Davidâs face fell when Jameson made a jab at him. He curled his fists.
The Taylor family chose to ignore the siblingsâ rivalry, except for Victor, who shot Jameson a furious glance.
âShe still needs something to warm her up. Lyse, Iâll get you some white wine. Itâs perfectly fine to enjoy a little drink.â Jameson smiled gently, ignoring the pale David. 1 She coughed and replied, âIâm fine with anything.â
Feeling uneasy about being caught in the middle of the two siblings, she declined their offers in an attempt to defuse the situation. âIâd actually prefer a beer-â
Surprisingly, they turned to her at the same time, warning, âNo! You might get gout!â
When the dinner drew to a close, Jameson excused himself from the table and headed to the washroom.
There, he dispensed loads of handwash into his hands.
His pale hands looked like they were specimens in Formalin. He scrubbed his hands until they turned a shade of red.
After five times of handwashing, he brought his hands to his nose and detected a lingering fishy odor.
So, he pumped some handwash solution onto his hands and carefully cleaned every finger.
At that moment, the washroom door swung open. In stormed David with a sullen look. He snickered at the sight of Jamesonâs problematic handwashing behavior.
âPeeling shrimp at dinner must have been quite the challenge for a clean freak like you. You might even have nightmares tonight.â
Jameson ignored his brotherâs taunt, and gracefully wiped his hands dry.
âItâs been a while. I was hoping youâd return from Kontina with some actual skills, but the only thing youâve picked up was to suck up to people,â David further mocked him in disdain.
âWhy? Are you envious of me?â Jameson grinned maliciously. âYou must be. You didnât even have the chance to curry favor with Lyse.â
âYouââ
âIâd rather suck up to Lyse than panicking over not having a chance to do so, like you.â
Davidâs eyes reddened, and he laughed in anger. âNo wonder Dadâs never taken you seriously. Thereâs something off in your thinking. Youâre willing to go to great lengths to suck up to people!â
âThatâs the rule of the game. Whatâs important is to achieve your ends by any means.â
Jameson casually discarded the napkin and chuckled. âWhy the sudden interest in conversation when you were reluctant to talk to me since we were kids?
âWhy? Are you feeling anxious over my relationship with Lyse? Does it feel like shit seeing your plans derailed?â
âJameson, youâre getting ahead of yourself. Tell you what, Dad will never approve of you dating Alyssa.
You arenât at the same level to fight with me!â David was jumping in anger.
âThatâs not for you to decide.â Jameson turned around and squinted at his raging sibling. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and declared, âI will put my claim on Lyse.â
As expected, the conversation fell apart, and David slammed the door as he left. Jameson wiped off the smile on his face and clenched his fists.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He answered with a curt, âWhat?â
âMr. Schmidt, I have news, but please stay calm after you hear it.â After a pause, Carl whispered, âJasper Beckett shows up from nowhere, and heâs right outside the gates of the Taylor familyâs villa. And heâs here alone.â
Jamesonâs expression darkened. âUnderstood.â
Jasper stood beneath a streetlamp across from Heightsnew Villa, dressed in a thin suit.
Belbanks had a moderate coastal climate, but the night breezes were pretty chilly in late fall. The chill seeped through his clothes.
This was his third time waiting for Alyssa at the same spot. What had once been a mere yearning now transformed into an inexplicable passion, smoldering in the depths of his chest.
âI waited till the shadows grew Like giants, grim and grey;
I waited till nightâs coming chased The shadows far away.â
He had considered the possibility of not getting to meet Alyssa that night, but his ego prevented him from making the first move and reaching out. He couldnât possibly humiliate himself over and over.
Therefore, he decided to keep waiting. She would eventually appear, and he would have the opportunity to meet her.