Chapter 116

Brandon quickly shook his head. "How could I, babe? I'd never hurt our kid. That boy isn't mine; he's Earl's."

"So that makes it okay to ignore him?"

I glared at him, my anger simmering. "Is that why you don't care about him?"

Brandon, clueless about the source of my anger, could only apologize.

What he didn't know was that Jason reminded me of my own children.

If I hadn't caught Brandon drugging me back then, my three kids might have ended up like Jason.

Even though Elora is a terrible person, I can't help but feel sorry for Jason. He's just an innocent child.

"Don't worry, babe. I'll send someone to find him right away, okay? I'll definitely bring Jason back."

He seemed sincere, so I nodded.

He helped me up. "Babe, please don't be mad at me. Let me take you home. You need to take care of yourself."

I shot him a cold look. "If I die of anger, wouldn't that be just what you want? Then you can bring your mistresses home."

Brandon waved his hands frantically. "No way! Babe, you're the love of my life."

I went home with Brandon, who kept trying to please me the whole way, massaging my legs and shoulders.

But I found him repulsive and avoided his touch.

Once home, Brandon wanted to stay by my side, but I shooed him away. "Aren't you worried about being ousted from your company? Go back to work."

Brandon nodded quickly, grabbed his briefcase, and rushed out.

I called Savannah to check if she had settled Shirley in.

Savannah confirmed, "She's settled."

I felt relieved and warned her not to let anyone know which hospital Shirley was in. I feared Brandon might try to kill her.

After all, if he could scheme against a child like Jason, who knows what else he's capable of.

Savannah, efficient as always, soon returned from the hospital.

That night, Brandon wanted to come home, but I told him to stay at the office. I didn't want to see him.

Leaning on the balcony, I felt a rare sense of relief, as if some of my pent-up anger had been released by Brandon's behavior today.

Feeling unusually cheerful, I asked Savannah to bring some wine.

Savannah hesitated. "Miss, you're still recovering. Drinking might not be a good idea..."

I waved her off. "It's fine. I'm happy today. Just a little won't hurt."

Savannah went to the kitchen, and soon after, Royce called.

His voice was deep and soothing. "In a good mood today?"

I knew Savannah would inform Royce, but I didn't mind since it was her job.

I gave a low hum and recounted the day's events to Royce.

"I finally got some satisfaction today and want to celebrate with a drink."

To my surprise, Royce agreed quickly. "Go ahead, but don't overdo it."

I nodded, then realized, "Why do I need your permission to drink? I'll drink if I want to."

Royce chuckled but didn't say anything.

Standing on the balcony, feeling the cool night breeze and listening to our breaths over the phone, I felt an immense sense of peace.

Royce said, "I'm not there right now, but when you succeed in your revenge, I'll drink with you."

I nodded, and after hanging up, Savannah soon brought the wine.

I grabbed two glasses from the nearby cabinet and placed them in front of her. "Can you drink?"

Savannah nodded. "I can."

That's what I wanted to hear. I poured the wine into her glass. "Then drink with me tonight."

Savannah hesitated but quickly agreed.

We sat across from each other on the balcony, sipping our wine.

I never expected Savannah to have such a low tolerance. After just two glasses, her face turned red, and she slumped over the table, drunk.

I couldn't help but laugh and nudged her. "You can't hold your liquor, can you? No wonder you don't drink."

Savannah groggily lifted her head. "Did I drink too much? No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You're about to fall asleep."

Savannah shook her head. "Ms. Sharp, you told me so much about your past. Let me tell you my story."

I nodded, agreeing.

"I used to be a special forces soldier. I loved it. Whenever there was a peacekeeping mission abroad, I always volunteered because I had no family or responsibilities."

"Then, on one mission, I got injured. Stepped on a landmine."

She pointed to her ear. "My left ear is deaf now."

I was stunned. I never imagined Savannah had been through something like that.

"After that, I couldn't go on missions anymore. They put me in logistics, filling out forms and writing reports. I hated it. I wanted to be on the front lines, but my superiors wouldn't allow it."

Savannah, drunk, continued, "So I quit in a fit of anger. Later, I met Mr. Castillo."

"I was drinking heavily at a bar when a thug tried to hit on me. I broke his arm and kicked him aside. Mr. Castillo saw it and asked if I had combat training."

"I needed someone to talk to, so I told him my story. Even though my ear was damaged, my skills were intact."

"Mr. Castillo then told me about you and asked if I wanted to protect you."

"Being a bodyguard was something I would have never considered. I even looked down on it. But after hearing your story, he said something that made me agree immediately."

I was slightly tipsy, leaning back in my chair. "What did he say?"

"Mr. Castillo said that being on the front lines was about protecting the country, but being your bodyguard was about protecting the people of the country. It's all the same, no better or worse."