A thick yet warm smoke enveloped them, and the stark contrast between the lively scene behind the


    door and the destion outside took Jasper aback. His reaction was visceral.


    As he stared at the bustling living hall, his heart raced.


    Seated on the couch were Tatiana and Julien, and alongside them was Rose, who had been studying


    overseas and hadn''t crossed paths with Jasper for several years. They were joyfully chatting while


    skewering vegetables.


    The kitchen buzzed with activity as Jonah, wearing an apron, showcased his culinary skills, with Cyrus


    assisting in preparing barbecue sauce.


    Ss and Sean were focused on putting meat on the skewers, their attention fixed on Tatiana and


    Rose. Sean''s concern for his girlfriend was evident, while Ss watched in helplessness as Rose


    engaged in an animated conversation with Julien.


    Ss sighed sadly, unsure of the unease he felt witnessing their interaction.


    "Dr. Lovce, you''re nailing those skewers! Your hands are so skilled!" Tatiana eximed as she


    noticed the perfectly arranged food on Julien''s skewer, resembling a carefully crafted assembly. She


    couldn''t resist showering him with praise.


    "Really? I''m just putting the food on a stick," Julien replied nonchntly, humming a tune as he


    examined the perfectly arranged te.


    The skewers Tatiana and Rose assembled were nowhere as beautiful as Julien''s.


    "Look at the one I did. It''s all over the ce like a chicken w." Rose pouted sadly.


    Despite being an internationally renowned fashion designer, Rose had fashioned countless exquisite


    outfits with her skilled hands, but her culinary prowess wascking.


    Life, it seemed, was fair. Meanwhile, God appeared to have favored Alyssa by granting her everything.


    "It''s really simple. Let me teach you. You see, this is how you do it..."


    Julien hunched over, almost pressed against Rose, his head nearly touching Tatiana''s. Both Rose and


    Tatiana listened attentively, unaware that this proximity set off significant rm bells for Sean and Ss,


    who were not far away.


    "Jonah, why is Julien meddling where he shouldn''t?"


    Cyrus approached Jonah, gossiping as he mixed the ingredients, "Check out all the guys getting stuff


    done. Axel is out there starting the fire. Can you believe he''s flirting with thedies on the couch? How


    oblivious can he be?"


    Jonah furrowed his brow slightly as he stirred the mixture vigorously with his spoon.


    "Jonah, you should keep a closer eye on him."


    After a prolonged silence, Jonah lowered his gaze and said, "The kitchen is messy and dirty. Since he''s


    clean, I didn''t let hime in."


    Cyrus, being straightforward, didn''t grasp the subtext. Puzzled, he eximed, "Huh?"


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Julien isn''t a Taylor; he''s Lyse''s guest. It''s nice that he''s pitching in. Don''t expect too much from him."


    Jonah slipped in his words and swiftly changed the subject, his face warming up.


    Sean couldn''t ignore the closeness between Tatiana and Julien. Unable to contain himself, he snapped


    the skewer stick in his hand.


    "Ouch! It hurts!" Distracted by the situation, Ss lost his focus and identally pricked his finger with


    the skewer stick.


    "The two of you..."


    It seemed as if Jonah had eyes in the back of his head. He shot a nce at the jealous men and said,


    "If you''ve got all that energy, help Axel with the fire on the balcony. Maybe your frustration can help him


    light it up."


    Jonah thought them both idiots.


    He wasn''t even jealous. He couldn''t fathom why they were overreacting.


    Everyone was busy with their tasks and enjoying each other. No one noticed Jasper and Xavier


    standing by the entrance.


    "M-Mr. Beckett, we''re at the right house, right?" Xavier was dumbfounded. It was as if they had


    returned to how the Taylor family was in Belbanks.


    "Hey, you''re back, Mr. Jasper!"


    Mrs. Rosie stood behind him with shopping bags in her hand. She nudged him gently. "Why are you


    standing here? Don''t you recognize your home?"


    Jasper looked at Mrs. Rosie absent-mindedly. He croaked, "Mrs. Rosie, they."


    "Ah, the guests were invited by Madam Alyssa."


    Rosie said joyfully, "Madam Alyssa arranged this gathering for you, Mr. Jasper. The minute you left, she


    began making calls and went to prepare the food and the fire. She was upied the whole day. She


    thought no one woulde due to thest-minute invitations, but surprisingly, everyone showed up."


    "Lyse did this for me?" Jasper''s eyes welled up as he felt a lump in his throat.


    "Who else would this be for? Madam Alyssa mentioned Sophia''s case going to trial. Seeing you


    stressed these past few days, she arranged a barbecue for you to unwind."


    Then, Rosie winked and nudged his arm. "Remember to thank Madam Alyssa and treat her well behind


    closed doors tonight. I''m sure I don''t need to give you any advice on what to do, do I?"


    Just then, Alyssa descended the stairs with a radiant smile, and a young woman adorned in a light blue


    dress,plete with a crystal hairpiece, followed closely behind her.


    Xavier''s eyes widened, and he rubbed them vigorously. That breathtaking woman was Maggie! The


    moment that followed left Xavier standing alone at the entrance, his lips trembling, tears already spent.