Jonah could not bear to think about the void that would swallow him if he lost Julien. The skies could fall and crush him, turning his life into a hopeless wreck. Gasping for breath, Jonah raced into the villa, which was cold, dark, and silent.Suddenly, memories he had buried deep surged back, overwhelming him. He gripped the hem of his shirt, struggling to steady his breathing while anguish clawed at him. Since Blake's death, he had never returned to this place.The man he loved had died when Jonah loved him most, and the depth of that devastation was unfathomable to anyone who had not experienced it themselves. But this was not the moment to drown in sorrow.Jonah called out Julien's name again and again as he searched every room in the house for him. When he reached the second floor, he spotted lights flickering in the home theater. His heart raced as he burst inside."Julien!" Julien sat alone on the couch, a dazed look in his eyes. Scattered around his feet were white ros
The once pristine white rose petals were now marred by the dark stain of Julien's blood."Let's end it here." Julien's voice was soft, yet those four words shattered Jonah's heart into fragments."Julien, I will not allow you to leave me!" Every muscle in Jonah's body trembled with desperation. A ferocious rage ignited in his eyes. "I know who I love. You are not a substitute for anyone! Julien, don't leave me… I cannot let you go!" Panic coursed through him.He cried and pleaded, desperately trying to hold Julien back. Torn between gentleness and force, he was willing to accept any outcome as long as the man he adored stayed with him.The first time it happened, Jonah had barely survived the emotional turmoil. If it happened again, it would drive him to the brink of insanity and death.His breathing became ragged; his bloodshot eyes blazed with determination.With open arms, Jonah moved to embrace Julien, who had been reduced to pieces. But just as he leaned in, a sharp pain
"But I just love him… I can't stop myself from loving him," Jonah said.Alyssa blinked hard to stop herself from crying. Many a time, Julien was like the male version of herself. At the same time, Jonah's love for Julien was just like how Jasper used to love her. How could he be so affectionate and tolerant if he wasn't in love with him to the core? "Lyse… I was wrong. I've made a grave mistake." Jonah's broad shoulders trembled violently. "It was true that I was attracted by Julien's looks. However, what I love is his soul. "At the same time, I was afraid of Julien leaving me because of my past with Blake… So, I didn't dare to be honest with him. I was too embarrassed to tell him the truth. I wanted to give him a perfect relationship. "I was wrong… If I had known… If I had known that it would turn out like this…"Jonah choked back his tears and couldn't bring himself to continue speaking. The thorns on that stalk of rose that he was clutching tightly onto pierced into his palm
Alyssa's fiery red sports car was rammed into from the right! Fortunately, the black vehicle and her red car were the only vehicles on the entire freeway. If there happened to be any big cars that passed by at this time, the outcome would've been unimaginable. "Damn it!" Alyssa couldn't help but curse through gritted teeth. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat. Any sensible person could tell that this car had hit her on purpose. Clenching her teeth, Alyssa put the pedal to the metal. Right after, she swerved to the left. Yet another bang sounded. Their car doors grated against one another, emitting terrifying sparks. Through the blazing sparks, Alyssa seized this opportunity to turn her sweaty face to the side and glance at that black vehicle that had come like a devil in the night. Alas, the car windows were tinted. Since their surroundings were pitch dark, she couldn't get a good look at the driver at all.That being said, Alyssa came back to her senses at that momen
Even though Alyssa's head was in a muddle, she continued mumbling Julien's name as she cried and begged him not to leave. How could there be such a foolish woman? Leaning against Remy's chest, Alyssa groaned in pain. Her tears soaked through his shirt. The warm sensation dispersed the endless wintriness in his chest. "Lyse…" Remy blurted her nickname in a clear voice. Yet, Alyssa had lost consciousness and did not hear him. Remy held tight to an injured Alyssa as he trodded toward his vehicle. He uttered her name in his heart once again. For some reason, a pain throbbed in his head. Intense emotions surged in his chest. He had never had this feeling before, and it was challenging for him to hold those emotions back. Remy gritted his teeth as he watched the woman in his arms, who was bruised all over and bleeding from her head. At the same time, his heart felt like it was about to shatter and end up a bloody mess. …Just like in Kontina, after Remy intercepted Alyssa,
After Remy sent an unconscious Alyssa to the hospital, she was taken into the emergency room immediately. She was still slightly conscious before she went in there, albeit hazily. She felt herself being lifted by the man in black leather shoes and carried all the way to the hospital entrance until she arrived at the emergency room. The cold bearing around him felt so familiar to her. However, she was suffering so much pain that she kept slipping in and out of consciousness. She didn't have it in her to think about anything else. While she was going through the nerve-racking emergency treatments, she had a dream. Or rather than a dream, it was more like her mind replayed everything that had happened from the time she was on Rose Island until now. Those bits and pieces of information that seemed unrelated strung together in her mind once again. For some reason, she felt that Julien's departure was just the beginning. She certainly couldn't allow anyone around her to be hurt
