"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
A sudden gust of wind brushed past Jasper's nose. Jameson's punch was brutal and swift. Jasper would have been punched in the face if he hadn't been trained enough to dodge the ambush. From that deceptive move, Jasper could tell that Jameson was a wolf in sheep's clothing. There was another reason he could never let Alyssa be with Jameson. Never!The attack unfolded in the blink of an eye, so swiftly that not even Alyssa noticed the altercation as she proceeded toward Jameson's villa.Once again, Jameson hurled punches at Jasper, but the latter skillfully evaded each one. Jameson launched another kick that narrowly missed Jasper's chest.Jameson staggered backward, fighting to regain his balance, the veins in his seemingly feeble arms throbbing beneath his elegant silver cufflinks.Meanwhile, Jasper stood at the same spot despite suffering the attacks. Jameson adjusted his glasses, his eyes smoldering with rage.For years, Jameson had obsessively honed his skills under the guida
"Everything he did, he did it for you.""So, is he willing to harm others on my behalf?" Alyssa couldn't take it any longer and snickered. "He's attempting to justify his uncivilized behavior. He'd better not use that excuse anymore—it'll only embarrass me!""Alyssa!" Jasper called out to her, his tone laden with bitterness. He felt like he was being crushed. "I'm not trying to justify my actions. I just have one question for you—what do I mean to you?"Her breath caught, and her heart ached. In the dim light, she could see the shattered look in Jasper's eyes and the pain that was etched across his face.Jameson's sharp gaze bore into Jasper's pale face."If you stay out of my life, we might have a chance to be business partners in the future. If you remain stubborn, we can only be enemies," Alyssa cautioned. Then, she walked away slowly, holding Jameson without even glancing at Jasper.Jasper stood motionless for a long time, feeling as though the world had forsaken him.After