She turned to gaze out the window, not wanting Albert to see her emotions, nor did she wish to dwell on the painful past.

Albert remained silent beside her.

Once the driver set off, Albert leaned back. Jessie, aiming to maintain some distance, shifted forward. Soon, discomfort in her back and waist prompted her to adjust her position slightly.

Out of the blue, she felt a hand grab her arm, pulling her back against the seat.

Jessie leaned back in her seat, avoiding making eye contact with Albert, who sat beside her. She couldn't help but imagine his penetrating gaze fixed on her.

“I didn't realize you were so scared of me," Albert remarked, his tone surprisingly gentle. “I didn't mean anything beyond that. But was it really necessary to shut me down like that?"

Jessie responded icily, “Sorry if I misled you, Mr. Waston. But I've been over you for a while now. Actually... I thought I made that pretty clear back then."

After saying that, Jessie tried to pull away from Albert's grip.

They were uncomfortably close.

In the dim light of the car, their shoulders nearly touched. Jessie could feel Albert's warmth. Despite her efforts to ignore it, she couldn't deny the shivers running through her.

Whether it was from fear or something else was unclear.

She attempted to free herself from Albert, but he wouldn't release her hand.

Albert glanced at the car seat beside him, where Jeslyn had fallen asleep, her head leaning to the side. Jeslyn, with her black hair and heart-shaped face, looked peaceful and pretty in sleep.

Albert's gaze lingered on Jeslyn for a moment before he turned to Jessie, whispering, "Do you really want to wake her? Do you want her to see her dad and you like this, hand in hand, side by side?”

As Albert leaned in, they came even closer, their breaths intertwining.

Jessie tensed up, looking into his deep eyes, incredulous. “Have you lost your mind? Do you even realize what you're doing?"

Albert smiled and casually asked, "What am I doing now?"

"Boring."

Jessie tried to dodge his touch but found herself unable to move as he tightened his grip on her hand and intertwined their fingers.

His hands, slender and strong at the joints, conveyed a certain masculine strength.