âLia, this is your chance to turn the tables!â Rosaline excitedly pinched Liana. âMake an excuse and get Mr. Jasper here. He must witness this scene. This will force him to give up on that little whore!â
âBâBut Mom, heâs at work now. He rarely goes shopping on the weekends with me, not to mention on a weekday. Andâ¦â Liana lowered her voice with a mysterious gleam in her eyes.
She continued, âIâve gained his favor with the relapse of my âsevere depression.â I need to behave well to win his heart. Itâs not the time to stir trouble.
Î âYou dimwit!â Rosaline jabbed Liana on the forehead. âItâs unreasonable to make him spend time with you during work hours. But things are different if you have a solid excuse. It will be a chance to take your relationship to the next level!â
She went off, âBeing naively considerate is the start of a tragedy! Men are contradictory and shameless, you know. They donât like obedient women.
âYouâll boost his ego and selfâworth if you look for his help immediately when youâre in trouble. It makes him feel good when you rely on him!â
Lianaâs eyes darted. She disagreed with Rosalineâs opinion.
When her dad, Andrew, was in power and their family wealthy, Rosaline had latched herself onto him like a wisteria. The more she did that, the more he dismissed her. Not only did he keep a few mistresses, but he also yelled at her in front of the maids at home.
Rosaline had to endure humiliation to secure her position as Mrs. Gardner. Her wish came true when she was fifty years old. By then, the Kirkman family was in decline, and Andrew was riddled with chronic illnesses.
Now, Rosaline was left with the nominal title of Mrs. Gardner and became the joke of the upper society.
Her life endeavors had gone down the drain.
âIâll call Mr. Jasper soon. Iâll tell him that you came shopping alone and that I couldnât get in touch with you. He knows youâre emotional lately. If heâs worried about you, heâll drop everything and come for you.â
Grinning, Rosaline placed a hand on Lianaâs shoulder. âWhen he sees his good friend flirting with his exâwife, heâll only hate Alice White more!â
Jasper received a call from Rosaline when he retur this office aftar âMr. Jasper! Has Lia contacted you?â Rosaline sounded nervous.
âNo. Why?â
âShe said she wanted to go shopping because she was in a low mood. But she refused to let me go with her. She didnât want to be seen as a patient.
âA few hours passed, and I couldnât reach her by phone. Now, her phoneâs turned off. CâCould something bad have happened to her?â
The thought of Lianaâs severe depression made his heart sink. He questioned, âDid Lia tell you where she went?â
âShe said she wanted to shop at the new mall near the KS Grand Hotel. Thatâs all âGot it. Iâll look for her now. Sheâll be fine.â
Frowning, he hung up, grabbed his jacket, and left the office.
âGet the car.â
Jasper arrived at the mall as soon as possible. He strode into the mall with urgency while calling Lianaâs number.
Finally, the call was connected. He heard her purr, âJasper.
âLia, where are you? Iâm at the Century Mall now!â He sounded worried.
âIâm feeling a little stuffy. Iâm sitting by the elevator lobby on the second floor.â
âDonât move! Iâll go to you right now!â He swiftly went to the second floor and found her.
âJasper!â Her eyes were misty when she threw herself at him. âEverythingâs better when I see you. I donât feel sick anymore.â
âWhy didnât you pick up the calls from Rosaline?â he asked with concern. She quickly cooked up an excuse, âMy phone died. I managed to find an outlet and get it charged.
âYou must have a guardian with you when you leave home. Okay? You cannot be out here alone.â
He sighed in relief and held her.
âI just need you by my side. I donât need anyone else.â She rubbed her face against his chest, feeling gleeful on the inside.
She realized that Rosaline was right. Jasper still cared for herâshe still had his heart!
At the same time, they heard some murmurs from the crowd.
âLook at that young couple. How goodâlooking, especially that young lady! She looks like she walked out of a painting!â
âThat handsome young man is pretty fit! You can tell heâs rich from his looks.â
Jasper overheard the gossip but wasnât curious enough to check out the couple. Only Liana gasped in shock. âJasper, look! What a coincidence!â
He turned around unemotionally, but he was immediately stunned by the sight. His eyes were burning like mad.