What terrified Jasper even more was that the timeline of the hunt for Felicity perfectly aligned with the ages of Jonah and his four brothers.When too many coincidences occur, they might not be coincidences at all.Adding to the unease, Anthony had summoned Jonah—whom he had never met before—into the palace out of nowhere. He treated Jonah with unusual warmth, even gifting him a personal artifact."Jonah, when you met His Royal Highness at the palace, was Her Royal Highness there as well?" Jasper suddenly inquired.Jonah shook his head. "Nope. Her Royal Highness never showed up." "How about the prince?" "I heard the prince's health isn't good. A few years back, he could still attend meetings with political leaders, state visits, and charity events with His Royal Highness. But last year, he became bedridden. He had turned down all his duties to focus on recovery. I didn't get the chance to meet him."What kind of illness had kept him bedridden for two whole years? It had to be
With the royal family's approval, a massive search operation was launched.In the blink of an eye, another five days passed. The search parties scoured 20 islands of varying sizes, yet Alyssa remained elusive.Logically, if Jameson had intended to settle on an island, he would have brought ample manpower and supplies. The search shouldn't have been this difficult. But the reality was that the search and rescue mission proved far more challenging than anyone had anticipated.Adding to the difficulties, the recent weather at Kontina had been terrible. Stormy seas severely hampered the operation.On the fifth night, Miley brought some dishes into the room. Seeing Jasper's tired and bloodshot eyes, her heart wrenched. She urged, "Jasper, you can't keep exhausting yourself like this. Your body won't hold up! Please, have something to eat, even if it's just a small bite.""Thank you, Miley. Just leave it here. I'll eat in a bit," Jasper answered in a hoarse voice. Even so, he remained s
"Invite her in to have a seat." Jasper's icy expression softened slightly.After some time and Miley's gentle persuasion, Amber entered with her head lowered. "Thank you, Mr. Beckett," she said, offering a deep bow. Since being rescued, she hadn't found the right moment to properly express her gratitude to Jasper.Jasper's eyes held a faint, dull gleam. "No need to thank me. I didn't do much. Axel was the one who saved you.""I spent a significant amount of time in Kontina when I worked for Jameson," Amber said, her expression serious. "So, I have a certain level of understanding about this country. I hope that I'll be able to be of some help," Amber offered with a serious expression on her face. Jasper was taken aback. Only now did he recall that Amber had once worked under Jameson, making her knowledge invaluable. No one knew him better.Standing by the table, Amber scanned the map, its surface dotted with red crosses. She gently shook her head. "Searching like this isn't the
Everyone in the room was astounded by Jasper's sudden proposition. "Mr. Beckett's hunch is spot on. Ms. Alyssa could very well be on Rose Island!" Amber's eyes sparkled with hope. She chimed in, "I remember overhearing Carl mention that Jameson bought an island. He was obsessed with it, always vacationing and relaxing there."I didn't think much of it back then. Jameson owns so many properties that an island seemed trivial. But now that I think of it, it feels suspicious."If it was just another island, why would he care so much about it, checking on it personally so often? This isn't like him at all. He's probably been planning this for a while. That island must be his last hideout!"If someone else had said that, others might have doubted it. But, as Jameson's former trusted subordinate, Amber's theory was plausible."We'll leave now. I'll pilot the helicopter myself to get us to the island!" Jasper's heart pounded like stormy waves crashing against his chest.His eyes were bl
To Alyssa, these five days felt like hell on earth. She couldn't bring herself to eat or drink, and within two weeks, she had become as thin as a wisp. She lay limply on the bed, her delicate shoulder blades trembling.She looked pitiful, yet her appearance stirred a desire to conquer and spoil her, never having to worry that she would leave. During these five days, Alyssa was constantly on edge. Though she was so exhausted she could have slept for days, she only dared to take brief naps, never allowing herself to fall into a deep sleep.She was afraid—afraid that Jameson would eventually lay his hands on her.So far, he had only held her and kissed her, but she couldn't trust that the madman wouldn't decide to take things further on a whim.In the wee hours of the morning, the night sky turned dark and ominous as strong winds began to howl.Jameson injected himself with adrenaline in the study. Emerging from the room, he dragged his weary body through the dimly lit corridor,
"What did you say? Wedding… right now?" Alyssa trembled, pressing her hands against his chest. She glanced at the trees swaying wildly in the storm outside the window, wondering if she'd heard him wrong."Yes, right now." Jameson's gaze was deep, gentle, and full of affection.Alyssa's eyes widened in shock. Jameson suddenly wanted to marry her in the dead of night under such terrible weather conditions.Could it be that he knew his hideout had been exposed? Had Jasper and her brothers discovered her location? Was that why Jameson was rushing his plans?Jameson sat on the bed, wrapping his arms around her. He leaned down, picked up a pair of red heels he had prepared, and carefully slipped them onto her feet, one by one."When I was young, my mother told me that a bride who gets married on a rainy day is someone with a temper." He stared intently at her pale face, his gaze calm and deep. His cold lips brushed light kisses against her cheeks. "Look at the storm outside. It just
By doing this, Jameson made it seem as if he was considerate of Alyssa's feelings, showing how much he cared for her. But all Alyssa felt was a wrenching pain in her heart, and it sickened her.He was killing her from the inside."Are you joking, Mr. Schmidt?" Remy glanced at a pale Alyssa, then looked at Jameson with disdain. He scoffed, "I'm not Ms. Alyssa's family, nor am I your friend. Why should I be a witness to your marriage? "It already makes me feel sick to be standing here. Yet, you want me to participate? You disgust me." Alyssa's reddened eyes glistened with tears. She stared at Remy pitifully. Remy's lashes quivered slightly before he looked away and turned around. He wasn't sure if he simply didn't want to watch or couldn't bear to.Even though Remy refused to do the honors, Jameson wasn't peeved. He stared lovingly at the stiff woman in his arms. In a tone overflowing with the joy of a groom-to-be, Jameson remarked, "Oh well, it doesn't matter. It makes no dif
At first, Jameson had no intention of touching her. His love for her was so profound that he couldn't bring himself to do it.He was well aware that this wedding was far from perfect, decent, or presentable. In fact, it was almost absurd. But the fact that she refused to even pretend or put on a show during his final days was unbearable.Alyssa watched as Jameson's chest was gradually exposed, a bead of sweat trailing down his sculpted abs, his skin flushed with a pink hue of arousal.Her eyes widened in terror, her face burning with embarrassment.It hurt. It hurt all over. Pain spread throughout her insides and to every nerve ending.Just as his hands reached to tear her nightgown, he caught a glint of cold steel in his peripheral vision. He held his breath. Somehow, Alyssa had gotten her hands on a sharp knife. She had positioned it right at his chest in the blink of an eye. She would be aiming at his heart if she moved it a little to the side. "Where did you get that f