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Novel Catalog
Chapter_22
Chapter 22
Jasper sat in his study, still fuming over the blurry picture of Alyssa from 20 years ago. He couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that there was more to this woman than he initially thought. The resemblance to Alice gnawed at him, but he pushed the thought aside, chastising himself for still being so caught up in his ex-wife’s memory.
“Why am I letting her get under my skin?” he muttered, trying to focus. But the name Alyssa Taylor refused to leave his mind, and the mystery surrounding her only seemed to deepen with every passing second.
Xavier stood awkwardly, watching his boss. “Mr. Beckett, I’ve looked into everything, but there’s really nothing more I could find. She’s like a ghost—nothing online, no records, no trace except for that one picture.”
Jasper shot Xavier a sharp glance. “I’m not interested in excuses. I want answers. I’ll figure it out myself.”
Xavier’s face paled, clearly nervous. “I-I’ll keep searching, sir. I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Before Jasper could respond, the sound of a maid’s voice interrupted him. “Mr. Jasper, Mr. Javier is calling for you. He wants to talk to you about something.”
With a frustrated sigh, Jasper stood and made his way to the living room, where Javier and Sophia were waiting. The scene before him was almost absurd—Sophia, always dramatic, clinging to her husband with tears in her eyes as though the world was ending.
“Javier… Oh, my poor sister. She married a good man and was finally starting to enjoy some peace, and then this disaster happens…” Sophia’s voice wavered with a mix of fake sorrow and manipulative tears. “She called me last night, crying. She said she couldn’t face me. She’s too ashamed to show her face to anyone.”
Javier, ever the patient husband, patted her back soothingly. “Don’t worry, darling. We’ll sort it out. Once Jasper gets here, we’ll figure something out.”
Jasper’s cold gaze lingered on the scene, his mind already on the pressing issue at hand. He couldn’t care less about the drama Sophia was trying to create. What was more important now was Liana and her family’s situation—and how this was all tied to his own unresolved feelings.
“Dad, you called for me?” Jasper’s voice was flat, emotionless. He didn’t have time for this theatrics.
Javier turned to him, his expression grave. “Jasper, you have to save Lia and her family. This situation… it’s getting worse by the minute.”
Liana, who had been silently wiping her tears with a handkerchief, looked up at him, her eyes full of desperation. “Andrew and I are both in bad health,” she said, her voice trembling. “Ever since the news broke, I’ve lost my appetite. I can’t bear to see what’s happening to my family. If you truly care for me, you have to help us. We’re on the brink of losing everything.”
Jasper felt a pang of guilt stir in his chest. He had always been protective of Liana, but now, he wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing by staying away. He had promised to help her once, and now she was asking for his support again.
But just as he was about to speak, his mind flashed back to Alyssa and the game she was playing. Her calculated moves, the public humiliation of the Gardners—it all seemed too well-timed. Could this be part of her plan? Was she using Liana and her family to get back at him?
Jasper clenched his fists, his thoughts spiraling as he faced the complicated web of relationships he was tangled in. He wanted to help Liana, but could he do that without getting further entangled with the Taylor family and their game?
Sophia’s voice broke through his thoughts again. “Jasper, don’t make us beg. You have the power to fix this. Please. Think of Liana.”
Jasper looked at his father and stepmother, both pleading with him, and for a moment, he was torn between his duty and his growing suspicions about Alyssa Taylor. He knew that getting involved with Liana’s family might mean stepping into another trap. But his sense of responsibility, combined with the guilt he felt, made it impossible to ignore.
“Fine,” he said finally, his voice hard as steel. “I’ll handle it. But I’m doing this for Liana, not for you.”
With that, he turned and left the room, his mind still racing with thoughts of Alyssa and the web of deceit he was slowly realizing he was part of.