Chapter 14
The apology article had been published for many days, and Jasper’s men had been searching relentlessly. Still, there was no trace of Holly.
It was as if she had never existed at all. The loving days they once shared now seemed like an illusion. Now that the dream was over, Jasper could no longer see her.
He regretted it over and over again. If only he had settled down sooner. If only he hadn’t indulged Nadine time and again. If only he had…
He imagined countless possible endings for them His voice grew lower, and his eyes reddened. The more he imagined what could have been, the clearer the reality became Holly was no longer by his side.
He drank bottle after bottle in a private room at a bar, trying to get himself drunk. Maybe then he would be able to see Holly again.
But no matter how much he drank, he didn’t even get tipsy by a little. On the contrary, became more and more clear–headed.
His buddies exchanged uneasy glances.
“Honestly, Jasper. Since Holly has already left, just let her be. With your status, is there anyone you can’t get? Messing around with Nadine isn’t so bad, either.”
“Yeah. Maybe Holly will come back in a while.”
he
“Jasper, you’ve just been spoiling Holly too much. She’s probably waiting for you to make it up to her. If she finds out you’re not obsessed with her, she’ll definitely come crawling back.”
“That’s right. Look at you now. It’s like you’re under her spell.”
They offered half–hearted comfort that was insincere at best. None of them believed that a group of rich young men like them could ever love one woman for a lifetime. But at the same time, they were also a little jealous that Jasper had been the only one to receive a woman’s wholehearted love.
They had all seen how Jasper treated Holly. They even knew that he would go as far as divorcing her for Nadine when the latter faked an illness.
After finding out that Holly had left, they had been shocked. But still, they didn’t really care.
This was Holly they were talking about. She loved Jasper that much. Give her a little time, and she’d definitely come back obediently.
What they didn’t understand was why Jasper was so filled with sorrow and regret. Weren’t all women like this?
“Shut und
“Shut up! Holly is my life! If I hear one more word of disrespect toward her, be careful of what
happens to your families. I swear I won’t let you off!” Jasper raged.
For a moment, silence fell over the room. Everyone immediately went quiet.
They weren’t just scared by Jasper’s outburst–they knew he meant it. In Danvir, the Price family was far beyond their reach.
Once Jasper started drinking again in silence, they finally breathed a sigh of relief and slipped out of the booth one by one.
But one of them, still stewing with resentment, had other plans. Why was Jasper pretending to be so deeply in love now? When he was having fun with Nadine, he had never cared about Holly at all. He had been sure she would never leave him.
And so, he called the bar manager over and pulled out a photo of Holly. He pointed at the photo and ordered, “See this woman? Find someone who looks like her. The sooner, the better. Do it well, and you’ll be rewarded.”
Soon, a girl who somewhat resembled Holly was brought over to Jasper’s private room.
She had changed her clothes. Under the dim lighting, she could really pass off as Holly. The man who asked for her to be brought over smiled confidently. He was sure Jasper wouldn’t turn this woman away.
With their kind of status, how could someone like Jasper earnestly care for a woman like Holly? What he needed was just a way out. Once he figured it out, he’d surely start having fun with the new woman.
