CHAPTER 20
“You know, it’s been a long time since that day.
And I’ve always wondered—what kind of monster someone has to be to do something like that,” she said, and not a single note in her voice trembled.
“You left me to die in that room. Alone. You ruined my life, Jasper. Do you even understand that? Do you know how long I flinched away from men? How terrified I was of being anywhere alone? Do you have any idea what it felt like to find out I was pregnant with your child?”
“Nina—” he tried to interrupt, but he never stood a chance.
Nina didn’t even recognize herself. Five minutes ago she’d been shrinking away from him, shaking with terror, and now she was staring straight into his eyes, saying everything she’d carried for twenty-two years.
She’d finally faced her nightmare—only to find out he wasn’t as terrifying as the memories that haunted her.
“No. It’s my turn to talk. Don’t interrupt.
” Her voice was sharp, steady, almost frighteningly controlled.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever felt guilty, but I hope you have.
I hope there were nights when you woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep because of me.
Because of what you did. You never paid for it.
Not even a day. And is that fair? You should’ve rotted in prison, not lived your perfect little life. ”
Something was unfolding inside her—anger, pain, or maybe a craving for him to feel, even for a moment, what she’d lived with all these years. For him to understand: his ‘mistakes’ weren’t mistakes. They scorched her life to ashes.
“You abandoned me, Jasper,” she said, her voice cracking but her stance unyielding. “I was nothing to you. Just… entertainment. Something you could break and throw away.”
He didn’t move. He stood completely still, like carved stone, but something dark flickered deep in his eyes—something she couldn’t name.
“You think you can walk in here twenty-two years later, say ‘I’m sorry,’ and everything’s fine? You think your words mean anything now?!”
She stepped closer. Now they stood nearly chest to chest. She could smell his cologne—a familiar scent, but sickening on him.
“I still remember that room. The locked door. The fear choking me. Your breath. Your voice. I remember every detail of that night. I feel it every damn time I close my eyes.”
Jasper turned his head sharply. His jaw tightened, his knuckles went white.
Still, he said nothing.
Why?
Why wasn’t he defending himself? Why didn’t he tell her she was exaggerating? Why wasn’t he calling her crazy like Frank always did?
“I should hate you,” she continued, her voice dropping lower, heavy with emotions she couldn’t contain anymore. “I should…”
She exhaled shakily and looked away for a moment.
“And yet… I’m standing here. Talking to you. Trying to understand. Why?”
She spoke that last word slowly, searching his face for an answer.
And then Jasper did something she absolutely didn’t expect. He laughed. Quietly. Harshly. Without an ounce of warmth.
Nina jerked her head up.
“You really want to know why?” His voice was rough, strained. He looked right at her, fists clenched as if holding pain inside. “Because I was a piece of shit, Nina. Does that answer satisfy you?”
She froze.
There was no mockery in his voice. No pride. Just a brutal, merciless confession.
“But if you think I never paid for it,” he continued, “you’re wrong.”
Her breath caught.
He looked at her in a way that made her want to turn away, want to run, want to hide.
But she didn’t.
“Your regret doesn’t help me, Jasper,” she said quietly. “It changes nothing.”
He nodded slowly, as if agreeing, accepting the truth she laid before him.
“Yes, it won’t change anything,” he said.
Nina took a deep breath.
“If you really want to atone,” she said calmly, “then make my pharmaceutical company go bankrupt.”
Jasper blinked. He looked genuinely thrown off, as if the words made no sense at all.
“What?” he asked sharply, staring at her, trying to figure out whether she was joking.
She held his gaze. Steady. Unflinching. Like someone who’d made a decision she would not take back.
“You heard me right. I want my father’s company… destroyed.”
The silence that followed was sharp, heavy, almost metallic. Jasper crossed his arms, slowly shaking his head.
“Why would you want that?”
“I just don’t want my husband to get a single cent in the divorce,” she shot back.
He studied her for a long moment. Nina didn’t want to dig through all the dirty details, so she gave him the stripped-down truth:
“My husband tricked me into signing away all my shares and all my assets. I doubt I’ll ever get them back, but I can make sure he doesn’t profit from any of it.”
Jasper let out a short, humorless laugh.
“And for that, you chose to come to me?”
“Why not?” Nina tilted her head slightly, observing him. “You’re hardly a small figure in this world.”
His smile deepened, edged with disbelief. He shook his head.
“And why exactly do you think I have that kind of influence?” he asked, amused. “I’m just a surgeon, Nina. In case you forgot what I actually do. You’re giving me too much credit.”
