Chapter 195

Chapter 195

"Jasper!"

Nora stared at Jasper, who'd appeared out of nowhere, and her heart swelled with gratitude.

She couldn't take her eyes off his back.

That familiar, comforting silhouette.

Without thinking, her fingers laced through his.

In that moment, Nora had never been more certain of anything—she loved Jasper.

She needed him.

She wanted to see him every single day for the rest of her life.

"Jasper, so you found this place after all!"

Frederick descended the stairs. When he saw that the servants had failed to stop Nora, his gaze landed on their intertwined hands.

His eyes darkened.

A dangerous edge crept into his expression.

"Frederick, treating Nora like this—aren't you afraid Elise will find out and never forgive you?"

Jasper noticed the angry red marks circling Nora's ankle—clear evidence that Frederick had locked her up with something.

Thinking about the fear and humiliation she must have endured over the past day and night made his chest ache.

He tightened his grip on her hand.

As if he wanted to keep Nora by his side forever, never letting her suffer again.

"I'm Elise's real father. No matter how angry she gets, she can't just shut me out forever."

"Unlike you, Jasper. All these years, playing the doting father figure—don't you ever get tired?"

"I don't buy for a second that you actually care about a kid who's not even yours! You're just using Elise to get to Nora!"

Frederick's jaw clenched at the mention of Elise.

Last night, when he'd tried to see her, she'd thrown a tantrum, demanding to leave the Kennedy Family estate.

Demanding to go back to Rosewood City to find Nora and Jasper.

He knew it. Five years of Elise's life he'd missed, and in her heart, he'd never measure up to the man who'd been there all along.

But he refused to accept it.

Nora was his.

Elise was his.

What right did Jasper have to take them away?

Rage boiling over, Frederick pulled a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Jasper.

As his finger moved toward the trigger, Nora didn't hesitate—she stepped directly in front of Jasper.

"Frederick, if you lay a hand on Jasper, I will never forgive you!"

"If he dies, I won't live either!"

Her other hand moved swiftly, pressing a knife against her own throat, right over the carotid artery.

Her eyes were resolute.

When she looked at Frederick, there was nothing but fierce determination and disgust.

"For him?"

"For Jasper, Nora—you'd throw away your own life?"

"Why?"

Frederick watched as the blade broke skin, a thin line of blood appearing on Nora's neck.

His hand trembled.

Moisture gathered in his eyes.

"Because whenever I'm in danger, he's always the first one to save me!"

"Frederick, in all the years I've known you, all you've ever given me is pain!"

"Do you have any idea how much it hurt five years ago, when I walked in and saw you screwing Claire in your office?"

"You want to know why I don't love you anymore? Because my love for you died a long time ago! It died five years ago—every single time you cheated, every single moment!"

Nora had thought those awful memories were long buried.

She hadn't realized she still remembered every excruciating detail.

Her patience wearing thin, she pressed the blade harder against her neck.

"Frederick, I'm counting to three. If you don't let us leave, you can start making funeral arrangements!"

"When you send Grandma to the crematorium, make sure there's room for me too!"

Nora began counting.

But she'd barely gotten to one when Frederick's arm dropped, defeated.

The gun fell to his side.

All the fight seemed to drain from his body as he turned his back, letting Nora and Jasper leave.

He didn't turn around again until the sound of Jasper's car had faded completely.

"Mr. Kennedy, you're just going to let Mrs. Kennedy go?"

"What about Elise?"

The servant Frederick had hired to watch Nora knew how much his employer cared for her.

"Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Evelyn Kennedy has passed away!"

Before Frederick could answer, his phone rang.

It was the hospital.

After leaving, Nora and Jasper went straight to the Kennedy Family estate.

When Justin saw them arrive together, he didn't make things difficult.

After reminding Elise to visit him often, he let Nora take her.

"Nora, we were wrong about you. We shouldn't have been so prejudiced, or forced you to divorce Frederick."

"These past five years, you've raised Elise beautifully."

"She's confident, optimistic, cheerful. I'm at peace knowing she's in your care."

Justin had spent the past couple of days talking with Elise, learning that her life with Nora in Rosewood City was every bit as good as anything they could have provided in Suncrest City.

That's when he discovered that Nora was actually the daughter of the Hearst Family—the most prominent of Rosewood City's four major families!

Remembering how he and Sierra had once questioned Nora's motives for marrying Frederick made him burn with shame.

"Mr. Justin Kennedy, as long as Elise wants it, you'll always be her grandfather."

Nora didn't know what else to say.

During that year with the Kennedy Family, only Evelyn had truly liked her, truly been kind to her.

So now, except for Evelyn, she felt nothing much for any of them.

"What?"

"My mother's gone?"

"Alright. I'm coming now!"

Justin took a call.

He let out a long sigh.

Then quickly had the servants start packing.

Watching the Kennedy Family staff bustle behind her, hearing Justin's phone conversation, Nora knew Evelyn had passed.

"Jasper, I want to stay in Suncrest City a couple more days. Attend Grandma's funeral before going back to Rosewood City."

"Will you stay with me?"

It was the first time Nora had ever asked Jasper to stay.

Jasper understood what she was really saying.

His eyes brightened, practically glowing.

He smiled and nodded.

"Wherever you want to go, I'll be there."

Jasper knew that if Nora stayed, the next few days probably wouldn't be peaceful.

He wondered if Frederick would make any more moves.

But he'd never been able to refuse Nora anything.

Just like five years ago, when he'd seen her in that wheelchair—he'd simply wanted to help her.

Touched, Nora squeezed his hand.

The three of them got into the car together.

That evening.

Nora arrived at the time and place Frederick had given her to meet Claire.

When they got there, Claire was already waiting inside.

But she wasn't alone in the private room—Steven was there too.

"Jasper came with you?"

"Nora, with how good you are at using people, I really thought Frederick would be the one escorting you today!"

Claire sat perched on Steven's lap, feeding him grapes.

Seeing Nora and Jasper enter, she made no effort to tone down her behavior.

Instead, she pressed a grape between her own lips and passed it to Steven with a kiss.

Combined with her backless halter top and barely-there shorts, the scene was deliberately provocative.

"Claire, if you're willing to transfer the shares to me, I'll withdraw the lawsuit."

"But if you're not willing, if you resent giving them up, we can settle this through legal channels."

At first, Nora hadn't noticed the scars on Claire's back.

But when she turned, Nora saw them.

Her back was covered in whip marks.

From the condition of the wounds, they looked recent.

Probably the Whitaker Family's handiwork.

"Resent it? Why would I resent it? Against you and Frederick, what chance do I have?"

"The contract's right here. I've already signed my name. Now you sign yours, and we'll be partners."

Claire's face wore a smile.

But the smile never reached her eyes.

In fact, as she smiled, a vicious glint flickered in their depths.