Chapter 64
Upon hearing Natalie’s name and knowing that James was with her, a slight frown appeared on Jasper’s face. He instantly recalled those conversations he overheard back in Willowridge village. His expression hardened, and his jaw set tightly in disapproval.
Just as he was pondering, a few voices came from outside the lounge. “Captain Locke, we’re back.”
It was Bennett and the others who had spoken with Natalie at the gate earlier.
They had returned from a meeting at the city’s air force headquarter and were coming to discuss related matters from the meeting with Jasper.
As they peered into the lounge and noticed others already inside, they held off on the meeting details. Instead, they said, “Captain Locke, we ran into your brother and sister at the gate.”
When he mentioned his sister, they couldn’t hide their blush rising to their cheeks, and their eyes bright with interest.
Bennett mustered the courage to ask, “Captain Locke, does your sister Natalie have a boyfriend?”
All three of them stared at Jasper, eagerly awaiting for his answer.
From their expressions, Jasper could instantly tell what was going on.
That woman really had her ways. She hadn’t even stepped past the gate and was already scheming to climb her way up.
His face turned icy as he reprimanded them mercilessly, “Disgraceful! Have you never seen a woman before?”
It took the three of them a few seconds to process his response. Wait, why did it seem like Jasper was disdainful of his own sister?
They had seen their fair share of pretty girls, but never one quite as stunning as Jasper’s sister, whom they’d met today. With looks like hers, what man who had seen her could ever forget?
Unsure of Jasper’s meaning, Bennett glanced at the two women still in the lounge and quickly said, “Captain Locke, we’ll let you get back to it. We’ll catch up later.”
Without waiting for his reply, the three of them quickly retreated like startled rabbits.
After they left, Yvette seized her chance. She stepped closer to Jasper, keeping an eye on his strikingly cold expression. Then, she said, “Jasper, last week my mom suggested introducing Natalie to someone, but she declined, saying she wanted to focus on finding a job first and wasn’t thinking about dating. “But look at her now. Just as I thought, she’s not the obedient type. With the look of a sly seductress, you can bet she’s already busy stirring up attention before even setting foot inside the base.”
Seeing that Jasper remained silent, Yvette recalled her mother telling her about Phoebe and Natalie’s feud. Her mother had said that Natalie was cunning while Phoebe was simpler and, therefore, easier to manipulate.
So she turned to Phoebe and said, “Isn’t that right, Phoebe? Since you’re from the same village as her, you must know her true colors better than anyone.
11
Phoebe immediately understood what Yvette wanted. She disliked Natalie herself but didn’t want Jasper to think she was gossiping.
After a pause, she said, “Natalie is beautiful, and it’s natural for men to be interested. There’s nothing wrong with finding someone who’s a good match.” It was a diplomatic answer–neither contradicting Yvette’s accusations nor standing up for Natalie.
Yvette snorted in dissatisfaction and turned back to Jasper. “Jasper, you need to be careful around Natalie. Don’t let her trap you. Her mother sent her to your family to climb the social ladder, hoping she’d marry someone powerful and influential. Don’t let her cling to you.”
Yvette spared no effort in persuading him.
gaze on Yvette.
As she continued with her warnings, Jasper’s expression grew colder and harsher. His jaw tightened, and his gaze glinted with icy anger as he fixed his
“Are you finished? Get out.”
