(Third POV)
+25 Points
Jasper finishes the cigarette, tossing the butt onto the perfect, newlyid stone patio.
He has to go back. He has to y the part. He has to stay close to Virginia, not because he loves her, but because the alternative–leaving her un–monitored–is a risk he can’t take with Scarlett’s safety hanging in the bnce.
As he walks back to the party, a figure bumps into him.
“Sorry…” He slurs, holding up his hands in a show of goodwill.
“No problem.” The woman in a me dress gives him a strange look before brushing past.
Jasper stands frozen for a second, then turns, his gaze pensive as he watches the woman’s
back.
He has seen her somewhere. Where has he seen her before?
He couldn’t remember. But he isn’t mistaken. That feeling of deja vu is so strong, he can’t be <fnfb97> Get full chapters from Find[?]ovel</fnfb97>
mistaken.
He follows her figure with his eyes for a long silent moment, trying to remember where he saw her to no avail. In the end, he shakes his head and continues on his way to the party.
On the side, the woman who bumped into him turns to look back at his stumbling figure once she senses his gaze move away.
The cold, chilling look in her eyes makes Virginia, who came out to get her, freeze in ce for a second. In her eyes is fear, hatred, and even more confusing…longing.
Regaining herposer, she suppresses her emotions, and approaches the woman with a strained smile.
“Morgan. I’m d you were able to make it to my birthday party.”
The woman retracts her gaze, and looks at her with indifference. “Are you sure Jasper is in your control?” she asks.
“Of course! You don’t know, but now, even Scarlett doesn’t want anything to do with him. Don’t worry. This time Jasper will be mine for sure.” Virginia smiles confidently, but Morgan only gives her a once–over, before shaking her head with dissatisfaction.
“So many years of training, and yet, still so useless.” She scolds and walks away.
+25 Points
In the middle of the party, ir retreats to the guest room she’s been staying these days.
She sits on the bed, staring at her phone, knowing she shouldn’t do what she’s about to do but unable to stop herself.
She opens her text messages and scrolls to Scarlett’s number. Her fingers hover over the keyboard for a long moment before she finally types:
“Happy birthday, habibti. I know you don’t want to hear from me, but I couldn’t let the day pass without telling you happy birthday. You might not havee from my womb, but you’ll always be my daughter. I love you. I’ll always love you.”
She adds a photo from her phone – one she saved before James put all the albums in storage. Scarlett at age six, gap–toothed and grinning, blowing out candles on a homemade cake.
She looks so happy in the picture, so pure and carefree.
ir hits send before she can change her mind.
The responsees back almost immediately: “Please don’t contact me again.”
Short, final, devastating. ir stares at the words until tears blur her eyes.
A soft knock at the door makes her look up. Jasper stands in the doorway, his tie loosened, his hair disheveled.
“I saw your light on,” he says. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
“What are you still doing here? I thought you left.”
“I did. Got halfway home and turned around.” He steps into the room, closing the door behind him. “Scarlett. Today is her birthday too.”
ir’s heart clenches. “Jasper-”
“Twenty–seven,” Jasper continues, his voice hollow. “She turns twenty–seven today. Do you
think…”
“She has Lily now, and Chloe. She won’t be alone.”
“Right. I almost forgot. There’s also that Dorian.<i>” </i>A self–deprecating chuckle leaves his lips, making his entire person pitiful, miserable, despite not being worthy of sympathy.
ir looks away, tears suddenly welling up again.
Why had things turned out this way? Why?
< Chapter 125
425 Points
Today, they should be celebrating two birthdays. Their house should be filled with light and joy. Instead…
“Do you have a gift for her?” Jasper suddenly asks, pulling her out of her thoughts.
ir hesitates for a moment, before pulling out the card and the gift she hid behind her.
“I was going to leave it in her mailbox, after everyone left.” She nces toward the door, her lip curling in self–mockery.
Jasper takes the gift, the small velvet box still warm from ir’s touch.
He knows the rules. Scarlett wants nothing to do with him, or ir, or James, or any of the Stones family.
Hermand to them to stay away from her was clear and absolute. What’s more, with everything that’s happening around him…He is thest person who should go near her. And
yet…
“You must be tired from entertaining guests all evening. I’ll take the gift to her for you.”
ir turns, startled. “What? No! Jasper, she’ll call the police! You know she wants nothing to do with you!”
“I know,” he says, folding the card and tucking it into his breast pocket, the small jewelry box nestled beside it. “But you can’t just leave a small velvet box in a mailbox. It’s too easily stolen. And… and I need to make sure she gets it.”
He needs a reason, an excuse, to see the light in her window.
He needs to breathe the air near her apartment. He needs one more taste of the delusion that he is still part of her orbit. He has his own gift for her, one he’d prepared weeks ago, a gift now resting forgotten in the trunk of his car–a rare edition of her favorite pastry book.
He’ll take that too. It’s the closest he’ll ever get to bringing a smile to her face.
“No, Jasper, you can’t!” ir stands, trying to grab his arm, her anxiety spiking. “You’ll make things worst. Just leave it! I’ll mail it tomorrow!”
He steps around her, his eyes fixed on the door. “What could be worse than this, ir? I’m a ruined man.”
He leaves the bedroom, descending the grand staircase, moving through theughing, oblivious crowd like a ghost. He catches Virginia’s eye near the foyer. She beams at him, a possessive, celebratory smile.
<Chapter 125
“Where are you going, Jasper?” she asks, her hand reaching for his.
125 Points
He recoils slightly, a subtle, involuntary movement that goes unnoticed by all but him. “Air. I need some air.”
“Don’t be long,” she trills, already turning back to a cluster of guests. “The cake cutting is in
ten!”
He nods curtly and slips out the front door, the <i>cool </i>night air hitting his face. He walks past the line of expensive, unfamiliar cars and gets into his own vehicle. His gift is still in the trunk, a heavy, leather–bound volume wrapped in simple brown paper.
Good.
Starting the engine, Jasper drives away from the blinding lights of the celebration, heading toward the quiet, humble corner of the city where his Scarlett thrived.
Violet Moon
<i>” </i>
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