Alyssa had to wonder if her suitors truly fell for her charm underneath her hideous appearance or if they were too eager to marry the daughter of Winston Taylor. Even she would barf at her own face. How did they remain calm in front of her?Power was indeed a great motivator, prompting her suitors to turn a blind eye to her looks.Thankfully, she had plan B ready.During her lunch with the first suitor, she suggested showing off her talent by reading his fortune through palmistry. She informed the man that he had the health of a seventy-year-old despite being only thirty, causing his face to fall as he stormed out of the venue.During her tea break with the second suitor, she kept staring at the space behind the man until he felt a shiver down his spine."Ms. Taylor, what are you staring at?""Dylan, there's a kid standing behind you. He's looking at you. Are you sure you don't want him to join us?" Her voice took a creepy turn. "He looks … pretty … pitiful …"Dylan Coppola fl
"Why are you … here?" Alyssa was caught by surprise. She looked adorable and innocent with the freckles on her face and a head of messy hair.Jameson Schmidt had a smile in his eyes as he pressed his lips together. "Can't I be your suitor?"Her lips formed a taut line as she struggled to answer his question. He resolved the awkwardness with a gentle smile that made his question sound like a harmless joke."May I take a seat?" asked Jameson gentlemanly."Please do," she replied graciously.Jameson did not look much different from their first encounter. He looked refined and suave, dressed in a striped emerald couture suit and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses."Ms. Taylor, you are rocking a rather adorable and unique style today." He squinted. "You don't have to act in front of me, though. Just be yourself."She coughed in awkwardness. "I don't recall having you as my date. Why are you here?""Because I know that you must have wanted to meet me again. I feel the same too." H
Jameson smiled and sipped his tea with poise and grace, like a noble gentleman from a regency novel. He chatted with Alyssa for a bit.From their conversation, she learned that he had been caring for his mother in Kontina. Due to Alzheimer's, Lily Schmidt was unable to take care of herself anymore. Despite multiple opportunities to return to Solana City, Jameson chose to stay in Kontina and build his career there.Alyssa recalled that Jameson came from a rather complicated family. There were four Schmidt siblings in total, with Jameson being the youngest. His two brothers and a sister were the offspring of the first wife, while Jameson was born to the second wife of the Schmidt Family.She knew little about Lily, who was once a close family friend. She even paid a visit to the Schmidts' manor, but Lily left no impression on her at all."So, why did you come home this year?" asked Alyssa."I'm coming back to where I belong. After all, I'm the son of the Schmidt family. I want to ta
If Jameson did not bring Alyssa to his private rose garden, she would have never thought such a place existed to the south of Solana City.The garden belonged to him, not the Schmidt Group. Hundreds of acres of Damask Rose bloomed on the grounds. The blooming pink roses attracted Alyssa's attention under the brilliant sunset.A few couples were strolling and taking photos in the garden. At the same time, some influencers were live-streaming their visits to the rose garden.The picturesque view provided a respite to Alyssa from her work stress.Jameson and Alyssa, the good-looking pair, became the center of attraction at the rose garden. Anyone would agree that they were a match made in heaven.Alyssa bent over and gently wrapped her fingers around a stalk of rose, as though she was caressing the face of a lover. Her button nose wiggled as she took in the scent with a mesmerized look.The look in Jameson's eyes deepened. His lips curled into a smile. "You're just like your name. A
Sean pondered about the possibility of it being something else. He had a flashback of Alyssa's wish to find a soulmate. He felt a squeeze in his heart as he heaved a long sigh.Right then, he spotted three black luxury cars driving in his direction. His eyes hardened when he saw the number plate of the Maybach leading the entourage.They were from the Beckett Group. It was Jasper's car!When the cars came to a stop, Xavier emerged from the front passenger seat and opened the car door at the back for Jasper.Jasper extended his long legs and stepped out in his spotless handcrafted leather shoes. He sternly buttoned his sleeve as he made his way out."Fuck! What bad luck to run into him!" Sean silently cursed when he saw Jasper's handsome face.A few seconds later, a pale hand appeared from the Maybach. "Jasper, can you give me a hand?"After some deliberation, Jasper reached out for Liana with a frown. She hurriedly held onto his firm hand, worried that he might change his mind a
Sean and Jasper tensed up in confrontation."Oh, Mr. Beckett. I wonder if I should call this a pleasant coincidence or bad luck," Sean was smiling but harsh with his words."Is Alyssa Taylor in there?" Jasper questioned with a scowl. Liana's heart was racing, and she went numb at the mention of Alyssa's name."Why? Can't she be here?" Sean smirked and retorted, "It's not like you booked the entire garden to yourself.""Tsk, Mr. Beckett did nothing except ask a question! What's with your attitude?" Xavier chided Sean."Really? It's pretty shameless of you to make that claim. You're giving me second-hand embarrassment," Sean mocked him with a frown."You—""Enough, Xavier," Jasper stopped Xavier. Then, he questioned flatly, "What's Alyssa doing here?"Sean's cold gaze swept past Liana, who was clinging to Jasper. With an arched brow, he snickered. "She's here for the same reason as you are!"Jasper's frown deepened after learning that. Alyssa had indeed developed an interest in
Alyssa had always been like that. She would be completely focused on an object of her interest and fall into a world of her own.Suddenly, it occurred to her that Jameson was waiting for her. She quickly spun around to find him patiently standing on the side, this time with a straw basket in his hand filled with pink roses that carried an understated beauty.The breathtaking charm of the flowers reminded her of a quote from Wislawa Szymborska, which said, "Only a rose blooms as a rose, no one else.""Ms. Taylor," Jameson addressed her while approaching with the flower basket."Oh, don't step in here! Be careful not to dirty your clothes!" she hurriedly stopped him when she noticed his sparkly clean outfit. However, he made his way through the thorny shrubs in an attempt to get to her.She pursed her lips in embarrassment."Ms. Taylor, this is for you." His eyes were as soft as the sunset colors when he handed her the basket."Thank you, but I can't accept your gift," she turned
Jasper, looking grim, was experiencing an emotional rollercoaster at the moment. Alyssa did not share the same sentiment. She merely felt unlucky to have run into him.Bumping into Jasper in the lovely rose garden was akin to stepping on dog shit—a mood killer. She secretly grumbled, thinking that she might need to start reading her fortune of the day before leaving her house.Liana, clinging tightly to Jasper, was an eyesore to Alyssa.Jameson leaned closer to Alyssa and chuckled into her ear. "Don't panic. I'm here for you."Feeling ticklish, she thought, "What's there to panic about? I'll take things as they come.""Ms. Taylor, what a coincidence!" Liana was no longer the belligerent young lady from before. She asked softly, "Is this gentleman your boyfriend? You make a perfect couple."Alyssa had a deadpan look in her eyes. She obviously wanted to ignore Liana. However, Jameson replied, "Thank you for your compliment. Though, I'm not her boyfriend yet."Alyssa had not caug