Twilight Romance: Flash Marriage to Mature Tycoon – Episode 45
Ray and Jocelyn left the gathering within minutes. During the drive, security confirmed that Violet was conscious and traveling to a regional hospital. The collision appeared minor, but no one would discuss injuries over an unsecured line.
Summer followed in her own car until police stopped her for questioning. The timing of her arrival and possession of the photograph suggested advance knowledge. She insisted a reporter had sent it.
At the hospital, Violet sat upright with a bandage across her forehead. Harry and Caleb were unharmed, while the driver had suffered a fractured wrist. Jocelyn held Violet carefully, relief leaving her weak.
The other vehicle had crossed the center line after a tire failed. Investigators found the tire deliberately cut before departure. The sabotage occurred at the secure residence, meaning someone within its service network had gained access.
Violet blamed herself for asking to return early. Jocelyn told her that wanting home did not cause another person’s crime. Ray listened, recognizing how often he had confused vulnerability with responsibility.
Harry reported seeing a maintenance van near the residence that morning. The logo belonged to a company listed among Tony’s property contractors. Police traced the van to a former employee who had received money from Wendy.
Wendy denied ordering sabotage. Her recovered messages showed she requested photographs of the convoy, not violence. The contractor claimed the tire damage had been intended to delay them so reporters could stage an encounter.
A reckless publicity scheme had become a genuine accident. Summer used the result to frighten Ray and Jocelyn, but investigators found no evidence she ordered the tire cut. Her cruelty lay in exploiting danger she had learned about early.
Ray wanted every person connected to the scheme prosecuted. Jocelyn agreed while insisting the charges reflect evidence rather than rage. Accountability would be stronger if it did not depend on the Astor name.
Violet asked whether Summer had been worried about her. Ray did not know how to answer without causing more pain. Jocelyn said Summer might feel concern and still make selfish choices; emotions did not excuse behavior.
The distinction helped Violet understand what adults often refused to admit. A person could love badly. Accepting that truth did not require offering them unlimited access.
Doctors discharged Violet after observation. The family returned to Jocelyn’s old house because the community surrounded it and police had secured the area. Neighbors delivered casseroles until every surface held food.
Ray tried to arrange a private medical team. Violet requested only ice, quiet, and Jocelyn’s cornbread. The chairman surrendered to both women and accepted kitchen duty.
While they cooked, Jocelyn received confirmation that the forged property sale had been canceled. Wendy’s evidence supported charges against the shell company. Summer’s plan to claim the house had failed completely.
Yet Ray noticed Jocelyn staring toward the road whenever headlights passed. Returning home had exposed her past, endangered Violet, and drawn conflict into a community she wanted to protect. He feared she would decide loving him cost too much.
That night, she told him she planned to remain in town for several weeks to establish the trust and restore the house. Ray asked whether the decision included leaving their marriage behind.
Jocelyn answered that distance was not departure. She needed to finish something for herself instead of rushing back because another person required her. Ray accepted the choice, though separation tightened his chest.
He offered to stay. She reminded him that Astor Group and the new center needed him in the city. A healthy marriage could contain two responsibilities without treating either as abandonment.
Ray agreed to divide his time and asked when he could visit. Jocelyn smiled at the question, pleased he no longer assumed unlimited access. She invited him back the following weekend.
After he left with Violet, Jocelyn discovered an envelope beneath the porch mat. Inside was a court petition filed by Summer, claiming the rural house transfer concealed marital assets belonging to Ray. Even defeated, Summer had found a legal way to keep Jocelyn from standing on her own ground.