Chapter 537 Can't Give Her What She Wants
Warmth spread through her body, but Jessica was still out of it.
Jasper shot her a look, his face a mix of cold and something else she couldn't quite pin down. He told the cops, "I'll go with her for the check-up."
After signing a bunch of papers, he reached out to Jessica. She hesitated, not sure what to do. Jasper just bent down and pulled her up. His eyes landed on the red marks on her neck, and his expression darkened. He asked softly, "Can you walk?"
Jessica felt the warmth of his hand. She nodded, "Yeah."
Jasper leaned in and buttoned up the blazer.
On the way to the hospital, they didn't say a word, and the vibe was super weird. After the check-up, Jasper handed the papers to his assistant, saying, "Get the best lawyer. Make sure he pays for this."
Jessica, sitting there, felt a bit of her fear ease up hearing Jasper's words. Her heart felt a little lighter.
After the assistant left, Jasper adjusted the car's AC to a comfy temp and handed her a cup of water. Jessica took a few sips, her emotions slowly calming down.
Jasper said, "Harper got a call from the studio saying they couldn't reach you, so she asked me to check on you."
That explained why he was there.
Jessica didn't even need to ask; Jasper told her what she wanted to know next, "Alton passed away, so Oscar could come to Northfield."
Alton was the only one in the Perot family who could keep Oscar in check. Now that he was gone, the promises made to Jasper were out the window.
Jessica froze, her fingers turning pale, almost dropping the cup. In other words, there was no one to keep the psycho Oscar in line now. At most, this incident would get Oscar detained for ten days or so. Definitely not enough to keep him locked up for long.
Seeing her face, Jasper felt a sudden pang in his heart. He took the cup from her hand, leaned in, and gently held her, whispering, "It's okay, Jessica. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you."
Instantly, the tears she had been holding back started to flow.
Jessica's eyes were red from crying, like a little rabbit's. Thanks to the quick response of the patrol officers, she had only gotten injuries to her neck and arm, with no further physical harm. But the psychological damage was a whole different story.
Two years of captivity had left her with a deep-seated fear of Oscar. Just hearing his name made her shake, let alone having him show up and try to hurt her. Oscar knew Jessica was this scared and timid, so he dared to come after her so boldly.
Even though she had just managed to thwart Oscar's plan, no one knew how much courage it had taken. Afterward, Jessica had practically collapsed onto the patrol officer's car, her legs too weak to stand.
This was just their first showdown. If it happened again, Jessica didn't know if she could hold on. She knew that Oscar, the psycho, would never let it go. Especially this time, after taking a hit from her, Oscar would be even more furious and crazy. When the cops pinned Oscar to the ground, the look in his eyes was pure murder. Jessica really didn't want to go through that darkness again.
Jasper held her tight, not saying a word, just letting her cry it out. Jessica, always so careful, even cried silently, which made it even more heartbreaking.
Jasper gently stroked her back. He had this faint, pleasant scent of sandalwood, a woody fragrance that easily calmed the mind. Jessica clung to him like he was the only light in her life.
The car didn't head back to Jessica's apartment but went straight to Jasper's private villa. After parking, Jessica looked at the house outside but didn't move. Jasper opened the car door and naturally leaned in to carry her. His arm was very gentlemanly, not around her waist but close to her back, warm and safe.
He really noticed every little detail.
Jasper placed her on the bed in the bedroom and said, "I'll run a bath for you. Take a soak, then come down for dinner."
Jessica clutched his shirt, uneasy, "I'd rather go back."
Jasper firmly refused, "Until Oscar's dealt with, you're staying here. It's not safe at your place."
After saying that, Jasper went to run the bath. Once it was ready, he went downstairs and brought up a bag. It was clean clothes that he had his assistant prepare. He placed them on the clothes rack by the bathtub and then turned to leave, closing the door behind him.
After a warm bath, Jessica felt much better.
Dinner, prepared by the villa's staff, was light and nourishing. Jessica ate a little but couldn't eat more. Jasper watched her and only let her go after she ate a bit more. Later that night, after washing up, Jasper brought in a medical kit to apply a bruise-healing ointment to her neck and her arm.
Under the warm yellow light, Jasper's focused expression was indescribably handsome and charming. Jessica stared, a bit dazed, until Jasper looked up, and their eyes met. Jessica hurriedly looked away, lowering her head.
Jasper raised his hand to turn her face back, saying softly, "Feel free to look, I don't charge."
Jessica blushed at his words. The fear she had felt was almost entirely dispelled by his thoughtful arrangements.
At the police station, seeing her lost look, Jasper's heart had ached terribly. He hadn't had the mind to care about her being particularly distant from him.
For a man like Jasper, who was admired and pursued by many, it was inevitable that his self-esteem was somewhat stronger than others'. Even if it was just a FWB, he hoped the other person would be wholeheartedly into him, not with a wandering mind.
Jessica's comment about being used to Oscar had indeed hurt Jasper's pride. They had grown up together, yet he couldn't compare to someone like Oscar, who had appeared halfway through her life, especially since Oscar had treated her so poorly.
Even though Jessica now said she didn't love Oscar anymore, Jasper still minded. After all, they must have married for love initially. It was only because Oscar had let Jessica down that she had given up. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been any place for Jasper.
Jasper didn't really want to think about it too much. As a grown man, it was kinda embarrassing to dwell on such thoughts. But he couldn't be with other women; he only felt that spark for Jessica.
