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Chapter_10
Back at Seaview Manor, Jasper stood frozen for a moment, still processing the aftermath of the phone call with Alyssa. Her sudden coldness, the way she had hung up on him, left him disoriented. This was not the woman he had known—the one who had desperately begged him not to divorce her. No, this was someone entirely different, someone who seemed to have erased all traces of affection for him. His chest tightened as he tried to make sense of the shift in her behavior.
“What happened to us?” he wondered, bitterness creeping into his thoughts. The three years they had been married suddenly felt like a lie, like he had been nothing more than an obstacle to her. Her indifference was almost more painful than her anger.
Xavier entered with a tray of coffee, his usual cheerfulness quickly turning to concern as he noticed the tension in the air. “Your coffee, Mr. Jasper,” he said carefully, placing the cup in front of him.
Jasper didn’t take it immediately. Instead, his mind was still reeling from his encounter with Alyssa. “Did you manage to get in touch with her?” he asked through gritted teeth, his voice tight.
“No, sir. I haven’t gotten her new number yet.” Xavier paused before continuing. “Have you spoken with Madam Alice?”
Jasper’s frustration boiled over at the mention of her. “I’ll find another way to contact her,” he muttered, swiping the cup of coffee from the table. He took a sip, but immediately grimaced. “What’s wrong with this coffee? It tastes off.”
Xavier seemed perplexed. “But I followed the recipe that Madam Alice gave me. How could it be wrong?”
“Recipe?” Jasper’s irritation deepened as he focused on Xavier’s words. “What are you talking about?”
Xavier hesitated before answering, then explained, “Before Madam Alice left, she handed me a notebook with all your preferences—everything. The way you like your coffee, the foods you enjoy, what to avoid. She even wrote down when you liked something extra, like that seafood stew this morning.”
Jasper took the notebook from Xavier, flipping it open with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. The neat handwriting on each page took him by surprise—Alyssa’s meticulous attention to detail was unlike anything he had expected from her.
She had written notes on everything, from his coffee to his favorite dishes. She had even documented his dislikes, like how he hated sweets. His name appeared on nearly every page, each entry a testament to how much she had cared—or perhaps, had cared at one point.
Jasper’s fingers tightened around the pages as a wave of conflicting emotions crashed over him. “Is this what I’ve become? A man who’s too blind to see how much she cared?” His chest tightened, but his anger quickly flared once more. “No. This is just manipulation. She was always playing some game with me.”
He crumpled the pages in his hand, throwing them into the trash. “This is nothing but a scheme.”
“Mr. Jasper, wait! Madam Alice spent so much time on this. She wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble if she didn’t care about you. She…” Xavier began, but was quickly cut off.
“Stop calling her that,” Jasper snapped. “She doesn’t deserve that title anymore.”
Just then, a commotion outside the study caught their attention. Voices were raised, and it sounded like something was happening in Alyssa’s old room. Jasper’s annoyance flared again. “Go check what’s going on.”
Xavier quickly left, returning with a look of unease. “It’s Ms. Gardner, sir. She’s… she’s throwing out Madam Alice’s belongings.”
“Liana?” Jasper asked, his brows furrowing. “What’s she doing in there?”
When Jasper arrived at the room, Liana was in the middle of wreaking havoc, throwing Alyssa’s personal items to the floor in a fit of rage. “Slut! You think you’re better than me just because you’ve got a rich man to spoil you? How dare she look down on me with that stupid bracelet!” she yelled, her voice shrill.
The room was a disaster. Skincare products and accessories that had once been neatly arranged by Alyssa were now scattered across the floor, as if they were nothing but trash.
Jasper’s gaze hardened as he stepped into the chaos. “Liana, stop this.”
Liana turned, her anger morphing into tears as she noticed him. “If it weren’t for her, we would’ve been together for these past three years! She stole my place—why are you acting like I’ve done something wrong?” she sobbed.
“You’re not a mistress, Lia. Stop imagining things.” Jasper’s tone was softer, but the edge of frustration was clear in his voice.
His eyes fell on a small emerald frog ornament on the floor, its quirky little peace sign catching his attention. He couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of it, but before he could reflect any further, Liana was at the closet, digging through Alyssa’s things.
“What’s this?” she said, pulling out a box that held a well-tailored men’s suit. The rich fabric gleamed in the light, but Liana’s words were venomous. “Looks like a gift for Mr. Taylor, doesn’t it? She must’ve had a backup plan all along—using you for a comfortable life.”
Jasper’s heart skipped a beat. He had never seen this suit before, but as Liana rambled on about Alyssa’s alleged motives, something about the suit felt wrong. “Was this her way of preparing for the future? Was she already planning to move on?”
Liana’s anger spiraled out of control as she grabbed a knife, ready to rip the suit to shreds. Jasper, acting on instinct, tried to protect it, but in the process, the knife grazed his arm. Blood began to stain his shirt, seeping through the fabric.
“Lia, what are you doing?” he demanded, wincing from the pain.
Liana’s face went pale as she realized what she had done. “Oh my God… I’m so sorry, Jasper,” she stammered, dropping the knife in horror.
Just as the chaos unfolded, Sophia entered with a maid in tow. “Jasper, what’s going on?” she asked, alarmed by the sight of his injury.
Xavier quickly took charge. “Have the chauffeur escort Ms. Gardner home.”
“I don’t want to go yet, Jasper,” Liana protested, clinging to him. “I want to stay with you.”
Sophia jumped in, trying to take advantage of the moment. “It’s getting late. Why not let Lia stay the night? You’re injured, and she could take care of you.”
Jasper’s response was firm and clear. “No. She should go home.”
Sophia wasn’t deterred, her voice carrying an edge. “You and Liana will be married soon. You might as well let her stay. She can help you recover.”
“We’ll be together all the time once we’re married,” Jasper replied coolly. “It’s better for her to go home now. Besides, Alice and I haven’t finalized our divorce yet. It’s inappropriate for Lia to stay here.”
Sophia had no retort to that and grudgingly accepted it.
After the scene was cleared, and Liana had been sent away, Jasper found himself alone again in the now-quiet room. Xavier was still rummaging through Alyssa’s things, uncovering more surprises.
“Mr. Jasper, look at this!” Xavier called out in awe. He held up a delicate pink dress, embroidered with a stunning peony pattern.
Jasper couldn’t hide his surprise. The dress was exquisite, far more delicate than anything he had expected. He couldn’t help but wonder about its significance. Was this something Alyssa had kept hidden? Something important to her?
Xavier, still mesmerized, commented, “This dress… It looks like an opera costume. Could Madam Alice have been an opera singer?”
Jasper’s gaze darkened as he stared at the peony. He hadn’t realized how little he knew about her, how much she had kept hidden from him. “A ruthless woman holds no affection for those around her,” he muttered bitterly to himself, recalling the words he had once heard. But as he looked at the dress, his discomfort only grew. Perhaps it wasn’t just Alyssa who had secrets—maybe there were still pieces of their relationship he hadn’t yet uncovered.