Chapter 20

"BOSS," Dominic knocked on the door and, seeing the nurse packing up medical supplies to take out and the two of us huddled together, spoke respectfully, "I've gathered the information." Jasper nodded, releasing his hold on me. "I’ll step out for a moment. You should rest." I obediently nodded. He ruffled my hair before getting up and leaving. Outside the room. Jasper casually leaned against the wall, his right hand playing with a lighter, his eyes downcast as he spoke coolly, "Go ahead." Dominic nodded and lowered his voice. "As you suspected, we started with Mrs. Hawthorne's father and stepmother. It was Mrs. Hawthorne's stepmother who did it." Snap! The lid of the lighter snapped shut forcefully. Jasper tightened his grip on the lighter, his voice cold and sharp. "Charlotte again?" Dominic swallowed, continuing the report. "Yes. She signed a contract with that organization." "Where did she get the money? Last time, I made The Sinclair Family go bankrupt," Jasper rubbed his chin. "Secret savings? Did she use her own private funds?" Dominic lowered his head. "It seems so. Over the years, she's been whispering in Alexander's ear, trying to convince him to divide his fortune with her." Jasper narrowed his eyes, a sneer curling his lips. "You know what needs to be done with a woman like Charlotte, right, Dominic?" Dominic stood at attention and nodded. "Yes, sir. It will be done." Jasper smirked, his voice laced with amusement. "Don’t touch Alexander for now. After all, he’s still Arabella’s father." "Understood, sir!" Dominic gave a quick nod. "I’ll take care of it." Jasper watched Dominic leave, his lips pressing into a firm, cold line. I leaned back against the headboard as Jasper sat at the edge of the bed, holding a spoon and bowl, feeding me soup one spoonful at a time. It had been so long since Jasper had cared for me like this. Two years. I found myself almost unaccustomed to it. Noticing my distracted expression, Jasper asked, "What are you thinking about?" As he spoke, he brought another spoonful of soup to my lips. I snapped out of my thoughts, swallowing the spoonful of soup, mumbling, "Nothing... Oh, right, you still haven’t told me why you came to Sundarica." Jasper paused, feeding me as he answered, "After all, you still owe me fifty million. I was worried you might run off without paying." I choked slightly on the soup, struggling to swallow, frowning as I protested, "Are you serious? I’ve already said I’ll pay you back. I’m full now, really, no more feeding me." Jasper set the bowl and spoon on the nightstand, a low chuckle escaping his throat. "I know. But until you pay me back, I still have the right to know where you’re going. After all, if something happens to you, who do I ask for my money?" I turned my head away, muttering, "Cheapskate." "What did you say?" Jasper leaned in, pressing his ear closer to me. "N-nothing... Why are you so close to me?" I turned my head back, only to find his face inches from mine. His eyes were full of my panicked expression. Jasper just stared at me, our breaths mingling softly, entwined in the air. How wonderful. She’s healthy and still able to bicker with him. He watched her lips—pink, not pale, still a little moist from the soup. Unable to control himself, he slowly leaned in closer. "I don’t want you to owe me the fifty million anymore. From now on, I owe you a life," Jasper whispered, his forehead pressed against mine. Every word he spoke felt like a vow. "My life is yours." "Arabella, we..." Jasper inhaled deeply before kissing my lips. "Shall we start over?" Jasper was always stubborn when it came to matters of the heart. Once he set his mind on someone, that person was the one. Over the past two years, he had done everything to make Arabella angry, to make her jealous. He had even confessed to being involved with other women, played out numerous scenarios with them. He admitted that while he had been physically close to them, he had never crossed the line. He felt nothing for them. In truth, he had been waiting—waiting for her to come back to him, to admit her feelings, to promise she would never make the same mistake again, so they could live happily together. God knew how much he loved this woman, yet he couldn’t understand her. But the fact that she had risked her life to block a bullet for him… surely that meant she still loved him, right? She still cared for him, didn't she? As he thought this, he kissed me more passionately, as though a parched traveler in the desert had finally encountered a refreshing rain, even starting to nibble at my lips. It had been far too long since he had kissed her. God knew how much he missed her taste. It wasn’t enough. Nothing was enough. He seemed almost possessed by it. I was startled by him, but due to my wound, I couldn’t move too much. I could only push him away with my other hand. Why was he suddenly kissing me? What did he mean by "starting over"? I was a bit confused. His kiss was so intense, almost as though he was biting me. But he was careful to avoid my wound. Like a gentle beast. "Mm!!" I suddenly let out a muffled groan, startling Jasper. His lips hurriedly left mine, and he asked, "What’s wrong? Is your wound hurting?" I pointed at my lips, feeling a bit wronged. "I think it’s broken..." He gently held my chin and examined my lips. Sure enough, he had been too forceful. My lips were dry and slightly swollen. "I’m sorry..." Jasper stroked my head, unable to resist giving my lips a soft kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of water, over and over. My face turned red. "Arabella, you still haven’t given me your answer," Jasper said, his voice trembling slightly as he touched my face. I lowered my gaze. "But Aurora..." "No, there’s no Aurora. There never was," Jasper said with a faint smile, his lips curling slightly. "Not even any of those other women. I only have you." I fell silent. In truth, I didn’t fully believe him. If there had never been anyone, why had he cheated on me just a month after our wedding? Why had he mocked and belittled me for two years and brought countless women home? This fragile marriage had nearly driven me to the edge, but he wouldn’t let go. "You don’t believe me?" Jasper’s eyes darkened, and suddenly, he grabbed my uninjured hand and placed it on his pants. "Jasper, what are you doing?!" I gasped, feeling something hot and hard pressing against my hand. My face quickly turned red, and I tried to pull my hand back.