CHAPTER 41
Nina was trapped in a strange dream she couldn’t break free from.
Someone was calling her. At first it was a whisper, then a little louder. She tried to force her eyes open, but it felt like she was sinking—dragged under. And then it was like a sharp shove to the chest.
“Nina.”
Her eyes flew open, and a loud, terrified scream tore out of her throat. A figure loomed in the dim bedroom. Tall. A man.
Jasper?
What was he doing here?
Her heart hammered. Instinctively, Nina grabbed the blanket and yanked it up to her chin.
“I’m sorry,” Jasper said immediately, stepping back and lifting his hands. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I knocked—you didn’t answer.”
“Of course I didn’t answer, I was asleep!” she snapped, still struggling to catch her breath. Her hands were shaking. “It’s morning. People sleep in the morning!”
“It’s almost noon,” he replied calmly.
Nina shot a glance at the clock.
11:40.
Damn it.
She’d only fallen asleep near dawn, exhausted from crying. She probably looked awful. She glanced toward the window. The curtains were still drawn, giving the illusion that the sun hadn’t risen yet.
She smoothed her hair and looked at him with suspicion.
“What are you doing here?” she asked hoarsely, anxiety and irritation tangled.
Jasper stood in the middle of the room—less frightening now, but still deeply out of place. She knew the house technically belonged to him, but hadn’t he promised not to disturb her? And was it really normal for her to be lying in bed with him standing right there?
“Irina said she heard you crying all night,” he said quietly. “So I came. Are you in pain? Do you need a doctor?”
Nina shook her head, biting her lip.
“I… I wasn’t crying because of that,” she admitted. “There’s no need to worry. I’m fine.”
He nodded and looked away—and then noticed the album on the nightstand. It was open to the page where Lynn was celebrating her tenth birthday.
And Nina knew instantly: he understood everything.
His expression didn’t change, but she saw his jaw tighten. He took a step closer—and she barely resisted the urge to pull back.
“You…” He cleared his throat roughly. “You looked through the album?”
She didn’t answer.
She couldn’t bring herself to admit she’d been sobbing over pictures of the daughter she’d thrown away. Instead, she turned her face aside and clenched her teeth.
The silence grew heavy, unbearable. All she could hear was her own breathing and the distant ticking of a clock.
Jasper didn’t say anything.
He walked to the nightstand. His fingers paused on the thick pages before he closed the album and picked it up.
Without looking at her, he went to the window and yanked the heavy curtains open. Bright sunlight flooded the room. Nina squinted and instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes—it was too bright.
“I brought food,” he said dully, standing by the window. “I didn’t know what you like, so I got a bit of everything. Chicken broth, cream soup, fruit jelly, fish, pancakes. Desserts. You’ll eat something.”
Nina nodded, still not quite understanding where this was going.
Headed for the door, then stopped as if an afterthought, turning his head slightly.
“I sent Irina home for the day. Get dressed. You need to take your medication.”
She stayed on the bed, staring at nothing long after the door closed, unable to gather her thoughts. Inside, everything was tangled—embarrassment, irritation, anxiety… and something else.
Something she didn’t want to name.
Eventually, Nina got up and went to take a shower.
The warm water helped a little. Then she realized she hadn’t locked the bathroom door—and for some reason, panic flared. She hurried out from under the spray and wrapped herself in a towel.
They were alone in the house. Just her and Jasper.
That scared her again.
Even though he hadn’t given her a single reason to fear him this whole time, the past still followed her. Could a person be a monster and suddenly change?
She studied her reflection in the mirror.
Pale skin. Dark circles under her eyes. She looked like a woman who’d just been pulled back from the edge of death.
Which, technically, she was.
Instead of simply getting dressed, Nina styled her hair, too carefully. Strands fell softly, curling around her face. She looked at her reflection—and for the first time in a long while, she liked what she saw.
Back in the bedroom, she frowned.
She barely had any clothes here. Before, she hadn’t cared—pajamas, oversized sweaters, sweatpants. But now…
She stood at the closet.
Finally, she chose the most presentable option she had: a soft knit lounge set in a warm cream color. It fit her well, comfortable but neat. She’d meant to order clothes online, but she’d been too drained to think about it. She’d worn whatever was handed to her.
In the living room, the table was neatly set. Cutlery laid out carefully. A white teapot and two cups. Jasper was in the kitchen, chopping something.
In front of Nina waited a deep bowl of chicken broth, a slice of white bread. And pills. A glass of water beside them.
She stopped, not moving.
“Sit down,” Jasper said evenly, without turning around.
She obeyed and lowered herself into the chair.
“You didn’t even ask if I was hungry,” she murmured, staring at the bowl.
He finally turned and looked straight at her.
“If you weren’t hungry,” he said, “you wouldn’t have come out of the bedroom.”
A strange sensation washed over her—like he could read her down to the bloodstream. Nina dropped her gaze, nervous, and picked up the spoon. He was right. She was hungry.
Nina wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat.
“You don’t have to—” she started.
“No, I don’t,” Jasper cut in. “But I’m doing it anyway.”
She fell silent. Anything that came to mind sounded foolish, out of place.
“Why?” Nina finally breathed.
Jasper sat down across from her and picked up his tea. For a moment, he simply watched her eat.
“Because once, I became someone I never wanted to be,” he said. “And now the only way I can even begin to make it right is by taking care of you until this is over.”
