Jasper began to stand, intending to go upstairs and pack, but his grandfather's hand clamped down firmly on his wrist. Arthur's eyes held a resolute glint. "This has nothing to do with you. You are not going anywhere. Stay right here, at home and in the company. I'd like to see who dares kick you out!" After lunch, Jasper accompanied his grandfather on a walk through the manor grounds. Arthur's health was frail, but having his grandson from the second branch by his side seemed to have brought a healthier color to his cheeks recently. As they strolled and chatted, Jasper's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out—an international call. The contact name read simply "A." Arthur smiled, "Must be your mother. Go ahead, take it."Jasper's fingers tightened around the phone. He nodded. "Alright." He walked a few steps away, lowering his voice as he answered. "Annie? What's up? Why the sudden call?" "Jasper, I need a favor." Annie's voice came through. "What is it?" "I want to come back." Jasper's brow furrowed. "Come back? So soon?" "Yes," she insisted, her tone pleading. "As soon as possible. Please, help me!" "Why?" Jasper asked, his own heart tightening with a complicated, bitter ache. He couldn't help but think of the once bone-deep love between Annie and his cousin. A wealthy heir and a driver's beautiful daughter—meant to be a storybook couple—who, at the peak of their love, turned on each other after a car crash.Someone once said the worst thing in love isn't falling out of love, but loving someone you can never truly have. The latter is a deeper kind of regret. It's not the clean, sharp pain of a sudden end, but the slow agony of hovering between closeness and distance, always within sight but forever out of reach. You still love, but you know you must stop. You still care, but you're forced to let go. It's not a passing storm; it's a perpetual dampness, rotting your heart from the inside with no chance to air it out. For years, Jasper had been too afraid to ask Annie if she still carried a torch for Jethro. Until now. Until she said she wanted to return. His heart clenched like a fist. He felt short of breath. "Jasper, ever since you sent me that picture of my father's grave, I haven't slept. I have nightmares every night. I see him. He blames me, says I'm unfaithful, that I've never visited him all these years!" Annie broke down into ragged sobs over the line. "Please, help me come home. Just to see him once. I'll leave right after, I promise." Jasper loosened the collar of his shirt, his handsome face shadowed by the tall trees. A long moment passed before he closed his eyes. "Alright." On the other end, Annie's tears turned to a relieved, watery laugh. "Thank you, Jasper. You've always been so good to me." Jasper offered a humorless smile. "You know how I feel, Annie. You don't need to thank me." Annie deftly sidestepped his implication. Instead, her voice grew animated with a different interest. "Last time we talked, you mentioned your grandfather had a role for you at the company?" "Yes." She bit her lip. "What position?" Jasper answered truthfully, "He appointed me CEO of Stratagem Tech. It's a subsidiary of the Group. Lots of potential." "Oh, I see," Annie said, her voice softening into a gentle, approving tone. "That's wonderful. Your grandfather must think very highly of you." His grip on the phone tightened. "Annie, I'll prove it to you. Bit by bit. I'm not less than my cousin." She lowered her gaze. "Don't compare like that. You're you, he's him. You both have your strengths." Then, her tone shifted to something lighter, more practical. "Jasper, as a CEO, you'll need a reliable assistant, right? I have a cousin back home. We've always been close, and she's been very concerned about me since everything happened. She's currently looking for a new opportunity. Would you consider her? As your assistant?" Jasper nodded. "Sure. Send me her résumé." "Okay, I'll send it later," she agreed with a smile. The moment the call ended, the pleasant expression melted from Annie's face. She returned to her computer. With a slow, deliberate movement of her mouse, she scrolled down, revealing a photograph of Jethro. She hadn't forgotten that face since she first saw it at sixteen. Annie reached out, her fingers hovering over the image on the screen, her eyes glistening. "Jethro," she whispered, her voice thick. "I miss you so much." She scrolled further. A news headline came into view: "Fifth Annual Tech Talent Awards: Breakthrough Individual Award Goes to Stratagem Tech Lead" Below was a photo of two people side by side. Jethro and Darcy. From Jethro's slightly lowered, tender eyes and the smile tugging at his lips, Annie sensed something out of the ordinary. With a sudden, violent jerk, she hurled her mouse against the wall. "Bitch!" she screamed, the sound raw and tearing from her throat. "You bitch! You fucking bitch!"The sound brought her live-in caregiver rushing from the adjacent room. "Ms. Roby! Are you alright? Did you forget your medication? Let me get it for you." "Stop!" Annie whirled around. All trace of the previous hysteria was gone, replaced by a serene, gentle smile. "I'm fine. I don't need any pills."