Chapter 457 Who Is Behind the Mischief
Outside the private room, Adeline was pinned against the wall by a mob of onlookers, totally stuck.
Some were hurling insults, some were jeering, and some even chucked stuff at her.
The hallway was jam-packed.
Jasper frowned and made a beeline for her.
Right then, Adeline was slumped against the wall, her eyes blank and face emotionless. Her usually bright eyes were dull, like a lifeless doll.
It was like she couldn't even hear the insults or the chaos around her.
Her light-colored clothes were splattered with coffee and egg yolk, her hair was a mess, and her clothes were torn and wrinkled from all the shoving.
Yet, her blank expression had this weird, ethereal beauty.
The sight made Jasper's heart tighten.
Jasper frowned, shoved through the crowd, and rushed to Adeline, wrapping her in his arms. "You okay?"
Seeing him, a flicker of light finally appeared in Adeline's eyes. She curled her lips, coldly breaking free from his embrace, her lips tinged with sarcasm. "Shouldn't Mr. Foster be celebrating with Ms. Jones right now? What are you doing here?"
Jasper's brow furrowed deeply. "If I didn't come, would I just let you be insulted and bullied here?"
He squinted his eyes. "You're still a Foster Group employee. I can't just stand by and watch you get bullied outside!"
Jasper's words were earnest, but Adeline laughed.
She laughed exaggeratedly. "Really? If I hadn't seen Mr. Foster's true colors before, I might have believed you."
Adeline looked up coldly at his face. "Didn't Mr. Foster also stand by and watch me get bullied before?"
Jasper's eyes narrowed sharply.
He knew Adeline was referring to the time before Blake's bone marrow transplant when she was almost beaten by Diana and Anthony at the market.
Jasper said, "This time is different from that time!"
And that day, he didn't just let Adeline be bullied. If he hadn't seen Vikram coming and Luna having an episode, he wouldn't have ignored her!
Adeline raised an eyebrow. "How is it different?"
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she said, "Oh, the situation is different this time."
Adeline said, "Last time, Ms. Jones was by Mr. Foster's side. This time, she isn't here."
She laughed. "So, whether Mr. Foster can stand up to protect his employee depends on whether Ms. Jones is present, right?"
Adeline's mocking words made Jasper's face pale slightly.
Adeline said, "But I don't need it."
Adeline sneered, standing back against the wall with an indifferent look, glancing at the onlookers. "Are you all going to continue? If you're done insulting or throwing things, let me know. I need to go home, take a shower, and rest."
After saying that, she gave Jasper a cold look. "After all, now I'm free and have time to waste with you all. I also have time to rest."
For the past half month, she had been so busy that she merely had four or five hours of sleep each day, trying her best to perfect her competition piece.
Now, with only two days left until the competition, she had been kicked out by the team she had built herself.
The insults and dirty things thrown at her were nothing compared to the wounds Jasper had inflicted on her heart.
Her desolate appearance made Jasper's heart clench again.
Jasper squinted his eyes, just about to say something, when a sharp voice rang out from the crowd. "Oh my god, is that Jasper?"
Someone recognized Jasper.
With that person's voice, the crowd quickly shifted their attention to Jasper.
"It really is him!"
"Strange, why is Jasper with Adeline, and he was just protecting her?"
"Didn't Adeline hurt his girlfriend? Why's he helping her out?"
Amidst the chatter, someone stepped forward with a recorder. "Mr. Foster, hey, I'm a reporter from Radiance Springs TV. What's your deal with Ms. Wilson now? Why are you alone with her at the café? Are you two on a date? Adeline just hurt your girlfriend, yet you're here with her. What's the story between the three of you? When you're with Adeline, do you feel guilty about Luna? Care to share your thoughts?"
Faced with these rude questions, Jasper's brow furrowed deeply.
He looked up, his icy gaze landing on the reporter's face, his voice cold and aloof. "Even if you're a reporter, I don't owe you an explanation about my private life. Show me your press credentials and state your employer. I'll be contacting your superior."
The reporter hesitated, instinctively taking a few steps back, falling silent.
Jasper's attitude finally quieted the agitated crowd a bit.
After all, Jasper was the president of the Foster Group, an untouchable figure in Radiance Springs.
Seeing the hallway quiet down, Jasper frowned and glanced at Adeline, who still had an indifferent look, as if she couldn't see his efforts to protect her or anything he was doing for her.
Jasper inwardly let out a bitter laugh.
She stood there unmoving; he couldn't just drag her away in front of everyone. So Jasper took out his phone and sent a brief message to Ryan.
The moment he put his phone away, he sharply noticed someone in the crowd throwing a cup of scalding coffee at Adeline. In a flash, Jasper dashed forward and pushed Adeline aside. The coffee hit Jasper's back, the liquid spilling all over his suit jacket.
Adeline, who was suddenly pushed by Jasper, came to her senses and saw Jasper soaked with hot coffee, steam still rising from his clothes.
If it were any other man, this scene would be utterly awkward. But he was Jasper. Even drenched in hot coffee, he still remained dignified and aloof, commanding respect. However, from his tightly furrowed brow, it was clear he was in pain.
Adeline frowned, hesitated for a moment, but eventually went over to support him.
Considering he was Blake and Lauren's biological father and got hurt protecting her, she shouldn't just stand by.
When she supported Jasper, she coldly scanned the crowd. "Anyone who doesn't want to die, move out of the way!! If Jasper is really burned, none of you here can escape responsibility!"
Her words were cold and serious, instantly quieting the hallway.
Those who had been gossiping about Adeline and Jasper fell silent, not daring to speak.
After all, if Jasper was really injured, none of them could bear the consequences!
The crowd spontaneously made way for Jasper and Adeline.
Just as they maneuvered through the crowd and exited, Ryan, accompanied by Tim, Tom, and a retinue of bodyguards, stormed into the café.
"Mr. Foster!" Seeing Jasper in this state, Ryan's eyes widened, and he hurried over.
"It's nothing." Jasper frowned. "It's just a coffee burn, nothing serious."
Ryan shook his head. "How can it be nothing? Didn't Ms. Jones also get burned by Adeline's coffee..."
Ryan stopped mid-sentence when he saw Adeline's face.
Jasper's brow furrowed even more. "Let Adeline take me to the hospital. You stay here and check everyone present, find out who is behind this."
When Jasper first arrived, the café had only a few scattered people. How did it get so crowded after just a short conversation with Adeline?
And Adeline was wearing a hat and mask, so how did she get recognized so quickly? Clearly, these people were directed and prepared.
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