Ice and Fire

Jackson suddenly walked forward and grabbed Cherry's arm. He said, "Please don't go!"

Cherry tried to stop crying, but when she heard Jackson's pleading, tears started to roll down her face again.

Jackson looked at Cherry, anguished, without uttering a single word.

Cherry shook his hand off of her with all the strength that she could muster, and put on a calm expression on her face. She said, "Jackson, if you hadn't had Sally, or if I had been unaware of her existence in the first place, I wouldn't have left you five years ago."

And with that, she walked away with Stephen.

As Jackson watched Cherry leave, tears started to well up in his eyes. He opened his mouth and wanted to call out to her, but no voice could come out of it. He was dying to make her stay with him, but he didn't know how to.

Deep down in his heart, he yelled, 'Baby, I love you too! I love you so much! I know that I've harbored deep hatred, and I apologize for what I've done to Harrison! But not to Stephen, no, because the grudge between him and me is beyond your wildest imagination, Cherry. Even so, I don't want you to let you know about it. Please come back to me, my love! I feel so lonely without you.'

As Cherry disappeared from his sight, Jackson finally confessed, 'And honey, in fact, Jean is still alive.'

Stephen drove the car, and from time to time he glanced at Cherry who was sitting next to him in the front passenger's seat. He wanted to say something to her, but he was afraid that she wasn't in the mood for talking.

"Stephen, I'm sorry, " said Cherry, who seemed to have noticed Stephen's attention.

"No, Cherry, there's no need to apologize, " hastily said Stephen. He had never blamed Cherry for anything that had happened to him.

Cherry, however, started to murmur to herself, "It's all my fault...If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble."

Stephen shook his head, and said, "Cherry, even if I hadn't helped you, Jackson and I would have still ended up like this anyway. We have more grudges against each other than you would expect."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Cherry curiously.

Stephen didn't dare to tell Cherry the truth. If she were to ever know it, then it was Jackson's duty to tell it to her.

Seeing his reticence, Cherry didn't demand the answer. At that moment, she was more worried about Harrison, whose whereabouts were still unknown.

"Drive me home, Stephen. I'm tired, " said Cherry eventually.

"Okay, " replied Stephen, willing to help her with whatever she needed.

The next morning, Elsa walked in Cherry's bedroom and found that both the mother and the son were still in bed.

"You two sleepyheads, do you know what time it is? Time to get up!" called Elsa as she drew open the window curtains.

to work today!" mumbled Cherry, still half

today either! I want to stay in bed with mommy, " also said Joe sleepy, before

up, now, or you'll have to taste my feather duster!" threatened Elsa.

then she patted Joe's back beside her, saying, "Joe, come

"Okay, Mommy!"

to school and

just before she left, Elsa grabbed her hand, and asked, "Cherry, are you okay? Did something happen

Mom, don't

into her car and

watched Cherry's car disappear, she said to herself, "My poor

at her desk as usual. Selina had been planning to ask her about what

the entire morning to

she had collected all the documents that needed

entered Selina's office, walked up to her desk and said, "Miss Selina, these documents

the pile on Selina's desk.

them right after she noticed that the materials were about the arrangements that she

was about to leave, Selina said, "Cherry, can we have

and turned

stood up from her desk and walked up to her. She grabbed Cherry's hand, and brought

guessed what had happened last evening, she cared

at Selina, and

"Miss Selina, Jackson was the one who decided to buy

gaze. She knew that Cherry had figured everything out by herself.

answered, "Yes, Jackson told me

Cherry looked away.

think that you should involve yourself in the grudges between Jackson

suffered a lot in the past five years because of me!" Cherry almost screamed out, and tears welled up in her eyes. She felt awfully bad at the thought of what

Cherry had no idea about the grudge between Jackson and Stephen. Since Jackson hadn't told her, she didn't dare to tell her

hers, and said, "Cherry, you must believe in Jackson, he loves you! If you think that Jackson's takeover on the Anshi Group is a revenge on Stephen for him helping

her tears and shook her head. She started to say, "Can we...can we get back together even after

asked Selina surprised. "He's always

"Wanted me back? What is he trying to do? Imprison me? Or does he want

Cherry's reaction and words. What on earth had happened yesterday evening?

and suddenly stood up from the couch. She said, "Miss Selina, I have to leave

about it and let