Chapter 5 I Can Be Her Boyfriend
The tension was palpable, and at the same time, a silver-gray Lamborghini Urus pulled up beside the group. Jasper stepped out of the car and casually greeted Ingrid.
“Good morning.”
Trying to suppress the heaviness in her chest, Ingrid nodded. “Dr. Clifford.”
Jasper asked, “What are you all standing around for? Why don’t you go up?”
Ingrid replied, “I just finished my shift. You and Mr. Geppard should go ahead.”
No sooner had she spoken than neither Jasper nor Brandon moved. The scene was suffocating, not just awkward.
Jasper glanced at the man in the Mercedes G-Class and asked, “Your friend?”
Ingrid responded, “No.”
Jasper continued, “If you’re not in a hurry, come with me for a bit. I need to talk to you.”
“She’s in a hurry,” came the voice from Mercedes, interrupting.
Jasper turned and smiled. “How’s your leg? Is it feeling better?”
The man inside was momentarily taken aback and suppressed his response. After a brief pause, he said, “I’m looking for Ingrid. This doesn’t concern you.”
Jasper smirked. “Funny. I’m looking for her too.”
The man sneered. “One after the other. I just said it—unless you’re her boyfriend, stay out of it.”
Ingrid was about to intervene, but Jasper beat her to it. “If that’s what you’re implying, then I could be her boyfriend. What are you going to do about it?”
Not only did Ingrid turn pale, but even Brandon’s lips curled downward. The man in the car laughed out loud. “You’ve got more guts than that one,” he said, referring to Brandon.
Brandon’s face darkened. He snapped, “I suggest you not to act tough in the hospital. This is Peaceheart we’re talking about!”
The man immediately wiped the smile off his face and stared at Brandon. “So what? Are you going to do something about it?”
Brandon, who had just been promoted to department deputy head, knew all too well that the city was full of influential people.
He didn’t want to stir unnecessary trouble. The slightest hesitation could be seen as backing down, and here he was, hesitating for several seconds.
Ingrid couldn’t stand it any longer. “Thank you, Mr. Geppard. Please head up.”
The man in the car mocked, “He has no guts, yet he tried to play the hero. What else do you dare to use besides a scalpel…”
Before he could finish, Ingrid’s eyes went wide. She tried to speak but she couldn’t make a sound. Brandon was also stunned because, from just a few feet away, Jasper suddenly reached into the car and grabbed the man by the hair.
He pulled the man’s head out of the car and slammed it hard against the window frame. The loud bang was followed by the sickening crack of a dislocated bone.
The bodyguard was only a few feet away, but he was too slow to react to Jasper’s swift motion. Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time the bodyguard rushed to the man, Jasper released his grip, and the man’s neck hung limply, his head drooping against the car door.
There was no blood. The man wasn’t dead, but his face was ashen, and his eyes widened with fear. The bodyguard was too stunned to make a move.
Jasper looked at the man and said in a sincere tone, “You’ve got a cervical dislocation now. You can have your bodyguard call the police. I’ve assaulted you, and this injury could get me detained for seven to 15 days.”
The man’s gaze turned to the bodyguard, who had just pulled out his phone.
Jasper continued in a calm, measured voice, “But when the police come, make sure they handle you carefully. If you end up with a spinal fracture, you’ll be paralyzed from the chest down. Not even a god could save you.”
The bodyguard froze and glanced at the pale man.
Jasper urged, “Call the police now. Don’t waste time. If he hangs like this for another 15 minutes, his vertebrae will fracture.” To make sure they understood, he added kindly, “Oh, that means paralysis.”
The man was now stuck—he couldn’t move, but he also couldn’t stay still. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and he dared not take a deep breath. He gasped, “Help me.”
Jasper turned to the bodyguard. “He’s talking to you.”
The bodyguard wasn’t blind. The man was clearly talking to Jasper.
Jasper stood still, completely unfazed, showing no fear of the police or of causing anyone’s death. His relaxed demeanor made him seem like a well-dressed psychopath.
The man, terrified, realized he didn’t want to argue with a madman and immediately surrendered, “I won’t disturb Ingrid again. Doctor, please save me.”
Jasper instantly switched to a caring expression. “Don’t worry. Mr. Geppard is a cervical spine expert. He’ll help you.”
Brandon was rendered speechless.