During the years Jessica was away, Jasper had no action. Now that he had her again, he found it hard to control himself.
Jessica, on the other hand, was more straightforward. She even comforted him afterward, saying, "We're both adults. Having needs is normal. Don't overthink it; we're just bed partners."
Jessica's words clearly acknowledged their relationship as a casual one. But he couldn't quite accept that term. Especially when the bed partner was Jessica, the emotions involved were even more complicated.
Jasper wanted her to love him, but deep down, he was afraid she might fall for him. Because he knew he couldn't give her what she wanted. All he could offer was necessary help and some comfort, nothing more.
Jasper stood up and said gently, "You sleep in this room, I'll sleep next door. Call me if you need anything. Get some rest."
After saying that, he turned to leave. But a hand tugged at the corner of his pajamas.
Jasper looked down, his gaze moving from the hand to her beautiful face, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Jessica didn't know what was wrong with her; she just craved the warmth he provided. She wanted to let go just this once, not hiding her feelings. She said, "Can you stay with me?"
Jessica's eyes were watery, and her injuries didn't detract from her beauty; they made her look even more delicate.
A delicate woman could stir a man's protective instincts without saying a word. Jasper couldn't refuse.
Two people who had been intimate, lying in the same bed, naturally wouldn't just sleep. Any slight touch could easily ignite desire. Jasper lay on the bed, turning off the light and pulling her into his arms, saying, "Sleep."
At this moment, being intimate with her would make him a jerk.
Because of Louie, Jessica had lacked a sense of security since childhood. Now, lying in Jasper's arms, she felt very safe and quickly fell asleep.
But it was tough for Jasper. He was used to sleeping naked, and now, to accommodate Jessica, he kept his pajamas on, which was uncomfortable. Moreover, with her warm body in his arms, it was really hard for him to fall asleep.
When he was finally about to drift off, Jessica suddenly screamed and started flailing her arms, hitting Jasper in the face. Jasper was jolted awake. Fearing she might hurt herself, he quickly pinned her hands down.
Jessica, sweating profusely, cried out, "Let go of me! Let go..."
"Jessica, Jessica." Jasper called her name softly, "Don't be afraid. Open your eyes and see who I am."
Hearing his voice, Jessica opened her eyes in confusion, and Jasper's handsome face was right in front of her. She blinked, and a tear rolled down her cheek as she murmured, "Jasper."
Jessica's hair was disheveled, her eyelashes red and wet, making her look incredibly vulnerable. She was already stunning, and her vulnerability instantly sparked a man's interest.
Jasper felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze and cleared his throat to ease the tension, "Are you awake? Do you want some water?"
Jessica didn't answer. Her beautiful eyes, with trembling lashes, were filled with tears, making her look very alluring. Jasper almost gritted his teeth to resist, his body moving back to maintain a safe distance from her. Using the excuse of getting water, he wanted to splash some cold water on his face to wake up.
But Jessica grabbed him, and before he could react, her soft lips pressed against his.
Jessica had no technique; she just clung to his lips, kissing him tenderly. But it was enough to stir desire. Jasper straightened up, took off his obstructive pajamas, and threw them on the floor. His long fingers pressed against her collarbone, sliding down as he said, "Let me take care of you."
Jasper's abs were firm, and a thin layer of sweat made him even more enticing. Jessica hadn't had much experience with sex, but this time she felt something different. She gathered her courage, breaking free from the mental restraints, and hugged Jasper's back, feeling so happy she wanted to cry.
Jasper wanted her to feel better. Supporting himself with one hand on the bed and the other on her back, he said breathlessly, "Call my name."
Jessica's face blushed, her whole body tense, biting her lip, unwilling to call out. Jasper, determined not to let her off easily, knew what she liked and deliberately slowed down.
In this aspect, men were naturally skilled. Jessica, not as experienced as him, couldn't take it anymore and pleaded, "Mr. Murphy, you..."
Jasper pinched her chin, sweat dripping from his sharp jawline, and commanded, "Not that."
Jessica whimpered, "Jasper."
The two of them tangled until nearly midnight, and Jessica was utterly exhausted, unable to even get up to shower. In the end, Jasper carried her to the bathroom to clean up.
Afterward, lying back in bed, Jessica was so tired she couldn't think about anything else. Jasper stroked her hair, watching her for a while, suddenly realizing that his feelings for her was different from what he felt for the others from the very beginning.
The date of Francis's wedding was approaching. And Harper was working overtime to speed up the process, hoping to leave earlier. On one hand, she missed Agnes. On the other hand, she couldn't bear to watch Francis give another woman a grand wedding.
One day, Harper went to the dye factory to check on a batch of fabric. Since the two companies had a good relationship, the factory owner warmly invited Harper to dinner.
The owner was also a strong woman, raising two children on her own. Harper admired her independent spirit. It was dinner time, so Harper agreed and offered to treat.
They went to a restaurant, and the factory owner particularly liked heavy-flavored food. As soon as the dishes were served, Harper couldn't help but feel nauseous.
There was a restroom in the private room, but Harper worried about the soundproofing and didn't want to ruin her business partner's appetite. She excused herself to take a call and went to the restroom outside, where she started vomiting as soon as she entered.
Harper didn't notice a pair of eyes watching her. As soon as she entered the restroom, the person followed her in.
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