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
Jasper's entourage stared at each other in shock, especially Xavier, who looked like he was struck by lightning.Noticing Jasper's grim expression, Liana tried to be thoughtful and quickly comforted him. "Jasper, don't worry. It's just a rose garden. You can still reach out to the many rose gardens across the country."Jasper removed his arm from her grip while she was talking. The impact of his movement caused her to stumble backward in an embarrassing moment."Let's go, Mr. Schmidt." Alyssa didn't bother to take another look at Jasper and Liana. She beamed gently at Jameson instead."Sure. I've made a reservation at the restaurant. We can leave at any time now."Jasper felt suffocated when Alyssa and Jameson exchanged smiles. His brows knitted in anger as he stepped forward to stand in Jameson's way."Mr. Schmidt, let's talk in private." Jasper did not falter even after he had lost the deal."If this is about the rose garden project, I have nothing more to discuss with you." J
As the visitors gradually exited the rose garden, only Alyssa and Liana were left behind in the endless sea of roses.In the fading light, Alyssa's bare face looked as luminous as the moon, to the envy of Liana. Putting aside their grudges, Liana had to admit that Alyssa was an extraordinary beauty. Alyssa's beauty evoked fear and resentment in Liana. After all, Alyssa had spent three years under the same roof with Jasper, despite their relationship being a sham marriage.She bit the bullet and went up to Alyssa while flicking her straight hair. She no longer looked like the frail woman when she was around Jasper. She flashed Alyssa a victorious grin."You found a new lover pretty fast. Quite skillful, aren't you? You should have done that sooner. No matter how much you bother Jasper, he will not take another look at you."Alyssa stared at Liana, as though she was staring at a madwoman. "Why would I want his attention like a peacock?"Liana choked and silently cursed at Alyssa.