"Do you know why you lost to me despite all your efforts?" Jasper snickered. "Even if I were being slick, I did it to impress Alyssa. But you wanted more than that. You were destined to lose to me when you insisted on bringing your sick mother to the party."With that, Jasper walked away. Feeling suffocated, Jameson cast a threatening glance at him.…The party went on merrily. Since Jasper had secured a victory, he happily searched for a corner for a well-deserved smoke.Not long after he had ventured out of the hall, he heard a beautiful voice calling to him, "Jasper Beckett!"He gulped and spun around to see Alyssa rushing to him in her sexy heels.Her eyes sparkled like the starry night, her soft hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her lips were as red as a rose.He had a sudden urge to embrace her tightly and kiss her.Before long, she stood right before him. They gazed at each other, the air thick with tension, and heard each other's ragged breaths.There was palpabl
Holding Alyssa's hand, Jasper rushed down the opulent yet deserted corridor, like two young aristocrats who were defying societal rules and eloping.Her gaze was fixed on his broad back, which provided her with a sense of security. Her chest heaved, and her palms grew sweaty.She had to admit that she felt a little attracted to him. At the same time, she berated herself for still having feelings for him over mere hand-holding, after having fallen in love with him twice, 13 years and three years ago, respectively.She felt rather indignant for being weak when it came to Jasper.In contrast, he appeared to be in high spirits, jogging alongside her until they reached the door of a luxurious suite.A surge of panic and embarrassment washed over her. In anger, she yanked her hand from his grasp and hissed, "What is this? How dare you disrespect me on my turf? You know I could always get my brothers to beat you up right now."He paused in surprise. Realizing she had misunderstood his i
Alyssa's attention was immediately drawn to a beautiful ebony box on the coffee table. Her expertise in antique collections allowed her to discern that the box contained something truly rare."What a lovely box …" She gasped and stared at it."Don't just admire the box. You should see what's inside." Jasper encouraged her, standing by her side and utterly captivated by her beauty.Confused yet eager, Alyssa wiped her sweaty palms on her dress. Her endearing action only deepened Jasper's affection for her, and he felt an irresistible desire for her.Carefully, she opened the box to reveal a pink top and a green-stemmed glass goblet that seemed like something out of a dream.She exclaimed in delight and covered her mouth.Winston had collected antiques from all over the world, but he had never acquired an item from the Regency Era. The glass goblet finally filled that gap, and Alyssa was thrilled by the find."I stumbled upon this glass goblet in a Yoarkley collector's collection
"I don't know how to dance … I'll skip," Lauren excused herself. She had been sipping juice and enjoying cake on the couch until Landon had suddenly invited her to dance.Having watched her parents and Betty dance before, Lauren felt that dancing wasn't something she could do. Besides, she believed she would never have a chance to be in the spotlight anyway."It's alright if you don't know. I can teach you, Lauren," Landon reassured her, placing his hands on her shoulders.She hung her head low, a tiny patch of cream at the corner of her lips. She mumbled, "I'm not dancing, Landon. They all dance well. "I would only embarrass you because I don't know how to dance. Besides, I don't like crowded places. I panic when there are too many people around."Landon was shocked and upset. Lauren's second excuse was the real reason behind her refusal to dance. Despite his attentiveness, he had let his excitement get the better of him, forgetting that she suffered from autism and social pho
"May I invite you to a dance?" Silas inquired.Rose stood up gracefully and placed her hand in his palm. "Of course."Silas noticed the tears glistening in the corners of her eyes in the soft light. He tightened his grip on her hand, which startled her, prompting a futile attempt by her to break free from his hold."Is something wrong? Do you regret your decision?" Silas inquired, raising an eyebrow."No, but why did you pinch my hand?" Rose grumbled."I can't pinch your feet, can I?" he teased, finding humor in the odd question."You—" Rose began, but her retort was cut short as Silas twirled her gracefully by the waist. After a dizzying spin, she found herself dancing to the rhythm of the music with him."Did you cry just now?" he whispered, glancing at her reddened eyes as his hand rested on the small of her back."No, no tears. I was yawning," she denied, but was taken aback by how observant he was."Alright, I could have been mistaken.""Mistaken? You certainly were," sh
"You insolent brat! How dare you speak to your father in such a manner?" Victor raged. He would have slapped Jameson if it weren't for the presence of other guests.Except for Winston, men of Victor's generation believed in the importance of discipline and felt that rebellious individuals should be subject to corporal punishment. Therefore, he believed it was only appropriate to physically punish Jameson."If you still have some respect left for Mom, I could attempt to maintain the facade of a father-son relationship with you. If you disrespect her further, I have more scathing remarks reserved for you." Jameson chuckled with a smirk.Even Victor was taken aback by Jameson's ruthlessness.…Victor and Jameson confronted each other on the balcony at the end of the corridor. Even the cold weather was no match for the tension between the two."What the hell do you want?" Victor questioned icily."I didn't know the value of your gift for Madam Lyla. If you're angry because you fel
Jameson struggled to maintain his composure, his body trembling with anger as he cried out in agony, "I've told you countless times that it was Josh, David, and Daisy—the very children you treat with such trust and love—who framed my mother! "Instead of seeking the truth and listening to her, you dismissed her and sent her to that wretched place. Marrying you was the worst thing that ever happened to her!""I've been generous enough to let her keep her title after the way she was caught red-handed. What more can she possibly say?" Victor's face flushed with anger as he recalled the painful past, driving him to a point where he felt like choking both Lily and Jameson."You damn fool," Jameson muttered under his breath, turning away in frustration. He had no intention of bringing up the infidelity, as it only served as a painful reminder of Lily's past. Every time he mentioned it, it reopened old wounds. It was purely coincidental that Victor had mentioned it in their heated argu
So what if he woke up everyone else? All that mattered was that his woman was pleased."What the … what the hell is wrong with you, Jasper Beckett?" Alyssa cried, unable to take it anymore. "Are you going to jump off a cliff just because I tell you to?""I don't want to do that. I would die and wouldn't be able to see you anymore." Jasper slowly turned Alyssa around so she was facing him.When their eyes met, Alyssa could see the gushing, naked passion in his gaze. It was so intense, as if he was worried she would be oblivious to it. His eyes conveyed too much!"Jasper … " Alyssa murmured, but before she could finish speaking, Jasper had handed her his neck tie."Lead me home, Lyse."Alyssa stared fixedly at the tie, suddenly feeling so overwhelmed. It looked like Jasper needed a bigger dose.He swallowed nervously, gently leaning into Alyssa as he eyed her lips. Their hearts pounded in their chests as their visions blurred. All of a sudden, Alyssa's phone rang.As if s