Chapter Fifteen
Jasper was waiting outside the museum when Aliannah got to work the next day. He handed her a pumpkin spice latte. “Hey, you ok? You sort of ditched me, like? I thought your favourite drink might cheer you up.” Jasper looked her over, but he couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong.
Aliannah accepted the latte, although she did not remember telling Jasper that it was her favourite drink; it could be a coincidence since it was almost the end of October, and everywhere was selling some variation of the seasonal drink. “Oh, thanks, Jasper, I really needed it this morning,” she smiled.
Jasper held her chin and turned her from side to side, examining her. “You look like you have been crying, dear. What’s going on?” Aliannah brushed his hand away.
“It’s nothing; I watched a really sad movie about a dog last night, that’s all.” She had spent most of the night between crying and internet stalking Jasper to see if there was any truth to Ivan’s claims. She had come up empty. Jasper had no skeletons that she could find. His only social media presence seemed to be all business-related; there was nothing personal up there. No frat parties with ‘the boys’, nothing. It was all professional galas and business conferences. Jasper Conrad was a business robot, apparently with no visible social life outside of work. It angered Aliannah that she had let Ivan plant such doubts in her head.
Surely, if Jasper were bad, she would have found some sort of social faux pas online. The trashy tabloids and gossip pages had nothing on him besides a glowing business reputation. It also made her think about who Jasper was when he was out of the public eye. Yes, she had been out with him a few times, but everyone was on their best behaviour in the early stages. What did Ivan know? Did he even know anything? Was it all just a bluff to trick her into staying away from Jasper?
“You sure it’s just the movie? You seem distant?” Jasper followed her into the museum as she began the morning preparations for the day. Aliannah nodded and drank some of her latte. She hated this wary feeling that weighed heavy on her stomach. She desperately wanted Jasper to be one of the good guys.
She rounded her desk and started up the computer. “Yeah, I just have to get cracking on the social media posts for the next exhibition. Are you on socials? “She shrugged off her coat and sat down.
“I have socials, but they are all business-oriented to ‘keep up with the Jones’. I hate the idea of my personal life being plastered all over the internet.”
Aliannah paused for thought. Considering his millionaire status, anyone seen to be in the inner circle would be hounded by the other press outlets for any crumb of a scandal. It was not unreasonable for Jasper to keep off the platforms for those exact reasons. She accepted his truth. Maybe Ivan’s information lay in business dealings rather than personal transgressions then. Aliannah decided that was the case and let her guilt of worry float away like the leaves on an autumn breeze. She smiled at Jasper. Any man willing to go to those lengths ought to be respected for it; only fake people would be desperate for him to post them online with him.
“So…did you find out anything about those SUVs?” Aliannah enquired. She knew the truth behind the chase, but did Jasper? She fidgeted with a stack of brochures at her desk to help keep her composure.
Jasper was watching her every move. He could tell she was nervous. “No, they had no plates, so they were untraceable,” he huffed before he continued, “That was not the first time something like this has happened, and I am certain it won’t be the last. It is sad to say that when you have a wealth as large as mine, others feel entitled to it. They will stop at nothing to get it.” Jasper began pacing while he spoke. “They fail to realise that most of us don’t carry cash or assets on our person. The majority of our assets are in the bank or a safe,” Aliannah nodded with understanding. He stepped towards her. “You don’t need to worry, dear; I will never let anything happen to you.”
Aliannah didn’t know if she could believe that statement. She went to speak, but Jasper held up his hand to stop her. “It is not a regular occurrence, dear, but it does happen every now and then.” He picked up her hand from her desk and brought it to his lips. He paused before placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
“What if it is worse next time?” Aliannah’s voice shook as she spoke. Jasper hushed her as he stroked her hair off her face. She looked into Jasper's eyes, unsure if she saw pity or caring there. He held her chin before bending to kiss her softly.
