?


    A ck Maybach was parked at the back entrance of the orphanage, its lights off and engine idling.


    Soon, a figure emerged from the back door, hurriedly approaching and entering the car.


    "Sorry for keeping you waiting, Ms. Gillis," the woman apologized respectfully.


    Sheryl sat in the car with an air of arrogance, and her legs crossed in a rxed manner. She handed a brown envelope to the woman.


    "Good work this morning," Sheryl remarked.


    The woman took the envelope from Sheryl and had a feel of its thickness. She smiled from ear to ear. "All that needed to be done was to cut a brake cable. It was no trouble at all."


    Sheryl couldn''t be bothered to even nce at the woman she deemed inferior. Her expression remained cold as she spoke. "By the way, have you looked into all the volunteers and the teachers at the orphanage like I asked?" "I have," the woman replied confidently. "I''ve been here for about a decade. It was a breeze." She pulled out a stack of documents from her bag and handed them over to Sheryl with both hands.


    Taking the papers, Sheryl began to peruse them, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the details.


    Suddenly, her eyes widened. She pulled out a document with a photograph of a striking woman-Amber Altman, the woman Jameson had groomed as Alyssa''s substitute.


    "This woman... is a volunteer at the orphanage?"


    "Yes, Ms. Gillis. Ms. Altman has been volunteering at our orphanage for over two years. She also donates to the orphanage annually, so she''s well-regarded here."


    The woman noticed that Sheryl had be quite agitated. Puzzled, she asked, ''Ms. Gillis, are there... are there any issues with her?"


    Sheryl lowered her voice. "Does she still volunteer here now?"


    "She hasn''t been around in a while. But that''s not unusual. Volunteers aren''tpensated for their work, so they can leave whenever they want. We can''t force them to help out here.


    "And it''s rare to have someone like Ms. Altman volunteer as long as she did. Most people would have given up much earlier, given how exhausting it is."


    Sheryl knitted her brows together. "There was a woman named ra Whitaker who visited the orphanage today. Do you know who she is?"This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "ra Whitaker? I don''t. I haven''t even heard of that name. Maybe it was her first time here."


    Sheryl fell into deep thought. The more she pondered, the more things didn''t add up.


    ra''s visit was new, yet Amber, who had been a frequent presence, had stoppeding for no apparent reason. And then, Jasper had approached ra, asking if they''d met before. Despite being unfamiliar with her, he seemed to sense some connection.


    A realization struck Sheryl, and her eyes darkened.


    Meanwhile, a sports car glided into the underground parking lot of the hospital.


    Jasper quickly exited the car and hurried toward room A006.


    In the stillness of thete night, the echo of his hurried footsteps was all that could be heard, mirroring the heavy beating of his heart.


    The image of Alyssa''s near ident, saved only by Justin''s quick intervention, reyed in his mind.


    His older brother had clung tightly to the woman he once loved.


    At that moment, he felt like his heart was being crushed mercilessly by an invisible and inexplicable force. The door to her ward suddenly swung open as he arrived, and Justin emerged in his wheelchair. Jasper stopped in his tracks, holding his breath.


    In that bleak and empty corridor, the Beckett brothers confronted each other in a tense, wordless standoff.


    Under the sterile white light, Jasper stood out like a striking sculpture. Justin, however, was shrouded in shadow, his sickly pallor the only hint of his presence. But beneath his sickly exterior lurked a sinister secret-Justin was a monster or perhaps a demon.


    In the end, it was Jasper who relented first. With firm, deliberate steps, he made his way toward Justin.


    A faint but growing desire welled up inside Jasper. He wanted to see Alyssa.


    Just as Jasper was about to enter the room, Justin smiled and opened his arms, halting his progress.


    "Jasper, what brings you here at this hour?" Justin asked with a smile on his face.


    Jasper swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. "Ms. Alyssa had an ident today. How is she?"


    "Fortunately, she''s only aggravated the old injury on her leg. She just needs to rest up."


    In a low voice, Jasper said, "I''ll go see her."


    With a profound look in his eyes, Justin said, "Lyse has gone to bed."


    Lyse...


    Jasper had been the only one to call her by that pet name with such intimacy. Now, hearing another man say it, his vision suddenly blurred, and his heart sank.


    An iprehensible sliver of emotion welled up in his eyes.


    "I''ll just take a quick peek and leave after that," Jasper insisted, stepping past Justin. But just as he did, Justin grabbed his arm, stopping him cold.


    "Jasper."


    Jasper froze, his eyes meeting Justin''s.


    He could feel Justin''s grip tightening. In a calm voice, he asked, "Justin, what are you doing?"


    "I''m stopping you. Isn''t it obvious enough?"


    Jasper frowned. ''But why?"


    "Because I think the current you shouldn''t yourself to Lyse." A slight smile came across Justin''s face, even though the look in his eyes was grim and cold. "When she had her ident and needed someone the most, I was the one who stayed by her side.


    "When she was in danger today, I was the one who saved her in the nick of time. These were times when she needed you the most, but you were nowhere to be found andpletely detached.


    "And now you''re wanting to be a nuisance to her. Is it out of dissatisfaction, or are you seeking her attention?" Jasper''s frown deepened, and his lips paled.


    As far as he could remember, this was the first time Justin had ever uttered such harsh words to his face, and Jasper couldn''t believe it was all because of Alyssa.


    "Jasper, ever since you joined the Beckett family, everything hase easily to you-Grandpa''s affection, Dad''s support, even the role as thepany''s president. I never fought you for any of that. But Lyse? I''m serious about her. And I won''t let you take what belongs to me."


    Justin spoke those cutting words with subtle sarcasm, yet his smile remained as gentle as a spring breeze, as if there was no malice behind them at all.


    He continued, "Moreover, she is no longer yours. You should make it a clean break since you wanted to break up with her. Or I''ll really get mad."