Dressed in a comfortable robe, Delilah walked into the kitchen to find something to eat, and she met Jessica standing over the cooker preparing a meal.
Jessica looked up, her eyes filled with concern. "Feel better?"
"A little," Delilah admitted, sitting down on the Island. "What about you? How are you feeling?" She asked, relieved that Jessica had showered and looked much better than she had earlier.
Jessica studied her for a moment before speaking. "I got a job," she said, her voice tentative.
Delilah's eyes widened with surprise and a flicker of happiness. "Really? That's great news, Jess! I'm so proud of you!" Delilah said, rising to go embrace her.
Jessica held up a hand, her expression cautious. "Don't get too excited. It's not an office job."
Delilah's smile faltered. "What do you mean? What kind of job is it, and where is it?"
Jessica took a deep breath, clearly preparing herself for her sister's reaction. "It's a job as a full-time nanny."
Delilah frowned, her brows knitting together. "Nanny? Why? And what do you mean full-time?"
"I don't want to deal with people yet, D. I'm not ready for that. But I love kids, and this job is just taking care of a six-year-old girl. It's something I can handle right now. And by full-time I mean it's a live-in job," she explained softly.
Delilah's heart ached for her sister. Since Jessica's husband died a year ago after a car accident, Delilah had watched her sister retreat into herself, withdrawing from the world.
It was good that Jessica was finally opening up again, but the idea of her being a full-time babysitter was unsettling.
"Are you sure about this?" Delilah asked gently. "I mean, I'm glad you're trying to move on, but a nannying job is a lot, and you don't even know who you're going to be living with. Aren't you going to deal with your employers? Don't you think an office job is better?"
Jessica's eyes softened with a mix of sadness and resolve. "I'll be fine. I need this, D. You've done so much for me in the last one year, but right now I need to find my own way again, and this job feels like the right step. I won't have to see my employers much since they are very busy people. I will be leaving in a week," Jessica said softly.
"A week? Isn't that too soon? How do I see you then? Can I visit?" Delilah asked with a worried frown.
Jessica reached out and took Delilah's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "No. You can't visit, but you don't have to worry. I get seven days break each month. I will visit then," Jessica promised.
Delilah nodded slowly, her mind racing with a mix of emotions. She wanted to support her sister, but the thought of Jessica being away in her vulnerable state was hard to accept. "If you're sure, then I support you. But promise me you'll stay in touch."
Jessica smiled, a genuine warmth in her eyes. "I promise," she said, and returned her attention to stirring the pasta she was making, while Delilah returned to her seat and watched her as she cooked.
Delilah's thoughts drifted back to her own predicament. She knew she needed to tell Jessica about it since Blake might be moving in tomorrow.
"Why are you so quiet, D?" Jessica asked, looking at Delilah with concern after she had served their lunch.
Ever since she moved in with her after a failed suicide attempt, Delilah never ceased to chatter endlessly as though she was scared to leave her to her thoughts for a moment, but now she was quiet and had not been herself since she returned.
"I'm just thinking about your job. Tell me more about it," Delilah said, wanting to focus on something other than her own chaos for a while.
"The little girl's name is Emily Williams. She's six years old. Her parents are both really busy and need someone to look after her. And the pay is really good too," Jessica explained as she picked up her fork to eat.
"You don't have to work if you're not ready. I can pay you…"
"With the money you got from conning innocent families? No, thanks. It's bad enough that I'm living here and eating meals made from your illegal money," Jessica said, her tone disapproving.
"It's not illegal. I didn't rob anyone, and the money was offered. I didn't force them to give it to me and I didn't rob anyone. Besides, I have a decent job…"
"At least you know that what you do isn't decent," Jessica cut in.
"I never said it wasn't decent. Those families should be the ones ashamed not me. They should be ashamed of themselves for being so condescending and paying me off to leave their sons," Delilah said defensively.
"I'm not going to argue with you, D. One man hurt you, but you've left a trail of broken hearts since then. Doing charity with part of the money doesn't change the fact that you're hurting people. And trust me, someday you're going to meet your match, and it isn't going to be funny," Jessica said confidently.
