Alyssa followed Jasper into the study.
The door closed behind her with a soft click. She didn't move to switch on the lights or sit down. Instead, she stood quietly in the
dim room.
They faced each other, eyes locked. In the darkness, their gazes seemed brighter, charged with emotions that neither could put
into words. Whatever stirred within them was tangled and silent—kept at bay by something unspoken, as if a wall had formed
between heart and mouth.
After a pause, Alyssa offered a faint smile. Her voice was soft, almost courteous. "Go ahead, Mr. Beckett. | won't be staying long
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇttonight—I've made other arrangements."
It was clear she didn't want to be alone in a room with him.
Jasper's chest tightened, overwhelmed by a surge of emotion he couldn't define. His voice was rough when he finally spoke. "You
didn't vote against the motion at today's board meeting. | wanted to know... are we still on the sside?"
Alyssa's gaze lowered, her voice steady and calm. "You didn't object to Justin being named president because you haven't figured
him out yet.
"You agreed to his demands temporarily to study him—because only when he's standing in the spotlight will he show his hand. You
need that visibility. Otherwise, he stays hidden. A snake in the grass, waiting for the right moment to strike."
Jasper's breath caught. His heart raced, but he forced himself to stayposed.
"Yes," he murmured. "That's exactly it."
And for a fleeting moment, he felt that familiar connection—that rare clarity only Alyssa could bring him. No one else ever saw him
as clearly.
But then, he took a step closer, just enough to blur the space between them.
"You are wrong about one thing," he said.
Alyssa's breath hitched. "What was it?"
"Justin will never stop at the presidency," Jasper said, his voice firm. "What he wants... is the entire Beckett Group. Maybe even
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmmore than that. He wants Solana City at his feet."
"Justin will never be satisfied even if he bes the president."
Alyssa's expression hardened slightly as she nodded.
She had always respected ambition—true, bold ambition. If Justin had taken a just path, perhaps she could have admired him or
even called him a friend.
But instead, he had crossed a line. He had repeatedly hurt the one person she loved most. That, she could never ive.
"I heard Sheryl's out on bail," she said.
—— Locked Chapter —
*D Reading History
No history.