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Chapter_96
Jasper’s hand tightened around his phone as he watched Alyssa sob in front of Newton. The sound of her quiet sobs seemed to pierce through the air, and for a moment, he felt his own emotions swell in response. It was a strange feeling—something he wasn’t used to experiencing when it came to her.
He had seen Alyssa angry, defiant, and even smug, but seeing her vulnerable like this… it unsettled him. His chest tightened as his eyes fixed on her trembling figure. He had never seen her this fragile, and it was hard to reconcile this image with the confident, sharp-witted woman he knew.
As Newton hurried to comfort Alyssa, dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief, Jasper found himself caught in a dilemma. His instinct was to go to her, to comfort her, but there was a wall between them—a wall that he himself had helped build over time.
Alyssa, still sniffling, managed to compose herself a little. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, giving Newton a weak smile. “I’m sorry, Grandpa. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Newton, clearly shaken by her tears, placed a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to apologize, dear. I understand. You’ve been through so much.”
Jasper could feel his heart ache as he watched them, his usual cold demeanor starting to crack. His eyes flickered to the phone in his hand, where Liana’s voice was still waiting on the other end. But he didn’t want to deal with her right now—not with the storm of emotions swirling inside him as he looked at Alyssa.
Finally, unable to resist any longer, Jasper stepped into the study, his footsteps heavy with purpose.
“Alyssa,” he said softly, his voice almost gentle, “are you alright?”
She didn’t respond immediately, but when she finally looked up at him, her eyes were still red, and the tension in her expression was palpable. She wiped her tears away hastily, clearly embarrassed by her outburst. “I’m fine,” she muttered, her voice trembling.
Jasper’s gaze softened as he observed her, his anger from earlier dissipating in the face of her vulnerability. “You don’t have to hide it, Alice. You don’t have to be fine all the time.”
Alyssa gave him a sharp look, her walls quickly rebuilding. “I’m not hiding anything. I’m just… tired.”
Before Jasper could respond, Newton, who had been watching them closely, cleared his throat. “You two need to stop being so stubborn. Both of you are clearly carrying too much, and I can see right through you.”
Alyssa gave her grandfather a small, shaky smile. “Don’t worry about me, Grandpa. I’ll be fine.”
But Jasper was less convinced. His eyes lingered on Alyssa for a moment longer before he finally sighed, stepping back to give her some space. “I’ll leave you to it,” he muttered, his tone still guarded, before turning toward the door.
As he stepped out, his phone vibrated again, a harsh reminder that Liana was still waiting. He hesitated, but before he could even make up his mind, the voice on the other end broke through.
“Jasper, are you there?” Liana’s voice was sweet, almost needy now. “Can you at least tell me when you’ll be back? I miss you so much…”
Jasper squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, but when he opened them, his gaze flickered back toward the study, where Alyssa was still trying to regain her composure. He sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him from all sides.
“I’ll be back soon,” he said flatly to Liana, his tone distant. “But don’t wait for me. I need to sort some things out.”
And with that, he hung up, leaving the phone in his hand as his mind wandered back to the woman inside. The woman who, despite everything, still seemed to haunt him in ways he couldn’t quite explain.