Chapter 70
There were fewer cars on the road at night, and Jasper sped home in the Jeep. He arrived 20 minutes faster than usual.
He took out his key and quietly entered the house. It was dark and silent in the living room. Moving with light steps, he headed upstairs under the faint moonlight from outside.
His room was to the right at the top of the stairs. As he unbuttoned his uniform’s collar, he walked toward the closed door.
Just as he was about to turn the knob, he paused. A faint sound came from within. He frowned and swiftly opened the door, only to find his desk lamp on with a slender figure bent over his desk.
“Who gave you the permission to be in my room? Get out.” His voice wasn’t too loud, but it carried an unmistakable intensity and anger.
Natalie was deep in creativity and had been furiously writing. Her face was focused and intent as words poured from the tip of her pen until she heard the cold voice behind her.
She froze and reacted instinctively by turning to look at the source of the voice.
Their eyes met. Natalie’s face was filled with shock as she was utterly caught off guard. She rubbed her eyes and wondered if she was seeing things. Otherwise, why would Jasper be here?
“Mr. Locke…” Natalie greeted him weakly.
Seeing the familiar face that had relentlessly appeared in his dreams, Jasper’s cold expression briefly flashed with surprise. But as if recalling something, his gaze darkened.
Then, he let out a harsh laugh. “Are you Talia or Natalie?”
His thin lips pressed into a tight line, while his deep gaze locked on her as a flood of suspicions rushed through his mind.
She’d abandoned her man in the countryside and moved into the Locke residence. She’d seized every chance to climb up the social ladder. Jasper wondered if she’d recognized him on the train and approached him for help on purpose.
As for their second meeting, he’d saved her from the thugs. Had it been a setup, or had it just been a coincidence? At their third meeting, why had she insisted that there’d never be anything happening between them?
As a fighter pilot, Jasper was one of the most coveted targets of foreign powers, so he was trained to resist espionage. ·
The anti–espionage spirit had been so deeply engraved in his bones from day one in the military that his immediate reaction was instinctive shock after learning Talia was Natalie.
Next came his response from ingrained training. He was examining and doubting her.
Natalie felt a chill under his sharp gaze. Her face turned pale as her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her shirt.
She finally managed to speak and explain. “I didn’t mean to lie to you on purpose. I only realized who you were after I arrived and saw the family photos on the wall.
“I studied the book on ideological education you gave me, and I understood what you were trying to imply. That’s why I dared not to tell you my real name the second time we met. I was afraid it’d upset you.”
Natalie gulped. She continued under his gaze’s intense pressure, “As for being in your room, Mrs. Locke was worried that writing in the living room would strain my eyes, so she suggested I use your room and promised to call you tomorrow for permission.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t touched anything since I came in. I’ve only been writing at the desk. I promise I won’t come in again or come near you. Please don’t get mad, okay?”
By the end, her voice softened and carried a slight pleading tone.
tension.
There was no choice. She was under his roof, and he was the main character in the original storyline. Her plan was to coax him and hope to ease the
