Chapter 117 When Did She Have a Child?
"Molly's child?" Jasper furrowed his brow. "When did she have a child?"
"Jasper, are you still playing dumb at this point? Is it worth it?"
Adeline's stare drilled into his deceitful face, the light in her eyes growing colder. "If it weren't for Molly getting pregnant, do you think Adeline would have been so determined to leave?"
Looking at her accusatory demeanor, Jasper's expression was filled with mockery.
"So what you're saying is, not only did Molly get pregnant at some point, but she also had my child. Were you about to suggest that Adeline left me because Molly was carrying my child?" he challenged.
"Isn't that the case?" came the skeptical retort.
Adeline's heart twisted in pain as she saw the mocking look in his eyes. How could he feign innocence even now?
Back in the day, Molly and Adeline were both pregnant. To appease Molly, he orchestrated a car accident to eliminate Adeline.
Worse yet, after they thought she was dead, they presented her supposed “suicide note” to tarnish her name with allegations of infidelity.
Now that she had openly acknowledged knowing their scheme, this man still dared to feign innocence in front of her!
Her statement sparked a laugh in him. "If Molly was pregnant with my child, where is the child now?"
His infuriating laugh was a mockery to Adeline.
Biting back her anger, she wondered if he thought she had no evidence.
Hadn't Molly undergone an abortion at the hospital not long after her 'fatal' car accident, thinking Adeline was none the wiser?
Jasper sneered at her, "Are you trying to say she got rid of the baby?"
Adeline stared back in silence.
"What an imagination you've got!"
He glanced at the steel watch on his wrist, his gaze darkening. "It's lunchtime. Let's eat."
On the adjacent couch, Bennett's young voice carried a note of displeasure. "After all this, you still expect my mom to play along with your charade during lunch?"
"The reporters are already here. What do you think?" Jasper replied indifferently, his eyes brushing past Bennett but seemingly directed at Adeline. "If we've put on a show, we must see it through to the end."
He turned to Adeline and said, "Miss Wilson, you agreed to something this morning. Are you going back on your word now?"
Adeline's heart skipped a beat. The nerve of this man!
He might have been clueless before, but now she was here as Adeline's friend, yet he expected her to continue this performance!
He professed his love for Adeline, molding himself into the image of a man deeply in love.
Yet, his true intentions were hidden. His insistence on pretending to be a couple wasn't about making Adeline jealous.
Adeline smiled mockingly. "I'm a woman of my word.
"But let's make sure you are, too, Mr. Foster. Don't forget what you've promised me."
Jasper's lips curved into a faint smile. "Of course."
He, too, was eager to unravel the truth behind Molly's pregnancy.
Adeline wasn't fond of Bennett sharing the same media exposure as herself, so he and Lauren didn't join her for lunch.
The two kids were perched on either side of the coffee table in Jasper's office, nibbling on their lunch with furrowed brows.
"Could Daddy be suspecting Mommy's true identity?" Lauren asked in a hushed tone, biting her lip.
Bennett shrugged. "Given the wit of that scumbag, he should have doubts. But they say a man in love loses all his smartness. Judging by his recent heartbreak, I don't think he'll suspect a thing."
Lauren pouted, "Aren't you scared of getting caught talking like this in Daddy's office?"
"Not a chance."
Bennett glanced up at the two towering men at the door. "Aren't you guys going to grab some food?"
"No worries, boss. You and Lauren go ahead." Tom chuckled, his expression amiably simple. "With such a top-secret conversation, I wouldn't want anyone overhearing."
Tim nodded in agreement. "Relax, we've got your back. No one's eavesdropping on our watch."
"See?" The young boy boasted to his sister, "I've still got people who got my back."
Lauren rolled her eyes in response.
After a long pause, she sighed softly, "I kind of miss Blake."
Bennett's grip on his fork tightened briefly.
Blake...
"We'll find a way."
...
Jasper had chosen the company cafeteria for their lunch, and as he led Adeline toward its entrance, it struck her as surreal.
At the very least, she had expected that Jasper would take her to one of the more intimate restaurants beneath their corporate tower.
The cafeteria was a setting she had once adored in her youth; the idea of dining with a boyfriend amidst public admiration was something she had even blogged about.
Looking back, it seemed so naïve.
With all three of her children now six years old, being led by Jasper into such a conspicuous setting only added embarrassment to her existing frustration.
She and Jasper...
They should have been showing affection but were instead in a silent standoff.
At a time when they shouldn't be connected, they were ironically fulfilling her youthful fantasies of romance in the most twisted of manners.
Was this a blessing or a curse?
Jasper guided her to their prearranged table.
The executive's lunch was no different from any regular employee: a simple affair consisting of a main dish, three sides, and dessert.
As a gentlemanly gesture, Jasper released Adeline's hand and pulled out a chair for her to sit down.
Then, he took his seat across from her with grace.
Adeline picked up her fork, and Jasper followed suit.
They ate their lunch in silence, without any exchange of words.
A hush fell over the space around them.
In the distance, reporters who had staked out the spot exchanged bewildered glances. Were these the same two lavishing each other with affection this morning?
Sensing the reporters' confusion, Jasper casually lifted a piece of ribs with his fork and placed it on Adeline's plate.
She frowned slightly, glanced at the offering, and ate it.
After finishing, Adeline returned the gesture, placing some greens into Jasper's bowl as if out of routine.
Their interaction seemed awkward, no matter how one looked at it.
Finally, the reporters shared uncertain looks before sending a representative forward.
"Mr. Foster, Miss Wilson."
The journalist offered a strained smile. "May I ask how the two of you fell in love?"
"Love at first sight."
"Love at first sight."
The words left their mouths in unison without a second thought.
Adeline shot Jasper a surprised look when their voices overlapped, only to meet his equally shocked gaze.
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