Chapter 161 Jasper Falls Ill
In the Grant family's villa, Sophie sat at her vanity, staring at her puffy, red-rimmed eyes in the mirror, her gaze dark and heavy.
She'd cried all night, and the resentment and bitterness inside her had only grown stronger. Arthur's warning still echoed in her ears, but there was no way she was just going to let this go.
She picked up her phone and dialed an unfamiliar number. When the call connected, she kept her voice low, her tone sharp and cold. "Find out which kindergarten Aria's son goes to, and map out her daily routes. The more detailed, the better."
She was going to make Aria understand that if she dared to come back, she'd have to face the consequences.
The person on the other end agreed, and after hanging up, Sophie looked at herself in the mirror, a cold smile creeping across her lips.
So Arthur wanted to protect Aria and that little bastard? Fine. She'd go after the kid. Once she had the child in her grip, no matter how tough Aria acted, she'd have no choice but to back down.
She refused to believe Arthur could be by their side every single moment.
That afternoon, Aria got a call from the kindergarten teacher saying that Jasper had woken up from his nap with a slight fever and wasn't looking well.
Her heart clenched. She quickly said a few words to Lance, who had wanted to come with her, but right before they left, he got a call about an urgent matter at the company that needed his attention. With no other choice, Lance had to let Aria go to the kindergarten on her own.
When she found Jasper, the little boy was slumped tiredly in the teacher's arms, his cheeks flushed pink. The moment he saw Aria, he reached out his little hands. "Mommy."
"Good boy, Jasper. Mommy's taking you to the doctor."
Aria held him close, her heart aching. The moment her fingertips touched his burning forehead, the urgency hit her even harder.
She carried Jasper out of the kindergarten and was about to flag down a cab when a black sedan pulled up right in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Arthur's anxious face. "Aria, what's wrong with Jasper?"
She hadn't expected him to be there. She paused for a moment, then said with a cold expression, "It's none of your business."
She tried to walk around the car, but Arthur immediately pushed the door open and stepped out, reaching toward Jasper's forehead. Aria stepped back. "Mr. Grant, please keep your distance."
"He's my son. I'm not going to stand by while he's sick."
Arthur's voice was urgent. "Get in. I'll drive you to the hospital. My car's faster."
Jasper was drifting in and out of a feverish haze, whimpering softly in Aria's arms, his little face growing even redder.
Seeing how miserable her son looked, Aria finally gave in and climbed into the back seat with Jasper in her arms.
Inside the car, Arthur told the driver to hurry, then turned around to look at the mother and son in the back seat. His eyes were full of worry. He pulled out a tissue, wanting to wipe the sweat from Jasper's forehead, but afraid of making Aria uncomfortable, his hand froze in midair before he quietly pulled it back.
Aria held her son and stared out the window without a word, the coldness around her keeping everyone at a distance.
She knew Arthur was Jasper's father. But five years apart had built a wall between them that couldn't be crossed.
She could accept him caring about Jasper. But she could never again let him back into her life.
At the hospital, after blood tests and a full checkup, the doctor said it was a viral cold, prescribed some medication, and told them to make sure he drank plenty of fluids and got rest.
Arthur ran back and forth handling the paperwork, paying the bills, picking up the medicine, working up a sweat in the process. Aria sat in the waiting area holding Jasper, watching his busy figure from behind, something complicated stirring inside her.
But she pushed it down quickly.
She told herself not to go soft. Because the moment she did, all the old pain would come rushing back.
When they walked out of the hospital with the medicine, Arthur offered to drive them home. Aria shook her head. "That's alright. I'll get a cab. Thank you for your help today, Mr. Grant. But it won't be necessary in the future."
"Aria."
Arthur called after her, a hint of pleading in his voice. "Jasper's sick. I want to be there for him, at least until he gets better."
"That won't be necessary. I can take care of him myself."
Aria cut him off, turned around with Jasper in her arms, and walked away without looking back.
Arthur stood there, watching her figure grow smaller in the distance, the helplessness in his chest growing heavier.
He knew the road between him and Aria was still very, very long.
What he didn't know was that behind a tree not far away, a man dressed in black was holding up his phone, capturing everything. He then sent the photos to Sophie.
Sophie stared at the pictures — Arthur's anxious expression, Aria's cold retreating figure — and the venom in her eyes deepened.
"Just you wait, Aria. This is only the beginning."
She murmured under her breath, her finger sliding across the screen, her eyes full of calculation.
A new scheme was quietly taking shape.
Meanwhile, Aria carried her sick son home, gave him his medicine, and watched him fall into a deep sleep. She sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking his small face, her eyes filled with quiet resolve.
Whatever trouble came next, she would fight with everything she had to protect her child. She would not let anyone hurt him. Not even a little.
Aria had barely been sitting by the bed for a few minutes when her phone buzzed. Lance's name lit up the screen. She quietly slipped out to the living room and answered, keeping her voice low. "Lance."
"Aria, how's Jasper? Has the fever gone down? What did the doctor say?"
Lance's voice was full of worry, with the faint noise of a busy environment in the background.
"The doctor said it's a viral cold. He prescribed medicine, and I just gave Jasper his first dose. He's asleep now, but still running a slight fever."
Aria's voice softened, and some of the tension in her eyes eased.
"Okay, good. As long as it's nothing serious, I can breathe a little easier."
Lance let out a sigh of relief, then his tone shifted to something apologetic. "The situation at the company turned out to be more complicated than I thought. The other party backed out at the last minute, and the team is still in emergency talks trying to work something out. I can't get away right now. I'm sorry I can't be there to check on him."
"You don't need to explain yourself to me."
Aria let out a soft laugh, pushing down the warmth she felt. "Focus on work. I've got Jasper covered. Everything's fine."
Lance's voice was full of concern as he added carefully, "Don't push yourself too hard. If you can't manage tonight, call me. Even if I can't come myself, I'll send someone over. And make sure you drink some water too — don't forget about yourself while you're looking after him."
"I will. Thank you, Lance."
After hanging up, Aria stood in the living room holding her phone, looking toward the bedroom and letting out a quiet sigh.
Arthur's insistence on helping earlier, and Jasper getting sick out of nowhere — it had left her feeling unsettled in a way she couldn't quite name. She told herself she was just being an anxious mother.
She didn't dwell on it. She switched her phone to silent, walked softly back to the bedroom, and sat down again at the edge of the bed. She tucked the blanket gently around Jasper's small shoulders, then pressed her fingertips to his still-warm forehead, her eyes full of quiet, tender devotion.
She just hoped her little boy would get better soon.