Chapter 6 Refusing To Let Her Leave

Jasper's eyes lingered on the screen of his phone, his expression impossible to read.

"We've caught them, Mr. Sullivan," one of his men announced.

He glanced at the closed bathroom door, swallowing hard before his voice turned low.

"Alright. Did you deliver the clothes?" he asked, his voice thoughtful as if he'd been mulling the question over.

The subordinate paused, then followed Jasper's gaze before replying, "Yes, Mr. Sullivan. We handed her the change of clothes already."

The words had just left his mouth when the bathroom door swung open.

Cassie stepped out, sensing a shift in the room's atmosphere.

She glanced up, finding every pair of eyes in the room fixed on her.

Jasper, who was lying on the hospital bed, looked at her with intensity.

A prickle of unease sent Cassie stepping away slightly, her gaze turning wary.

Jasper looked pale, but the coldness in his demeanor remained unchanged.

Forcing a small smile, Cassie said, "Well, now that you're okay, I should get going."

She hurried for the door, only to have her path blocked before she could reach it.

"Mr. Sullivan would like to have a word with you."

A word?

She had nothing to do with Jasper's incident this time. What could he possibly want to discuss with her?

Was this about payback? Could he have figured out who she was already?

Cassie's thoughts tumbled over each other, but she managed to keep her expression calm.

She turned to look at Jasper.

"So, Mr. Sullivan, what do you want to talk about?"

Jasper gave no answer. Instead, he waved his hand, signaling for the others to leave.

Everyone stationed by the bed stepped out, leaving only Cassie and Jasper in the room.

Even as color drained from his cheeks, Jasper held himself with that authoritative aura. Still, he was less intimidating since he was sitting in bed, leaning against the headboard.

In this state, he seemed more approachable.

Cassie wondered if he could still care about a failed engagement that had happened so long ago.

Covering her mouth, she cleared her throat and raised her voice. "Mr. Sullivan?"

Why had he asked for her to stay? What could he possibly want?

Narrowing his eyes, Jasper asked, "You have nothing you want to say to me?" His voice held a cold tone.

Cassie froze for a moment.

What could she possibly want to tell him? Every part of her just wanted to leave.

Perhaps because of her nervousness or guilt, she didn't move to leave.

Standing in front of the man she had once expected to marry, she felt uneasy.

"I don't have anything to say. Mr. Sullivan, I'm just someone who happened to pull you out of trouble. I expect nothing in return from you, so if we're done here, I'll take my leave," she said.

She made sure to remind him that she was the one who had saved him this time, hoping he wouldn't make things difficult for her, and made another move for the door.

A cold, humorless chuckle cut through the air before she could reach it.

When she looked back, Jasper's gaze locked onto her with a strange, knowing look.

It was like he was sizing her up.

Cassie stiffened, uneasy and unsure of what was running through his mind.

Did he recognize her after all? What was that smile hinting at? Was this meant to scare her?

Even as confusion churned inside her, Cassie kept her expression polite and steady.

"Is there anything else you need, Mr. Sullivan?" she asked.

Jasper's faint smile vanished as he glanced at the chair near his bedside. "Come here and sit down."

His words left little room for argument, his tone sharp and commanding.

Had it been anyone but Jasper, Cassie wouldn't have bothered to respond. She would have walked right out the door.

But the one talking was Jasper, the Lloyd family's business ally for years. Breaking off the engagement had already soured things with him. One misstep now, and her family might be affected.

She couldn't tell if Jasper had figured out who she really was.

Still, playing it safe seemed the wiser choice.

Clenching her hands, she walked over and sat down on the chair.

Her lips stretched into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Mr. Sullivan, you're still recovering. I really wouldn't want to disrupt your rest by being here," she said.

Without so much as a flicker of emotion, Jasper glanced at her. "You're not disrupting my rest."

Cassie fell silent at that.

Sitting beneath his unreadable stare, she felt her nerves fray.

Did he know who she was after all?

That couldn't be possible... could it?

She studied his expression for any hint, but his icy exterior never cracked.

Someone like Jasper wouldn't let her off easily if he had pieced things together. That realization eased some of her worries.

She drew a slow, silent breath, feeling just a bit more at ease.

Yet every time she tried to offer a polite excuse to leave, Jasper brushed it aside, making it clear he had no intention of letting her leave.

Jasper kept his eyes shut, feigning sleep, while Cassie fidgeted still in her chair.

Although neither of them said a word, the tension between them was unmistakable.

After a moment, Jasper peered at Cassie, noticing how she never stopped shifting.

He chose not to break the silence, just looking at her.

Feeling out of options, Cassie grabbed her phone and quickly texted Shawn, hoping he'd come to her rescue.

Her message had just gone through when footsteps echoed in the corridor.

Was Shawn already here?

Cassie stood up, hope flickering in her eyes.

"Sit back down." Jasper's voice cut across the room, cool and commanding.

Cassie shot him a quick look but didn't argue, letting herself fall back into her seat without a word.

It took a moment for it to hit her-why did she obey him like this?

Cassie didn't get a chance to think of an answer.

The door flew open, and Brenton walked in, holding his coat.

"Brenton!"

Overcome with relief, Cassie forgot to worry about Jasper discovering who she was. She dashed over to Brenton, squeezed his hand, and tried to tell him with her eyes just how much she needed his help now.

"I can't believe you are here!" she exclaimed in joy.

Earlier, she had really feared she would be trapped here forever.

Brenton drew Cassie behind him, facing Jasper as he spoke. "Mr. Sullivan, it's been a while."

Their families did business together, but since signing the last contract, there hadn't been much reason to meet.

Jasper glanced from Cassie to Brenton, his face giving nothing away. He acknowledged Brenton with a small nod. "Yeah. It has been some time, Mr. Lloyd."

Cassie blinked in surprise, looking quickly from Brenton to Jasper, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

Ever since Brenton showed up, Jasper had kept his composure, showing no surprise. It seemed he had figured out who she was all along.

So, he had clearly made her stay deliberately; he was making a point, settling the score in his own way.

Cassie couldn't help but fix her gaze on him, but Jasper sat unmoved, his face betraying no emotion.

Brenton, no stranger to Jasper's coolness after years of business interactions, saw nothing unusual in his frosty manner.

"I appreciate you watching over my sister, Mr. Sullivan. If she's crossed any lines, I hope you'll forgive her," he said.

Jasper's attention shifted to Cassie's wrist, but his face stayed calm, impossible to read.

With Jasper's silence hanging in the air, Brenton continued, "If there's nothing else, I'd like to take her home."

Finally, Jasper lifted his chin and looked Brenton straight in the eye. "Alright. Goodbye, Mr. Lloyd."

Once outside the hospital room, Cassie followed Brenton, her mind spinning.

That was it? Jasper had just let her leave? Then why had he tried so hard to make her stay earlier?

Inside the car, Cassie couldn't keep her thoughts in. "Brenton, did our family do something to upset Jasper?"

Brenton shot her a sideways glance and answered, "Apart from the engagement falling through, we did nothing wrong to him."

Cassie let out an awkward laugh at that, touching her nose. "He kept telling me to stay earlier. For a moment, I thought he planned to get back at me."

Brenton let out a dry laugh. "He is not the type to hold grudges like that."