After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 259

He’d made her give up the chance to be a mother again. Cynthia had stood by him for twenty years, and if that wasn’t love, it was at least loyalty. Lately, he’d started setting aside some properties for her, just to make sure she’d be okay in her old age.

Jackson knew exactly what kind of people Jordan and Natalie were. As long as he was around, they might not like Cynthia, but they wouldn’t dare cross any lines. The moment he was gone, though, he had no doubt they would toss her out without a second thought. So he had to make sure Cynthia had something to fall back on. It was the least he could do for her.

“Don’t worry,” Jackson said. “When Kevin’s older, I’ll bring him into The Lane Group. I’ll split my shares with him, fifty-fifty. I have two sons, and I’m going to treat them both the same.”

He looked at her, serious. “I really believe in Kevin. Raise him well. If he outshines Jordan, he’ll be the next in line to take over The Lane Group.”

Honestly, Jackson was getting more and more disappointed in Jordan. Jordan and Ethan had been friends since they were kids. Ethan never said anything out loud, but he clearly cared about Natalie, and for Jordan’s sake, he kept the peace. That friendship meant The Adams Group and The Lane Group worked together often, which brought in a lot of profit.

But Jackson knew those deals had nothing to do with Jordan’s real ability. If Ethan ever decided to pull out of their partnership, Jordan wouldn’t have much to show for himself.

Kevin was different. He was clever, quick, full of potential. Jackson had always liked him and thought, with the right guidance, Kevin could surpass Jordan. The Lane Group was the result of generations of hard work from the Lane family. Jackson didn’t expect miracles, but he wanted his sons to at least protect what their family had built. Picking the right successor was everything.

“I will,” Deborah said, her voice soft but certain.

Jackson smiled at her, warm and affectionate. “Come on, let’s go buy you some jewelry.”

Deborah laughed. “You’ve already given me so much.”

He grinned. “That way you can wear something new every day. Or just keep adding to your collection.”

Deborah just smiled and let it go. The three of them joked and chatted as they wandered from store to store, enjoying the afternoon together.

“As for Jackson’s affair and his son, let’s not be the ones to bring it up. Leave that to Jordan and Natalie. Having another brother is going to hit Jordan the hardest.”

“If they start fighting, maybe we’ll even get something out of it.”

As she said this, Cynthia’s smile faded, and her eyes dimmed with sadness. “If your dad were still alive, things would be so different. What we had was real love.”

“My marriage with Jackson was just a practical arrangement. There was never much real affection. We both had our own reasons. He used to guard against me like I was some kind of thief. But I had nothing back then, except my looks.”

“At least I was able to give you a good life with their money. Sorry you had to go through so much.”