âMr. Beckett! Itâs all my fault! Itâs all my mistake!â Roanline thought it would be better to admit her wrongdoing instead of waiting to be questioned. She couldnât let this matter affect her daughter and ruin her chances of marrying into a noble family.
So she rushed over with a sorrowful expression. And she knelt in front of Jasper.
âThe Kirkmans are in trouble. Our cash flow is broken, and our factories are closing down one after another. When the Becketts refused to help, we were forced into a corner by the Taylors. We were left with no choiceâ¦
âSo I discussed it with Lianaâs father, and we decided to sell some family assets for the sake of our companyâs finances. I secretly sold Lianaâs jewelry. Liana didnât even know of it!
âIf I had known that the necklace was the token of your love to Liana⦠Even if I starved or died of poverty, I would never have sold it!â
Liana secretly heaved a sigh of relief before pretending to be shocked Tears welled in her eyes, and she cried, âMom⦠How could you do this? That was my most beloved necklace. How could you!â
Jasper didnât even blink as he calmly said, âThatâs not what I wanted to ask.â
The necklace was no longer of much importance to him compared to the false accusations against Alice. Although he was still upset to see his heartfelt gift being mistreated, he could understand and forgive it if Liana had sold it to save her family.
But twisting the truth, lying, and framing an innocent person was something he couldnât forgive.
âDid you hurt yourself? Or did Alice do it? Did she accidentally break her bracelet? Or did you snatch it from her and deliberately break it?â Jasper asked calmly. His gaze was still as water.
âJasper, are you saying Iâm an evil woman who framed Alice?â Liana cried, acting innocent. âYou think I canât even match up to your exâwife, who cheated on you emotionally?â
Jasperâs brow furrowed. âLauren never lies. She said she didnât see Alice touch youâ
âLauren isnât in her right mind. And her language skills are lacking. You know that, Jasper. Besides, she was hiding at the time. Itâs hard to say if she saw anything,â Sophia quickly stepped in to smooth things over, Jasperâs lips curled faintly. âIs it common for mothers to criticize their daughters like this in front of others? I wouldnât know, as I donât have a mother.
Sophiaâs face paled in an instant. He usually had the vigor of a zombie at home. But now, when he retorted, he was full of spirit!
âSo, Lia, why did you do this? Since I chose you, I would never get back together with Alice. So why did you go looking for trouble with her?â
Jasper suppressed the frustration within him, which felt like heavy chains binding his heart. The chains were so restrictive that his heart could hardly beat.
He still called her âLiaâ because of their twenty years of friendship, the feelings they shared, and the redemption she brought during his dark childhood. He feared that this light in his life would extinguish and that he had made the wrong choice by staking everything on her.
âI didnât! It wasnât me!â Liana yelled, pounding on the bed. A bloodshot glare now replaced her usually gentle gaze.
âShe stole my man! And now she wants to turn me into a scapegoat! Betty said Alice and Lauren were close when she was still part of the Becketts. They must be conspiring against me! Jasper, do you believe them over me? Have you fallen for Alice? Do you not want me anymore?!â
âI have always been yours. Even during the three years I was married to Alice. My feelings for you.
never changed, and I never even touched her,â Jasper clenched his trembling fingers tightly. His starry eyes lost their luster.
He recalled how Alice took the blame for the suspicion, how her wrists were swollen. And how she looked back at him with tears and hatred, full of heartbreak and disappointment.
Jasper took a deep breath, but the intense headache caused his vision to blur. âBut Liana, Iâm having a hard time understanding everything youâve been doing lately. Are you trying to push me toward her?â
âNo, no! Jasper! Jasper!â
Jasper left without a second glance at her, and it scared her. She staggered out of bed and rushed to the door. Only to be met with a heavy thud as the door closed in front of her face.
Liana kicked the door of the ward angrily. However, she screamed in pain and hopped around in place because she exerted too much strength.
âAlice! I wonât let you get away with this! You swore to be my enemy? Bring it on!â she thought.