Seeing that there had been no movent for a long ti, Jude Kensington finally couldn’t sit still any longer and quickly found an excuse to co look for Jasper Hawthorne.
The mont he pushed open the door, he saw Jasper Hawthorne sitting with a gloomy expression at his desk, the pressure around him intimidating.
Jude’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly closed the office door, forcing a laugh to ease the atmosphere: "Old Hawthorne, don’t worry, don’t worry, maybe... maybe there’s traffic on the way? Or perhaps Stella is preparing sothing even more surprising for us? Good things are worth waiting for! Think about it, she likes you so much, how could she really not co back?"
Jasper raised his eyes, casting a cold glance at him without saying a word, but that look was enough to make Jude’s scalp tingle.
"Ahem..." Jude braved his scalp to continue persuading, "Um... how about you take the initiative? Buy a bouquet of flowers? Girls always want to save face, if you personally invite her, lower your stance a bit, and she will surely..."
"She doesn’t like flowers." Jasper cut him off coldly, with a slight hint of impatience in his tone.
He rembered Stella saying that fresh flowers were flashy but impractical and withered too quickly.
Jude was choked up, almost wanting to knock open his head to see if there was anything other than legal jargon in it, "Brother! Is this really about liking or not? It’s about attitude! Romance! The sense of ceremony! Sotis when a girl says no, she actually wants it!"
Jasper frowned, clearly unable to understand this logic.
"If she doesn’t like flowers, you can give sothing else! Jewelry? Purses? You must know what she used to like, right?" Jude continued.
Jasper fell silent.
He found that he couldn’t answer.
What did Stella like?
It seed she had never explicitly asked him for anything.
Those things she once treasured were just what he occasionally brought back from business trips...
Or things he casually gifted...
He had never truly taken the ti to understand her preferences.
"Actually, I think..." Jude scooted his chair forward, "since Stella is back in Kenton, she must have cooled down. Why don’t you personally invite her back? She..."
But before he finished speaking, Jasper’s phone suddenly rang, and the caller ID flashed with the words—Auntie Quinn.
Jasper’s brows furrowed slightly, he hesitated for a mont but picked up the call anyway.
"Jasper... where are you? I suddenly have chest pains and trouble breathing, the doctor says it’s due to weakness... I’m a bit worried, can you co over for a bit?"
Jasper pinched his brow and said in a deep voice, "Alright, Auntie Quinn, I’m coming over right away."
Hanging up the phone, he grabbed his coat and headed out.
Jude quickly stopped him, "Old Hawthorne! Why are you going to the hospital again? Doesn’t Auntie Quinn have doctors and nurses there? Stella might co back today! If you leave..."
"Auntie Quinn’s condition is unstable, I have to go." Jasper’s tone was indisputable, "If Stella cos back, have her wait for ."
Seeing this, Jude was so anxious that he stamped his feet, whispering urgently, "Old Hawthorne! Take my advice, Grace and her daughter are not that simple! You need to be more cautious..."
Jasper paused for a mont but did not turn back, rely replying faintly, "I know my limits."
However, looking at his hurried departure, Jude knew he hadn’t taken his words to heart at all.
Jude looked at the empty office entrance, letting out a heavy sigh.
He always felt that Jasper would end up pursuing his wife to the crematoria!
Turning to ashes!
...
Kenton, a private hospital VIP ward.
The ward was filled with the mixed scent of disinfectant and fresh flowers.
Audrey Quinn lay against the elevated hospital bed, her face still carrying a sickly pallor.
She gently patted Grace Quinn’s hand, who was leaning over the bed crying, speaking softly, "Alright, stop crying, crying doesn’t solve problems. I’ve called Jasper, he will co over soon..."
Audrey handed a tissue to her daughter, "Tell mom, what exactly happened? Why has Jasper been cold to you lately?"
Grace lifted her swollen, red eyes, her makeup slightly smudged, and pouted aggrievedly, embellishing the events of recent tis, focusing on how Stella used tricks and how Jasper was bewitched, ignoring her, his childhood friend.
"...Mom, you didn’t see it, but Jasper only has eyes for Stella now! To find her, he didn’t even stay in Kenton and went to Riveria..." Grace beca angrier the more she spoke, her nails almost digging into her palms.
Audrey listened quietly, her face expressionless, except for a glimr of cold light deep in her eyes.
When Grace finally finished, she slowly spoke, "Grace, you are too impatient."
Grace was stunned: "Mom?"
"n, especially those as outstanding and proud as Jasper, what do they hate the most?" Audrey looked at her, patiently guiding, "It’s coercion, manipulation, hysterical entanglent. The more you act like this, the further you push him away."
Grace was sowhat unwilling: "But... should I just watch Stella, that bitch, gloat?"
"Who says she’s gloating?" Audrey’s lips curled into a aningful arc, "The more aloof she acts, the more she pushes Jasper away, which is to our advantage."
She took her daughter’s hand, patting it gently, "Listen to mom, from now on, put away your little tantrums. Don’t actively cling to Jasper anymore, and definitely do not speak ill of Stella in front of him. What you need to do is show weakness, act sensible, considerate, and innocent."
"Show weakness?" Grace didn’t understand.
"Yes." Audrey’s eyes were sharp, "You need to make Jasper feel that you are the one who has been wronged but endured it silently. You are his responsibility, soone he needs to protect. Not a burden causing him trouble."
She paused, lowering her voice, "n like Jasper, outwardly cold but inwardly extrely lacking in security, have an almost obsessive urge to protect what they believe is their responsibility. They respond to gentleness not harshness, understand?"
Grace nodded, sowhat understanding.
Audrey continued teaching, "As for that Stella... she has already planted a thorn in Jasper’s heart. What you should do now is not to be the one to pull out that thorn, but occasionally sprinkle so salt around it, let it fester and infla..."
Her voice was gentle, yet the content of her words sent chills down the spine.
"But mom, what if Jasper really..." Grace was still a bit uneasy.
"There is no ’what if’." Audrey interrupted her, tone firm, "As long as we hold this ’life-saving debt’ he owes , he will never completely break away from us. This is our talisman, and the strongest chain locking him down."
"As for that Stella... she’s just a clown, sooner or later she’ll bring about her own downfall."
Listening to her mother’s words, Grace’s eyes gradually brightened, as if she had found her backbone.
Yes, with her mom here, and this ’life-saving debt,’ what was there to fear?
What did Stella have to compete with her?
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