From beside them came Angelica's sudden snort of laughter.Landon was really trying his hardest to take care of Lauren. None of his techniques applicable to other women worked for Lauren, so he had no choice but to try something new.It was fun to watch.Meanwhile, Lauren eagerly savored the soup Landon served her. Her motivation wasn't to boast about the experience but to ease Landon's burden. She just didn't want him to strain his arm by repeatedly lifting the spoon to her lips.Landon's eyes narrowed happily the more Lauren ate. "Slow down now. Don't choke yourself." He gently patted her back.When he noticed a drop of white at the corner of Lauren's lips, his breathing hitched inexplicably as a surge of heat washed through him. It was a drop of soup, nothing more.Landon cursed at himself as he pondered the last time he had taken someone to bed. How could soup make his mind go south that quickly?"This is tasty. I want more, Landon," Lauren exclaimed happily."Okay," La
Landon, especially, stared fixedly at the young woman in his arms as a sudden thought surfaced in his mind.He wanted to bring Lauren home with him.So, so much.Alyssa was unbelievably shocked. "Lauren, you … want to … ""Landon … '' Lauren mumbled, nuzzling into Landon's chest and making his heart skip. "I want to go home with you."…Alyssa and Jasper had no choice but to respect Lauren's choice under her insistence.Jasper then had Landon follow him to the smoking area to speak to him."What happened to Lauren's ear, Landon?" Jasper asked, placing a cigarette between his lips and offering his friend another."What happened?" Hatred and cold fury flared in Landon's gaze. "Your spoiled bitch of a sister, Betty, happened!""She's not my sister. I only have one sister and her name is Lauren." Jasper bristled at the mention of Betty. "So, Betty hurt Lauren?"Landon nearly ground his teeth into dust. The cigarette in his hand almost broke in two under his furious pinching. "If
"I know I messed up. You don't need to remind me." Jasper snubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "But there's no going back for me anymore. I want Lyse. No one else in this life but her."…Lauren slept until the evening hours. When she woke up, Landon had prepared her dinner."Were you being serious when you said you wanted to go home with me, Laurie?" Landon asked, half-teasing.Lauren bit her lip and nodded, then shook her head. She wrapped her arms around her knees, toes wiggling lightly on the bed. The sight made Landon's breathing quicken slightly."I-I want to live with Grandpa, but I need to wait till I'm better … so he doesn't worry." Lauren's eyes were moist with tears."I understand." Landon gently caressed her hair. With a sly grin, he asked, "Do you trust me that much, Laurie? Do you know who I truly am? Do you have any idea how badly the world thinks of me? Aren't you worried you'll find yourself in danger if you come with me, hm?"Lauren slowly met his gaze
Alyssa left the hospital without so much as a word to Jasper. Though he'd left her with an incomplete puzzle, she wasn't going to grovel for the entire thing. She'd rather figure it out herself than ask. It was high time she stepped back into her spotlight after what she'd endured for three years.On the way back to the villa, Sean called her."Ms. Alyssa, we were unable to find any information on Jasper directly, but we did find some interesting things pertaining to Justin Beckett.""Being Beckett Group's CEO, it only makes sense that anything personally related to him is entirely off the records. You're getting smarter, Sean." Alyssa grinned.Sean savored the praise and continued, "Justin Beckett was a victim of a kidnap when he was 11 years old.""Kidnap?""Yes. But there is virtually no news about this incident on the World Wide Web, not even in the newspapers. The Beckett family must have silenced all potential leaks on this incident. "If it weren't for the police's reco
"What is this? Highway robbery?" Alyssa snapped, eyes scanning him up and down."You left in a hurry from the hospital, so I didn't have a chance to speak to you," Jasper said gently, ignoring her frigidity."We wouldn't have met there if it didn't concern Lauren's well-being. There's nothing more to say between us." Alyssa turned and marched straight for the villa gates. She added, "I'll have someone send over the next batch of medicine for the second stage of your healing. If you want to live a long life, make sure you take them on time.""Lyse, wait." Jasper reached out to hold her hand.But Alyssa stopped just then. "By the way, do relay a message of mine to Landon. I'm aware of his feelings for Lauren, and I vehemently disagree with it."Jasper blinked rapidly, frowning."I know I'm no longer Lauren's sister-in-law but an outsider, and even if I were still her in-law, I would never have the right to step in on her personal affairs so long as her parents were still breathin
Jasper knew mentioning the issues in the Harper family would only upset Landon, so he rarely brought it up, though it remained an area of concern for him.Alyssa continued, "Mrs. Harper is a woman with traditional beliefs. After her husband's unfortunate passing, the hope of the family now lies on Landon's shoulders. "If she already has a grudge against Betty, how could Lauren ever make it past her? Landon adores and respects his mother. "Do you think he'd challenge her just to be with Lauren? Don't forget that cunning sister of his, too, who's been using Betty as a pawn to get her way. Do you think she'd treat Lauren any differently?"If Lauren really stays by Landon's side, it would upset his entire family system and only cause more disturbance to her life. Would Lauren truly be happy, then? "Even if Landon loved her with all her might, their love would slowly crumble under the weight of all these obstacles sooner or later. Not to mention how innocent Lauren is—what could she
The familiar voice cut through Jasper's heart like a blade.Alyssa suddenly came back to her senses and tore away from Jasper's grip, as if she'd been caught doing something inappropriate. She shoved Jasper away, making the man stumble backward."What are you doing here, Mr. Jameson?" Alyssa asked curtly, unable to mask the shock in her eyes. Jameson bristled with killing intent, shaking just the slightest against the dark background. He shot Jasper a menacing glare, pushing at his glasses. It disappeared just as swiftly as it came, though not before Jasper picked up on it. In response, Jasper stirred up the deadliest energy he could muster, nearly snarling at Jameson. He was never one to lose when it came to this, especially not now when he stood before the woman he loved.Alyssa noticed Jasper's gaze. It looked like he was ready to tear Jameson limb by limb.Alyssa was perplexed by the animosity displayed. Was it all because Jameson stopped him from taking advantage of her?
There was rarely anything that could satiate Jameson. But one thing that could do the trick was crushing and torturing Jasper Beckett.Alyssa regained her composure and questioned, "Jameson, why are you here?""I've moved into a villa behind yours," he revealed with an affectionate gaze. She was utterly astonished and gasped, "What?"Equally shocked, Jasper's chest tightened as he sensed an impending threat."I said we're neighbors now, Lyse," teased Jameson, tilting his head and flashing a gentlemanly and youthful smile at her.Then, he extended his hand to her, saying, "Hello, new neighbor. Let's get along well in the future."Although she was taken aback, Alyssa regathered her composure and politely shook his hand, effectively keeping her ex-husband, Jasper, out of the conversation."Lyse, would you like to visit my new place?" Jameson invited her. Just like her, he was an opportunist. He added, "I bought a lot of fresh seafood, including salmon and lobsters—your favorite