A sudden gust of wind brushed past Jasperâs nose. Jamesonâs punch was brutal and swift. Jasper would have been punched in the face if he hadnât been trained enough to dodge the ambush.
From that deceptive move, Jasper could tell that Jameson was a wolf in sheepâs clothing. There was another reason he could never let Alyssa be with Jameson. Never!
The attack unfolded in the bink of an eye, so swiftly that not even Alyssa noticed the altercation as she proceeded toward Jamesonâs villa, Once again, Jameson hurled punches at Jasper, but the latter skillfully evaded each one. Jameson launched another kick that narrowly missed Jasperâs chest.
Jameson staggered backward, fighting to regain his balance, the veins in his seemingly feeble arms throbbing beneath his elegant silver cufflinks.
Meanwhile, Jasper stood at the same spot despite suffering the attacks. Jameson adjusted his glasses, his eyes smoldering with rage.
For years, Jameson had obsessively honed his skills under the guidance of a mentor, delving into the realms of close combat, marksmanship, swordplay, and more. His motivation was to acquire the strength necessary to protect his mother and establish his own power base.
While he was a quick learner, he had invested a huge effort in honing his skills to make up for his physical weakness Initially, he had been confident in his abilities, but the brief exchange just now had revealed that he had underestimated Jasper. Jasper proved to be a formidable rival, one whom he couldnât hope to match, even with his best efforts.
Jamesonâs expression morphed from a frown into a sinister smirk that unsettled Jasper. The affection in his eyes for Alyssa had transformed into a menacing look that challenged Jasperâs patience.
Suddenly, a gleam flashed across Jamesonâs eyes as he leaned forward. Jasperâs gaze faltered, and, out of muscle memory, he inadvertently punched Jameson on the left cheek.
At the same time, Alyssa turned around and witnessed the scene. Jasper noticed that Jameson wore a conniving grin on his lips, showing no sign of anger after the unexpected punch, Damn it! Jasper realized he had fallen right into Jamesonâs trap. It dawned on him that Jameson hadnât intended to attack him. Instead, he had simply lured Jasper into making a move.
Jasper secretly chided himself for his foolishness.
*Jimmy!â Alyssa gasped in wide-eyed shock and hurried over to support Jameson, who looked like he was on the verge of collapsing. In the heat of the moment, she blurted out Jamesonâs childhood nickname.
Hearing this, Jameson ignored the pain in his cheek and held her wrist, asking in disbelief, âLyse, what did you just call me?â
She finally realized her mistake. After a brief moment, she decided not to make a big deal out of it. It was just a nickname from when they were younger.
She repeated, âJimmy.â
Jameson teared up with joy, his cheeks twitching in excitement. He had waited for this moment for 15 years.
He had pined for Alyssa throughout those years, a feeling Jasper Beckett-heartless as he was-would never understand.
At that moment, Jasperâs face drained of color. He appeared lifeless, feeling like something had broken inside him.
Once again, Alyssa had crushed his heart.
Had Jameson and Alyssaâs relationship progressed? Had their childhood friendship never changed?
Jasper couldnât help but wonder what he had meant to Alyssa from the start.
âJasper, are you out of your mind? Jameson is inviting me to his place to greet his mom. What did he do wrong? Why did you have to hurt him? Alyssa confronted Jasper with a glare while holding onto Jameson.
Her eyes revealed a mix of emotions. There was rage, helplessness, and, more than anything.
disappointment She had placed Jasper on a pedestal for the past 13 years. However, she felt as if he had slowly become less attractive to her. He was straying further from her impression of him.
âLyse, Iâm okay. Calm down.â Jameson comforted her with a gentle look in his eyes why Mr. Beckett attacked me.â
âI can understand