Chapter 1625

Jamie initially thought everything was settled.
That was, until she overheard someone mention that Noah was also taking over the Gem Harbor project.
She frowned. “I thought this project was already assigned to Mr. Lucas? How can one project have two leads?”
The assistant glanced nervously toward the door, then leaned in conspiratorially. “It’s the old chairman’s decision.”
Jamie’s frown deepened, her thoughts flashing back to Ben’s calm demeanor over the past few days.
She hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Was he truly indifferent, or was he hiding his emotions so well that even she couldn’t tell?
She couldn’t make sense of Ben’s father’s intentions anymore.
Her unease lingered, and she decided she couldn’t sit idly by. She went straight to Ben’s office.
The moment she stepped in, Ben’s sharp eyes lifted briefly to meet hers before dropping back down to his work. “You came at the right time. I needed to tell you something. We’re flying to Bay City tomorrow for a two-day business trip. Make sure Charlie is taken care of while we’re gone.”
“Tomorrow? That’s short notice,” Jamie remarked.
“The Gem Harbor project’s partner company is based in Bay City,” Ben replied matter-of-factly.
Jamie knew him well enough to understand that when he said something, it was already decided.
She wasn’t particularly surprised that he wanted to bring her along. If he hadn’t, she would have objected. After all, as his secretary, especially for such a critical project, she should be there.
As for Charlie, that was easy to arrange.
After a moment of thought, she nodded. “I’ll let Mrs. Lucas know and ask her to watch over Charlie for a couple of days.”
But as soon as she said it, her brows furrowed with concern.
“What’s wrong?” Ben asked, noticing the shift in her mood.
Jamie hesitated. “I just thought about my mom…”
She realized she had only
considered Charlie in her plans. She hadn’t thought about Linda, who also needed care. While Mrs. Luca’s could handle Charlie, asking her to look after both an energetic child and Jamie’s mother, whose
Condition required whose tention,
felt like too much to ask.
The thought of burdening Mrs. Lucas with such a responsibility made her uncomfortable.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Ben said, his tone softening. “Wilfred mentioned something after thinking it over. Moving your mom to a specialized care facility might be better for her at this stage.” “But that would mean…” Jamie’s voice trailed off, reluctant.
She didn’t like the idea. A care
facility might offer professional
support and dedicated attention, but
it also meant she would have even less time with her mother. Linda had been absent from her life for
many years, and now that she was back, Jamie couldn’t bear the thought of letting her go again.
Even if someone else took care of her mom, Jamie wasn’t sure she could trust them entirely.
“I’m not saying you have to do it now,” Ben reassured her gently. “If you’re not ready, you can find someone else to help out for now.”
His voice carried a trace of helplessness, and Jamie nodded reluctantly.
She called Nina to ask for her help, and Nina immediately agreed.
Even so, Jamie couldn’t shake her unease. Ben’s earlier suggestion lingered in her mind. Nina could help for now, but not forever. This was a problem she would have to face eventually. Perhaps it was time to start learning how to let go.
That night, Jamie was unusually quiet when she got home.
She thought she had hidden her emotions well. Charlie didn’t seem to notice her low spirits. But to her surprise, Linda did.
“Don’t cry, Jamie. Mom’s here.” Linda placed a piece of candy in her hand, her expression full of warmth and tenderness.
For a fleeting moment, Jamie thought her mother had recovered. But upon closer look, she realized that wasn’t the case. Linda was still the same. Perhaps she had simply picked up on Jamie’s sadness and wanted to comfort her in her own way.