Chapter 152 Disappointed to See Me?
"Sir, I've looked into it, and there's definitely someone pulling strings behind today's news," Ryan's voice came through the phone.
Jasper furrowed his brow slightly. "Did you find out who it is?"
"We have yet to track them down. The company orchestrating the publicity is registered overseas, and the financier goes by the name Moon."
"There's no information available on this Moon anywhere; it might be a fake identity."
Jasper's brow furrowed deeply, "Keep looking."
Hanging up, his grip on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly.
How much had Stella changed in these six years?
What secrets might she still be keeping from him?
Soon, his car pulled up at Blue Bay.
"Jasper!"
Stella had been waiting eagerly at the villa's entrance. As his car stopped, she rushed over with a beaming smile.
She handed him a coat, "A bit chilly this evening, isn't it?"
Jasper glanced at her blankly, "Yeah, it's getting cooler."
"I'll go buy you some autumn clothes tomorrow."
Linking her arm with his, Stella cheerfully walked with him toward the villa, "I asked the staff to prepare snacks for Lauren and Bennett today."
"I called you to come home before they could even get hungry."
"I’mShe's really trying hard to be a good mom."
Her soft voice caused a slight frown to appear on Jasper's face.
"Did you watch the news today?"
Stella blinked her large eyes at him, "Which news are you talking about?"
He smirked, "The one about you and Adeline."
"Oh, that."
Stella suddenly remembered, "I saw that piece. I wonder who's got so much free time on their hands to capture moments from the surveillance room."
"When I visited grandma today, she even mentioned it. She wanted to intervene on my behalf at the company, but I stopped her."
Finished with a rueful laugh, she said, "Elderly folks tend to believe in rumors like that."
Jasper's brow furrowed lightly at her empathetic demeanor, and for a moment, he even forgot to reprimand her.
"Let's go inside."
Stella smiled warmly, linking arms with Jasper as they entered.
The kids who had stood dutifully at the doorway just yesterday chanting slogans were all conspicuously absent today.
Jasper stepped inside, his gaze instinctively traveling upstairs.
"Aren't you the one who said we shouldn't force children to do things they don't like?"
"They didn't come down to greet you today. You're not mad, are you?"
Jasper's expression stiffened momentarily before he shook his head slightly.
"Bennett, Lauren, dinner's ready!"
Stella, still arm in arm with Jasper, called out to the upstairs as they walked towards the dining room.
Once Jasper and Stella were seated at the dining table, there was still no sign of the two youngster oness above. Stella asked Alice to go upstairs and hurry them.
A few minutes later, two furry little heads popped over the railing of the upstairs landing.
"I'm not hungry," Bennett pouted.
Lauren's lips trembled, "I’mLauren notisn't eating!"
With that, the two little heads disappeared in unison.
Jasper frowned.
"That's the problem with letting them snack all the time."
Stella sighed, "Kids just can't manage their snacks properly. Too many snacks, and they skip the main meal."
"Maybe," she suggested with a flutter of her eyelashes, "I should go back to the old rule of no snacks tomorrow?"
After a long silence, Jasper let out a sigh. "I'll talk to them later."
Stella's smile froze for a moment.
"That sounds good."
With that, she began ordering the staff to serve the meal.
This was the first time Stella and Jasper dined alone since she had come into his life.
She was so excited, serving Jasper rice and piling his plate with food.
His companion's enthusiasm almost made Jasper speak up several times, but he hesitated.
With the last bite finished, he laid down his forkchopsticks. "Stella, I need to talk to you."
Stella, who was handing dishes to the staff, laughed softly, "What is it that you need to say here?"
"That day at the gallery, there was actually surveillance."
He looked at her intently. "The painting Adeline destroyed was a replica of 'The Kite and The Girl.' On the fake, there was a concealed pinhole camera."
Stella's hands, busy with the dishes, came to an abrupt halt.
After a moment, she mustered a forced smile, "How could that be..."
Sebastian was present the day the painting was destroyed. If there really was surveillance footage, why didn't he produce it right then?
"I've said my piece."
Jasper looked at her intently, "You used to share everything with me. We were open with each other."
"Because we were open with each other, I know who you are, and that's why I'll always have your back, no matter what."
"But now, I can't figure you out."
With that, he stood up and headed toward the door.
Stella bit down hard on her teeth, "Where are you going?"
He paused momentarily.
A moment later, he continued his stride toward the exit, "If you're keeping your distance, I don't need to spell everything out."
Watching his retreating figure, Stella's eyes darkened with resentment.
Finally, she stormed upstairs, pulled out a burner phone from the bottom drawer, and texted, "Monroe, it's time to pull out."
Jasper wouldn't lie to her.
If Adeline really had the actual surveillance tape, she couldn't risk it now.
...
Jasper drove straight to Swan Lake Estates.
Swan Lake was the community where Sebastian and Adeline had just rented a new place.
After overhearing Adeline talking about renting a place on the phone last night, he had Ryan track Sebastian's location immediately.
Arriving at Sebastian's building, he saw the moving truck pulling away and Adeline, carrying a duffel bag, walking inside with Sebastian, who was wheeling a suitcase.
He frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then ultimately decided to follow them.
"There's a farmer's market nearby; I'll show you around tomorrow."
After escorting Adeline to her door and dropping off her luggage, Sebastian smiled and left, "I'll let you settle in. I'll catch up with you tomorrow."
"Okay."
Sebastian and Adeline were neighbors, but not quite.
Swan Lake was an upscale complex of studio apartments with about six or seven units per floor.
Their apartments were two doors apart. The landlord had noted that the two rooms between were vacant and questioned why Adeline chose a place so far from Sebastian.
She had her reasons, one being if Bennett and Lauren ever visited, it wouldn't disturb Sebastian's sleep.
Maintaining a respectful distance was better than any alternative.
Just like now, Sebastian didn't enter her apartment; he headed straight home.
The woman sighed, took out her keys, and opened the door.
As soon as she opened it, footsteps sounded behind her, followed by the noise of her rolling suitcase.
She thought it must be Sebastian and let out a resigned chuckle, "Didn't we agree you were going to rest?"
As she spoke, she opened the door to let the person wheeling the suitcase behind her enter.
The room was pitch black.
Leaving the door ajar, she turned to flick on the light.
"Bang!"
The moment she hit the switch, the door slammed shut behind her.
She furrowed her brows in mild annoyance.
Turning her head, she began, "Sebastian, didn't you say—"
Her words halted when she caught sight of the stark, chiseled features of the man standing behind her.
Jasper gracefully took a seat on the couch, his gaze cold and indifferent, "Are you dDisappointed to see me?"
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