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
Alyssa reflexively held Jasper when he fell toward the ground. She was startled by the warm liquid on her hands. When she slowly unfurled her palm, she was shocked by the massive amount of blood.Then, she noticed the long, humiliating lash marks on Jasper's broad back. His white shirt was now stained red from the bleeding.Unable to contain her anger, her eyes flashed with fury as she questioned, "Jasper, are you okay?"Covered in sweat, he lay in her arms and muttered, "Are you worried about me?""Bullshit!" she blurted out without thinking. His heart raced with delight as he grinned. "Thank you, Lyse."Feeling angry, she hissed at him, "Shut up! You're badly injured. Stop talking. I don't want to hear a word from you."He smiled bitterly and whispered in her ear, "Okay."Alyssa's sudden appearance left everyone in astonishment. Lauren, who had witnessed the entire incident from the sidelines, welled up with tears at Alyssa's timely intervention.On the other hand, Sophia a
A powerful voice caught everyone's attention, and to their surprise, it was Newton who had arrived at the entrance with Ben by his side. Alyssa's presence was so commanding that neither Javier nor Sophia had noticed Newton's arrival."Grandpa!" Jasper and Alyssa exclaimed simultaneously, with Alyssa appearing particularly close to Newton.Sophia instantly grew flustered and sweated in Newton's presence."Dad, what brings you here?" asked Javier, his hand trembling in astonishment."If I hadn't made it here on time, my grandson would have been whipped to death," Newton growled in his wheelchair, looking authoritative. He shook emotionally at the sight of a heavily injured Jasper and anxiously asked, "Jasper, are you okay?""I'm fine, Grandpa." Jasper flashed him a reassuring smile. "Ben, please call my physician to attend to Jasper.""Of course, Mr. Newton," Ben replied, promptly making the call.Sophia tugged at Javier's shirt and shifted the blame toward Alyssa, saying, "Oh
The spacious hall remained quiet. Amused, Alyssa blinked and smiled.Jasper was cheered up by the animated look on her face and put behind the pain he was enduring. He fixed his eyes on her with a contented smile.In the meantime, a hushed astonishment gripped the onlookers as they watched Newton berating the current patriarch, Javier, in their presence. The public scolding was doubly humiliating, given Javier's prominent social standing. He had turned into a punchbag.Javier, nursing a wounded ego, flushed with anger and hissed, "Barry, please get everyone to leave the hall.""No! No one is allowed to leave before we settle this matter once and for all!" Newton declared with authority. When she was angry, Alyssa bore a striking resemblance to Newton, as if they were blood relatives."Dad, what do you mean?" Javier inquired, his brows furrowing in anger."It means exactly what you think it is!" Newton responded, his eyes half-closed as he taunted his son, "If you can bruise Jas
Alyssa widened her eyes in shock and stared at Jasper."KS Group has been competing against us for a long time. Your beloved Alyssa has been finding trouble with the Beckett Group, leading to stock price volatility and causing a loss of a few billion dollars!"We are finally hosting an event on the weekend to network with the high society of Solana City. As the company president, Jasper refuses to uphold the company's reputation and instead sides with our rival! How can I not be furious with him?"Alyssa's eyes widened even further in disbelief, and her heart skipped a beat."Is the event in question Sophia's birthday party?" Newton questioned.Javier replied, "Yes, it's her birthday party, and it's also a rare networking opportunity.""Alright, if Jasper isn't going, count me out.""What?" Javier's expression fell."Not only am I not attending, but I'll be joining Alice at Winston's wife's birthday party. What do you say to that? Are you going to beat me into submission, too?"