Chapter 59
When Yvette heard that Jasper wasn’t home, she found it odd.
“That can’t be right. I asked around, and Jasper has been at the base recently with no missions. They finished training early this morning, and I even saw Zachary when I entered the base housing. He’s in the same squad as Jasper. If Zachary’s home, why isn’t Jasper home too?”
Celeste didn’t have a good answer for that and could only brush it off with a smile. “He never lets us ask about his work. Maybe he has other duties.”
Yvette had come here specifically for Jasper today, and she wasn’t about to give up so easily. She muttered, “He hasn’t been home for a month. I wonder what’s keeping him so busy…”
Then her eyes landed on the sliced herbed beef roast on the table, and she had an idea. She tugged on Celeste’s arm and said coquettishly, “Mrs. Locke, 1 remember Evelyn saying that Jasper loves beef. How about I bring some to him today and see what he’s up to?”
Celeste knew Yvette liked her son. She had even asked Jasper about it once, but his response was blunt–he wasn’t interested.
Knowing her son well, Celeste understood that when Jasper said he didn’t like someone, he truly meant it. Every time Jasper looked at Yvette, it was as if he were looking at a piece of furniture, with no emotion whatsoever, sometimes even colder than that.
Celeste had gotten the message loud and clear and knew better than to play matchmaker.
But now, with Yvette tugging at her arm and Celeste still feeling guilty about the soup incident, she found it hard to refuse.
After some thought, Celeste said, “Alright, I’ll have James go with you. He can take Nate and Fifi along as well. Jasper hasn’t met his two little sisters yet.
11
James and Natalie were just coming down the stairs. Hearing his name, James asked, “What’s up, mom? Where are we going?”
Celeste briefly explained, then used the excuse of packing the beef to slip her arm from Yvette’s grasp, before heading to the kitchen.
“I’ll go get Phoebe,” James said, heading back upstairs.
Yvette and Natalie exchanged glances.
Yvette was clearly annoyed about the extra tagalongs.
Meanwhile, Natalie silently worried that her identity was about to be revealed.
She wondered how Jasper would react when he found out she was actually Talia.
Just thinking about the cold, indifferent look on his face the last time she saw him made her nervous.
Back when she hid her identity, she never thought about how long she could keep the secret. After all, staying in the Locke household meant that Jasper
would find out as soon as he came home.
Looking back now, hiding her identity seemed unnecessary, and the thought of meeting him only filled her with unease and embarrassment.
Natalie silently prayed she could find a way to avoid going today.
But before she could come up with an excuse, Celeste had come out of the kitchen holding a container filled with sliced beef. She handed it directly to Natalie.
“Nate, Jasper has a cold personality. Don’t be frightened when you see him today. He tends to keep a stern face and speaks harshly, without showing any tenderness. If you feel wronged, just come back and tell me. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson later.”
Celeste had learned from her husband last night about Jasper’s prejudice against Natalie. She knew Jasper’s personality well. If he didn’t like someone, he wouldn’t even bother to glance at them. Celeste was worried Jasper might give Natalie the cold shoulder.
But she also hoped that with the younger people together, it might be an opportunity for her son to change his opinion of Natalie.
Natalie caught the hints in Celeste’s words. It was clear that Jasper’s dislike for her previous self was so obvious even Mrs. Locke noticed. Well, it looked like she didn’t have a choice today. She had to go.
