?


    "H...'' Tears welled up in Lauren''s eyes as she choked on her words.


    ''You just want to go against our wishes! Since we look down on Alice, you decide to help her out. All because you wanted to show how special you are! Do you really think you''re a heroine for doing that?"


    Betty''s pretty face was now twisted into one of hatred and anger. "Stop being stupid! Mr. Landon will never have feelings for you! Stop being delusional!


    "Ms. Betty, what are you doing?'' Mrs. Rosie rushed into the room before pulling Lauren into a hug.


    The other housekeepers in Seaview Manor were used to such dramas. Besides, they''d rather stay away from the conflict. Mrs. Rosie was the only one who dared to defend Lauren. "Get out, Mrs. Rosie! This is none of your business!" Betty snapped at her in frustration. "I think you should be the one leaving this room!"


    Mrs. Rosieforted Lauren, who was trembling in fright. She eyed Betty up and down.


    She warned, "If you leave this room right now, I''ll pretend I never saw anything. Otherwise, I''ll tell Mr. Jasper how you bullied Ms. Lauren once hees home!"


    Betty shuddered at the thought before gritting her teeth angrily.


    If Jasper were to find out how she truly acted in Seaview Manor, he would most likely tell Landon about it. After all, both of them were best friends. Betty would definitely have a hard time pursuing Landon if Jasper decided to sabotage her.


    With that thought in mind, the woman decided to stop bullying Lauren. For now, at least.


    Still, she felt that she didn''t push Lauren around enough. Before Betty left the room, she snatched the teddy bear from Lauren''s arms and chucked it from the window.


    "Ah! My teddy bear!"


    "Ugh, it''s just junk!" Betty huffed coldly. She flipped her long curls before leaving the room casually.


    Lauren bolted out of the manor hurriedly.


    It just so happened that Jasper returned to Seaview Manor at that time. He was surprised to see his younger sister in a panic.


    "What''s wrong, Lauren?" He quickly stopped Lauren from running around. There was a frown on his face.


    Even though he hated Sophia and Betty, he still cared about Lauren. She was known to be weak and fragile.


    Besides, she did impress him by stepping out to defend Alice two days ago.


    "My teddy bear is gone!" Tears and snot streaked down the young woman''s panic-stricken face.


    ''Don''t worry. I''ll help you look for it." Jasper led Lauren to the garden. There, they could see a teddy bear lying on a muddy patch.


    Jasper was a man who loved cleanliness. His custom-made leather shoes were always kept in pristine condition at all times. Yet he didn''t hesitate to step onto the muddy puddle. He didn''t care about the filth.


    Soon enough, he was able to retrieve Lauren''s teddy bear.


    Even though the teddy bear was extremely dirty, Lauren still hugged it tightly to her chest. It was as though she had found a precious treasure. She started sobbing quietly, and tears flowed down her cheeks.


    Jasper was never one who empathized with others, but the sight of his sister made him feel a little sad.


    "Just throw that dirty thing away. I''ll buy you a new teddy bear in the future."


    "No! I only want this teddy bear! Alice gave it to me! It''s my favorite teddy bear!"Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Jasper could feel his heart skipping a beat at that moment. He never realized that Lauren liked Alice so much.


    Meanwhile, Lauren started recalling the times when Alice was kind to her. She also remembered how difficult living in the huge mansion was without the woman''s presence. Soon, she thought about how Javier had neglected her. To make things worse, Sophia was cold to her, not to mention Betty kept bullying her the whole time.


    "Jasper!" The young woman rushed over to hug her older brother. She sobbed, "Will Alice evere back? I miss her so much! Can you please not divorce her?"


    Jasper parted his lips slightly. He felt an invisible lump forming in his throat.


    He tousled Lauren''s hair silently. He couldn''t even say a thing.


    The man was afraid that he might break her heart by telling her the truth.


    At that moment, his phone rang. It was a call from his grandfather, which was enough to


    disrupt his thought process.


    "Yes, Grandpa?"


    "Why can''t I call Alice at all?"


    The older Newton got, the more childish he became. He sounded like he was about to break down in tears from the other end of the line.


    "What''s wrong with Alice? I can''t seem to contact her at alltely! She doesn''t even visit me now! Does she not want to see me anymore? Jasper, you stupid brat! This is all your fault! Ir Alice doesn''t care about me anymore, I''ll disown you!"


    *Grandpa, Alice still cares about you. Don''t overthink it." Jasper pinched the spot between his


    brows while locking anxious.


    ''Then hurry up and contact Alice for me! I want to see my beloved granddaughter-inw! Go find her, damn it!''