"So, how did you learn about this job?" Delilah asked, changing the subject.
Although Jessica knew what she was doing, she let her change the subject, "Kate told me about it," she said, referring to her former sister-in-law and best friend.
"How did Kate know about it?" Delilah asked, and Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Does it matter? I'm an adult, D…"
"I'm still older than you," Delilah cut in.
"You're just a year older. And I can take care of myself. Quit worrying," she said, as she pushed her meal around her plate.
Delilah sighed, "Are you assuring me that I don't have to worry and you will really be fine with no one there to monitor you?"
"Yes. I'm good," Jessica promised.
Delilah listened, her worry easing slightly. "Alright then. It sounds like a good opportunity. I'm happy for you, Jess."
"Thanks, D. It means a lot to me," Jessica said, and they both focused on their meal.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened last night and this morning?" Jessica asked after a while.
Delilah looked up at her sister, wondering how she was supposed to tell her that she had woken up married to a total stranger.
Delilah shook her head, "Maybe later," she said, hoping that she would get news from Mark and be able to resolve everything and end her ties with Blake without letting Jessica know about it.
"You really need to stop this your gold digging or side hustle or whatever you call it," Jessica said, and Delilah sighed deeply.
"Can we just drop it…"
"No. What do you think dad is going to say when he finds out…"
"I don't care what he says! He has no say in my life or what I do. I have no business with him," Delilah said, anger flashing in her eyes.
"I know that. I have no business with him either. But are you going to give them the satisfaction of calling you names? Please, D. For my sake," Jessica pleaded.
"Alright. One more. Just one more, and after this I'm done," Delilah promised.
She was getting tired of it all anyway and she believed that the money she would get from the Quinn family would be more than enough for her retirement.
The next morning, Hunter Quinn arrived at Delilah's penthouse at exactly 8 A.M. He had barely slept the night before, his mind buzzing with anticipation as he wondered how she was thinking and what she was planning.
He was looking forward to seeing how she would react to his presence, how she would handle the unexpected twists he had planned for her.
As he approached the elegant door of Delilah's penthouse, he took a deep breath and rang the doorbell, hoping his plan would unfold as smoothly as he envisioned.
After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a young lady who bore a striking resemblance to Delilah. He could tell she was Jessica, Delilah's widowed sister whom he had been told about.
Her green eyes, identical to Delilah's, widened in surprise as she took in the sight of Hunter standing there with a suitcase. Her blonde hair was tousled, and she wore a simple robe, clearly having just woken up.
"Good morning. I believe this is Delilah's residence?" He asked pleasantly.
"Who are you?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.
Hunter gave her a charming smile. "My name is Blake Davies. I'm Delilah's husband."
Jessica blinked, her surprise quickly turning into skepticism. "My sister isn't married," she said, eyeing him as if he had lost his mind.
Hunter remained calm, his smile unwavering. "I assure you, I am. You can check with Delilah. Bring her to the door."
Jessica looked him up and down once more before nodding slowly. "Wait here," she said, shutting the door in his face.
Inside the house, Jessica hurried to Delilah's bedroom, her mind racing. She had been staying with her sister for a year now, and the last thing she expected was to be greeted by a man claiming to be Delilah's husband. She gently shook Delilah awake.
"Delilah, you have a visitor," Jessica said softly.
Delilah groaned and turned over, her eyes barely open. "Who is it?" she mumbled.
"Some man claiming to be your husband."
That got Delilah's attention. She bolted upright, sleep instantly fleeing from her body. "What?!" she exclaimed, her heart pounding in her chest.
She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was barely past eight in the morning. Why was he here so early? She had hoped to have more time to prepare for his arrival.
Throwing on a robe, Delilah rushed to the door, with Jessica following close behind. She opened the door to find Hunter standing there, a confident smile on his face.
"Good morning, Lila. You look breathtaking," he greeted warmly.
