âEverything he did, he did it for you.â
âSo, is he willing to harm others on my behalf?â Alyssa couldnât take it any longer and snickered. âHeâs attempting to justify his uncivilized behavior. Heâd better not use that excuse anymore-itâll only embarrass me!â
âAlyssa!â Jasper called out to her, his tone laden with bitterness. He felt like he was being crushed. âIâm not trying to justify my actions. I just have one question for you-what do I mean to you?â
Her breath caught, and her heart ached. In the dim light, she could see the shattered look in Jasperâs eyes and the pain that was etched across his face.
Jamesonâs sharp gaze bore into Jasperâs pale face.
âIf you stay out of my life, we might have a chance to be business partners in the future. If you remain stubborn, we can only be enemies,â Alyssa cautioned. Then, she walked away slowly, holding Jameson without even glancing at Jasper.
Jasper stood motionless for a long time, feeling as though the world had forsaken him.
After what seemed like an eternity, he felt numb from head to toe. His tears had dried in the wind, only to well up again.
Someday, a woman might take Alyssaâs place in his life, but he would never love anyone as deeply as he had loved Alyssa Jameson had secured the second-largest villa in the affluent neighborhood, while Alyssa resided in the grandest one The entire estate belonged to the Schmidts, granting Jameson the freedom to switch between buildings as he wished.
As they stepped into the courtyard, Alyssa couldnât help but sympathize with Jameson when she noticed the severe injury on his face. She cautiously asked, âDoes it hurt?â
He warmly beamed at her but accidentally brushed against his injury, making his smile appear somewhat strained. He reassured her, âItâs alright. It doesnât hurt much.â
âThat bastard! Heâs gone out of hand! Alyssa seethed, as though she were ready to confront Jasper.
âMr. Beckett is a military school graduate and a veteran, so itâs no surprise that he can be rather heavy handed, Jameson explained.
Alyssaâs face fell a little. She questioned, âHow did you know about his military past? Did you investigate him?â
Jameson calmly replied with a smile, âIn both business and relationships, Iâm destined to be his rival. To win the game, I need to know my rival inside out.â
Alyssa understood the underlying message in his words and pressed her lips together.
Unfortunately, she didnât share the same sentiments as Jameson. Whatâs more, she had to feign ignorance about his feelings.
He turned to her, worry lacing his tone as he said, âIf my mom asks about the injury, youâll need to cover for me.
âHow? Should I tell her you fell on your face while walking at night?â she pondered, frowning at the impossible idea.
He smiled wryly with an affectionate gaze.
âHey, I have an idea!â Alyssa had a sudden realization and retrieved a foundation case from her bag.
handing it to him. She suggested, âUse some foundation to conceal it.â
âIs thisâ¦â
âDo you even know how to use it?â
Jameson looked at her with hopeful eyes and shook his head.
âIâll help you,â she offered. Dabbing the foundation powder onto the cushion, she gently patted it onto the swollen area on his cheek.
âOuchâ¦â He couldnât help but grimace.
She hurriedly asked, âDoes it hurt?)
He squinted and intentionally drew nearer to her. Her skin was as soft as a babyâs, right down to the fine baby hairs on it.
Oh, how he loved her.
Their breaths intermingled as their noses nearly touched. She detected the minty freshness of his breath, which, combined with the violet scent from his shirt, made her feel slightly lightheaded.
âIt hurt a bit. But now, itâs all better,â he replied, gazing Into her eyes with a smile.
quickly stepped back, nearly dropping the foundation case. She might have accidentally called him by his childhood nickname, but that didnât mean they were close.
âLetâs go, Lyse, or itâll be too late to make dinner,â he said, stopping teasing her. He knew he needed to win her over gradually.
They disappeared into the doors of his villa.
On the other side of the vintage gates, Jasper stood across the street, glaring angrily at the lights inside the villa.