Almost immediately, Jasper noticed the figure lurching at him at an incredible speed.Axel threw out solid and swift punches with the determination to cripple the latter. Jasper's eyes deepened as he dodged two of Axel's moves."Ho, you're something," Axel squinted his eyes and said mockingly. Eyes burning in anger, Jasper took a few breaths to compose himself.It had been years since he retired from active military duty. Although he kept up with his boxing training and workout sessions, it had been a while since he fought someone. He had to rely on his solid foundation and muscle memory to fight off the attacker.After a few rounds, Jasper picked up on the familiarity in the opponent's moves. The moves reminded him of the close-quarters combat lessons from the military academy he had attended."Who's this mysterious man?" wondered Jasper."Ouch—" Jasper was kicked hard in the abdomen and yelped in pain in that moment of distraction. Despite stumbling backward, he quickly steadie
However, the bullet did not hit Axel."Ugh … It hurts …" Alyssa, who had shown up from nowhere, hugged Axel tightly. The bullet had hit her in the left shoulder.Although Landon had only fired off a wax bullet, it had caused severe damage.Alyssa was drenched in sweat and trembling. Even so, she would not let go of Axel no matter what happened.Jasper's eyes widened in shock. His heart sank, and he felt as though he was falling from a high place.All the pain in his body was nothing compared to the blow he received when Alyssa shielded the attacker.She might be his ex-wife, but when she saw her ex-husband attacked, the first thing on her mind was to protect the assailant who'd almost beaten him to death."Alice White, how could you do this to me?" he seethed. What she had done was outrageous. She was technically the accomplice to the attacker."Lyse!" Axel looked at Alyssa frantically and held her frail shoulder. When he checked his hand, it was stained with her blood.Taking
Alyssa silently cursed, "Oh, fuck! Is Landon Harper alright?"She chuckled awkwardly. "Mr. Harper, you are joking a lot today.""I'm not joking. Alice, I'm serious!" In the heat of the moment, Landon reached for her shoulder, but she deftly dodged his advance."If I recall correctly, I have cleared the air with you this morning. Do I have to be harsh for you to listen to me?""I know you turned me down." He smiled bitterly while staring keenly at her. "And I know you're with Jonah Taylor. But I still want you to know I'll be here if you ever turn around. I don't mind being your second choice. I can even be your second husband!""My second husband? Please, I'm not Winston Taylor." She secretly scoffed. Still, she silently admired his ravishing eyes that were dripping with resentment. He could charm anyone and take their soul with those eyes. No wonder he was successful with women.Too bad Alyssa was immune to his charm. In comparison, she'd much prefer Jasper's bewitching eyes t
Riding the high of the alcohol, Jasper let out all his frustrations. As a disciplined and reserved man, he had never let out a sound, even when he was hit twice by bullets on the battlefield. Somehow, he lost control of himself at this moment."You're not angry because my people hit you. And definitely not because I almost died from the gunshot. You are angry because I lied to you. Is that so?" She felt a crippling pain as she was awash with disappointment.That seemed to catch him by surprise. He pursed his lips in silence."We are living separate lives now. What's the point of fussing over these details? It's meaningless."She went on, "You're only angry because your possession now belongs to someone else. You hate the feeling of losing something you once owned. "You detest the feeling of losing control. That's all. Mr. Jasper, in the interest of your health, let's use the time to discuss the compensation.""I can settle with you in private." He shut his eyes for a moment befo
Jasper brushed his inner lip against his teeth. A headache crept in, and he immediately sobered up. He had never taken the initiative to kiss a woman before. The only two times that happened was when Liana pressed herself against him. Even then, he merely allowed her to kiss the corner of his lips.He surprised himself when he couldn't get enough of his kiss with Alice. It was unfathomable."I drank too much tonight. I couldn't sober up no matter what." He leaned helplessly against the bed and massaged his forehead. "I can't drink like this anymore. I'll only get myself into trouble.""Bullshit! You took advantage of my poor Alice and kissed her when you were 'drunk'! You're the worst bastard ever!"Curling his fists, Landon circled the room in anger. He would have beaten Jasper up if Jasper weren't injured. Jasper insisted that he lost control of himself under the influence of alcohol. Still, he couldn't deny that it felt exceptionally sweet and lovely when his lips touched he
Alyssa squinted coldly at Silas. "You called me earlier tonight and worried that Axel would make a move on Jasper. Why the sudden change in your attitude?""So it was you who ratted me out! Silas, you little shit!" Axel scrunched up his eyes and gritted his teeth. "I'll tear you into pieces!""How dare you speak to your brother like that? You little rascal! Lyse, don't hold back. What he needs is a good lesson. You should have thrown him into the fire." Silas decided to add fuel to the fire since Alyssa wouldn't listen to him anyway. Knowing Axel was in grave trouble, he wanted to stay out of it. "Axel, are you not ashamed of yourself for talking to Silas like that? Aren't you going to admit your fault?" She was incensed."What fault? I beat up Jasper just for you!" Axel was adamant and rebellious."You wretched thing!" Alyssa slapped the armrest but accidentally pulled on her wound. She moaned in pain and flinched a little."What's wrong, Lyse?""Are you okay? You're scaring
The image of an affluent socialite that Betty had carefully crafted for years fell apart at the press conference. That night, she returned to Seaview Manor weak and defeated. The maids had to help her into the house.She wailed, "Mom, you must get back at them for me! I'm so upset!"Her face was tear-stricken and full of snot. "Everyone's cursing me online. I can't go out in public anymore!""What can I do? Should I slap Jasper or force him to hand over the role of president to you, little dimwit?" A furious Sophia pointed a finger at Betty's teary face. "What did I tell you before you left? I told you to recite my script, word by word, and never put on any makeup! You needed to show up bare-faced to appear sincere!"Sophia went on, "But what did you do instead? You went against everything I planned. You deserved everything that happened to you. What's the point of crying in front of me? Even your dad has given up on you!""Mom, it's all my fault. I should have listened to you.
Jasper solemnly took the yearbook proffered and began skimming through.His opponent from that night had a similar physique to him. Though he wore a mask, Jasper felt the man was very familiar. They must have met once before.His understanding of Axel's background was limited. Their military school followed a policy of safeguarding identities and related issues. But now that Jasper knew of his identity as Alice's brother, the clouds were clearing up.After some time, Jasper leaped up in surprise, staring at the yearbook on his knee. The gesture surprised Xavier, who also jumped slightly at the commotion."Did you see something, sir?""Hm … him, of all people?" Jasper murmured to himself.The man he'd hone in had a wide, handsome smile. Below his picture was the name "Axel Whitaker.""Axel Whitaker … Whitaker … No wonder he seemed to know her!" Jasper exclaimed.He had fond memories of the man. The two were one of the strongest individuals in the school. Their only worthy oppone