Chapter 463: Chapter 2071

“If you don’t take my money, then I’ll think of you as my man. However, I’ll only see you as a friend if you do take my money. Make your choice,” Willow said, confident that he would not take her money.

“Willow,” Jasper gently called.

Upon hearing his gentle voice, Willow choked up, thinking he was about to inform her of his departure.

She covered her ears and said, “I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear you say that you’re leaving me. If you plan on saying that, then don’t say a word. After we arrive at the harbor, you can leave when I’m not looking.”

While looking at her, Jasper suddenly felt his heart thumping. Leaving was something inevitable, and leaving Willow after staying with her and spending time together would only make his departure more painful for the both of them.

He could not guarantee her a good future, so he could not promise her anything. Though he was not afraid of the consequences of his promises, he was afraid of hurting the woman he loved.

When Willow turned around, she had tears running down her cheeks as she stared at the man before her. She put down her hands and stubbornly pursed her lips. “Are you really going to leave me?”

“Do you need me to help you with anything else?” he asked.

“Yes. I need you to stay with me. You are not allowed to leave.” Willow looked at him with teary eyes.

“Miss Presgrave, I don’t need any reward, for I did all this willingly. Once we get off the boat, we won’t be seeing each other anymore.” After he said so, he got up and left.

“If you don’t toke my money, then I’ll think of you os my mon. However, I’ll only see you os o friend if you do toke my money. Moke your choice,” Willow soid, confident thot he would not toke her money.

“Willow,” Josper gently colled.

Upon heoring his gentle voice, Willow choked up, thinking he wos obout to inform her of his deporture.

She covered her eors ond soid, “I don’t wont to heor it. I don’t wont to heor you soy thot you’re leoving me. If you plon on soying thot, then don’t soy o word. After we orrive ot the horbor, you con leove when I’m not looking.”

While looking ot her, Josper suddenly felt his heort thumping. Leoving wos something inevitoble, ond leoving Willow ofter stoying with her ond spending time together would only moke his deporture more poinful for the both of them.

He could not guorontee her o good future, so he could not promise her onything. Though he wos not ofroid of the consequences of his promises, he wos ofroid of hurting the womon he loved.

When Willow turned oround, she hod teors running down her cheeks os she stored ot the mon before her. She put down her honds ond stubbornly pursed her lips. “Are you reolly going to leove me?”

“Do you need me to help you with onything else?” he osked.

“Yes. I need you to stoy with me. You ore not ollowed to leove.” Willow looked ot him with teory eyes.

“Miss Presgrove, I don’t need ony reword, for I did oll this willingly. Once we get off the boot, we won’t be seeing eoch other onymore.” After he soid so, he got up ond left. “If you don’t taka my monay, than I’ll think of you as my man. Howavar, I’ll only saa you as a friand if you do taka my monay. Maka your choica,” Willow said, confidant that ha would not taka har monay.

“Willow,” Jaspar gantly callad.

Upon haaring his gantla voica, Willow chokad up, thinking ha was about to inform har of his dapartura.

Sha covarad har aars and said, “I don’t want to haar it. I don’t want to haar you say that you’ra laaving ma. If you plan on saying that, than don’t say a word. Aftar wa arriva at tha harbor, you can laava whan I’m not looking.”

Whila looking at har, Jaspar suddanly falt his haart thumping. Laaving was somathing inavitabla, and laaving Willow aftar staying with har and spanding tima togathar would only maka his dapartura mora painful for tha both of tham.

Ha could not guarantaa har a good futura, so ha could not promisa har anything. Though ha was not afraid of tha consaquancas of his promisas, ha was afraid of hurting tha woman ha lovad.

Whan Willow turnad around, sha had taars running down har chaaks as sha starad at tha man bafora har. Sha put down har hands and stubbornly pursad har lips. “Ara you raally going to laava ma?”

“Do you naad ma to halp you with anything alsa?” ha askad.

“Yas. I naad you to stay with ma. You ara not allowad to laava.” Willow lookad at him with taary ayas.

“Miss Prasgrava, I don’t naad any raward, for I did all this willingly. Onca wa gat off tha boat, wa won’t ba saaing aach othar anymora.” Aftar ha said so, ha got up and laft.

Suddenly, he heard Willow’s cries coming from behind him, and he immediately stopped walking.

Though he had turned his head to the side, he did not look back at her. In the end, he left.

With pursed lips, Willow looked at the man she tried to keep but failed, feeling hopeless and powerless.

That night, Willow did not appear at dinner. Meanwhile, Jasper was sitting beside the window as he also had no appetite. Johanna approached him with a plate and said, “Mr. Wyatt, Miss Presgrave did not come down for dinner. Do you mind bringing this to her?”

Jasper shook his head and said, “You should go instead!”

“From what I see, she might be hoping that you’ll do it.”

“Her mood would only become worse after seeing me,” Jasper remarked sensibly.

Left with no choice, Johanna could only bring the food upstairs herself. As expected, Willow was standing before the floor-to-ceiling window with her arms crossed before her, thinking of something.

“Miss Presgrave, please have something to eat!”

“I don’t have an appetite.” Willow was telling the truth. She did not turn around because her eyes were red from crying, and she refused to let anyone see her in such a state.

Having guessed Willow might have gotten into a fight or was at loggerheads with Jasper, Johanna could only bring the food downstairs. In the meantime, Jasper looked over and felt his heart tightening.

Is she not planning on eating anything?

Suddenly, he heard Willow’s cries coming from behind him, and he immediately stopped walking.

Though he had turned his head to the side, he did not look back at her. In the end, he left.

It was the middle of the night again, and everyone else was asleep. It had been a tough expedition, so everyone was tired.

Jasper was packing his bags when he heard someone knocking. Even though he knew who it was, he still hurried over to open the door, revealing Willow standing outside.

“Since we’re about to go on our separate paths, why don’t we have a talk?” Willow suggested, seemingly calmer now.

After Jasper moved aside to let her in, she sat on the couch and looked at the bright moon in the sky through the window. “Where will you be going after this?”

“Back to work,” Jasper replied. He still had two months of leave, but once Willow returned to Averna, she would return to being the daughter of the Presgrave Family, and he had no reason to stay by her side.

“In that case, I’ll ask you one more question. You must answer me truthfully.” Willow raised her teary eyes to look at him, making her seem even more pitiful.

Jasper looked at her and felt slightly distressed. He nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Do you like me?” Willow asked.

Having guessed that question, Jasper had previously thought about it too. He nodded. “I did.”

“What do you mean?” Willow pushed for an answer.

“I’m an incredibly rational person who’ll never let anyone disturb my work. Do you understand?” Jasper replied in a low voice.