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Chapter_17
“Bitch, how dare you splash me?” Dylan spat, furiously wiping his face. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
Alyssa’s expression remained unfazed as she flipped her hair, her voice dripping with disdain. “I don’t care who you are. You drugged a woman and tried to force her to drink it. You’re worse than a dog.”
Her words hit him like a slap to the face, and Dylan’s anger reached its peak. If it weren’t for the crowd watching, he would’ve already lunged at her. But his plans were interrupted as two burly bodyguards from the Gardner family appeared at his side.
Dylan motioned for them to grab Alyssa, signaling that she needed to be taught a lesson—one that would involve far more than just a physical beatdown.
The bodyguards closed in, but Alyssa, despite her tipsy state, moved with fluid grace. With a swift dodge, she made them stumble into each other, their momentum lost.
“Too slow,” she taunted, barely breaking a sweat.
“Capture her!” Dylan barked, frustration clear in his voice.
One of the bodyguards lunged forward again, hands outstretched to grab Alyssa’s shoulder. But before he could reach her, a tall figure appeared in front of her, his presence commanding the attention of the entire room. The man grabbed the bodyguard’s arm, twisted it with ease, and flipped him to the ground in a fluid motion.
Alyssa blinked in surprise, her swaying body barely staying upright as she hiccuped. “Impressive skills…” she murmured, half-dazed.
Before she could recover, a powerful grip locked around her slender waist, steadying her. The air between them felt charged as she felt the heat of the man’s breath on her cheek. It was warm, almost too intimate, and it made her skin prickle.
“Uh… Who are you?” Alyssa’s voice was slurred with irritation, her body struggling against the hold. “Don’t touch me!”
The voice that answered her was cold and unmistakably familiar—deep, magnetic, yet dripping with a seductive chill. “Alice, open your eyes and look at who I am.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She slowly lifted her gaze, and there, standing so close that she could almost taste his presence, was Jasper. His eyes, so captivating yet cold, locked with hers, sending a jolt of recognition through her. But it wasn’t the same warm look he once gave her—it was hard and distant.
“Alice White,” Jasper’s voice was low, his gaze scrutinizing her every move. “You’ve grown bolder, haven’t you? Now that you have Jonah’s support, you think you can stir up trouble wherever you go?”
Alyssa’s lips curled into a defiant smile. “Yeah, so what? Do you have a problem with that?” Her tone was playful but laced with bitterness. “Whenever I see someone with the surname Gardner, I feel the urge to beat them up. Do you have any objections? Or can’t you stop me?”
Jasper’s grip on her waist tightened, his fingers pressing in with more force, as if trying to punish her for her words. Alyssa winced, a soft gasp escaping her lips as the pressure increased.
“Ouch… it hurts. Let go of me!” she said, her voice now softer, more delicate than before. The alcohol was making her even more vulnerable, her defiance turning into something more fragile.
Jasper’s expression darkened. There was something about her vulnerability—mixed with that sharp edge—that made his pulse race in a way he wasn’t prepared for.
Just then, Dylan, still in shock, stammered. “J-Jasper? You’re here?”
Jasper’s gaze flicked to him, his eyes narrowing with cold fury. “Mr. Gardner,” he began, his voice dripping with icy disdain, “what exactly do you mean by that?”
Dylan stood speechless, trying to process the sudden shift in dynamics.
“Oh, and by the way,” Jasper continued, his gaze never leaving Alyssa, “Lia and I haven’t officially gotten married yet. Do you really think it’s appropriate to address me by my first name?”
Dylan paled, the realization crashing down on him. “Lia? What a disgusting thought,” he muttered under his breath.
Alyssa, despite her tipsy state, felt a pang of disgust. The way Jasper said Liana’s name, with such familiarity, made her blood boil. Lia—he never even called her that. After three years of marriage, he never used anything other than her full name. That simple, affectionate term was for someone else now.
Her heart twisted in frustration as she pulled herself away from him, unwilling to let this man—this despicable man—hold her any longer.
“Apologize to her,” Jasper demanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Dylan’s face contorted in defiance. “It’s this crazy woman who splashed me! She’s the one who owes me an apology!”
Jasper’s gaze sharpened like a blade. “Watch your mouth, and show some respect,” he said, his tone as cold as ice. “She’s my ex-wife.”