My CEO Husband Says I'm Irreplaceable

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Don’t Change, You Hear Me?

The photoshoot ended. They kept a few photos with a great vibe and deleted the rest.

The photographer sent the photos they were happy with to Jared Hawthorne’s phone.

Jared Hawthorne picked the one with the most intimate atmosphere and set it as his phone’s lock screen.

Vesper Grayson watched him go through these motions, silent for a long moment.

"Your phone."

"Hm?"

She handed her phone over.

She watched as the man set her lock screen to match his.

"Don’t change it."

’...’

"Did you hear me?"

"I got it..."

’This damn man, so childish.’

But a strange feeling stirred within her, like a pebble dropped into a placid lake, sending ripples across its surface.

In the year she and Luke Lockwood were most in love, they had also taken plenty of photos together. Back then, she had even set a picture of Luke as her lock screen and asked him to do the same with a picture of her.

But he had refused, saying that when he was out drinking and networking, people would see it and think he was lovesick and childish.

The ridiculous part was, she had actually been convinced by that excuse.

She never brought it up again after that.

’So it turned out that with a different person, these little things were so effortless.’

’He hadn’t been afraid of being called childish. He just thought I wasn’t someone to show off. Or maybe, he had gotten so used to my devotion that he assumed I would never leave, so he never treasured me.’

Later, on the day she left Ashmore, she burned every single photo she had with Luke Lockwood.

Seeing her quiet for a long moment, Jared Hawthorne’s eyes darkened slightly. "If you don’t want to, I won’t force you."

"I’m not unwilling..." Vesper Grayson took back her phone. Her gaze dropped to the lock screen, and her eyes crinkled in a smile. "I didn’t realize street photographers could be so professional."

"It’s decent. A worthy outcome for my first-ever street photoshoot." He took her hand and led her forward. "Didn’t you say you wanted to buy them gifts?"

Vesper Grayson went on a three-hour shopping spree at the mall, having everything packed up and shipped back to Citadel One.

Back at the hotel, she took a bath and then flopped onto the bed, not wanting to move an inch.

A damp chest pressed against her from behind, and a warm kiss landed on her cheek. She was enveloped in the clean, crisp scent of soap.

"I wasn’t that hard on you last night, was I? Why are you so tired?"

It would have been fine if he hadn’t mentioned it. Now that he had, Vesper Grayson’s back immediately began to ache.

She shot him a reproachful look.

"When do you ever give me a break at night? What if I get pregnant?!"

They had originally planned to be in Portclyde for three days, so she had only brought a three-day supply.

They had been so active the past few days that she’d already run out of the birth control pills she had brought.

Jared Hawthorne’s thin lips curved. "If you get pregnant, just have the baby. I’ll raise them."

"In your dreams. I don’t want to get pregnant."

"You don’t want to get pregnant, or you don’t want to have a child with *me*?"

"My father says that for a woman, childbirth is a walk through the gates of hell. When my mother had me, she nearly died in labor. If he hadn’t arranged for a medical team to be on standby in advance, it’s hard to say if she would have survived."

Jared Hawthorne stared at her fair face, his gaze deepening. "I heard she went abroad with Mr. Grayson years ago, disappeared suddenly, and has been missing ever since?"

"Yeah. My dad has been searching for her for twenty-three years and still hasn’t given up. He always says he needs to see her, living or dead. I’ve grown up my whole life without ever meeting her..." Vesper Grayson opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the inky black sky outside. "Tell me, if she were still alive, why wouldn’t she come find us?"

’If her father hadn’t told her how careful her mother was during the pregnancy, how she was filled with anticipation for her birth, she might have suspected the woman never even loved her.’

’Otherwise, how could a perfectly healthy person just vanish without a trace and remain missing to this day!’

"Not even a photograph?"

"None. She must have gotten pregnant before they were married; she and my father hadn’t even registered their marriage yet. Their plan was to come back from their trip, throw a full-moon celebration for me, and then get married officially..."

But she disappeared before they ever came back.

There are no photos, not even a painted portrait.

’Maybe Dad was worried it would make Joyce Rivers uncomfortable...’

