"Everything he did, he did it for you."

"So, is he willing to harm others on my behalf?" Alyssa couldn't take it any longer and snickered. "He's attempting to justify his uncivilized behavior. He'd better not use that excuse anymore-it'll only embarrass me!"

"Alyssa!" Jasper called out to her, his tone laden with bitterness. He felt like he was being crushed. "I'm not trying to justify my actions. I just have one question for you-what do I mean to you?"

Her breath caught, and her heart ached. In the dim light, she could see the shattered look in Jasper's eyes and the pain that was etched across his face.

Jameson's sharp gaze bore into Jasper's pale face.

"If you stay out of my life, we might have a chance to be business partners in the future. If you remain stubborn, we can only be enemies," Alyssa cautioned. Then, she walked away slowly, holding Jameson without even glancing at Jasper.

Jasper stood motionless for a long time, feeling as though the world had forsaken him.

After what seemed like an eternity, he felt numb from head to toe. His tears had dried in the wind, only to well up again. Someday, a woman might take Alyssa's place in his life, but he would never love anyone as deeply as he had loved Alyssa.

Jameson had secured the second-largest villa in the affluent neighborhood, while Alyssa resided in the grandest one.

The entire estate belonged to the Schmidts, granting Jameson the freedom to switch between buildings as he wished.

As they stepped into the courtyard, Alyssa couldn't help but sympathize with Jameson when she noticed the severe injury on his face. She cautiously asked, "Does it ... hurt?"

He warmly beamed at her but accidentally brushed against his injury, making his smile appear somewhat strained. He reassured her, "It's alright. It doesn't hurt much."

"That bastard! He's gone out of hand!" Alyssa seethed, as though she were ready to confront Jasper.

"Mr. Beckett is a military school graduate and a veteran, so it's no surprise that he can be rather heavy-handed," Jameson explained.

Alyssa's face fell a little. She questioned, "How did you know about his military past? Did you investigate him?"

Jameson calmly replied with a smile, "In both business and relationships, I'm destined to be his rival. To win the game, I need to know my rival inside out."

Alyssa understood the underlying message in his words and pressed her lips together.

Unfortunately, she didn't share the same sentiments as Jameson. What's more, she had to feign ignorance about his feelings.

He turned to her, worry lacing his tone as he said, "If my mom asks about the injury, you'll need to cover for me."

"How? Should I tell her you fell on your face while walking at night?" she pondered, frowning at the impossible idea.

He smiled wryly with an affectionate gaze.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Alyssa had a sudden realization and retrieved a foundation case from her bag, handing it to him. She suggested, "Use some foundation to conceal it." "Is this..."

"Do you even know how to use it?"

Jameson looked at her with hopeful eyes and shook his head.

"I'll help you," she offered. Dabbing the foundation powder onto the cushion, she gently patted it onto the swollen area on his cheek.

"Ouch..." He couldn't help but grimace.

She hurriedly asked, "Does it hurt?"

He squinted and intentionally drew nearer to her. Her skin was as soft as a baby's, right down to the fine baby hairs on it.

Oh, how he loved her.

Their breaths intermingled as their noses nearly touched. She detected the minty freshness of his breath, which, combined with the violet scent from his shirt, made her feel slightly lightheaded. "It hurt a bit. But now, it's all better," he replied, gazing into her eyes with a smile.

She quickly stepped back, nearly dropping the foundation case. She might have accidentally called him by his childhood nickname, but that didn't mean they were close.

"Let's go, Lyse, or it'll be too late to make dinner," he said, stopping teasing her. He knew he needed to win her over gradually.

They disappeared into the doors of his villa.

On the other side of the vintage gates, Jasper stood across the street, glaring angrily at the lights inside the villa.

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