Chapter 173 Sir, I've Come to Take You to the Municipal Bureau
Jasper's arrival shocked not only the journalists below but also Adeline and Nan Hsun on stage.
The two exchanged a glance.
Adeline lowered her voice. "Did you arrange for him to come?"
Nan Hsun raised his hands innocently. "I swear, it wasn't me."
As they talked, Jasper made his way to Adeline's side.
He picked up the microphone in front of Adeline, his voice cool and firm. "Since Adeline and I are under scrutiny, how could I not be present?"
Jasper settled beside Adeline, his presence towering over the reporters below. "If you have any questions, ask me directly. Do not trouble Adeline."
The chill emanating from him made everyone in attendance involuntarily gasped.
The reporters who had been hurling venomous words at Adeline fell silent.
Some folks, itching to make an unnoticed exit, found themselves stopped cold by Ryan and TimTom at the door.
A hush fell over the room for a long while.
Seeing no one else stepping up, Jasper flashed a casual smile. "Let me just clear the air for everyone. Adeline is a brilliant jewelry designer, and she's great with my two kids. We have a professional relationship, but we're also friends. Maybe, after my divorce becomes final, it may evolve into what you're all speculating. Who knows?"
As he spoke, his gaze turned icy. "But let me be clear. Adeline is not a mistress."
Silence engulfed the venue.
After a painfully long pause, Mona couldn't take it anymore.
Fuming, she rose to her feet. "Jasper, where does this leave Serena? She has loved you for years, changed herself in so many ways for you—swallowed every indignity! And now you're sticking your neck out for your mistress, defending her?"
Jasper's glare cut through the tension. "I've said it; Adeline is not a mistress!"
His voice was as chilly as his stare.
Mona frowned, her lips pressed into a thin line of discontent. "By defending Adeline, you're basically confirming the truth behind the recorded call—that Serena has been framing Adeline. Siding with a stranger to embarrass your own wife, I just can't fathom your thinking."
The mention of the recorded call made Jasper's brow furrow even more deeply. He remembered clearly, at the end of the recording, Serena's words.
"Only when she's gone can I find time and energy to deal with those two little nuisances."
He had never imagined jealousy could drive a person to madness.
Bennett and Lauren were her own flesh and blood!
Yet, she was so spiteful that she would harm her children simply because they had been closer to Adeline when they were young.
The thought left Jasper's heart even colder.
He lifted his gaze, his voice a low rumble. "Since everyone's so keen on my personal affairs, I may as well make another announcement."
Taking a deep breath, he straightened up. "I've always said, I'd welcome my wife back with open arms, willing to do anything just to have her return.
"But now that she has, I've realized time can truly transform someone into a stranger. The face, the voice, the habits—they are all the same, yet she's entirely different."
He looked at the gathered journalists, his gaze seeming to pierce through the crowd, reaching far beyond. "The Adeline of the past trusted me, believed in me—whether I was in meetings or dinners with other women, she understood it was all in the line of work.
"But the woman she has become... She has changed. So, I've decided to get a divorce."
The man's declaration exploded through the venue like a thunderclap.
It was Mrs. Lyle's jealousy and schemes against Adeline that Jasper had resolved to divorce.
The news was shockingly abrupt.
Not only were the reporters dumbstruck, but even Adeline hadn't seen it coming.
The first to react was Helen, who had been quietly sitting in a corner.
Like a madwoman, she rushed forward and grabbed Jasper's collar. "How dare you divorce my daughter?! She sacrificed so much for you, and now you're abandoning her!"
Jasper coolly pried Helen's fingers off one by one. "That was in the past," he reminded her. "Besides, you're the last person who should play the advocate for Adeline."
His voice was icy as he continued, "You think I don't know how unfairly you treated her back then?"
Helen froze in her tracks.
Staring at Jasper's face in disbelief, she murmured, "What are you talking about..."
Jasper ignored her and simply gave Ryan a knowing look. Ryan promptly escorted Helen out of the venue.
The murmur of the crowd grew louder.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Nathan, with a furrowed brow, took the microphone to control the room. "We have clarified what needed to be clarified and made our big announcement. This press conference is now concluded."
With those final words, the live feed to the press conference was abruptly cut.
Sitting at the center of the mall, Guinevere Starling clenched her fists tightly at her sides as she stared at the now darkened giant screen.
Jasper actually filed for divorce.
He had declared their divorce at Adeline's press conference to clear her name.
She gritted her teeth; her resentment grew deeper and darker.
'Why? Why has Jasper always been blind to her devotion from childhood'
It should have been her whom Jasper brought home.
Suddenly, her phone began to ring.
The woman frowned and answered the call.
"Miss, we've found evidence. Someone hacked into the telecom company's system and took the call logs between you and me. There aren't many who can master such technology."
The voice of the middle-aged man on the other end sounded weary. "We're currently tracking down world-renowned hackers."
After a pause, Mr. Morris sighed heavily. "Sir saw the press conference and is fuming at home... Perhaps you should come home for a bit?"
Guinevere's irritation was palpable. "I'll think about it. I'm not in the mood to go back right now."
There was silence on the other end of the line before the middle-aged man spoke up again, more somberly, "I think you should really consider coming back. Now that Jasper has announced that he wants a divorce, he can be with Adeline openly, even if you refuse to sign the papers," he said.
"What you can do is to put some pressure on Jasper, make him reconsider and drop the idea of divorce. You know, even though the Moores have never been in-laws with the Fosters, you two have been lifelong friends. Maybe put a little pressure, get Ethan Foster on your side. What do you think?"
His words caused Claire to furrow her brow.
After a moment, she rolled her eyes irritably. "I'll make time to go back."
Hanging up the phone, Claire left the mall, her mood somber.
As she stepped outside, a black Maserati pulled up in front of her.
The car door lowered, revealing Ryan's smiling face. "Madam, the boss sent me to take you to the civil affairs office."
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