"I have moved on," Alyssa replied without thinking and hugged Rose back. She continued, "If I don't move forward after the divorce, what does that say about me? For 13 years, I didn't treat myself right because of him. But now that I've left him, I won't make the same mistake again. It's time to focus on the future."Rose sighed, her eyes misty as she could see the pain in Alyssa's heart from the way Jasper had treated her. Healing would be a long, arduous journey."Exactly! We must look ahead to the future. A smart woman does not blindly fall in love!" Rose concurred and patted Alyssa on the shoulder. She playfully chirped, "Madam, let's have a feast tonight and enjoy some good wine. I think I'll find your tragic love story quite entertaining.""Oh, my love life is a complete mess. I can't even bear to recount it," Alyssa replied with a smile and lifted her chin. "And you, Rose? You're always swooning over attractive men. Any new romances to share?"Rose scoffed, "What romance
The news had come in—Sharon had made it clear that she had no intention of designing a dress for Sophia."Sharon's studio staff informed us that she will not design a dress for you, no matter what amount you offer," Betty timidly conveyed the message to Sophia.Sophia's eyes bulged in anger. She growled, "But why?""Mom, don't press for the reason," Betty found it difficult to disclose Sharon's reasoning."Quit beating around the bush! Tell me now!"Shuddering, Betty bit the bullet and confessed, "Sharon said that she will not ruin her reputation by designing dresses for clients with tainted reputations." Betty had, in fact, rephrased Sharon's words to sound civil, as Sharon's original remark was incredibly insulting. It appeared that Sharon held Sophia in low regard."Damn it! This is outrageous!" Sophia exclaimed in a fit of rage and hurled her expensive makeup products onto the floor. Her eyes blazed with anger, and her face turned beet red. "She's just a dress designer. W
Javier's gaze wavered. He sternly rebuffed, "What nonsense is that? What do I have to do with Winston Taylor's woman?""You were a shareholder of TS Network before we even met. Back then, Lyla's fame was on the rise, and rumors were flying that you were her sugar daddy. Reporters took photos of you and Lyla meeting in private. "Are you sure there was nothing between the two of you?" Sophia couldn't help but mention the past at the thought of Lyla. She was green in envy.She had chosen to date Javier not only because he was the heir of Beckett Group but also because rumors had it that he was Lyla's man.That was why she felt compelled to take everything in Lyla's possession. And if she couldn't, she was willing to destroy it all.Growing increasingly enraged, Javier asserted, "There's absolutely nothing between me and Lyla."Sophia was stung by the intense look in his eyes and cowered. He added, "If there had been something between us, do you think I'd have ended it with her an
As the weather was getting colder, Alyssa stopped rowing on the lake behind the villa. Still, she was disciplined when it came to workouts. Clad in a snug-fitting pink athletic outfit, she went for a treadmill run instead. Her face was flushed, and she was covered in sweat.With a towel and a bottle in each hand, Sean reported, "Ms. Alyssa, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Beckett have compiled the guest lists. After comparing them, I found a 50% overlap."She didn't look surprised. "As expected."Sean looked worried and confessed, "I'm a little concerned now. Madam Lyla is having her birthday party at the KS World Hotel, while Sophia is having hers at the Berenike Hotel. It smells like a rivalry all over again.""It's not us who wanted to compete against her. It was that witch who wanted to host her party on the same day as Lyla's. She's not afraid of karma, it seems," Alyssa was able to speak and taunt Sophia, all while running hard on the treadmill."You're absolutely right. Sophia is the
Jasper tried to suppress his cough. Nevertheless, upon entering the villa, a fit of coughing seized him, likely triggered by inhaling the blend of cold and warm air."Mr. Jasper!" Mrs. Rosie exclaimed and went up to him. She felt sorry looking at him coughing his lungs out. "What's wrong? You have a bad cough. Did you catch a cold?""I'm fine. Mrs. Rosie, just get me some water," he instructed, hiding the fact that he was injured.That did not lessen Mrs. Rosie's concerns. "But you don't look fine at all! Why don't we get the family doctor to check on you?""I'm really fine. I just need to take some medications," he reassured her with a smile.Just then, the butler, Barry Durham, announced, "Mr. Jasper, Mr. Javier would like to talk to you in his study."… Jasper frowned at the scene that greeted him in Javier's study. Javier was on the couch with Sophia, both dressed in matching silk nightrobes. She had put on some light makeup, and her hair was tousled. She leaned limply in
"Indeed, I am. Is there a problem with that?" Jasper's nonchalant reply nearly gave Javier and Sophia heart attacks.Sophia stared resentfully at Jasper's indifferent look as she lurked behind Javier like a ghost. Her eyes held an ominous quality as if she were bestowing an evil curse upon Jasper.Javier shook in rage as he growled, "Jasper Beckett, have you forgotten your roots?"Jasper snickered. "Thanks for reminding me over and over again that I'm your son. Otherwise, I might have forgotten.""You ungrateful brat!" With his eyes burning with anger and a dizzying sensation overwhelming him, Javier pointed at Jasper. He seethed, "I'll ask you one last time—are you dead set on attending the Taylor Family's event this weekend?""Oh, dear child, how can you be so wrong?" Sophia seized the right timing and put on the façade of a worried mother. "It's not my party that I care about. But you knew your dad and Winston don't get along well, and Alyssa has been giving us trouble repeated
Sophia reveled in satisfaction. Javier had better whip Jasper with all his might. Even if Jasper survived the whipping, they'd have at least released the pent-up anger and humiliation.…All the servants at Seaview Manor were summoned to the first-floor main hall and assembled in a few rows.Betty couldn't contain her delight upon hearing about Jasper's whipping. She sought out Lauren, who had nearly slipped her mind. "Hey, you idiot!"Betty kicked the door open. Lauren, who was sketching, dropped her pencil onto the floor at the sudden intrusion. "W-What's going on, Betty?""It's time to witness the spectacle downstairs! Jasper is about to get whipped! Hahaha!" Betty cackled like a maniac.Lauren felt her heart skip a beat. "Jasper? But why?""It's all because that insolent little shit insulted Dad to his face!" Betty replied with a malicious grin. "Hmph! Does Jasper truly believe he's untouchable just because he's the company's president? He wouldn't have gotten the position i
Javier had summoned everyone in the villa to the main hall. Jasper was surrounded by the crowd, isolating him further.Jasper had shed his suit, unveiling his well-defined muscular physique beneath a thin white shirt. His masculine contours were visible through the fabric.Javier had wanted Jasper to be punished in front of everyone to humiliate him. To his dismay, Jasper won hearts by standing stubbornly in the middle of the crowd.The maids around him covered their mouths and blushed, struggling to suppress excited squeals. Even when Jasper was receiving a punishment, he looked as stunning as ever.When Javier noticed that Jasper had no intention of admitting his wrongdoing, he menacingly waved the whip in his hand, producing a bone-chilling, cracking sound as it struck the ground."Kneel!" Javier commanded.Jasper's eyes bore a defiant look as he sneered, "Do you think I would?""You—" Javier began."I'm standing right here. Whip me if you must. Spare me the nonsense," Jaspe