"I won't call you that next time if you don't like me doing so. But I was really just worried about you and hoping that you would be able to regain consciousness as soon as possible." Alyssa smiled coldly at him. She was broad-minded and had never been bothered by these trivial matters. "Justin, what brings you here?" Alyssa's entire body hurt. She tried to get up but failed to do so. "Don't move." Justin held her down. In a low voice, he urged, "The doctor said that you were very lucky. Even though you didn't have any broken bones, you have quite a number of external injuries. Plus, you might have suffered some level of concussion. "These are not to be overlooked. You have to stay in the hospital to recuperate and be under observation for a while." With a sharp gaze, Alyssa insisted, "You haven't answered my question." Justin pressed his lips together slightly. He answered calmly, "My private physician, Ms. Gillis, lives in a villa nearby. When I came to visit her, I sudde
"Lyse!" Alyssa's father, Winston, rushed into the hospital ward. With him were his three wives, Jonah, and Silas. At first, a pregnant Tatiana also made a fuss about coming over to visit Alyssa. However, everyone else forced her to stay home and had Sean look after her. Everyone's jaws dropped when they witnessed Justin holding Alyssa in his arms. The room was dead silent. "Dad…" Alyssa muttered. There was a quiver in her teary eyes. She struggled slightly in Justin's arms but could not pull away from him. Her face flushed red in embarrassment as she couldn't budge, making them look even more like a shy couple. Justin curled his lips upward slightly. In a relaxed manner, he got to his feet from his wheelchair and lowered Alyssa back onto the bed. Then, he tucked her in caringly. Everyone shot astonished looks at one another. Even though the Taylors were based in Belbanks, their status as one of the wealthiest families meant that they were familiar with the news about up
The snow was falling heavily, and the chilling winds howled through the night.Remy had no car, so he trudged through the snow alone, each step more exhausting than the last.His thoughts were consumed with Alyssa—was she still alive? In danger? And Jasper's unrelenting resolve to reach her, even after being shot and drenched in blood.Remy pressed his calloused, trembling hand to his chest. His heart hammered in his ribcage erratically.A sharp, searing pain shot through his temples, blurring his vision. He collapsed to his knees in the snow, his body racked with agony. The pain surged deep within him, and his eyes felt like they were going to burst from their sockets. It was unbearable.His breath came in ragged gasps. His hands scrambled for the necklace hanging from his neck—inside it was a hidden medicine box.Justin had told him that the medication in there could calm him down and relieve him of any pain. It would be able to save his life. But in his desperate haste, the
As subtle as Remy's expressions were, Jasper still noticed them. A slight twinkle flashed across his eyes. He did not have the time to continue entertaining Remy. He clenched his teeth, turned around, and started running toward Crater Mountain. Nevertheless, he had barely taken a few steps when gunshots were fired at his feet. Even so, Jasper kept his eyes fixed ahead and did not stop. Just then, another gunshot rang out. It wasn't until a bullet hit him in his right shoulder that the pain caused him to stumble. He almost fell to the ground but forced himself to stay on his feet. It was fortunate that he was shot in his right shoulder this time. After all, his left shoulder could not be injured any further. Otherwise, his left shoulder would be left in complete disability."If you take another step, the next shot will be in your left leg," Remy warned mockingly. Yet, his gaze was firm and fiery. "Jasper, I don't suppose you want to end up like your older brother, living in
A chill went down Jasper's spine. At that moment, staring down the barrel of the gun, one thought consumed him. It was the only thought that mattered—he had to stay alive to meet Alyssa!Jasper's mind raced. His gun was hidden under the driver's seat of his usual car, but today, he had taken a different sports car—one that wasn't equipped with a weapon. Panic gripped him for a split second before his instincts kicked in.The soldier within him stirred. Without warning, he jerked the steering wheel, ramming his car into Remy's.One of Remy's headlights was taken out and left rolling across the snow. All of a sudden, this prideful man was overwhelmed with anger. His eyes reddened with a strong sense of competitiveness, compelling him to pull the trigger. A shot rang out. The bullet sliced through the cold air, shattering Jasper's car window.From the very beginning, Remy hadn't intended to take Jasper's life. All Justin told him to do was to stop Jasper from meeting with Alys
