âWhat is this? Highway robbery?â Alyssa snapped, eyes scanning him up and down.
âYou left is a hurry from the hospital, so I didnât have a chance to speak to you,â Jasper said gently, Ignoring her frigidity âWe wouldnât have met there if it didnât concern Laurenâs well-being. Thereâs nothing more to say between us.â Alyssa turned and marched straight for the villa gates.
She added, âIâll have someone send over the next batch of medicine for the second stage of your healing. If you want to live a long life, make sure you take them on time.â
âLyse, wait.â Jasper reached out to hold her hand.
But Alyssa stopped just then. âBy the way, do relay a message of mine to Landon. Iâm aware of his feelings for Lauren, and I vehemently disagree with it.â
Jasper blinked rapidly, frowning.
aw, I would âI know Iâm no longer Laurenâs sister-in-law but an outsider, and even if I were still her in-
law, never have the right to step in on her personal affairs so long as her parents were still breathing.
But unfortunately, I insist on stepping in.â
There was a a hint of anger in Alyssaâs tone as she continued, âRight now, the only person who could help Lauren in your family is Grandpa, but you know just as I do what condition he is in right now. Heâs getting older, and he may not have the energy to be concerned with Laurenâs affairs too much anymore.
âLaurenâs parents are basically there for show, and so are you. When have you ever come to her aid first thing v when she was in trouble all this time? You clearly have no capability to keep her safe, and sheâs clearly not your priority.â
Jasperâs heart winced with pain as he slowly balled a hand into a fist.
âThatâs why Iâm going to care about Lauren. From now on, Iâm treating her as my sister and family,â
Alyssa said sternly, âAnd I will never, ever agree to a relationship between her and Landon!â
âWhy not?â Jasper asked, taking a step closer to her, meeting her steely gaze.
×××ת Misunderstanding his gaze for a challenge, Alyssa scowled, âWhy not? Do you not care about your sisterâs well-being, Jasper Beckett? Or do you just not care that Landon is going to use her for his selfish desires, all because sheâs Sophiaâs daughter?â
Jasper was angry now. Not at Alyssa, really. He could empathize with where she was coming from. But he âLandon genuinely likes Lauren. You saw how much she depended on him today, Lyse, how much she wants to be with-â
âIs being dependent the same thing as like? Donât forget that Lauren is on the spectrum and has rarely attended a day of school. How could someone like her, whoâs never been exposed to the real world, know what a relationship between adults is like?â Alyssa exclaimed, her voice echoing in the night air.
âWould you give them one chance, Lyse, if Landon truly likes Lauren?â Jasper was nearly begging by now.
âFirst of all, you know just how hedonistic a lifestyle Landon has lived all these years with all those women heâs slept with.
âI know thereâs a possibility for him to turn away from those one day and settle down, but Lauren is too incompatible with him..
âShe doesnât know how to keep him under control or meet him on equal footing. I canât watch Lauren waste away her youth like this.
âSecondly, do you really think marrying into the Harper family is the right decision for Lauren?â Alyssa asked sternly.
Jasper winced. He and Landon rarely spoke about the latterâs family, even though theyâd been close friends for so many years.