Rebirth of Billionaire's Wife - Chapter 373

Chapter 373: Missing piece of bigger puzzle
Erna pursed her lips, her gaze drifting away from his. There had always been lingering doubts—whispers about Jedrick’s uncanny resemblance to Uncle Gerald—but she had never dared to voice them. Not to Jonathan. Not to anyone.

Jonathan’s chest tightened as he caught the hesitation in her eyes.

“Oh, so you do believe it,” he murmured, a tinge of sadness lacing his voice.

Erna exhaled, her fingers curling slightly at her sides. “It’s not just me, Jonathan. Even the people around us have mentioned it at times. No one could ever find a difference when they saw Uncle Gerald and Jedrick together. And we… we simply took it as a compliment, just so Jedrick wouldn’t feel out of place.”

Jonathan’s breath hitched. Now that Erna had brought it up, he couldn’t ignore the gnawing thought in his own mind. He had never questioned it before—never given much thought to how Jedrick and their father looked nearly identical, while he, on the other hand, bore an undeniable resemblance to their mother.

And now, that small, overlooked detail suddenly felt like the missing piece to a much bigger puzzle.

“But Father… he wouldn’t—” Jonathan’s voice trembled, his emotions clawing at his chest. The mere thought of it made his stomach churn. His father, the man he had always trusted—could it really be possible?

Yet, as much as he wanted to dismiss the idea, the memory of Jedrick’s merciless act gnawed at him. How could a son kill his own father without a flicker of hesitation? The pieces didn’t fit, and that uncertainty was tearing him apart.

Erna, seeing the turmoil in his eyes, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“Relax, Jonathan. It’s just a suspicion—we haven’t confirmed anything yet. Please don’t stress yourself,” she whispered, her hands soothingly rubbing his back.

But no matter how gentle her touch was, no matter how reassuring her words sounded, they did little to quiet the storm inside him.

[Hospital—Marcus’ Room]

Meanwhile, Ella and Stefan arrived at the hospital to visit Marcus. She had been looking forward to seeing her boss, but after learning the truth behind his accident, shame weighed heavy on her chest.

She couldn’t stop apologizing, even though deep down, she knew she wasn’t at fault.

“Have I ever blamed you, Ella?” Marcus asked, his gaze steady.

Ella lowered her head, shaking it silently.

“Then you don’t have to feel guilty. I thought you knew your boss better than that,” Marcus said with a hint of his usual firmness. He might have been injured, but he was still the same determined man—one who refused to let his circumstances define him.

Ella swallowed the lump in her throat. “Still, I feel like… it’s because of me. I may never accept him as my father, but his blood still runs in my veins. No matter what, our lives are connected.” Tears welled up in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks.

“But that doesn’t mean you’re to blame,” Nancy interjected, gently caressing Ella’s back. “The day we accepted you, it was with our whole hearts.”

Ella glanced at Nancy, a small smile breaking through her sorrow. With their support, the burden didn’t feel so suffocating anymore.

As they sat together, Marcus turned his gaze toward Ella.

“Has he reached out to you yet?” he asked.

“Not yet, but I assume he’ll bring up the deal soon,” she replied, her expression unreadable.

Marcus then shifted his attention to Stefan. His sharp eyes studied his son for a moment before he spoke.

“I trust that you’re prepared for what comes next. And I believe you’ll be wise with your words.”

Stefan remained silent. He understood the weight of his father’s statement, the responsibility that came with it. After a moment, he gave a slow nod, silently agreeing.

The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear—none of them could afford to be reckless.

After wrapping up the meeting, Ella and Stefan stepped out of the hospital, the cool evening air brushing against them. As they reached their car, Ella instinctively checked her phone again, her brows furrowing in concern.

“What’s wrong with Mom? She still hasn’t tried to call me back,” she muttered, stopping in her tracks.

Stefan found it strange as well. Michelle wasn’t the type to ignore calls, especially not from Ella.

Before he could voice his thoughts, Ella’s phone suddenly rang. She glanced down and felt a rush of relief mixed with frustration when she saw Michelle’s name flashing on the screen.

“God, Mom! You nearly scared me with your silence,” Ella blurted out the moment she answered. Her concern overpowered her irritation, her heart still racing from the unease of waiting.

She had called her mother multiple times, only to be met with silence. That wasn’t like Michelle at all—and that alone was enough to make her worry.

Michelle didn’t speak right away, and when she finally did, something felt… off.

“I’m sorry… it just slipped my mind to call you back,” she said, her voice quivering slightly.

Ella’s brows furrowed in concern. “Mom, are you okay? You sound exhausted.”

There was a brief pause before Michelle replied, “I have a cold… maybe a fever.”

The moment those words left her lips, Ella’s face paled.

“I’m booking a flight. I need to be there with you. It’s not good that you keep getting sick,” she said, her chest tightening with worry.

But before she could even think of making arrangements, Michelle quickly shut down the idea.

“No, Ella. That’s not necessary.”

Her firm refusal only deepened Ella’s concern. Something wasn’t right.

“I will be fine,” she added.

Stefan studied Ella’s expression, noticing the way her brows remained furrowed even after the call ended.

“What happened? Is she okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Ella hesitated, her mind still fixated on how tired and off her mother had sounded.

“I doubt it,” she admitted, pressing her lips together. A nagging feeling told her something wasn’t right.

Stefan observed her closely. “Do you want to go there?”

She opened her mouth to answer but hesitated. She did want to, yet Michelle’s firm words kept echoing in her mind, almost as if she were trying to push her away.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to Stefan, her eyes locking onto his with quiet determination.

“Can you do something for me, Stefan?” she asked, her gaze steady and meaningful.

Stefan nodded without hesitation. “Anything.”

Ella exhaled before finally speaking.