She pressed her lips together.
“You’re not just a surgeon. You’re the heir to a multimillion-dollar medical group. And I know what goes on at your clinic on Larkin Drive. You’re connected to people who can build — and crush — corporations. I did my research on you, Jasper. I know you have the right connections.”
He looked at her with outright skepticism, but the smile stayed.
“You really do surprise me, Nina.”
She said nothing.
Jasper took a slow breath, exhaling with a hint of something thoughtful, calculating. His eyes narrowed slightly as though trying to measure her limits.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” His voice remained low and controlled, but now there was unmistakable interest beneath it.
“I am. Nobody wants to take my case. I know I’ll lose in court. Frank is power. And I’m… no one.”
He nodded once — small, but deliberate.
“Then I have a different suggestion.”
Nina stiffened instantly. Something cold coiled inside her.
“What kind of suggestion?”
His gaze drifted across her face, assessing every flicker, every inhale.
“You want bankruptcy,” he said after a brief pause, the air between them tightening. Hard to believe they were standing this close, discussing revenge like business partners. “But there’s a better option.”
She waited.
“I’ll give you the contact of someone who specializes in… complicated legal situations.” Jasper’s tone shifted, darker, implying much more than legal aid. “And he doesn’t always play clean.”
Nina’s breath caught.
“What do you mean by that?”
Jasper tilted his head slightly, watching how the words settled on her.
“This man knows how to squeeze everything possible out of a person.”
A chill swept across her arms.
“You’re offering me a lawyer? Or someone else entirely?”
He smiled again — slow, knowing.
“Not exactly a lawyer. More like… a professional in dismantling legal strategies.”
Her pulse sped up.
“And what can he do for me?”
“He’ll make sure your husband walks away with nothing. And if things go well, you might end up with more than you think. He has connections. And, as I said, he doesn’t always operate cleanly. If you’re willing — I’ll connect you.”
Nina tightened her grip on her sleeve, weighing the danger against the temptation. The offer sounded too good. Too risky. Too intoxicating.
Jasper stood there casually, as if it made no difference to him whether she took the offer or not. But something flickered in his eyes — heat, interest, anticipation.
“And what if he can’t help me?” she finally asked.
Jasper shrugged lightly.
“Then we return to your bankruptcy idea.”
She inhaled deeply.
“What do I need to do?”
Jasper pulled out his phone, typed something quickly, then extended the screen to her.
“Write down the number. I’ll let him know you’ll be calling.”
She looked at the digits. Then at him. Jasper appeared serene — almost too serene.
“This man can really… do something?” she asked quietly.
“Trust me — you’ll be surprised.”
Nina bit her lip. She wanted to ruin Frank. Strip him of everything just as he’d stripped her. And the chance was right in front of her.
Why not take it?
“One… minute,” she muttered, glancing around for her phone.
In the end she grabbed a notepad from the shelf and returned to Jasper, who still stood motionless in the center of the living room, like a shadow carved into the space.
Her hands trembled as she wrote the number down. Somehow this simple act felt harder than anything she had said tonight.
Jasper watched her. Silently. Pressingly. Too attentively.
She closed the notepad and lifted her gaze.
“That’s it,” she said evenly, although her heartbeat was still erratic. “I hope we won’t see each other again. Sorry, but I have no desire to meet with the man who—”
The sentence collapsed on its own. They both knew who he was. And that nothing could erase it.
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Jasper didn’t argue. He just lifted one shoulder slightly and turned toward the exit.
Nina watched him go, tension climbing her spine again. Everything felt too strange. Too fast. Too wrong.
His hand was already on the doorknob when she couldn’t hold it back:
“Wait.”
Jasper paused. Slowly turned his head. One brow arched.
“What else?”
She swallowed hard, fists tightening.
“How did you find out about Lynn?”
That question had been gnawing her for days. Keeping her awake. Clawing at her thoughts.
He looked at her for several seconds. Then — instead of answering — he smiled.
“If we ever meet again, I’ll tell you.”
She clenched her jaw. She had no intention of seeing him again.
“But not today,” he added, and opened the door.
She wanted to say something. To throw something sharp after him, demand answers — but it was too late.
Jasper stepped outside without a backward glance. The door closed behind him, leaving Nina in a silent house.
She sank onto the nearest chair, pressing her hands to her temples. Her body shook. The crash of adrenaline came hard and fast.
She had faced Jasper Garth.
He had been in her home — and she… she had finally stood her ground.