She slowly drew out a necklace. The pendant was heart-shaped, its outer edge densely inlaid with a circle of tiny jewels that flowed with a gentle luster in the light. From its vintage design, the old-fashioned setting, and the unique texture of the old-mine-cut diamonds, one could tell at a glance it was an antique.

"This is the only thing my mother left me."

When she was little, she would often see her father stroking this necklace in a daze. On her tenth birthday, he passed it on to her.

She’s been wearing it for thirteen years!

Jared Hawthorne’s gaze fell on the necklace, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He had a vague feeling it looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

But for the life of him, he couldn’t recall where.

’But since the necklace is an antique, it shouldn’t be too hard to trace its origin.’

He waited for her to fall asleep, then took a photo and sent it to Leon Quillan.

"Look into this necklace. No complications."

「The next day.」

They went to the Forrester estate again. Today was the last day of acupuncture for the first course of treatment. It was a crucial day.

If Patriarch Forrester’s leg still showed no reaction, she feared she would be at her wit’s end.

As soon as they entered the main hall, they saw Tristan Forrester sitting on the sofa with a young woman.

The young woman was dressed simply in a white t-shirt layered under a khaki trench coat, with black skinny jeans and sneakers. She had delicate features, fair skin, and a baby face. Her eyes were limpid, the whites and irises strikingly distinct.

She looked to be in her early twenties.

"Allow me to introduce my wife, Bella Thorne."

Jared Hawthorne raised an eyebrow. Recalling what Vesper Grayson had said the day before, he couldn’t help but smirk.

’A classic case of cradle robbing.’

"Mrs. Forrester, a pleasure to meet you."

Bella Thorne blushed slightly, her gaze landing on Vesper Grayson.

"You must be the Miss Grayson that Grandpa mentioned, right?" She stood and walked over to her, a sweet smile on her face. "Thank you for treating Grandpa."

"You’re too kind, Mrs. Forrester."

"Um... you can call me Bonnie."

Vesper Grayson’s lips curved into a smile. "Bonnie."

"Grandpa’s waiting for you upstairs. I’ll take you to him!"

"Alright."

Once they reached the second floor, Bella Thorne stared at her intently. "Miss Grayson, you’re so beautiful!"

Vesper Grayson paused, taken aback. Meeting the young woman’s clear, innocent eyes, she smiled. "You’re very cute, too."

"I heard from Grandpa that you’re older than me. How about I call you Sister Vesper from now on?"

"Whatever you like!"

’She really is young, pure-hearted, and vivacious.’

"I’m a clinical medicine student. Are you a doctor too, Sister Vesper?"

"No, I never formally studied medicine, but I know a little about traditional Chinese medicine."

"Sister Vesper, you’re being too modest! An ordinary doctor couldn’t possibly cure Grandpa’s leg condition. I’ve asked so many of my senior classmates, and none of them had any good ideas."

As they were talking, Bella Thorne pushed the door open. "Grandpa, Sister Vesper is here!"

Patriarch Forrester struggled to prop himself up, and Bella Thorne immediately rushed over to help.

"Slowly now... that’s right, lean back on the soft pillow. Watch your head..."

"Bonnie, you’re treating your grandpa like a three-year-old."

"Well, you still need to be careful."

"Don’t worry, I won’t be kicking the bucket anytime soon. I still have to wait for Bonnie to get pregnant and give me great-grandchildren."

Bella Thorne pouted, embarrassed. "Grandpa..."

’Vesper Grayson lowered her gaze. It seemed Patriarch Forrester had a rather good relationship with his granddaughter-in-law.’

’She’d heard the patriarch himself had arranged the marriage.’

"Grandpa Forrester, shall we begin the treatment?"

"Alright. Bonnie, go wait outside. Vesper prefers not to have anyone else present during the treatment."

"Okay."

Bella Thorne agreed and stepped out.

Once only the two of them remained in the room, Vesper Grayson took out her needles, sterilized them, and began the treatment on the patriarch with undivided focus.

「Half an hour later.」

She looked at the patriarch, her expression solemn.

"How do you feel? Is there still no sensation?"

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