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Novel Catalog
Chapter_29
Chapter 29
Jasper sat in his office, the weight of the revelations sinking in deeper. He felt the heavy burden of his failed relationship with Liana and the realization that he had never truly experienced what he thought was love. The more he thought about it, the more helpless he felt, as if the pieces of his life were slipping through his fingers.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in,” he called out, his voice weary. Xavier entered, holding a document in his hand.
“I’ve looked into it, Mr. Jasper,” Xavier said, his tone serious. “KS World Hotel returned Elysian Home’s products and ended all collaborations with Gardner Group nine days ago. At that time, Taylor Group hadn’t yet exposed the quality issue to the media. It was more of a public assumption.”
Jasper nodded, already familiar with the sequence of events. The quality issue had only become public after Liana announced their wedding and ghostwriters launched attacks against Alice. Shortly after, Taylor Group revealed the Gardner Group’s quality problem, escalating the crisis.
Gritting his teeth, Jasper grabbed an aspirin from his desk and took it to relieve the pain in his temples. His hands trembled slightly as he swallowed the pill.
“I heard there was a vice general manager at KS World Hotel named Michael,” Xavier continued. “He received a large sum from Gardner Group before Ms. Alyssa was appointed. She discovered that he had been using substandard mattresses and fired him. Michael had been with them for over 20 years, and Mr. Taylor personally promoted him to that position.”
Xavier clicked his tongue, impressed. “She’s something, isn’t she? A female version of you, Mr. Jasper.”
Jasper didn’t respond, though Xavier’s compliment about Alyssa did make him pause. Despite the grudges he held from their previous interactions, he couldn’t deny her effectiveness.
“I think everything’s connected,” Jasper muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration. Just then, the sound of Alice’s voice echoed in his mind.
“Jasper, don’t take aspirin anymore. Tell me whenever it hurts. I’ll give you a massage.”
“Jasper, it hurts me to see you in pain. I will make sure to treat your illness. That way, we won’t have to suffer anymore.”
The memory of Alice’s soft words caused a pang of guilt to hit Jasper. His mind briefly conjured an image of her massaging his temples. He clenched his fists, trying to shake the thoughts away.
“Damn it! Why am I thinking about her again?” he silently cursed himself. “I’ve never cared for her feelings before. Why do I keep missing her after the divorce? I’m not some two-timing fool! I can’t be.”
The car continued its drive through the night, the rain splattering against the windows. The area near KS World Hotel had always stirred envy in Jasper; its immense value had been clear to him for years. Had the hotel not lost a star due to poor management, it would have been the only six-star hotel in Solana City. He knew that Alyssa had the potential and influence to restore it.
As the car slowed to a stop at a red light, Jasper wiped the condensation from the window to peer outside. His gaze fell on a woman standing by the road with an umbrella, trying to hail a taxi. Something about her caught his attention, and a sudden realization made his heart race.
Without thinking, Jasper threw open the car door and darted toward her.
“Mr. Jasper! Where are you going?” Xavier called out in surprise, struggling to catch up.
The woman, unaware of his approach, managed to hail a taxi. As she reached for the door handle, Jasper grabbed her arm.
She turned, her face draining of color as she realized who it was. “M-Mr. Jasper?” she stammered.
“Ms. Alyssa,” Jasper’s voice was low, his gaze intense and almost dangerous beneath his wet fringe. “Need a ride?”
The woman recoiled in shock, flinging his hand away as she scrambled into the taxi. The driver, noticing the tension, immediately stepped on the gas, speeding away.
“Mr. Jasper!” Xavier shouted, finally catching up with him, holding an umbrella over his head.
But Jasper didn’t acknowledge him. Drenched and shivering from the rain, his lips trembled as he whispered through gritted teeth, “Alyssa Taylor, you liar.”