THE BILLIONAIRE IS INFATUATED WITH HIS EX-LOVER
Chapter 17: Engagement news

Today marks Henry's birthday, and Jessica harboured the intention of surprising him with a gift. Thus, she rose early to beautify herself with makeup before seeking out Sara.

Gentle and sincere, Jessica always sought Sara's advice in her endeavors, making Sara akin to a close sister to her. As Jessica opened her car door, humming a tune, her mother, watering the roses nearby, teased her playfully. "Seems like you're in a good mood today. Did a handsome young man confess his love?"

"Who would confess to someone as plain as me?" Di blushed, her embarrassment only enhancing her beauty.

"Oh, perhaps you're planning to confess to someone yourself." Mrs. Cellin couldn't help but laugh at her beloved daughter's expression.

"Mom, you're always teasing me." Di hurriedly drove off, leaving Mrs. Cellin to watch her daughter's departing figure, musing, "When will this child ever grow up?"

Jessica had always been cherished by her parents, living entirely in love without experiencing hardship, loss, or deprivation, hence her eternally optimistic and loving disposition. Her most profound contemplation was on this unrequited love. Like a tiny snail coiled within a vast shell crafted by her parents, Jessica's life was shielded from all storms and trials.

As she reached a red light at a crossroads and stopped, she glanced through her car's window to see a news bulletin on the screen before her, broadcasting an engagement drawing the upper class's attention. Continuous flashes of photos of a couple deemed a perfect match, both talented and beautiful, were shown, accompanied by the passionate voice of the presenter. Suddenly, Jessica's heart pounded wildly, and a strange noise filled her ears; she couldn't believe what she had just seen.

"In today's news, we wish to inform our viewers of the marriage alliance between two powerful families, Russell and Roberts: Henry Russell and Sara Roberts. One is the favored son from a family entrenched in the food business sector, who has recently ventured into real estate and property projects, and the other is the cherished daughter of a cosmetics business tycoon. They truly make a match made in heaven. This union is expected to bolster the strength of both the Russell and Roberts families, putting their competitors on notice."

Jessica was stunned, her hands trembling uncontrollably on the steering wheel, the car stationary even as the traffic light turned green. Suddenly, an insistent honk from behind jolted her back to reality. With a forceful turn of the wheel, her car moved forward.

Jessica thought, "These past few days, Sara was busy with her engagement and couldn't meet me, and here I was, naively thinking she was just swamped with work."

Jessica felt betrayed by Sara. If she had intentions with Henry, why hide and make a fool out of her? How long had the two of them been together without her knowing? Sweet words like "sisters" sounded so bitter in hindsight. Jessica arrived at the villa but did not enter. She waited for Sara to come out so they could talk. Sara had been feeling unwell lately due to morning sickness, yet she agreed to join Jessica when called.

Unlike usual, Jessica drove straight to the riverside outside the city, a considerably long drive. Sara sensed something unusual about Jessica today but refrained from asking due to her sullen demeanor. Observing quietly, Sara thought it was time to reveal her situation to Jessica.

Silence enveloped them, the scenery quietly retreating into the distance, houses and streets passing by, the tension inside the car growing thicker by the minute. Sara, feeling anxious, broke the silence.

"Di Di, is something bothering you? Where are you taking me?"

"To the place where we first met, do you remember?" "I do remember."

They first met on a summer day during their senior year of high school, on a field trip to the countryside outside the city. It was Jessica's first visit to the countryside, and she was thrilled. Her friends coaxed her into swimming in the river, but not knowing how to swim, she had intended to stay on the bank. However, she accidentally slipped and fell in. Sara, who was nearby (having left home to look for Leon after hearing he quit his job), dove into the water to rescue Jessica, who was struggling against the current. From that moment on, Jessica considered Sara's family.

When Sara went abroad for her studies, Jessica would visit her every summer holiday. Jessica trusted Sara, never imagining that her close friend would betray her so profoundly one day.

The car stopped, and Jessica hurriedly got out, running straight to the riverbank, her tears uncontrollably streaming down her fair cheeks. She screamed out loud, letting her pessimistic emotions dissolve into the tranquil air. "Sara, the news on TV isn't true, is it?"

Sara lowered her head, knowing Jessica couldn't accept the truth at the moment, but she could do nothing except admit it. In this matter, she, too, felt helpless.

"Jessica, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. Everything happened so unexpectedly..."

"So, everyone knew, but me, the foolish one, was the last to find out. Why? Why did you hide it from me if I'm your close friend? What am I to you, Sara?" Jessica's eyes widened as she looked towards Sara, unable to contain her anger. At that moment, she felt like a puppet, with her best friend and longtime crush together, yet she was the last to know.

"Jessica, please calm down and listen to me. I didn't mean to deceive you; it was just that circumstances forced us. Me and him..." Sara hesitated, unsure if she should reveal the entire truth, fearing that Jessica might be shocked and that it could escalate the situation further.

"Sara, is there still something you're hiding from me? Tell me, don't hold back anymore." Jessica became increasingly inconsolable, her heartbreak evident, causing Vũ Ninh's heart to skip several beats. Jessica gripped Sara's shoulders tightly, her unconscious strength causing Sara pain.

"Jessica, let me go. Things are different from what you think, and you'll understand in time. I never intended to hurt anyone. I'm telling the truth."

"How can I trust someone who has already inflicted such a deep wound? Since when have you and he been together? Were you dating behind my back?" Jessica's face grew increasingly etched with pain, finally tasting the bitter side of love-a sensation so devastating it shatters the soul.

"We weren't dating, it's just..." Sara's voice broke as if something was blocking her throat. She was torn between speaking out and keeping silent. With her mind in turmoil, Sara believed that Jessica, being so fragile, shouldn't be involved in such complex matters. Sara wished Jessica could remain uninvolved and continue living her carefree days as before.

"Do you truly love Henry, Sara? Can you take good care of him?" Jessica's question sent a chill down Sara's spine, unsure how to bridge the gap between them.

"Sara, I've liked him since the first time I saw him when I went to the airport to pick you up. Just a glance, I thought he was the man I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. He's polite, calm, and warm. Any girl would fall for such a good man, but I never thought you'd be the exception." Jessica gazed distantly across the river, revealing her long-held secrets.

"I even planned to ask you to help me pick a birthday gift for him, only to find out that the best gift for him right now is you, Sara." As Jessica spoke, her tears flowed even more freely, and Sara couldn't bear to look directly at her, afraid that her friend's vulnerability would only deepen her torment. Had Sara known about Jessica's feelings for Henry, she would never have accepted his proposal. Fate seemed to mock them in a world full of good men, yet they both fell for the same

one.

Sara desperately needed someone to understand and tell her what to do, but all pleas for help seemed futile.

"Jessica, can we still be friends after this?"

Jessica slowly turned around, her eyes brimming with tears, sorrowful as if all of life had dissipated.

"It depends on fate."