"Are you free this afternoon? Can you take a video call and help me clear things up with the crew, or if grandma hears ..."

"Jessica." Ryan dangled her eyes, and his eyelashes cast a silhouette on his face.

"Yes?"

Ryan lifted his eyelids and looked indifferent. "I have something else to do."

Ryan's calmness panicked Jessica. She looked up at him, and quickly lowered her head. "Ok, ok. I won't disturb you further."

No response.

Jessica looked up, and found that the phone had been hung up. The screen showed their somewhat empty chat interface.

She felt empty.

She rubbed her cold hands and breathed heat on them, thinking about the phone call she had just made with Ryan.

For no reason but a hunch, she felt that Ryan did not seem willing to help her clarify her identity.

But on second thought, she found it unlikely. Even if her brother did not like her, he would not tolerate her who was a member of the Howard family being misunderstood as a mistress, he should be really busy.

Jessica thought about it and called her mother again. As a result, her mother was not very happy because of the death of her good friend. She planned to leave today and only returned after half a month of traveling.

It seemed that proving her identity would have to wait.

It's annoying.

Ryan sat in his office chair, the contract lying open before him, but he hadn't finish reading the page. His mind was so full of Jessica that he couldn't take it in at all.

Jeffrey suggested that he found a fake girlfriend, which would temporarily ease his relationship with Jessica, and Jessica know her own mind.

But now, his relationship with Jessica was not eased at all, and she did not care about his relationship with Amy, not at all.

Did she really have no feeling for him?

Ryan frowned, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his aching eyebrows. He had enough patience, but only if their relationship could be improved gradually, rather than going back to the beginning as it was now.

Like telepathy, the phone suddenly vibrated several times. Jeffrey sent him several messages.

"A few days ago, I was in a bad mood because of my mother's death. If I said something that made you unhappy, or did something that made you unhappy, don't take it too seriously."

"Have you arranged your mother's trip? If you don't have time, leave it to me."

"Why haven't I heard from you about sweetie these days? You two still haven't made any headway?"

Ryan replied to the first two questions without hesitation.

"It's all right. It's already been arranged."

On the third question, after a while of deliberation, he called Jeffrey and said directly, "She thinks I like Amy."

"You are usually so clever, but why are you so stupid and gutless when it comes to love?" Jeffrey's voice was kind of hoarse, which sounded very tempting. "I'll try to sound her out for you."

Ryan was very concerned about Jessica, but he also concerned about Jeffrey's state. "When my mother goes on a trip, you can go with her."

Perhaps he would be in a better state if he went traveling.

"Why do you suddenly ask me to go traveling with auntie?"

"I'll be worried if she goes alone."

"Are you worried that if I stay at home and I'll have the same mental problems as my mother?" Jeffrey laughed.

Ryan pressed his lips together and was quiet.

There was a pause before sighing, "It's no use going traveling. It won't change the fact that my mother died. The man who depressed her won't get his comeuppance...Anyway. Just leave it to me about Jessica. I'm busy. I'll hang up."

Ryan looked down at the black screen of the phone, frowning.

A moment later, he called Mark, "Check out the Aunt Louisa's clinical psychologist."

"Finished?" Clara didn't come out until Jessica had finished her phone call. Then she told Jessica about Alex.

After Jessica heard that, she blushed with anger. "He just told me, henceforth we are stranger, and we don't pester each other."

This kind of people was like sticky candy which you couldn't get rid of once it sticked on you, and really made her feel sick and disgusted.

"I've told you before that he's not a good guy, but you treat him like a treasure. And he even kept his mistress with your money." Clara put a piece of gum into her mouth and handed it to Jessica.

Jessica pushed it away. She cursed under her breath and then went to find Alex.

It was rare to see him not flirting with other women.

She rushed up to him and asked directly, "Alex, why don't you keep your word?"

"Don't be angry. I will be sad to see that." Alex looked like 'you're my girlfriend, anyway.' He smiled softly. "Don't delay your work because of me. I'm leaving."

He put his hands on her shoulders and tried to kiss her, but she dodged him.

He didn't get angry. After he said goodbye to the people on the scene politely, he turned around and left.

Jessica felt she would burst with anger, but he didn't do anything aggressive. He didn't even say anything aggressive.

"Has this scum been instructed by an expert? He's changed!" Clara sighed, not knowing whether she was swearing or complimenting.

"..."

People nearby saw this and whispered. They were so quiet that she could only hear a buzzing noise like a fly, but she couldn't make out what they were talking about.

One of the crew members, who was the female companion of Alex she met that night, came up to her with red eyes.

She even carried a speaker borrowed from the crew...

"I admit I like Alex, but there's nothing between us. We didn't even hold hands."

"He's a good guy. You could entrust yourself to him. And Alex told me he likes you, so... I wish you happiness. You should break up with other guys and get along well with him."

The staff member looked at Jessica with envy and sadness, sobbed and ran away.

Jessica felt as if she had swallowed a fly, sick and nauseous, because of her sincere confession.

She really did not know that this was the girl's own idea or the girl and Alex ganged up to make her sick.

"Dating so many men at the same time, you still can let each man be loyal to you. You are really something." Amy came up to her and said in a nasty tone.

Looked closely, there was jealousy and envy in her eyes.

Jessica looked at her coldly. "Don't talk in a nasty tone here. If you make me angry, I'll let my brother break up with you!"

She said this was purely a threat to Amy. In fact, she knew that her brother was so fond of Amy, so he would not break up with Amy because of her.

But Amy was not afraid of her threat. She even wanted to laugh. "Stop pretending. Mr. Howard didn't even answer your phone. Can he be your brother?"