Chapter 44

Jessica halted abruptly, her heart skipping a beat. Whose voice was that? Why did it sound so familiar, and how did they recognize her?

Despite her efforts to identify the person, she couldn't reach a conclusion. Slowly turning around, her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in shock as she saw who stood in front of her.

She pointed a finger at the strikingly handsome man, attempting to recall his name. After a brief moment, she exclaimed, "Mr. Lawrence Bryce!"

"What brings you here?" she inquired. Lawrence responded with a sly smile, the edges of his lips curling up in a mischievous manner.

"Please, call me Lawrence," he said, smiling at her. He extended his arms for a hug, and Jessica instinctively embraced him, the hug lingering longer than intended.

Feeling uncomfortable, Jessica shifted in his arms, prompting Lawrence to release her. He apologized gently, "Forgive me; it's been a while I hugged a pretty lady. I suppose that's why I let it linger longer than it should have." Je