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Chapter_32
The tension in Seaview Manor was palpable, with emotions running high after Jasper’s confrontation with Liana. As she left in tears, the maids couldn’t help but gossip, noting how her visits always seemed to end with her in a dramatic display of emotion. They wondered, not for the first time, if she thought of the manor as some kind of stage for her personal theatrics.
Jasper, meanwhile, remained rooted on the couch, his gaze fixed on the ruined suit. His thoughts churned, the weight of his feelings for Alice battling with the bitterness of his current situation. Rosie, sensing his distress, quietly entered with a glass of milk, hoping to offer a small comfort.
“Mr. Jasper, it’s getting late. Here’s some milk. You need to get some rest,” Rosie said softly, her tone concerned but respectful.
Jasper took the milk, his eyes still lost in the sea of thoughts, but Rosie couldn’t help but voice her feelings. “What a shame,” she muttered under her breath, her words carrying a deeper meaning, an unspoken sorrow for the destruction of Alice’s gift.
Jasper’s instructions were terse as he looked up at Rosie. “The next time Lia comes by, keep an eye on her. Don’t let her in my room, my study, or Alice’s room.” His voice was low, almost a whisper, but there was no mistaking the command.
Rosie nodded, her expression firm. “Don’t worry. Your wish is my command. I’ll keep her in check. Luckily, I locked Madam Alice’s room. Otherwise, Ms. Gardner might have sneaked in and caused more damage.”
Jasper’s gaze grew darker. “Don’t put it that way, Rosie. Lia isn’t entirely bad. I owe her for the past three years.”
Rosie, though, could barely hide her disapproval. “What about Madam Alice? Has she done anything wrong? Don’t you feel sorry for her after the divorce?”
Jasper’s face hardened, his lips pressed into a thin line. “The person Grandpa coerced was me, not her. She could’ve chosen not to marry me.”
“Are you saying she deserves all this?” Rosie’s voice rose in disbelief, her defense of Alice clear.
Jasper sighed, his weariness settling in. “Rest up, Rosie. I’ll be fine.” He dismissed her with a wave, but she lingered, her feelings unresolved.
After a moment, Rosie left the room, leaving the milk untouched as Jasper sat back, his mind still reeling. “Is she mad at me?” he wondered, his eyes scanning the ruined suit. “Since when did Alice win the hearts of everyone I care for? She’s calculating, isn’t she?”
Back at Gardner Group’s headquarters, the atmosphere was far from calm. Liana returned, her face streaked with tears, her steps heavy with the weight of defeat. Her father, Dylan, was fuming, pacing furiously.
“What’s that brat, Jasper, doing?” Dylan snarled, his hands balled into fists. “He claims to love you so much, but he’s acting like a douchebag. Does he think we mean nothing to him?”
Liana, her pride wounded, tried to justify Jasper’s actions through her own tears. “How is he not in love with me? He divorced for my sake without hesitation!”
Dylan, though angry, was pragmatic. “I bet he’s just weighing the pros and cons. At least you come from a rich family. What does Alice White have? A rag to your riches. Even a fool can see who his best pick is.”
Despite knowing Dylan was on her side, Liana couldn’t shake the feeling that his words were subtly belittling her. But her mind was clouded with thoughts of Jasper and his sudden change in attitude.
“Lia, why did Mr. Jasper change his mind?” Andrew, her brother, asked, worry in his voice. “What happened?”
“I don’t know either. Jasper met Ms. Alyssa today,” Liana explained, her voice trembling. “His attitude flipped after that. He said he won’t help us anymore.”
Andrew, sensing something deeper, asked, “Dad, Dylan, did you do something behind the scenes? Did someone find out? He seems to hate our family…”
Dylan’s face turned red with anger and realization. “F***! Is it because of his ex-wife, Alice?”
Liana’s stomach sank at the mention of Alice’s name. “What do you mean?”
Dylan’s frustration boiled over. “A few days ago, I was at the Harpers’ bar, and I bumped into that crazy woman. Jasper ended up helping her and made me apologize to her. It’s ridiculous!” The memory of the humiliation burned in his mind.
Liana’s expression darkened. Was there something still between Jasper and Alice? Had he never truly gotten over her?
Rosalina, ever the strategist, noticed the tension and quickly interjected. “Enough. Things will get better once Lia becomes Mrs. Beckett. That Alice is nothing but a cast-off. No matter how calculating she is, she can’t do anything in this situation. What we need to focus on now is changing the public’s perception of us. We need a scapegoat.”
The word “scapegoat” lingered in the room, and Dylan’s eyes sparkled with a new idea. A smirk crept onto his face as he said, “There’s no better candidate than him.”
The plot thickened, and the storm between Jasper and the Gardner family was far from over.