Chapter 2 Fate's First Move

Jackson's cold demeanor faltered, his sharp eyes widening in disbelief. "Mom.." he murmured under his breath, his voice uncharacteristically shaken. For a moment, the power he wielded seemed to drain a little bit from him, replaced by raw, unfiltered shock..

Preston leaned forward, his expression caught between hope and disbelief. "She... she moved," he whispered, his voice trembling.."Did you see that?" He looking towards serena with hopefully..

"yes.." Serena's voice is barely above a whisper, her words cutting through the thick silence...

Serena's gaze slowly lifts, locking onto Jackson, searching for a response..

Jackson doesn't respond immediately. He had been watching from the a far, froze. His disbelief was palpable as he stepped forward. "What did you do?" he demanded, his voice softer but no less intense.

Serena looked up, startled but hopeful. "I don't know.." Serena, who had felt the subtle shift first, looks at Mrs. Bosh with a mixture of astonishment and hope..

"This might be a good start," she said gently, her words directed at Jackson, though her eyes remained on Mrs. Bosh. "Perhaps she's just waiting for the right moment... or the right care."

Jackson's dark aura looms over the room as he weighs her words. Reluctantly, he approaches his mother, kneeling before her with an expression Serena cannot read. For the first time, the unshakeable Jackson Bosh looks uncertain. He gently places his hand on his mother's, waiting, searching for any sign of life.

Mrs. Bosh's fingers twitch ever so slightly, a movement so faint it could have been imagined. But to Jackson, it's undeniable. He rises abruptly, his imposing figure commanding attention once again.

"She stays," he declares coldly, to Serena, though his tone lacks warmth.. Jackson turns to leave, his cold demeanor unshaken, eyes fixed ahead as if the room no longer exists..

"Mr.Bosh..",Serena's voice cuts through the silence as he step forward, stopping him in place like an unexpected spark in the dark...

Serena stepped forward cautiously, her heart racing but her expression calm. "I may not meet your expectations yet, Mr. Bosh, but I intend to. I'm here to help her," she replied softly, her tone steady but firm...

"We'll see," he muttered dismissively before walking away without uttering a single word, Jackson ascends the grand staircase, his footsteps echoing in the vast silence of the mansion. Each step he takes feels heavy with unspoken tension, his dark aura lingering in the air like a storm about to break.

Below, everyone stands frozen in place, the oppressive quiet swallowing the room as if time itself has stopped, their eyes darting between each other, unsure whether to breathe or speak..

The tension is palpable as Serena feels both the weight of her task and Jackson's scrutiny. She looks back at Mrs. Bosh, silently vowing to give this woman the care she deserves, even if the path ahead is fraught with obstacles...

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Upstairs, Jackson steps out of the bathroom, the steam curling behind him as he dries his damp hair. He moves to the edge of his bed, sitting down with a heaviness that seems to press the air around him. His eyes land on the table nearby, and his breath catches as he notices a framed photo-his mother's face beside a much younger version of himself.

He picks it up slowly, his fingers brushing against the glass, as if trying to reach through time. A flicker of emotion crosses his face, and his guarded eyes well with unshed tears. A faint, bittersweet smile tugs at his lips, fragile and fleeting.

"Mom..." he whispers, his voice trembling with a mix of joy and sorrow. "I've waited so long for this day... to see some sign, any sign, that you're still fighting. Today... you gave me that hope." He pauses, his thumb tracing the edge of the frame. "But please forgive me, Mom... forgive me for not staying close to you. I can't bear the thought of you another suffering because of me."

He exhales deeply, his resolve hardening even as his heart aches. "But don't worry... even if I'm not by your side, I'll always look after you, no matter what." His voice drops to a soft, almost inaudible murmur. "That's my promise to you."

For a moment, he sits there, lost in the silent bond between the past and the present, his emotions laid bare in the quiet solitude of his room...

Lost in the depths of his memories, Jackson remains still, the photograph of his mother resting delicately in his hands. The room is silent except for the faint ticking of a clock, grounding him momentarily in reality...

Suddenly, the stillness is interrupted by the sharp buzz of his phone on the table. Jackson glances at the screen, He exhales sharply, as though shaking off the remnants of his vulnerability, and answers.

"Hey, bro! Where are you? The stage is set, man! We're just waiting for you!" Taylor's enthusiastic voice bursts through the receiver, brimming with excitement...

"I'll be there in a while," he replies curtly, his voice devoid of any emotion, his tone as cold and clipped as ever.. Without waiting for a response, he ends the call with a deliberate press of his thumb...

Jackson sits unmoving, with a sigh of resignation, he places the photograph back on the table, stands, and adjusts his jacket. His expression hardens into the mask he wears so well-stoic, unreadable, and untouchable. With measured steps, he leaves the room...

Descending the grand staircase, Jackson's sharp ears catch the faint sound of laughter floating up from the hall below. As he reaches the final step, his eyes shift to the sofa, where Serena and Preston are seated, immersed in conversation. Preston leans in slightly, speaking with ease, while Serena's gaze flits toward him, lingering time to time...

Jackson halts mid-step, his piercing gaze narrowing on Serena. A crooked smirk tugs at the corner of his lips-a smirk laced with disdain rather than amusement. "What a fool bitch.." he murmurs under his breath, his tone low and venomous...

He turns to leave, his long strides heading toward the corridor. But before he can vanish entirely, Preston's voice calls out, halting him in his tracks..

"Jackson!" Preston rises, a rare seriousness lacing his tone. "We need to discuss Mom's procedure. There are a few formalities we need to go through with Ms. Jonas." His words linger in the air, drawing Serena's curious glance toward Jackson.

Jackson slowly pivots, his icy gaze falling on Preston first, then shifting briefly to Serena, who fidgets under the weight of his eyes. His lips curl into a grim line, his voice clipped and commanding.

"Tomorrow. My office. Be on time." The words are not an invitation but a decree. Without another glance, Jackson strides out of the room...leaving an unspoken tension in his wake, his presence lingering even after the echo of his footsteps fades....