CHAPTER 48
Nina had just stepped out of the shower when the doorbell rang. Strange, she wasn't expecting anyone. And the security team wouldn’t have let a stranger through without warning her first.
She quickly grabbed a tracksuit from the closet, pulled it on, and hurried to the entryway. She opened the door and froze.
Jasper stood on the porch.
With two cups of coffee in his hands.
She blinked several times, trying to understand whether she was imagining this.
It was the middle of the night, and he… was here.
And he looked like chaos was tearing him apart from the inside: a tense jawline, uneven breathing, and that same dangerous, wild gleam in his eyes that chilled her to the bone.
Instinctively, Nina glanced past him toward the yard. The guards stood at the driveway, which meant they had let him in without calling her.
What the hell?
She turned her eyes back to Jasper. He stared straight at her, unblinking.
“Can I come in?” he asked, his voice low.
She hesitated for only a moment. Something inside her tightened cautiously. But she nodded and stepped aside.
He walked in. She closed the door and with it, a thick tension seemed to seep into the house.
Jasper silently held out a cup of coffee. She took it automatically, even though she knew caffeine at this hour guaranteed insomnia. But right now she only wanted to know one thing: why was he here? His sudden appearances almost always meant bad news. That had been true for weeks.
He tried several times to say something, but each time clenched his jaw and looked away.
She waited.
Finally, he set his own cup down on the console table and turned to her as if making a final decision.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said hoarsely.
“What happened?” Nina nodded toward the living room, inviting him in.
“It’s Lynn,” he exhaled, dropping onto the couch. “She… she’s with Nolan.”
Nina blinked.
“What do you mean, ‘with Nolan’?”
He looked at her darkly.
“I walked in on them today. They were kissing.”
He said it as if he had been betrayed. Nina lowered her gaze. Lynn and Nolan. God.
“That’s…” was all she managed.
“Do you understand how badly I want to smash his face in?” Jasper’s voice was rough.
“I know him. Too damn well. He’s never had a serious relationship.
Women were always temporary, sometimes more than one at a time.
And I,” he laced his fingers so tightly the knuckles went white, “I can’t stand the thought that he could hurt her. He’s so much older than she is!”
Nina stayed quiet. He lifted his eyes to her, almost pleading.
“You’re a woman. You’re a mother. You have a daughter,” he said, voice cracking. “Tell me what the right thing is. What am I supposed to do?”
She let out a heavy breath.
“Jasper… I’m hardly an example to follow,” she said with a sad smile. “Look at my life.”
He shook his head.
“No. You’re strong. You raised a daughter. She’s only a few years younger than Lynn, isn’t she?”
Nina’s hands tightened, and she nodded.
“Daphne… she… I spoiled her too much. And she doesn’t confide in me,” she admitted softly. “We’ve been struggling to understand each other lately. And from photos I found out she went on vacation with Frank and Vivian… I thought she’d understood everything.”
Jasper leaned back, closing his eyes for a second.
“I want to keep Lynn locked at home, protect her from everything. Make sure nothing bad ever touches her.”
“That’s impossible,” Nina said quietly. “She’s an adult.”
He opened his eyes.
“So what do I do?”
She smiled despite the ache inside her.
“Be there for her. Don’t forbid. Don’t pressure. Be the one she can come to if she gets hurt.”
He looked at her for a long moment. Then he said softly:
“I love her so much. She’s everything to me. That’s why it’s so damn hard to accept that she’s grown.”
A tight knot formed in Nina’s throat. She turned away so she wouldn’t start crying. And to break the tension, she asked:
“Have you eaten?”
He frowned.
“No. No appetite.”
“Me neither,” she admitted. “But I ordered dinner anyway. They delivered it half an hour ago. It’s cold now. If you want… we can try eating without appetite.”
He gave her a small smile—tired, but warm.
“Let’s try.”
Nina walked into the kitchen and began setting the table. Simple food, takeout containers, plates, everything was ordinary, yet her fingers trembled.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Jasper. The same Jasper she had feared for decades, resented, blamed for everything that had gone wrong in her life. And now he was here… in her home. Quiet. Exhausted. And strangely—she wasn’t afraid of him. Not right now.
He silently helped her place the dishes. They sat across from each other. She picked at her food like it was a difficult task. Jasper ate slowly, checking his phone now and then. Silence stretched between them heavy, but unexpectedly calm. Almost comfortable.
“Don’t worry about Frank. It’s already in motion. He won’t get away this time.” His voice was level.
Nina set down her fork.
“What do you mean?”
He took a sip of his now-cold coffee.
“Nolan’s organizing everything. There’s a plan. Give it a few days—and you’ll know.” He looked her straight in the eyes. “He won’t slip through our fingers again.”
Nina clasped her hands under the table.
“Really?” she whispered.
Jasper smirked faintly.
“Even if someone tries to shut down the courthouse again. This time it won’t work.”
He sounded so certain.
For the first time in a long while, she felt it too: maybe everything really was coming to an end.
And maybe, finally, she would be able to live.
Normally.
Without fear.