Stay a moment."
Jessica nodded and gestured for Davis to go ahead. She sat back down, took a deep breath as she gathered her expression. Elder Allen looked at her for a while and exhaled deeply.
His fingers tapped lightly on the wooden nightstand before he finally spoke, his voice heavy. His eyes brimming with helplessness.
"There are things happening in this household that you may not fully understand yet," Elder Allen began.
"The power struggles, the betrayals, the hurt, pain and selfishness—they have all been brewing for years. And now, Desmond..." a sigh escaped his lips.
"What about him?" Jessica questioned. Looking at the old man, there is a clear contrast in character with Desmond.
"Davis situation had created an opportunity he had been seeking for decades and I know he would stop at nothing to achieve it"
Jessica remained silent, listening intently.
"I have lived for decades and I know who I can trust. Be careful, Desmond and Vera are not people who accepts defeat easily." He concluded.
Jessica's expression didn't falter but she bobbed her head in acknowledgement "I understand, Grandpa."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Elder Allen's lips. Slowly, he reached into the drawer beside him and pulled out a sealed brown envelope. With a measured hand, he held it out to Jessica.
She hesitated before taking it, her fingers brushing against the crisp brown envelope in confusion.
"What is this?" She asked, her eyes darting between the folder in her hand and Elder Allen's face.
"A share transfer agreement." He drawled. Jessica's hand trembled, her breathe hitched and she glanced around the room. The statement was like a thunderclap and she stared at the old man.
Jessica's brows furrowed. "Grandpa—"
"I've made my decision," he interrupted. "I have to transfer the shares to you, though it was a selfish act but I have no other option", he concluded with a sigh.
He never expected that in this life time, he will be faced with a situation where he has to hope on a young lady to help the family soar through its trouble but what can he do when the trouble is coming from within.
Jessica's eyes flickered with surprise. "Why me?"
"Because I trust you though I haven't spent much time with you but I believe you are the only one who can secure this for Davis." Elder Allen said firmly.
Jessica looked down at the envelope, she felt it extremely heavy that she is not sure if she can handle it. The old man signing off his shares to her as well as the shares of Davis inheritance means she is in total control of the Allen empire but then— the trouble isn't less either.
Elder Allen leaned back against the pillows, his exhaustion evident. "I know this puts you in a difficult position, but it's the only and best option left for me. Please help me out", he said, his voice weak and tired.
Jessica sighed, it is already exhausting for her not to talk of a man who had always witnessed such schemes everyday.
"Grandpa, are you certain about this?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism.
"My marriage with Davis... it's not what everyone believes it to be. We might end up going our separate ways in the next few months or year, what happens then?"
She didn't want to speculate if they will be together forever because one thing she is sure is there marriage is just for a purpose not for its seek and after it wears off they might go their separate ways. Then what happens?
Elder Allen sighed "Do you think he will let go easily, if he had not wanted to stay with you he wouldn't have allowed you to come close".
"But grandpa, it will be a different case if he finds out, you left the shares in my hand won't he feel—" she hesitated, searching for the right words, "—betrayed? That I'm taking something that should have been his?"
Elder Allen studied her carefully before exhaling deeply. "Jessica, this transfer was meant for Davis in the first place," he admitted.
"But his current situation... his position in this family... his attitude towards life currently. It is really not suitable" he concluded, he gazed into the distance.
He is missing the decisive young man who had led the Allen group higher. He didn't know when he will come to life again but until then he needs to secure what is his.
Jessica's heart tightened at his words. "You mean because he's not in control anymore?"
Elder Allen nodded. "Yes. If I transfer the shares to him now, Desmond and the others will only see it as an opening to strike harder. He is already this way, do you think he can do much? Instead, giving him this would only fuel their desire to remove his life completely."
Jessica remained silent, absorbing his words. She knew how ruthless rich and prestigious family could be, how power was the only thing that mattered to them.
"Then why me?" she questioned again, her gaze meeting his. "If they would go after him, what makes you think they won't do the same to me?"
A faint smirk crossed Elder Allen's lips. "Because you are nobody and as much as Desmond is concerned, you wouldn't affect his plans" he smirked.
Jessica's lips pressed into a thin line. "Not after tonight's incidence", she muttered slowly.
Elder sighed, her worries are warranted. "Don't worry, I have a plan about the whole process and I am sure we can work it out to divert his attention", he said.
He beckoned her to come closer while he whispered his plans to her. Jessica smiled lightly. She had thought about this before but never in her dreams did she expect the old man to work it out with her.
"So, you are an unknown factor in this house, Jessica," he continued. "They see you as nothing more than a placeholder, someone with no power or influence. That is your greatest advantage. By the time they realize their mistake, it will already be too late."
Jessica's grip on the envelope tightened as understanding dawned upon her. Elder Allen was using her as a shield—no, as a weapon to protect Davis though she wants to protect him but she has her own motive and with this step it had become more easier.
"And what about Davis?" she asked quietly. "What will he think when he finds out?"
Elder Allen's expression softened at the mention of his fallen grandson. "That will be for you to decide, Jessica. But remember this—Davis is not a man who will let himself be sidelined forever. If you truly want to help him, then hold onto that envelope and make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."
Jessica took a deep breath and nodded. She wasn't sure how Davis would react when the time came, but one thing was clear—her role had taken a new form.
Jessica slowly pulled out the document from the brown envelope, her fingers trembling slightly as she unfolded it. Her sharp eyes scanned the contents—line after line of legal terms, it was at this moment she felt the weight of the decision they had both taken.
The old man had already signed it. All that remained was her signature.
She hesitated. "Grandpa, this… this makes everything official," she murmured, lifting her gaze to meet his steady eyes. "Once I sign this, there's no turning back."
Elder Allen nodded. "And are you afraid of that?"