The Reckoning

Jasper's POV

She was supposed to be guilty.

Mia.

I had brought her to the underground room to break her, to make her confess —not to find out that I had been wrong all along. I had wanted to see the fear in her eyes, to hear her beg for mercy. Instead, I had seen something else — betrayal.

The moment, my men showed me the footage —the undeniable proof of her innocence, something in me shifted.

Regret?

No.

Regret was too weak a word for what I felt.

The air in the underground was thick when I walked in. Her eyes boring into mine as she didn't cower, instead she stood her ground.

She was beautiful when she fought.

She was intoxicating when she was angry.

Her scent wrapped around me like a drug and without thinking, I crashed my lips against her.

Soft. Warm. Mine.

I kissed her like I was proving something—to myself, to her, to the fucking world.

That she belonged to me.

That I would never let her go.

But when reality crashed on us as I pulled away from the kiss. Her words and angry eyes haunted me.

And for the first time in forever, I did what I have never done before. Apology. Isn't interesting how this woman would turn out to be my undoing?

But she wasn't done yet. She was determined to break me just as much as I did to her.

“Don’t you fucking kiss me again. That night was a mistake—one I so deeply regret.”

She regretted it. The best damn night of my life and she regretted it.

I clenched my jaw as I carried Jayden toward his quarters, my grip tightening involuntarily. The image of Mia, rushing to him, holding him, crying for him—it made something ugly churn inside me.

I had barely been able to hold myself back when Jayden hand landed on her ass.

A mistake. I knew it. Even he knew it.

But that doesn't stop the possessive rage boiling in my chest.

The moment we reached Jayden’s room, I held him but threw him onto the bed. He groaned but didn’t complain, shifting uncomfortably against the mattress.

I stood over him, my fists clenching at my side. "You love her, don't you?" I asked, my voice low.

Jayden tired eyes met mine, but he didn't respond immediately. "Why does it matter?" he finally muttered.

"It fucking matters to me," I snapped.

Jayden sighed, then turned his gaze to the ceiling. "You don’t deserve her, Jasper."

My body went rigid. He wasn't saying it to provoke me. He wasn't trying to pick a fight. He meant it.

"She loves you though," he added quickly. "And I think that is your biggest punishment."

I didn’t respond. Couldn’t.

Because the truth in his words struck harder than any blade ever could.

*****

Jayden’s words haunted me long after I left his room.

"She loves you and that's your biggest punishment."

Love? The word has never meant anything to me. It was a weapon people used against eachother—a weakness I had refused to entertain. But Mia.... she was different. She burned through my control like widefire.

I poured myself a drink, the amber liquid swirling in my glass as I stared at my reflection in the dark window. Mia had looked at Jayden with affection. With care. When had she ever looked at me like that? Never. All she had for me now was anger and hatred.

And now?

She was slipping away from me.

I won't allow it

She was mine to begin with. My pet.

Mia's POV

I sat at jayden's bed as he slept, my fingers slightly brushing over the bruises on his face. He had suffered because of me, yet he never blamed me. That was the difference between him and Jasper —Jayden protected, while Jasper destroyed.

My hands trembled as I pulled the blanket over. I should leave and go back to my room. But before I could stand, a cold voice sent a shiver down my spine.

"You take such gentle care of him."

I turned sharply.

Jasper.

He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes unreadable —but the tension in his posture told me everything I needed to know. He was angry.... No, jealous.

I straightened my shoulders. "Someone has to," I said, my voice sharper than intended. "Since you're the reason he's here in the first place."

His expression darkened, but I wasn't done.

"You had no right to hurt other people without any good reason," I continued, stepping forward. "Sometimes a simple sorry won't cut it. You—”

He moved. Fast.

Before I could blink, my back hit the cold wall. Jasper's hand slammed beside my head, his body pressing clos

But breath hitched, not from fear, but from the heat that pooling between us— same heat I had tried to deny.

"You think I don't know that," he murmured, his voice low and rough. "You think I don't know what I did. I should have trusted you. I should have —" he exhaled harshly, shaking his head. "But don't stand here and pretend like you feel nothing when I touch you."

I forced myself to hold his gaze. "I don't."

Lie.

His lips twisted into something bitter, but his eyes told a different story—hurt.

Jasper never showed any emotions. Never let anyone in. But for a moment, I saw it. The pain. The regret. The desperation to hold onto something he didn't understand. Love. I doubted if he had ever loved anyone before.

"I meant what I said," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Don't kiss me again."

Silence.

Then his jaw tightened. "Fine," he said, stepping back. "I won't kiss you again."

For some reason, that sent a strange ache through my heart. Will he never kiss me again?

Jasper turned, walking away but before he could disappear, one of his men rushed towards him, his face pale.

"Sir," he panted. "We found something."

Jasper's entire posture tensed. "What?"

The guard hesistated, glancing around at me, before leaning in. Whatever he whispered made the air tense.

Then, in a voice that sent a chill down my spine, he muttered, "my father ? He's been found."