Chapter 291 He Seems to Really Care About Her
Jasper's heart skipped a beat. "No way," he whispered, gripping the phone tightly.
"She climbed onto the railing, Mr. Foster!" Ryan's voice was frantic. "Should I call the police?"
Jasper's calm facade crumbled. "Keep your eyes on her!" he shouted, fear evident in his voice.
He hung up and dashed out, leaving a stunned Stella behind.
"Jasper!" she screamed, sweeping dishes off the table in anger, the sound of breaking porcelain filling the room.
'Damn Adeline! If she wants to die so badly, let her! She should've died six years ago!' she fumed internally.
Jasper raced out of the hotel, his heart pounding. He slammed the car door and sped off, his mind a mess of confusion and dread.
He got it now. That look in her eyes, the quiet despair...she was thinking about suicide.
No way. He wouldn't let her die like this.
The drive to the bridge, usually ten minutes, took less than five. He screeched to a halt and jumped out before the car even stopped.
"She hasn't moved since I called," Ryan said quietly. "I didn't want to scare her..."
Jasper approached the railing, eyes locked on Adeline. She was barefoot, her shoes and coat on the ground, staring at the water, looking utterly lost.
Even in the dim light, she was stunning, but the despair in her eyes seeped into him, chilling him to the core. She seemed to be looking back on a lifetime of regrets.
And she was.
Sitting on the edge, wind whipping her hair, Adeline stared at the dark sea. This was where Jasper's men had thrown her into the water years ago. And it was here that Brandon's boat had found her, giving her a second chance.
This bridge marked the line between her past and present, a reminder of the life she'd lost and the one she'd rebuilt.
The accident, the disfigurement, childbirth, surgeries, rebuilding her life...it all hit her like a tidal wave of pain and resentment.
She'd endured so much, overcome every obstacle. Right now, everything is just a minor setback for her. She shouldn't care so much, she shouldn't be so sad.
"Are you thinking about jumping?" a cold voice cut through her thoughts.
Adeline flinched, swaying dangerously.
"Careful!" A hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.
Jasper's voice, tight with anger, washed over her. "A minor setback, and you're ready to end it all? Is that how badly you want to be with Sebastian?"
Adeline froze. He thought she was trying to kill herself?
"I'll be here long after you're gone," she spat, shaking off his hand. She would never let him break her.
"If you're not jumping, then why are you here?" he demanded, frustrated. "Enjoying the view?"
"Why not?" she shot back, eyes on the churning water. "It's the perfect spot, don't you think? For murder, for disappearances..."
Her words, hinting at his past actions, went right over his head.
"So you'd throw your life away just to spite me?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "Is that how much you care for Sebastian?"
Adeline laughed, a cold, humorless sound. "You think too highly of yourself, Mr. Foster. But you know what? It's not a bad idea." She took a deep breath, her voice steady. "If my death could bring you down, it would be worth it."
But deep down, she knew it was a hopeless wish. He'd gotten away with it before. Some people were untouchable, their sins always forgiven, their victims forgotten.
"You'd risk your life for revenge?" he asked, voice dangerously low. "You love him that much?"
Adeline stayed silent, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Frustrated by her silence, he grabbed her arm. "Adeline, come down from there."
She looked at him, something unreadable in her eyes. "Do you even care if I live or die, Jasper?"
To him, she was just a toy, someone to humiliate and discard. He'd already stripped her of her dignity, made a mockery of her in front of Sebastian and his family. Did he even care about her feelings, her life?
The raw hatred in her eyes sent a jolt of fear through him. He couldn't read her, couldn't predict her next move. For a terrifying moment, he thought she would jump, choosing oblivion over another moment with him.
His heart pounded, panic rising. He prided himself on staying calm under pressure, but now he was close to losing it.
The last time he'd felt this way was six years ago, when Adeline had disappeared into the sea.
And now, on that same bridge, with her eyes reflecting the same despair, he couldn't breathe.
He couldn't lose her again.
"Jasper, answer me!" she cried, voice cracking. "Do you even care?"
"Come down from there, Adeline!" he roared, grabbing her arm, his fingers digging into her skin. "Stop this madness!"
"This isn't madness!" she shouted back, struggling against his grip. She was just in a bad mood and climbed up here to reminisce about the past. Did he really think she was here to kill herself? In his eyes, was she that fragile?
Her defiance sparked anger in him. "Get down here, now!"
He yanked her towards him, pulling her away from the edge. They grappled for a moment, a dangerous dance on the precipice, her smaller frame no match for his strength.
Finally, she relented, collapsing against him, breath ragged.
He held her tight, his own breath rushing out, relief flooding through him. "A minor setback, and you're ready to end it all?" he muttered, voice hoarse. "When did you become so fragile?"
Adeline closed her eyes, his words stinging like salt on a wound. For a moment, the warmth of his embrace, the steady beat of his heart, almost convinced her he cared.
Almost.
"Jasper," she whispered, voice thin, "take me to the hospital. Please."
He stiffened, looking down at her arm.
The sleeve of her white blouse was stained crimson, the blood stark against the fabric. The wound on her shoulder, ripped open during their struggle, was bleeding heavily.
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