Chapter 164 Aren't You Afraid Your Wife Would Be Angry?
"The man stared at Adeline's anxious face, and yesterday night's scene involuntarily appeared before his eyes.
He composed himself and offered a reassuring smile. ""Don't worry. What happened last night won't repeat.""
Adeline shot him a glower. ""You're not welcome.""
Jasper leaned back on the couch, supremely confident. ""What if I bring Bennett and Lauren with me?""
Bennett and Lauren.
It had been nearly a week since Adeline last saw them. Though the two little ones would sneak a call to her almost every night, hearing their voices wasn't the same as seeing them. And then there was the added worry of them almost falling ill last night...
With that thought, Adeline glanced coldly at Jasper. ""For Bennett and Lauren's sake, I'll tolerate your presence. Reluctantly.""
After agreeing to have Jasper over for dinner, Adeline picked up her pace at work.
Once off the clock, she promptly packed her things and left the office.
As she left, she bumped into her colleague, Lucia, who was also preparing to leave. ""Ms. Adeline, heading out early today?""
Adeline nodded. ""I got things to do at home.""
With that, she strode out the door.
Lucia, struck with a thought, quickly grabbed her purse and followed. ""Are you heading straight home?""
Adeline pressed the elevator button and stepped in. ""What's up?""
""Just curious.""
Beaming, Lucia slipped in with her, and dutifully closed the elevator door, pressing the button. ""I was blind to the fact that I was working alongside a master. Now that I know you're a world-renowned jewelry designer, I hope we can get along...""
Adeline frowned, unimpressed by the flattery. ""If you gossiped less behind people's backs, you might outshine me.""
Lucia's face paled a bit.
Regardless, she kept pace with Adeline.
Initially, Adeline would irritably tell her to scram. Eventually, she couldn't be bothered to shoo her away. Fine, if she wanted to follow, let her.
Leaving the corporate tower, Adeline went straight to the nearby grocery store.
She hadn't seen her two little munchkins in a week and planned to cook up a storm for them.
The grocery store was bustling.
""Ms. Adeline, you can cook? That's impressive! Do you have guests over tonight, Ms. Adeline?"" Lucia's voice droned on in her ear.
Adeline swiftly picked out two large bags of groceries and headed to the checkout. The checkout line was long, filled with people.
""Are you the Adeline from the recent news?"" Suddenly, a woman leaned in, eyeing Adeline's face. ""The mistress who had someone's wife begged on their knees?""
Adeline's brows tightened, ready to dismiss the statement, when Lucia burst out, ""Nonsense! Adeline isn't any mistress! Have you not watched the news properly? That was that woman's own delusions. If someone can't keep their man in line, how can they blame others?""
Lucia's voice rose, catching the attention of everyone in the market.
On the surface, she was defending Adeline, but her words were like a bomb dropped in a marketplace.
The vendors and shoppers, mostly having taken the side against this group of women, began murmuring all at once.
Adeline inwardly cursed, sensing trouble, but it was too late.
The women around her formed a tight circle, trapping her and Lucy in the middle.
""It really is you!"" acclaimed a woman who had previously inquired, whipping out her smartphone to scrutinize Adeline's face. ""You're a homewrecker!""
""Die, homewrecker!""
""Who does a homewrecker think she's fooling, playing the good wife and mother, and going grocery shopping?""
""Get out!""
Surrounded by the crowd, insults were hurled, fists and feet flew, and rotten vegetable scraps were thrown at them.
Lucia hastily raised her hands in defense. ""I'm innocent!""
With a cold glance at Adeline, she muttered, ""Director Leary, I'm off. You can handle this mess.""
Without another word, Lucia slipped through the crowd like an eel, disappearing from sight.
Adeline, left alone, became the target of everyone's fury.
She bent over, desperately guarding the groceries she had purchased, and fumbled for her phone, intending to call the police.
However, before she could dial out, her phone rang.
She was being pushed and shoved. She could hardly stand straight. Her fingers were trembling as she inadvertently hit the speaker button.
""Where are you?"" Jasper's calm voice emerged on the other end. He, alongside Bennett and Lauren, stood outside Adeline's apartment, inquiring through the phone.
The only reply was the cacophony of abusive shouts and jostling noises.
""The homewrecker deserves to be sliced and fried!""
""People who destroy families should be locked up!""
""She's so pretty yet she chose to be a mistress!""
...
Harsh words like these made Jasper frown. His tone was cold. ""Where are you?""
Adeline paused, then replied, ""I'm at the fresh market near the office, on Kenwood Street.""
""I'll be right there.""
Ending the call, Jasper took a deep breath and pressed the elevator button. ""Adeline's being mobbed at the market.""
Having heard this, Lauren and Bennett exchanged a glance and hurriedly followed him into the elevator.
Once they reached the ground floor, Jasper, holding Lauren, led the way. Bennett followed close behind, simultaneously dialing on his phone as they jogged.
After the trio got into the car, Jasper exhorted, ""Buckle up.""
Lauren nodded, secured her seatbelt, then checked Bennett's. ""All set!""
The moment her words fell, the black Maserati shot out like an arrow.
The trip from Swan Lake Estates to the market, which usually took over ten minutes, Jasper reached in just five.
Stepping out of the car, he was met by Tim and Tom, who had rushed from the office, panting heavily.
The three men exchanged a look and quickly made their way up the stairs.
The checkout area on the second floor of the fresh market was swamped with people.
Adeline was trapped in the center by the crowd, barely able to move.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, Tim and Tom pushed their way through the crowd as Jasper barreled forward, pulling Adeline into his protective embrace.
""It's okay now, it's okay,"" he murmured, wrapping his arms tight around her slender frame.
""Who is this guy?""
""Some jerk tangled up with his mistress?""
""Shameless!""
The crowd surged with renewed hostility.
Jasper, holding Adeline close, looked up with a frosty command, ""Shut up, all of you!""
His aura, as icy as his gaze, left no room for doubt. ""Anyone who says another word will not see tomorrow's sunrise!""
Silence descended upon the market like a heavy blanket.
A few women, itching to continue their tirade, were quickly hushed by others tugging at their sleeves. ""That's Jasper, President of the Foster Group...""
Jasper.
The mere name was enough to silence all the women there.
""It's all right,"" he said, his brows furrowing gently as he cast a tender look at Adeline.
Her hair was a mess; her clothes torn and disheveled. She was the picture of distress.
Protected by Jasper's presence, they began to make their way slowly through the crowd toward the exit.
But before they could leave, a woman dared to block their path, arms open wide. ""Mr. Jasper, aren't you worried that your wife will be upset, making such a spectacle defending this... mistress?"""
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