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Chapter_41
Xavier’s hand hovered over the wheel as he glanced at Jasper through the rearview mirror, sensing the tension in his boss’s voice. Without a word, he veered the car toward the side of the road and brought it to a smooth stop in front of the tailor shop.
Jasper’s mind was racing, a storm of thoughts swirling inside him. The hotel deal had been a huge blow, and now the sudden developments involving Alice and Silas were gnawing at him. He couldn’t get rid of the feeling that everything was spiraling out of control. The competitive nature of business was one thing, but when it involved personal relationships—people he’d once cared about—it made the stakes even higher.
He stepped out of the car without a glance at Xavier, walking toward the tailor shop with a purposeful stride. The bell above the door chimed as he entered, and the shopkeeper greeted him, but he barely acknowledged the man.
Jasper needed something, anything, to distract him from the thoughts racing through his mind. He didn’t care what it was. Whether it was new clothes or just a moment to clear his head, he needed to feel like he was in control again.
As he made his way through the rows of suits and fabrics, his mind kept drifting back to Alyssa. He had lost her once, and now it seemed like everyone was lining up to claim what he had let slip through his fingers. The bitterness in his chest only deepened.
The shopkeeper’s voice broke through his reverie. “Mr. Beckett, I have a new collection of suits in. Would you like to take a look?”
Jasper barely glanced at the selection. “I’ll take something for tonight,” he muttered, his mind clearly elsewhere. “Something black. Tailored.”
The tailor nodded and led him to the fitting room. As Jasper stripped off his jacket, the weight of the day seemed to press down on him. He caught his reflection in the mirror. His lips were still swollen from the punch earlier, the bruise a stark reminder of the confrontation with Silas.
“Mr. Beckett,” the tailor said tentatively as he adjusted the fabric, “if you don’t mind me asking, is everything alright? You seem… off today.”
Jasper’s gaze flickered to the tailor, and for a moment, he almost cracked. But he couldn’t let it show—not here, not now. He needed to be strong, to hold onto whatever semblance of power he had left.
“I’m fine,” he said coldly, “Just get me the suit. I don’t have time to waste.”
The tailor nodded quickly, sensing the conversation was over. As Jasper looked at himself in the mirror again, the sharp contrast of the dark suit against his bruised face seemed to reflect everything he felt inside—anger, regret, and a fierce desire to reclaim control over the pieces of his life that were slipping away.
But as he turned to leave, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a message from Landon.
“You really need to let go, man. Alyssa’s done with you. The more you push, the more you’re going to lose.”
Jasper stared at the message, the words searing into him like acid. He clenched his jaw, his hand gripping the phone tightly. He had heard it from Landon, from Silas, from everyone. They were all telling him the same thing. But he wasn’t ready to accept it. Not yet.
He walked out of the tailor shop, his thoughts more turbulent than ever. The suit was just a temporary distraction, nothing more. What he needed—what he wanted—was to make things right with Alyssa. But the question was, did he have the strength to let go of his past mistakes and fight for her, or was it already too late?