Pinching Alyssa's chin between his fingers, Jasper leaned forward and kissed her aggressively. His tongue forced its way into her mouth and passionately tangoed with hers.…Landon and Xavier were trapped in a seemingly endless wait on the first floor. Xavier paced nervously, casting occasional glances at the second floor.Meanwhile, Landon sat on the couch with a grim expression and stared down at the surveillance footage that played on his phone. He replayed the scene where Zoe had bullied Lauren a couple of times. His anger grew with each replay."Mr. Harper, what are you watching? You look serious," Xavier wondered and went up to Landon. Landon shot him a death glare and waved him away, saying, "Go away. I don't air my dirty laundry."Stunned by Landon's anger, Xavier retreated right away. Landon went back to watching the footage.His heart ached at Lauren's reflex reaction—she had curled up into a ball and wrapped her arms around her head when Zoe had approached her. Wai
Alyssa left the villa and entered Landon's luxury car. Landon quipped, "Lyse, it's rare that you're willing to spend time with me."His eyes were always seductive. He watched the beautiful Alyssa with a grin."I've become more aware of my boundaries now, but I'm concerned that my jealous friend, Jasper, might be upset if he finds out we're chatting here. He's still unwell.""Do you think I would be in the same space with you if it hadn't been for Lauren?" She folded her legs and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Landon Harper, you're a notorious charmer. Did your preference for women shift to our innocent Lauren because you're tired of the sexy ladies you dated?"At the mention of Lauren's name, a shiver coursed through Landon. He responded with a shaky voice, "Lyse, you know about Lauren and me?"Alyssa replied with a smirk, "You and her? You're confusing me now.""Lyse, look, I don't want to hide this from you any longer," Landon said. He took a deep breath and, wi
"Or perhaps, you think of Lauren as the least important Beckett daughter. Do you only deem her good enough as a mistress, not a wife?""Alyssa Taylor! How could you—" Landon snapped at her. This was the first time in his life that he had felt genuine anger toward her. It suddenly became clear to him why Jasper would frequently cough up blood—it must have been because of Alyssa."Enough. There's no point in arguing. I'm all for true love, but I refuse to watch Lauren suffer by your side," she concluded. Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of Lauren, who had endured abuse at home.She pleaded, "Life has been harsh for Lauren. I don't want to see her endure more suffering. Landon, you come from a complicated world, which would be a burden for Lauren. Please think this over."…After taking Jasper to the hospital, Landon returned home, utterly drained.He considered the villa he shared with Lauren his home. He might have a mom and a sister, but his mom had been depressed e
"Shall we sleep?" Landon blurted it out without much thought, but he instantly regretted it.He sounded like a pervert whose only thought was to get it on. That wasn't what he had intended."I'm not sleepy," Lauren finally said softly. "I just wanted some quiet time.""Oh. I'll keep you company," he offered, gently caressing her nape. "I won't sleep if you're awake. If you find me bothersome, I'll sit beside you quietly. You'll need someone to get you drinks and food when you're thirsty or hungry, isn't that right?""What if I stay up all night?""I'll stay up with you.""Alright then. Go ahead and sleep," she softly urged him, still not looking up.Feeling dejected, he sighed heavily and said, "If you'd rather I leave, I will." With that, he made a move to get up.Lauren suddenly grabbed his arm and held it tightly as her breathing quickened."Lauren?" He was taken aback."Please don't go, Landon! Don't leave!" she pleaded, looking up with trembling lips and tear-streake
"Of course," Lauren answered."It's different from just liking me as a person," Landon said, clearing his throat. He explained in embarrassment, "It's … the kind of feelings that Jasper has for Alyssa."Her clear, bright eyes wavered. She toyed with the intricate button on his dark shirt and stammered, "I-I don't know."He silently sighed and smiled wryly at her. "Alright. Go sleep now.""But I like to be with you. I can't do anything right when you're not at home because I'm worried. I'll wait for you to come home. Time flies when I'm with you. Looking at you makes me happy," she mumbled, her eyes half-closed.His breath grew heavy, and his palms started sweating as he held her.She confessed, "One day, you came home late. I pretended to be asleep when you checked on me in the bedroom, but I had been awake all along."His chest tightened. That night, he and Angelina had gone out to get rid of two dissenters in Harper Group who had turned out to be Preston's men.He had always
Zoe was terrorized by Landon's wrath. She had witnessed him teaching Donna and Gary a lesson. He hadn't even spared Gary, who had been serving him for years. The punishment he had inflicted on Gary seemed almost fatal.All of this chaos was because of Lauren. Zoe couldn't fathom why Landon would go to such lengths for an idiot. In comparison, she felt that she had been reduced to a joke as his sister.After leaving the villa, she returned to the Harper Residence with a resentful scowl. Throughout the journey, she couldn't hold back her tears when she reminisced about how Landon had used to spoil her.Amidst her anger, Zoe made a resolute decision. No matter what, she was determined to come between Landon and Lauren. She would never accept Lauren as her sister-in-law."Zoe, you're finally home!" Penelope called out. She teared up after a long separation from her daughter and came out to hug Zoe. "My darling, I thought your flight had landed earlier. Why are you only home now? I wa
Zoe's eyes burned with anger, and she trembled as she shared, "Landon hasn't been around for a long time because he's living with Lauren Beckett! He's even bought a place for her!"Penelope felt like a bolt of lightning had struck her, and her face paled."I hate Sophia and Betty, and I wouldn't want Lauren as my future sister-in-law. But Landon is infatuated with her! He raised his voice at me for that woman, and he even—" Zoe deliberately paused for suspense."What else did he do to you?""He hit me!" Zoe said, tears rolling down like a waterfall."Where did he hit you?""My face! He slapped me in front of his staff and that Beckett bitch! Mom, my face hurts!" Zoe moaned and reached for a hug as she cried her heart out.Penelope's heart ached for her beloved daughter. Her eldest son, who had always been obedient, had had the audacity to fight with his sister over Sophia's daughter. She couldn't help but wonder if Landon might one day sever ties with her, his own mother, as w
Lyla took a few seconds to get used to the bright light before her eyes widened in shock.A mannequin stood before her, dressed in a grand yet elegant red and black gown, its flowing train blooming like that of a dark rose. "It … it's beautiful," Lyla exclaimed, dazed."Lyse had that internationally-renowned designer, Sharon, make this just for you, Lyla!" Mandy cooed, holding onto Lyla's shoulders. "My goodness, and here I thought I had seen it all. I still feel like squealing in joy seeing Sharon's design before my eyes! It's absolutely gorgeous!"Alyssa had long been used to the world's praise for her designs under her alias, Sharon. Still, it couldn't beat the joy and pride she felt upon hearing praise from her own family.She silently basked in her joy, grinning."Sharon? This is too precious, Lyse!" Lyla cried, holding Alyssa's hand. Her cheeks were flushed with joy and bashfulness. "You must have put in a lot of money and effort to get this made, right? You really did