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Novel Catalog
Chapter 31
Victor continued to glance out the car window, his gaze fixed on Eden and Jasper as they walked side by side. A feeling of jealousy stirred inside him, tightening his chest. He couldn’t quite explain it, but seeing her with another man, laughing and chatting so casually, sparked something he didn’t want to acknowledge. His grip on the armrest tightened as his mind raced, wondering if he was simply misinterpreting the situation, or if it was a sign that he had lost her—before he even really had a chance to know her.
Anson, who had been silent until now, broke the tension with a sly comment. “Victor, do you really think Eden Bleu is Eden Clement?” he asked, his tone light but probing.
Victor’s response was cold, his lips pressed into a tight line. He didn’t want to admit it, not yet, but the more he saw of Eden, the more he was convinced she was the one he had been waiting for. His heart told him one thing, but his mind kept urging caution. Still, the raw feeling in his chest wouldn’t subside. He could barely focus on Anson’s question, instead staring at Eden and Jasper in the distance, their figures growing smaller as the car moved further away. He didn’t answer.
Anson, not expecting a response, simply let the silence stretch between them. Lucian, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, quietly adjusted the car’s direction and turned onto a different road, heading back toward the Alwynn residence.
Eden, meanwhile, was still enjoying the crisp evening air as she walked with Jasper. Her earlier discomfort from the wine stain was long gone, and the cool breeze seemed to carry away the remnants of the evening’s awkward moments. She smiled at Jasper, grateful for his company and care.
Jasper couldn’t help but notice the wine stain on her shirt again, his brow furrowing slightly as he teased, “Wow! Eden, who did you offend today? Why is there a wine stain on your shirt?”
Eden chuckled, glancing down at the stain. “An employee accidentally spilled her wine all over me. But it’s fine now. The weather’s not too chilly, and it dried up quickly.” Despite her casual response, she couldn’t help but think back to Amber’s odd behavior during dinner. There was something a little too deliberate about the way Amber had “accidentally” spilled the wine. Eden shook her head at the thought, brushing it off.
Jasper raised an eyebrow, sensing that something more might be at play. He often saw women who used petty tricks to gain attention, but he decided not to press her further. Instead, he smiled, reassuring her, “It’s no problem, Eden. I’m just glad I could pick you up.”
Eden smiled back warmly, relieved by his kindness. “I’m sorry it’s so late. I really appreciate it. Tomorrow’s Friday, and I don’t work on Saturdays, so how about we have dinner and go shopping together?”
Her suggestion lifted his spirits. “That sounds great,” he said, his smile softening as he looked at her. But then, his thoughts turned more serious as he remembered something important. “Eden, since you’re planning to move to the headquarters and with Kenny and the rest coming over soon, it might be a good idea to buy a house here. It’ll make things easier for the kids with school and everything.”
Eden’s face brightened, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Jasper, you know me too well! I was actually planning to look for houses this weekend.” Her enthusiasm was contagious, and Jasper couldn’t help but feel a mix of happiness and longing as he looked at her.
Jasper’s heart swelled with affection for Eden and her family. He cared deeply for them all, more than he let on. But as much as he wanted to tell her how he felt—wanted to say that he loved her, that he wanted to build a future with her—he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet.
Instead, he hid his emotions behind a gentle smile, trying to push the bitterness away. “I’ll go with you, Eden. We can look at places together.”
Despite his words, he knew Eden would never easily accept his help. She was fiercely independent and determined to handle things on her own. But he would still be there, offering his support in whatever way he could, even if it meant watching her walk away with someone else someday.
As they continued their walk, the neon lights of the city flickering around them, both of them lost in their own thoughts, it was clear that something was changing. The city was busy, bustling with life, but for a moment, it felt as if the world had narrowed to just the two of them, walking side by side under the night sky.
But as the night deepened, Eden couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to come—things she couldn’t yet understand, and emotions she hadn’t yet untangled. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, and perhaps, new revelations.