Alyssa hummed a tune and headed for the event hall, knowing that Brie was done for good. That put her in a great mood.Given her understanding of Josh—no, her understanding of men in general—their egos often got the better of them. Now that Brie had disgraced Josh, she had landed herself in hot water.Alyssa believed Brie deserved everything that had happened for bullying Tatiana."Lyse." Suddenly, she heard a low and affectionate voice calling out from behind. Her heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists. No other man could make her flustered except for Jasper, the man whom she loved and suffered for.She inhaled deeply and calmed herself before turning around coldly. He stood a few steps away with an exquisite gift box in his hand. He marched up to her with a regal air about him."I'm here," he said to her tenderly. Alyssa replied flatly, "Okay."He pursed his lips and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I wanted to come early and lend you a hand, but I still … got late.
"I'll always speak the truth, even if it means taking a punch. You have an amazing body," Jasper reiterated with sincerity.He was probably the most classy playboy ever, flirting around with a straight face."Shut up! Stop talking!" Alyssa snapped at him. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes blazed with anger. "Stay away from me, or I'll castrate you!""That's fine. I'm not interested in having kids anyway. It's not like I have a crown to pass down," he replied, gazing at her in a daze.Defying her, he took a step closer. They could pick up each other's scent at that distance. He confessed, "I'm only interested in you, Lyse. Telling me to stay away from you is the same as killing me.""Well, consider yourself dead, then! Bye!" She turned and stomped away indignantly with red cheeks.She knew Jasper wasn't to blame for the accident just now, but he shouldn't have commented on her body in the first place.It was no surprise that Jasper was friends with Landon; birds of a feathe
"Miley," Jasper calmly greeted her, abruptly inserting himself into their conversation.Miley was taken aback as she sized up the handsome man before her. Her expression wavered, and she exclaimed, "Are you Mr. Beckett, the president of Beckett Group?""It's just Jasper. We can keep it casual," Jasper introduced himself and politely extended his right hand for a handshake. His stunning eyes radiated warmth and joy.He appeared to be a gracious and honest man, quite unlike the rumors that painted him as ruthless and deceptive.Miley was about to shake hands with Jasper out of courtesy when Alyssa held her back. Alyssa glowered at Jasper and warned him, "You'd better not think of currying favor with my sister and earning brownie points. I can see through your plan."He flashed a bitter smile and awkwardly retracted his hand.Miley was confused by Alyssa's brash attitude. She had no idea that Alyssa and Jasper were once married for three years.Looking flustered, Alyssa pressed h
Miley's unexpected return was a delightful surprise for the Taylors. Mandy, Miley's mother, appeared on the verge of tears, her eyes glistening with joy. However, she maintained her usual composed demeanor, a skill she had perfected over the years. It had been a long time since anyone had witnessed her shed a tear.On the other hand, Lyla and Colene couldn't contain their emotions, and they wept as they embraced Miley. To an outsider, it might seem as if Mandy was Miley's stepmother."Are you done yet?" Winston wondered with a disgruntled look. "It's my turn!"Everyone was rendered speechless. Lyla and Colene had no choice but to let go of Miley.Winston eagerly enveloped Miley in a heartfelt hug, sobbing even louder than his wives. "Oh, my dear daughter! I've missed you so much! I thought you had forgotten all about me after marrying Jeremy. I've raised a little rebel, it seems!"Again, everyone was dumbfounded by Winston's antics. Alyssa's lips twitched as she froze on the s
Meanwhile, Rose was waiting at the red light at an intersection not far away from KS World Hotel. She was taking a call with her Bluetooth earpiece in her pink Ferrari.She barked, "Send me the blueprint for the Bastian Fashion Week walkway! If the person in charge on their end gives us trouble again, tell them that Rose Emerson will never work with them!"Not only that, but I'll also make things difficult for them if they ever plan to host a fashion show at Solana City."When the light turned green, Rose stepped hard on the accelerator out of anger. The Ferrari dashed across the road like a streak of pink lightning.At the same time, a sleek black Mercedes-Benz E-Class approached from the opposite direction. One of the vehicles attempted a left turn, while the other tried to make a right turn at high speed."Oh, crap!" Rose cussed. She had been so distracted with her call that she hadn't noticed the black Mercedes-Benz. As they hurtled toward each other, she slammed the brakes
Silas continued, "However, the law clearly states that a driver shouldn't use the phone while driving, and they shouldn't be wearing heels."Feeling a little guilty, Rose immediately curled her toes in her heels. She argued, "B-But you crossed the road marking when you made the turn, so you're the one responsible!""That depends on the verdict of the traffic police, but I have no time to reach out to them. Why don't you do that? I'm in a hurry," he retorted. He handed her a business card from his wallet. "Here's my phone number and my work address. After you're done, just update me on the next steps.""What's with that attitude? Are you seriously going to leave the mess to me? But I'm short on time too!" she protested, unhappy at his aggressive and irresponsible behavior. She tossed the business card back at him and grumbled, "How can I be sure you're not a scammer trying to pull a fast one?""A scammer?" Silas laughed at the absurd notion, finding the woman with the unconventi
The birthday party was about to start. Alyssa smiled. She felt glad to see Winston and Newton engaged in an animated conversation at the front."Oh, is this real? That's Newton Beckett!" a guest exclaimed."Hey, you're right! He looks great for his age.""Newton is quite close to Mr. Taylor. It's uncommon to see such good friendships these days. One might mistake Mr. Taylor for Mr. Beckett's son!""I heard that Javier Beckett's wife is hosting her birthday celebration at Berenike Hotel tonight. It's quite intriguing to see Mr. Beckett attending Lyla Nelson's birthday party instead of attending his own family event."The guests shared hushed chuckles and snorts."Mr. Beckett obviously doesn't approve of his daughter-in-law, Sophia Kirkman. She's been embroiled in bribery and counterfeit scandals for the past six months. Besides, her niece cheated on Jasper Beckett. Of course Mr. Beckett dislikes Sophia.""I think Jasper Beckett and Alyssa Taylor would make a great couple. I read
"Lyse, I—" Jasper was cut off by a sweet voice. Rose purred, "Madam Alyssa, I'm sorry for being late!"Alyssa turned around and saw Rose, which put a smile on her face. "Rose! It's not late at all! I was worried you might be too busy with the Bastion Fashion Week to attend!"Rose ran over and gave Alyssa a warm hug. "How could I be absent after you invited me? Of course I had to be here!"At that moment, Rose noticed Jasper's jarring presence, and her expression crumbled. She asked, "Madam Alyssa, are you going to sit at the same table as him? Isn't it nauseating?"Alyssa shot a brief glance at Jasper and replied, "It is."He was hurt by her words but remained thick-skinned, suggesting, "Lyse, if you feel sick at my sight, you can always look away."He implied that he had no intention of moving to another table.Rose couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jasper's audacity."I can't not look at you. You're gigantic," Alyssa replied, chuckling at his words."You can put on a bl