Jasper looked at his watch when he stood straight. “Shit, I have a meeting I have to get to, dear. Look, I will send Cooper to pick you up after work, and you can come back to my place; we can talk some more then, don’t worry! Cooper has had a refresher on handling cars.” He turned, heading towards the door and put his phone to his ear to make a call on his way out before Aliannah had the chance to give him an answer. On one hand, she did not want to repeat Ivan’s wrath, but on the other hand, she wanted to trust Jasper. After all, it wasn’t his money or assets that Ivan was after; it was her.
She did not get the time to think any more about this as the first group of tourists entered the museum. Aliannah was delighted. They were a welcome distraction. As she gave them a guide to the museum and the antique artefacts on display, she learned that this group had come all the way from Cologne in Germany. They were on a city-wide tour of New York, and their next stop after the museum was Times Square. She was fascinated to hear all about Germany and promised them she would put visiting there on her bucket list.
The tour took longer than expected as they engaged in great conversation about the history of New York and, of course, the tragic loss of life and the Twin Towers. They were eager to learn about the best restaurants and cafes to brunch in. Aliannah gave them a brochure of all the top spots in New York and recommended her personal favourite – Cherubs Tearooms. Her stomach growled as the group of Germans left, and she popped up to the canteen to grab a quiet bite to eat and a coffee before heading back down to the main floor to continue welcoming groups of tourists in.
She was absolutely exhausted, having given so many tours today. There had been Germans, Albanians, and Greeks, never forgetting the rowdy group from England and, most surprisingly of all – Australians. While it was draining, it brought her so much joy to meet so many people from all over the world and learn about their respective countries. Her love for travel and knowledge was endless. She had more recommendations added to her list of must-see places and restaurants than she knew what to do with.
Aliannah was filing away leftover brochures when the bell over the door jingled, signalling someone was entering the museum. “Sorry, tours are finished for the day, and we close in five minutes,” she called out to whoever had entered. The footsteps had stopped, but she didn’t hear them walk away or leave. She looked up and jumped.
Cooper was standing in his chauffeur’s attire with his driver's hat low on his head. She had completely forgotten that Jasper was sending a car for her. “Good evening, Miss Aliannah. I am ready whenever you are. Mr Conrad is ready at the Penthouse waiting for you.”
A shiver went down her spine. It was now or never. She could either send Cooper back to Jasper or bite the bullet and go. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. “I’ll be here a few more minutes here, Cooper. I shall meet you out front when I am done here” Cooper didn’t move from where he stood. Aliannah raised a brow to him.
“I’m sorry, Miss, but Mr Conrad has me under instruction not to let you out of my sight until you are with him or safe inside your building. Either way, I am to drive you to where you choose.” Well, this was a turn for the books. Jasper’s giving her a choice was unexpected, but sending Cooper gave the message that she had no choice in the matter. This made her all the more curious as to what Jasper was up to.
She quickly finished her last few tasks before grabbing her bag and coat to head out with Cooper. She put the alarm on the door as she left. Her stomach began to twist as she saw the limousine. She really did not want to get into it. Cooper walked over and opened the door for her. “Don’t worry, Miss, Mr Conrad had seat belts installed to ensure your safety.” That was a kind touch on Jasper's part. She relaxed a little and walked to the car. Only then did she get a proper look at Cooper up close. Her eyes went wide.
Cooper was sporting what appeared to be a fresh black eye, a bruise on his cheek and a split lip. Is this what Jasper meant by a ‘refresher course’? Had Jasper done this? “Oh my God, Cooper! Are you ok? What happened to you?” she gasped.
Cooper nodded. “I am absolutely fine, Miss. I just took a hard hit at boxing training last night. Got to keep the reflexes sharp!” He gave a pained smile and gestured to the car. Aliannah climbed in, and Cooper shut the door and got in the driver's seat. “Where to then, Miss?” he chirped as he looked at her through the rear-view mirror.
“Jasper's place, please, Cooper.” Cooper nodded and raised the partition. Aliannah looked around the car. Jasper had indeed installed seatbelts. She was relieved. She put the seat belt on immediately before resting her head back on the interior. She had a strong grip on the door handle next to her and the buckle of the belt to the seat next to her. She did not see any of Ivan’s SUVs when she left the museum, but that doesn’t mean they were not there.