Nina looked at him. His face was calm, but tension flickered in his eyes. He controlled every emotion, every movement—and still she could see it: something inside him was burning, irreversible.
“You’re too calm for someone who did what you did to me,” she said, unable to say the word out loud.
“My calm doesn't mean I've forgotten,” Jasper replied. “I remember everything. And believe me, I pay for it every single day. Let's not reopen a painful subject.”
Nina froze.
“Silence won't redeem you.”
“No,” he nodded. “But it's all I'm entitled to right now.”
She looked away.
“Don’t you have work,” she muttered, “if you have time to drive all the way out here just to bring me food?”
“I took the day off,” Jasper said, taking another sip of tea and reaching for a cheese toast.
“And you decided to spend it with me?” Nina scoffed.
They ate in silence. There was nothing left to say. Nina caught herself relaxing a little. Strangely enough, being near Frank right now would’ve been far more dangerous than being near Jasper. She was hiding from her husband of twenty-two years—not the man across the table.
“Take your meds,” Jasper said. “I got your EKG results. I added a couple of prescriptions. Nothing serious, but in your case it won’t hurt. And try not to stress so much.”
Nina gave a crooked smile.
“So now you’re my attending physician too?”
He didn’t get the chance to answer.
The front door burst open.
They both turned their heads at the same time.
Lynn.
Didn't Jasper say she wasn't coming back today?
Her gaze landed on Nina first. Then on the plates on the table, the teapot, the cream-colored knit set, the house slippers. The smile slowly faded from Lynn’s face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Jasper suspiciously, unzipping her jacket and dropping her backpack on the floor. “You told me a pipe burst and I couldn’t come back yet. But I don’t see any contractors. Or water shooting out of the walls.”
Jasper tensed.
“I was just about to tell you everything’s been fixed,” he said evenly. “I stopped by to check and settled up with the workers.”
“Oh, I see how you're 'settling up,'” Lynn smirked, glancing between him and Nina. “Why are you two alone here? In my house?”
Nina froze and looked at Jasper.
Why wasn’t he saying anything?
Her heart sped up. The awkwardness thickened. Not a single excuse came to mind.
Then Lynn snapped her fingers and smiled.
“Oh! Right… You live next door, don’t you? How could I forget?”
She narrowed her eyes, studying Nina.
Jasper and Nina exchanged a glance. He clearly didn’t know about Nina’s small lie—and it showed. Lynn caught it instantly.
“Or you don’t live next door?” she frowned, a crease forming between her brows.
“Wait…” she said slowly, like pieces were clicking together.
“Did you stalk my dad? Don't tell me you're one of those crazy women who swarm him. Is that why you were hanging around the house? And showing up at the clinic?”
Nina didn’t have time to respond.
Jasper stood up.
“Nina works for an insurance company,” he said sharply, confidently, without the slightest hesitation. “She’s been trying to get in touch with the hospital’s management for a while. Found out I’m the owner and tracked me down. Wanted to sign a contract. I turned her down. She didn’t give up.”
Nina went still.
“Of course,” Lynn scoffed, dropping into an empty chair. “So you’re ‘negotiating.’ Over lunch. Alone. In my house.”
“Lynn,” Jasper warned.
“Dad, do you even hear how this sounds?” She looked at Nina. “Be honest. There is something going on between you, isn’t there? This is weird. First you lose your mind when you hear about her accident, now you’re here having tea together…”
She nodded toward the teapot.
Nina couldn’t force out a single word.
It was weird. Embarrassing. Absurd.
“That’s enough,” Jasper said sharply. His voice was steel, final.
“You’re right—you have reasons to question this.
But there’s no need for an interrogation.
Nina and I ran into each other by chance.
She’d just been discharged and instead of resting, she was wandering the streets.
I invited her here to discuss a few overlapping matters. ”
Lynn bit her lip, stayed quiet for a moment—and then suddenly laughed.
“Dad, are you sure I’m your daughter and not the other way around? Because it feels like you’re the one explaining yourself to your parents after getting caught alone with a girl.”
She laughed, and Nina felt herself loosen just a little.
“Let's talk about why you skipped class,” Jasper said.
“What? Skipping?” Lynn jumped up, feigning outrage. “We only had three classes today!”
“And the third one ends at what time, Lynn?” he asked sternly.
Nina watched their banter from the sidelines, a warm, aching feeling spreading through her chest. She wanted—desperately—to touch Lynn. To hug her.
Lynn glanced at the table again.
“Alright, I won’t interfere,” she said with a smirk. “I’ll grab what I came for and head out.”
Jasper stayed silent. Nina almost exhaled—but Lynn stopped in the doorway and turned back.
“But seriously, Dad,” she drawled with a mischievous smile. “Don’t drag it out. Ask Nina out already. There's so much tension between you two you could power the city.”
She shot Nina a quick look and bounded up the stairs.
“After that, I probably should leave,” Nina exhaled, adjusting her napkin.
“The court hearing is tomorrow,” Jasper said calmly. “After that, Frank will be taken into custody, and you’ll be able to go home. Under Nolan’s protection. He’ll contact you himself and give you instructions.”
Nina nodded.
“He still hasn’t sent me a bill,” she suddenly remembered.
Jasper smirked.
“Don’t worry about that,” he said. “Nolan never misses a chance.”