"Jasper, you are such a jerk. If anything bad happens to Ms. Alyssa, you will surely regret it. You will live in regret your entire life!" Sean yelled. …The temperature tonight was -4 degrees Fahrenheit. The snowstorm in the woods on the mountain was getting stronger and stronger. The winds were freezing and bone-piercing as they blew against Alyssa's face. Trees swayed dramatically in the screeching winds, creating an inexplicable creepy atmosphere that added a feeling of desolation to Alyssa's sorrowful and depressive mood. She braved the bone-piercing winds and faced the heavy snowfall. With the help of her trekking pole, she plodded forward one step at a time. She did not have a destination in mind. She did not know where she was heading. Her heart had shattered, and she was beside herself. The decreasing temperatures discouraged her and made her lose all her motivation. For someone who had lost their willpower, being in the woods under extreme weather conditions wa
"Mr. Jasper, why do you say so?" Sheryl lifted her head and looked into Jasper's reddened eyes. She furrowed her brows and laughed out loud. "White Dove is from Solana City. This is also something that I wasn't able to predict. If I had known, I wouldn't have gotten you to make a trip here in vain, would I?" Sheryl was no longer that conniving bitch who used to act coy. Now, she had a powerful person backing her up. Jasper's violent rage did not scare her at all. "Why the hell didn't you say anything earlier?" Xavier marched forward furiously. He was even more inclined to serve her a slap. "Did you know that Mr. Beckett had an important date with Madam today? He only rushed her because of your stupid lead! Right now, you're telling us that White Dove isn't in Skydon but Solana City? What the heck are you scheming? Were you trying to ruin Mr. Beckett and Madam's date intentionally?" "Madam? Haven't Mr. Jasper and Ms. Alyssa broken up? Is it right for you to be referring to her
The skies started to turn dark. Alyssa's dark hair was covered in a layer of snow. As she stood alone at the foot of the majestic mountain, she looked tiny, fragile, and desolate. "Ms. Alyssa, it's snowing. Heavy snowfall is forecasted tonight." Elias walked to Alyssa's side. Noticing the redness on her face due to the cold and the dull look in her eyes, he had a moment of realization. He couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness within him. "It's getting late. I suppose something came up for Mr. Beckett, and he's unable to make it." "Why didn't he inform me if that is the case?" Alyssa mumbled in a low voice as she gazed toward the darkness. She choked back on her tears so softly that her grievance couldn't really be heard through her voice. Elias slapped himself on his forehead. "Ah, perhaps you didn't manage to receive Mr. Beckett's message? The reception at the foot of the mountain isn't quite stable. You might have missed it. Would you like to come to my office? You'l
Jasper held his breath. It felt as if his legs had been chained together. He was unable to move. Looking at a stiff Jasper from behind, Xavier noticed his shoulders trembling slightly. An ominous feeling rose within him. "What did you say?" Jasper questioned. He sounded as if he was forcing himself to hold himself back from getting emotional. "Mr. Justin once mentioned that you were saved by a female doctor when you were badly wounded on the battlefield many years ago. I heard that you have been searching for her and that you've been grateful toward her." Jasper's back stiffened up. He narrowed his eyes and asked in a frosty voice, "This is a private matter. Why would Justin have told you about it?" "Mr. Justin mentioned it to me because I also used to work as a doctor in Luminara. He was hoping that I could help with finding that woman. "I finally have news on her whereabouts now. Mr. Jasper, don't you want to see the White Dove again? She was the person who gave her all t
That night, Alyssa stayed in the presidential suite of Solana City's KS World Hotel. She couldn't bring herself to return to her own manor—not yet. The lingering memories of her breakup with Jasper were still too raw, and the thought of revisiting their former home felt like reopening an unhealed wound.The following morning, she was awakened by a knock at the door. Groggily, she slipped on her night robe and opened it to find Sean standing there, carrying a complete set of brand-new hiking gear.Alyssa smiled. "Thank you, Sean." "Ms. Alyssa, it's freezing today. Are you sure you want to go hiking?" Sean walked into the living room and placed the items neatly on the couch. He still felt somewhat worried. "It's alright if it's cold, as long as the weather is good."Alyssa gazed out the window. The sun was shining brightly. The thought of going hiking with Jasper today made it impossible for her to conceal the sweet smile on her face and the delight in her eyes. She still love
Remy's eyes were bloodshot; his expression twisted with disgust as he stared at Sheryl. He could hardly fathom how someone so deranged and vile had once been close to Jasper. Even if Jasper and Alyssa had separated, Sheryl was nowhere near worthy of Jasper's side; she was not even fit to be the dirt on Alyssa's shoes.A sudden flash of memory struck him—the image of Alyssa during that traffic accident. He recalled her mustering all her strength to crawl out of her wrecked car, her face bloody, her body broken yet defiant. He had never seen such a fierce spirit in a woman before.His heart pounded uncontrollably, the memory triggering a sharp pain in his temples. Remy closed his eyes, gasping for breath.Sheryl broke into wild, unhinged laughter. Her entire body shook as she spat out her words, "Oh, Jasper, you poor, clueless fool!"If he ever discovers that the woman he's been tormenting all this time is actually his savior—the one he's been desperate to repay—that would be an eart