Chapter 147 Weren't You Supposed to Spend the Night with Me?
Bennett gave him a suspicious glance, "Didn't you say you didn't want us keeping in touch with her?"
Jasper let out a mocking laugh, "And you always listen to what I say?"
"Don't think I don't know what that new signal blocker at home is for."
Bennett felt a pang of guilt.
After Adeline was released, Jasper ordered Bennett and Lauren not to contact her anymore. He even threatened to use the signals from their home to determine if they secretly reached out to her.
Confronted with his command, Bennett sought Blake's help to set up a makeshift signal blocker at home.
With the blocker on, their communications with Adeline couldn't be detected.
Unexpectedly, Jasper still found out.
"Should I just call her then?"
Bennett, now caught, felt unsure.
Holding his phone, he limped away.
"Stop right there."
He hadn't reached the door when the man's cold voice halted him. "Make the call here."
Bennett pursed his lips, reluctantly returned to the couch, and dialed Adeline's number in silence.
Sitting on his chair, Jasper commanded again, "Put it on speaker."
Bennett's small frame shook as he protested, "Let's not."
"What's the matter?"
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you trying to prove to me that your mom, Adeline, isn't the type to go home with just anyone?"
Rolling his eyes, Bennett reluctantly switched to speaker.
"Hello?"
The call connected quickly.
Adeline's cheerful voice came through. "Bennett, why are you calling now? "
"Is Jasper asleep?"
The little guy sneaked a glance at the stern man. "Yeah, he's asleep."
"Good, I was worried he'd catch you."
Adeline sighed, joking with Bennett. "HEven though he's nice to Lauren;, she's a girl. But "
"yYou're a boy, and Mommy's afraid he might hit you!"
Normally, Adeline teasing like this would have Bennett reply with an 'I'm young and strong; he can't beat me.'
But now...
All he could do was chuckle awkwardly and swiftly change the subject.
"Mommy, where are you right now?"
Adeline mumbled through a mouthful of fruit, "I'm at your aunt's, having a fruit platter."
Just as her words finished, Violet's voice came through, "Bennett, your aunt misses you!"
Relieved by Adeline's response, the little guy took a deep breath and defiantly met Jasper's gaze.
Jasper's lips curved in a smirk.
For some reason, h...
Hearing that Adeline hadn't stayed overnight with Sebastian but was at Violet's home, he felt a sense of relief.
Bennett quirked a corner of his mouth. "So, Mom, have you met anyone interesting recently?"
"I sSure have."
Adeline got up and went back to her room, sprawling on the large bed as she started chatting with Bennett. "Didn't I tell you yesterday? I met that artist I've admired for many years."
"Staying at your aunt's place has been a bit inconvenient, so I've been thinking about finding my place. It just so happens he's new to Denver too and recently rented a place."
"He took me to see his apartment tonight, and it seemed perfect, so I'm planning to rent it."
"I'll give you the new address once I'm all settled in."
With those words, the truth was laid bare.
Bennett felt there was little left to prove.
After a brief and polite conversation with Adeline, he ended the call.
Putting away his phone, the kid looked at Jasper with a smug expression. "Mr. Foster, did you hear that? "
"My mom and Uncle Sebastian just went out just to look at an apartment. "
"It's nothing like what you were thinking!"
With that, the little guy turned on his heel, pushed open the door to the study, and strutted out.
Jasper remained seated in his executive chair, silently watching the direction Bennett had left, a smile involuntarily curling the corners of his mouth.
So it was just apartment hunting, after all.
"Jasper."
Bennett had barely left when the door to the study was pushed open again.
Stella entered with a tender smile, carrying a steaming cup of tea.
Gently placing the tea cup in front of Jasper, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders like a serpent and whispered in his ear, "Didn't we agree you wouldn't work late tonight, that you'd spend time with me?"
These advances caused Jasper to frown ever so slightly.
Such intimacy should have been delightful between spouses, yet when Stella touched him like this, he instinctively felt a certain resistance.
Perhaps it was the long time they'd been apart, or possibly Stella had changed, or maybe he had.
In any case, Jasper hesitated for a long time before gently unwinding her arms from his shoulders.
Under her surprised gaze, he picked up the cup of tea and took a sip.
The hot tea cleared his mind.
"Stella, you go on to bed. "
"I've got a bit of work to do."
Stella's brow furrowed in dissatisfaction as she stared at Jasper's face. "Jasper, is your job more important than me?"
"Ever since I came back, you haven't really looked at me! "
"Weren't we very loving before? "
"You've changed!"
Her words only tightened Jasper's frown.
His gaze narrowed as he looked at her. "Do you really think our days in the past were filled with affection?"
There was a dangerous glint in the man's eyes.
Stella felt a guilty conscience.
Her lips quivered as she spoke, "In my heart, what we had was love."
Jasper narrowed his eyes, "I was horrible to you in the past."
Have they had outsiders perceive his and Adeline's relationship as a loving one? After all, Adeline defied countless objections to marry him with resolve.
To the world, he seemed to have rebelled against his family's expectations for Adeline, turning down the advances of Evelyn Quinn from the prominent Quinn family.
But the truth was, he had failed to fulfill his duties as a husband post-marriage. He thought he could never fall for Adeline, so he was indifferent, often not returning home at night, and prioritized work over her.
It was only after she left that he finally recognized his feelings. And for those reasons, he spent the past six years submerged in shame.
Now, Stella claimed those times were happy for her. He didn't know whether she was lying to him or to herself.
The man rubbed his temples, overwhelmed with guilt and debt to Adeline.
He turned around, lifted Stella in his arms, and carried her to the bedroom.
Caught off guard, Stella quickly wrapped her arms around his neck coquettishly, "Jasper..."
He carried her straight to their room.
Laid down on the vast bed, Stella stared at the ceiling, her chest heaving with excitement.
Tonight.
Tonight, she would fully become Jasper's woman.
She had been preparing for this moment for so long.
The bedroom lights cast an intoxicating glow.
Jasper forced himself to lean in and kiss her, but it was just like before.
Just when they were about to close the gap, he stopped.
"What's wrong?" Stella asked with hazy eyes.
"Sweetheart, how about a shower first?"
Stella hesitated for a moment, reluctance flickering over her face, but she obediently got up and went to the bathroom.
Watching her silhouette through the frosted glass, Jasper closed his eyes heavily.
He still couldn't do it.
Was there something wrong with him?
But with Adeline, everything had been…
With a sigh, he pushed himself to overcome these feelings. After all, Stella had endured through the years for him.
She had done so much for him; he couldn't leave her without any response. With that thought, he rubbed his temples and reached for the blanket.
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