Chapter 103 Bring in a Handwriting Expert
"It's a pity I still failed."
Adeline looked at Jasper with a faint smile. "I overestimated your feelings towards your ex-wife."
"I always heard about how deeply Mr. Foster cherished his ex-wife, Adeline, and how committed he was."
"But it was only after I got close to you that I realized..."
Her gaze chilled as she continued, "Mr. Foster isn't as devoted to her as the rumors suggest."
His brow creased deeply, his voice dropping colder, "You think a few days serving me gives you the right to question me?"
"Of course."
Adeline's smile was elegant. "I've served Mr. Foster in ways few others have."
"I may not resemble Adeline in face or form, but didn't Mr. Foster still engage in something with me that he shouldn't have?"
Her words propelled Jasper back to that tumultuous night.
His eyes darkened, and his frown deepened.
That night, she bore such a striking resemblance to Adeline.
Had it not been for her face, he might've believed they were identical.
But the truth was...
The man's smile was faint, a subtle lift of the corners of his mouth. "A little indiscretion from a night of drinking isn't worth your remembrance, Lauren."
With that, he lowered his gaze to the design proposals before him. "Since you think these plans aren't up to snuff, do you have any particular insights?"
"Some modest thoughts," came the reply.
Seeing that he would not continue on the previous subject, Adeline also allowed a cold smile to play briefly on her lips before returning to business.
She pulled a sheet of A4 paper from her jacket pocket—the one she'd gotten from Mia Turner—and placed it on the desk's surface. "Here are my thoughts," she declared.
Jasper furrowed his brow, lifted the paper, and scrutinized it alongside the design plans, his eyes sweeping it meticulously.
A flash of astonishment crossed his dark eyes.
His father was right.
Adeline indeed possessed a remarkable talent.
Her suggestions for the design modifications hit the nail, transforming a mediocre draft into something with a newfound brilliance.
"Adeline is immensely talented and skilled, and I hope you can set aside your personal bias and give her the recognition she deserves. You won't regret it."
"And also, haven't you always been looking for Adeline?"
"I've heard some rumors that this Adeline might just have a connection to the woman you've been searching for."
...
Ethan's words from the night before still echoed in Jasper's ears.
The man frowned slightly, a gesture to mask the thrill in his eyes.
After a moment, he calmly raised his head, elegantly placing the paper back down. "Impressive work," he conceded.
"It's just a little personal input."
Adeline chuckled softly, eyes downcast. "Compared to the high achievers in your design department, my ideas aren't worth much."
Jasper twisted his brow and, with a graceful gesture, picked up a pen from beside him, reaching for a blank sheet of paper. He carelessly started transcribing the notes from her paper.
Despite Adeline's deep-seated hatred towards him, she had to admit that his actions at that moment were heartwarming.
He understood she was new to the design department and might need more time to assert her ideas directly.
So he took her written suggestions and rewrote them in his words.
This spared her the inconvenience and made it clear that he firmly intended the design team to follow these mandates.
It had to be said when it came to his work, he was always sharp-minded.
But...
Her gaze drifted to the pen he held.
The pen looked well-used, the top marked with a bite imprint from someone named Scarlett.
It was a pen she'd given him for his birthday when she was still a student with little money. She had worked odd jobs for months to afford that gift for him.
After buying a fountain pen, she found herself ravenously hungry one evening following work, deliriously getting up and tearing into a pack of finger cookies.
In the darkness, she accidentally unwrapped the gift box meant for him and even bit the pen.
She expected him to be disgusted.
To her surprise, however, he chuckled and slid the pen into his jacket pocket. "A pen with a bite mark? That's pretty unique."
"Thank you," she replied.
At that moment, he was gentle and wonderful.
She fell for him completely.
From then on, she pursued him relentlessly, heedless of everyone's objections, determined to marry him.
She knew he never liked her back.
She thought her sincerity could eventually warm his cold heart.
But in reality, his coldness was reserved for her alone.
Still, she couldn't understand. Only the two of them knew the origin of that pen.
In other words, even if he threw the pen away, no one would ever realize that his professed deep love for his ex-wife was a sham.
Yet, why did he keep it, and why did he persist in using it?
"Miss Wilson."
Abruptly, the man's deep voice snapped Adeline back to the present.
Startled, she quickly averted her gaze. "Mr. Foster, are you done writing?"
"Done."
He placed the paper into a folder and looked indifferently at the fountain pen in his hand. "Do you think my pen looks nice?"
She had been staring at his pen for quite some time.
Adeline nodded, offering an embarrassed smile, "I never would've guessed Mr. Foster's pen would have bite marks."
Jasper glanced faintly at the slight indentations on the pen. "Those aren't bite marks. It got knocked against something accidentally."
Her heart went cold in an instant.
"I see."
With a hollow laugh, her smile not reaching her eyes, she said, "Well then, I won't keep Mr. Foster from his work."
With that, she picked up the folder with the design proposal, turned, and walked out the door.
The office door closed behind her.
Jasper watched her leave, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.
He was about to return to work when he spotted the A4 paper on his desk.
On it, the woman's refined handwriting was neatly arranged.
That handwriting...
Jasper furrowed his brow and silently picked up the paper.
He was sure it was Adeline's handwriting.
Yet, for some reason, he felt he should recognize it.
Suddenly, as if struck by a revelation, he picked up the phone and dialed Ryan.
"Go back to Blue Bay, find the top shelf in the study, and fetch me Adeline's diary from back in the day."
Ryan hesitated on the other end of the line, sounding puzzled. "Sir, why do you suddenly want to look at the madam's old diaries?"
Quite frankly, Ryan had no desire to enter Jasper's study.
The room held too many things that were connected to Adeline.
It made Ryan feel oppressed.
At first, this oppression stemmed from knowing Adeline was gone.
Now, it came from the knowledge that she wasn't dead after all.
She was alive, but her memory weighed on Jasper's heart, forcing him to accept the sole outcome of waiting for her return.
"Bring me the diaries," Jasper's voice broke through the silence.
"And arrange for a handwriting expert as well."
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