. As he was thinking these exact thoughts and heard Jesse say them out loud, he suddenly began to feel incredibly sorry.

"How can I not worry about you? How can I not feel guilty? I should have stopped your love for me as early as possible had I known earlier what was on your mind. Then, you shouldn't have been in pain,"

Zed spoke seriously to Jesse.

"Zed, you can't stop my love for you no matter what you do." Jesse smirked and then added, "Well. Let's not talk about this anymore. I don't want to impose any burden on you. I didn't tell you about my love, because I don't want to embarrass you. I thought that my love for you will be concealed from you until I die. Unexpectedly, it is now exposed..."

Stopping mid-sentence, Jesse raised her beautiful eyes to ask Zed, "How did you get to know that I... Did you discover it on your own or did Jean tell you?"

Zed squirmed helplessly and replied, "It wouldn't have been this bad had I discovered it on my own. Jean told me again and again. But I didn't believe her, because I was very sure of my feelings for you. I have always been certain that I only treat you as my sister. Jean wouldn't have been so sad and left had I believed her."

"Now, she is unwilling to come back because of me." Jesse smiled ironically.

"Jesse..." Zed was disconcerted to see Jesse's wicked smile.

Jesse looked at Zed with her eyes gleaming. Then, she said like a spoiled child,"Zed, you can't do anything in return for my deep affection for you, but I feel a little better to know that you and Jean have argued with each other because of me."

"You are a silly girl..." Zed looked down, shaking his head in disbelief at Jesse. He said, "You will find a man better than me. He will accompany you all your life. You will be definitely happier than me..."

"Zed, are you unhappy?" Jesse exmained every twitch of his muscle as she said it.

Then, she stared at him directly with her big brilliant eyes, challenging him for a response.

Stunned, Zed looked back at Jesse with questioning eyes but was overcome with embarassment. He didn't know how to reply to her.

"Zed, don't treat me as a fool or try to comfort me. I have said that I have no regrets in loving you. Just do away with your guilt, let alone comfort me with some lofty words,"

Jesse said seriously.

"I've got it." Zed nodded silently.

"Since you have known my love for you, and Jean is not with you, I will stay." Jesse's unexpected declaration made Zed look up at her in panic.

"Jesse, you..." Zed frowned. He really wanted to ask her if it was necessary for her to stay.

It was on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't say it out loud. He didn't have the heart to hurt her.

"Don't worry," Jesse looked at Zed smilingly and added, "Since I have come back, you haven't treated me well because Jean has been by your side. I will give you two days to make amends, or else I will brush you off," Jesse spoke to Zed, looking at him arrogantly.

He suddenly felt warmth in his heart. Looking at Jesse, he nodded and said, "Okay, I promise you."

His promise struck Jean's heart with delight. She dazzled Zed with a brighter smile than the sun as she looked at him, pleased with what she had achieved.

Jean sat inside the taxi, looking out of the window. She felt confused and forlorn.

By now, it had dawned upon her that she had nowhere to go.

Things had happened so unexpectedly that she hadn't brought her mobile phone or a change of clothes.

Plus, she had no money on her.

At the thought of all of this, Jean was overwrought by a bitter sadness. She had no choice but to find Moore.

In this big H City, he was the only one that she could turn to at this time. 0000000