Chapter 16: The Reason for Imitation

"Absolutely not." Adeline snapped back to reality as the cool breeze from the open door hit her. "You fired me a few hours ago, remember? And even if you hadn't, with you suspecting me of ulterior motives, do you really think I'd let you into my room alone? No way."

Jasper's face darkened. No woman had ever dared to talk to him like that before! But thinking of Lauren at home, he swallowed his anger and impatiently pushed past Adeline into the room. "Stop with the questions. I don't have time for this nonsense."

As soon as he stepped inside, he was taken aback. His eyes roamed from the stuffed bear on the cabinet by the door, to the plants on the table, and then to the paintings on the wall.

For a moment, it felt like he wasn't in a cramped, simple rental apartment, but back in Blue Bay when the lady of the house had just arrived. Adeline Collins, his wife, had been busy decorating their home, her heart set on making it beautiful.

She had hung pretty art on the walls, placed just the right amount of greenery on every table, and finally, happily placed a cute stuffed bear on the cabinet by the door. "Jasper, look! Doesn't it feel like someone's welcoming you home when you see this bear at the door?" she had asked.

What had he been doing at that time? Probably buried in work, barely looking up, just giving a half-hearted response, saying, "Do whatever you want."

If he had looked up then, would he have seen her bright, hopeful eyes, or the Adeline not yet drowned in disappointment? Jasper couldn't answer that.

But six years later, here was a woman in front of him. She had a similar build and name to Adeline, the same unconscious little habits, and even mimicked Adeline's preferences in her home, leaving traces of her life.

But the more it was like this, the more it irritated Jasper.

Adeline, seeing him barging into the room, felt helpless. Even if she wasn't injured, she wouldn't be a match for Jasper, and calling the neighbors was out of the question. For someone like Jasper, a frequent guest on financial news, if word got out that he was here, there would be no peace!

She closed the door and slowly moved back to the sofa to sit down. "So, Mr. Foster, just say it. What do you want from me? After all, you said yourself that you wouldn't meet with someone like me again. It must be something very important, right? Let me guess, are you here to threaten me to leave Radiance Springs?"

Jasper frowned deeply. Was Adeline mocking him?

"You're overthinking it," he spoke coldly. "Adeline, come back to Blue Bay. You will continue to take care of Lauren's daily needs. The contract remains valid, and I can pretend today's incident never happened."

Adeline almost laughed out of sheer frustration. What did he mean by pretending today's incident never happened? Like it was something that could just be swept under the rug?

"Mr. Foster," Adeline sneered, "I think you might have misunderstood something. What do you mean you can pretend it never happened? This isn't just about you; it involves Lauren and me too."

She pointed to her face. "Do you see these injuries? And the ones you can't see on my body? Do you think being a servant means I don't feel pain?"

Jasper pressed his lips together. "I no longer intend to hold you accountable for fighting with Molly."

"Stop!" Adeline raised her hand to cut him off. "It's not about whether you hold me accountable. You don't seem to understand the root of the problem, so how can you solve it? Don't be ridiculous."

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I said, if you want to protect your fiancée, fine. You two are in love, and everyone envies you. But have you considered Lauren's feelings?"

Adeline's voice softened, but her eyes were still fierce. "She's so young, and not only does she not get the protection she deserves from you, but she also has to watch you care for and protect the person who hurt her. You might be magnanimous, letting your daughter be beaten, but can Lauren pretend it never happened?"

Jasper looked at her with a dark expression. "You're overstepping."

Adeline knew nothing about his situation with Lauren or Molly. What right did she have to judge here? Who did she think she was?

But Adeline just looked at him with disdain. "Is it really me overstepping, or is it you unable to refute what I'm saying? Only you know the answer. I'm not a magnanimous person, and I can't stand Mr. Foster's self-righteousness. If you can't take care of Lauren, why not send her back to her mother? That way, she won't be neglected, and it won't affect your relationship with your fiancée."

Jasper suddenly fell silent. The silence spread around them, and Adeline looked at Jasper in confusion, only to find his gaze wandering around the room's decor before finally landing on her.

"Are you saying these things for Lauren, or for yourself?" Jasper asked, breaking the silence.

"What?"

Jasper's eyes were cold and piercing as he suddenly spoke, "My wife is an artist with many fans. She often shares her daily life on social media. When she decorates the house, she also hangs such paintings, places such plants, and even puts a bear at the door. Your home is almost identical to hers."

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"You have a degree in jewelry design, turned down various excellent offers to return to the country, and your first job application was to be a servant at Blue Bay."

"You've always shown that you're imitating my wife, and now you're trying to drive a wedge between my daughter and my fiancée. If you were me, would you believe you were doing it purely for Lauren's sake?" Jasper coldly stared at Adeline with his deep, unfathomable eyes.