My Mate Has Two Wolves

Chapter 526

Tabitha's face turned blank. Her eldest son, who had never raised his voice to her, was now speaking to her in such a tone.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she grabbed her bag. "It seems my trip here was in vain. I'll go talk to Benjamin. I can't control you anymore!"

"Mom..."

Cedrick snapped out of his shock and tried to stop her, but Tabitha was already gone.

Jessica returned home, opened the door with her key, and froze at the sight of her mother sleeping on the living room sofa.

Veronica was curled up, fast asleep, without a blanket, just hugging herself tightly.

Jessica's heart ached. She couldn't believe her mother was sleeping on the sofa—it must be cold.

Her eyes brimming with emotion, Jessica rushed to her bedroom to fetch a blanket. As she returned to cover her mother, she accidentally woke her.

Veronica bolted awake, her guard up. Seeing her daughter's face, she sat up in surprise. "Jess, why are you back? What time is it?"

"Mom, why are you sleeping on the sofa? Without a blanket, you'll catch a cold," Jessica gently chided, her voice trembling with concern.

"Oh, I must have been too tired from work and dozed off on the sofa," Veronica quickly smiled to explain.

Jessica sighed softly. "No matter how tired you are, please go back to the bedroom. Don't sleep on the sofa. If I'm not here to look after you, what if you get sick?"

"Alright, I'm fine. It's late. Why are you back so late?" Veronica glanced at her phone—it was nearly ten.

"Uh, I just came home to grab some things I'll need tomorrow," Jessica quickly lied.

"If you need anything, just call me. I can bring it to you," Veronica frowned, sensing Jessica's exhaustion.

Jessica felt the urge to cry. She turned away and said, "Mom, I'm going to take a shower."

Veronica watched her daughter's hurried retreat into the bedroom and stood there, stunned.

Jessica locked herself in the bathroom, leaning against the wall. Memories of past misbehaviors that once brought her mother to tears flashed through her mind.

Perhaps she was finally growing up, beginning to understand the challenges of being a single mother.

Others might think her mother had neglected her upbringing, but Jessica knew the truth.

From childhood, her mother had dedicated all her free time and imposed strict discipline, all to ensure that Jessica would never be looked down upon for being from a single-parent family.

Jessica used to have a thick skin, indifferent to others' remarks.

But now, why couldn't she bear them? Had her self-esteem grown fragile?

Or perhaps she had simply learned to empathize with her mother's struggles. Her mother had done everything she could, and Jessica couldn't bear to hear a word against her.

"Jess..."

Veronica's voice came from outside the door. Jessica quickly turned on the shower to mask her sobs.

"Jess, are you okay?" Veronica, ever attuned to her daughter's moods, sensed something was amiss and came to check on her.

Jessica pressed a hand to her lips to stifle her choked cries.

The roaring water drowned out her pain.

When Jessica finally emerged, she had bathed and washed her hair, her eyes dry of tears.

Veronica was still sitting on her bed, watching her with concern. "You look pale. Did you have a fight with Cedrick?"

Jessica's heart skipped a beat, but she shook her head. "No, why would I fight with him?"

"Good, I'm sure he wouldn't argue with you," Veronica smiled faintly. Though she didn't know Cedrick well, she felt a strange trust in him.

"Mom, I'm going to sleep. You should too. We're fine, don't worry unnecessarily!" Jessica reassured her.

"Alright, sleep tight." Veronica smiled at her, then left.

Jessica stood there, gazing at the pink bedroom her mother had painstakingly prepared for her. It was a princess-worthy environment, and she realized her mother had done her best to provide it.

The night passed.

The next morning, Leo woke from a nightmare, a type of dream he hadn't had in ages.

Even after waking, he couldn't shake the lingering unease from the dream—it had felt all too real.

"Damn it, I must be losing it."

Leo muttered irritably. He went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face, and forced himself to wake up.

Why had he dreamed of Sunny leaving him?

In the dream, she broke up with him and married another man. He stormed into her wedding, only to be threatened with a knife to his throat. She told him to leave or she'd slit her wrists.

As he lunged forward, he watched her raise the knife, blood filling his vision.