Delilah didn't return his smile. "Come in," she said as she stepped aside to let him in, her mind racing.
Jessica, standing beside her, looked between the two of them, clearly confused.
"What's going on?" Jessica demanded. "Is it true? Are you married to this man? Since when?"
Hunter turned to Delilah, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Didn't you tell her already, Lila?"
Delilah sighed, regretting her decision to not tell Jessica when she had the chance. "There's a mixup," she began.
"There's no mixup," Hunter interjected smoothly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"We got married on Friday night. I am your brother-in-law. You're Jessica, aren't you? Lila told me so much about you," Hunter said as he showed Jessica a series of photos of him and Delilah, and a photo of their wedding certificate.
Jessica's eyes widened as she looked at the photos. "This is real, D," Jessica said as she glanced at Delilah, who shook her head, frustration evident on her face.
"I don't remember doing any of that," Delilah said, her voice tight. "I'm trying to fix it."
"You don't?" Jessica asked, and Delilah bobbed her head as tears gathered in her eyes.
"I only remember going to the club, but every other thing is blank. This doesn't make any sense," Delilah cried as she slumped into the couch.
Jessica nodded, trying to keep a straight face, but Hunter didn't miss the twitch of her lip.
"Alright. Please sit down, brother-in-law," Jessica offered, and Hunter sat down.
"Can I get you something to drink? Water? Coffee? Tea?" She offered, and Hunter smiled.
"Coffee will do. Thanks," he said, and Jessica gave him a nod before walking away.
"What the hell are you doing here so early? I told you to take a week or two. Why did you have to come here so early in the morning?" she hissed irritably when they were alone.
Hunter shrugged, his smile never wavering. "I told you, I didn't need a week, baby. I missed you so much and could barely sleep all night because I was consumed by thoughts of you," he said and Delilah gritted her teeth.
Delilah took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Can you not call me anything other than Delilah?"
"No, I can't," Hunter said pleasantly.
"I'm not asking you if you can…"
"You did ask me," Hunter said and Delilah clenched her fist.
Before Delilah could say anything else, Jessica returned with two cups of coffee, and she handed one to Hunter and sipped from one.
"I need to get something. You both are married, yeah?" Jessica asked Hunter as she sat beside him, and he gave her a nod.
"So, why are you here? I mean, why isn't she moving in with you? Has she met your family? What do you do?" Jessica asked, wanting to know if perhaps Hunter was one of Delilah's victims who had played a fast one on her.
"My family is not here. And she is not moving in with me because I don't have a place of my own. I live with a couple of friends and I'm in between jobs," Hunter explained.
"You don't have a house and you don't have a job? I guess your family isn't wealthy either?" Jessica asked, her eyes dancing with laughter.
"No. I'm the breadwinner of my family," he said, and this time, Jessica burst into laughter, unable to contain herself.
Delilah glared at her. "It's not funny, Jessica."
Jessica wiped tears from her eyes, still chuckling. "Oh, it is. Trust me, D. This is hilarious!" she exclaimed.
"I can't remember the last time I heard you laugh, and then the first time you laugh after such a long time it is at my expense, really?" Delilah asked and Jessica laughed harder.
Hunter couldn't help but smile at the scene. Jessica's laughter was infectious, and for a moment, the tension in the room eased.
"You don't have to worry. I promise to work hard to take care of your sister," Hunter said, and Jessica patted his hand.
"Oh, Blake, I'm not worried at all. No pressure whatsoever," she said, finally catching her breath.
"You're welcome to the family, Blake. I will take your bag in," Jessica said, smiling at him, while Delilah eyed her with disapproval.
Delilah crossed her arms, her expression stormy. "I have no intention of sharing a room with him. Jessica, you can move into my bedroom and let him use the other bedroom until I can resolve this mess and he can leave."
"Whatever, Mrs Davies," Jessica said with a giggle.
"Hold on while I move my stuff and prepare the room for you," Jessica said to Hunter before walking away, while Delilah scowled at him before walking away as well, leaving him alone in the living room.
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