Ellison And Joycelyn: A Love Beyond The Rules

Chapter 344
“What exactly is going on? Jerome, explain yourself!” Richard’s voice thundered with fury, his face twisted in utter disappointment
as he stared at his son.
Jerome, taken aback by his father’s shout, snapped to attention, his handsome face stiffening with a solemn expresion. “Dad,
I...” he stammered.
The rest of the family, woken up by the ruckus, rushed to the door, eager to see what was happening. As they reached the
doorway, the scene inside left them all frozen in shock.
They quickly turned away, not daring to get involved.
Joycelyn, who had been on the third floor, descended when she saw the others‘ troubled expressions. She whispered.
approaching Sebastian, “Sebastian, what happened?”
Sebastian, his face pale and taken aback, finally managed to mutter, “Jerome and Bellina... they’re in bed together.”
“What?!” Joycelyn’s soft white face stiffened in disbelief. She thought she must have misheard.
“Impossible, right? I didn’t think Jerome was that drunk last night,” Joycelyn muttered, recalling the dinner at the Schultz family
the night before. The atmosphere had been lively, even Ellison had had a few drinks, but nothing had suggested this level of
chaos.
She had always seen Jerome being especially affectionate with Bellina, but it had always been the innocent love of a big brother
for his younger sister. This... it didn’t add up.
“Let’s get the kids dressed first,” Lily suggested, trying to calm Richard down as she moved to close the door.
Richard, clearly furious, slammed the door and stormed downstairs. “Jerome, get down here and explain yourself!”
Inside the room, Jerome struggled to recall the events of last night. Everything felt like a dream. The images were blurry, and
what had seemed like a moment of passion now left him with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Bellina was curled up in bed, crying inconsolably.

To Jerome, even though Bellina wasn’t his biological sister, the years of seeing her grow up by his side had created an
undeniable sibling bond.
“Belle, I’m sorry,” Jerome said, sitting up with a hand on his throbbing temples, deeply apologizing.
Bellina cried even harder. She looked at him through tear–streaked eyes, wiping her face dramatically, purposely letting the
blanket slip, revealing faint red marks on her fair skin.

Jerome’s gaze flicked to the marks, and he immediately looked away, horrified. He swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. He
didn’t know how to continue.
“Jerome, what should we do? I’m not a pure girl anymore. No one will marry me now,” Bellina sobbed louder, falling deeper into
despair.
“First, get dressed. I’ll take responsibility for this,” Jerome said, pulling the scattered clothes off the floor and handing them to
Bellina.
Bellina grabbed them but, the next second, threw herself into Jerome’s arms.
“Jerome, I’m scared...” she pretended to sob, her soft body pressing against him, rubbing against him intentionally.
Jerome, who had been holding onto some semblance of control, now found himself completely lost.
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“Get dressed first,” he said, struggling to maintain his composure. He gently pushed her off, handing her the clothes and
immediately turning away to give her some privacy.

Bellina, still crying, slowly dressed herself. Jerome rushed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face to regain some
sense of clarity.
Ten minutes later, they came downstairs. The entire living room was filled with tense faces. The atmosphere felt as if a storm
was about to break.
Joycelyn, who had been a bit late coming down, had gone to the restaurant to get some food since she was a little hungry. By
chance, Shirley was also there having breakfast.
Joycelyn took her freshly squeezed juice and sat down next to her. “Shirley, what happened last night?”
After dinner, everyone had been chatting and strolling around the Schultz family estate, admiring the moon, discussing where to
go next. By 9 PM, Joycelyn had been too tired and went to bed with Ellison, completely unaware of what had transpired after.
“Last night, everyone was chatting. Jerome and the others had a few more drinks and then went upstairs. No one knew what
exactly happened,” Shirley explained. “Jeff said the home’s security cameras weren’t on, so we don’t know what happened after
that.”
Joycelyn, holding her juice, stared blankly at the family portrait on the wall of the restaurant, lost in thought.

Soon, Jerome and Bellina came downstairs. As soon as Jerome stepped into the living room, Richard, unable to contain his fury,
hurled a cup of water at him.
“You bastard!” Richard yelled, his voice full of rage. The force of the yell made Bellina, standing beside Jerome, drop to her
knees in shock.
“Dad, don’t blame Jerome. It’s my fault. I’ve had sleepwalking episodes since I was young and would always go to find Jerome.
He got drunk last night, and none of this was intentional,” Bellina pleaded, rushing to Jerome’s defense.
Jerome remained expressionless, falling to his knees in front of Richard. “This is my fault. I’ll take responsibility for Belle. I will
marry her.”
His voice was firm, and his words hung heavily in the room.
Lily, hearing this, immediately intervened. She pulled Richard back from taking further action. “Richard, the situation is already
done. Let’s think of a solution. They’ve grown up together; they’re practically childhood sweethearts. This could be a good thing.”

Richard remained stoic, grunting angrily, not speaking.
Timothy, after pressing his aching temples, said, “Given the circumstances, let’s handle the marriage quietly.”
Lily, hearing this, smiled awkwardly. “Timothy, it’s your brother getting married. How can we handle this quietly? Joycelyn is your
real sister, but Jerome is also your real brother. Belle has always called you brother, hasn’t she?”
“Your real brother slept with the adopted sister. Someone might think the Schultz family was raising a wife for the son!” Timothy’s
voice was cold, causing Lily’s face to blanch.
“The proper rituals should still be followed. Even though Belle grew up with the Schultz family, if she’s marrying in, we need to
think of the dowry and wedding gifts. We can’t let it be worse than what Joycelyn received, right? They’re both our children,” Lily
said, trying to smooth things over with a soft tone.
Everyone, who had thought the matter was over, now grew silent, the mood growing tense and complicated.
“What’s with all the drama? It’s family marrying family, why complicate things?” Zack sneered.
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“Exactly. If it wasn’t for the Schultz family adopting her, she might’ve been starving and neglected in some orphanage. After all
these years of being treated like a princess, the nurturing is worth more than the dowry. As for extra funds, we brothers will make
sure they’re provided,” Sebastian added, his tone sharp and indifferent.
“Though I was adopted, I’ve been here all these years, taking care of dad. Why are you treating me like I’m a beggar?
“Then what do you want?” Timothy’s voice dropped low, his gaze turning icy as he questioned.
Bellina, who had been crying, immediately stopped as she heard the harshness in Timothy’s tone. Her attitude shifted, and with a
defiant look at Lily, she raised her chin and demanded, “The same dowry and wedding gifts that Joycelyn received. I want it too.”