-25 Bonus

Lillian’s chest heaved with fury. “She’s Insane! If anything happens to my son, I bswear /bbI /bwon’t let her get away with it

Mrs. Jasper Sr. shot her a bsharp /blook, “Lillian, bSean’s /bstill in surgery. What do you mean if something happens? Are you trying to jinx your own son?”

Lillian’s eyes filled again. “Mom that’s not what I meant…”

The moment she spoke, the btears /bstarted all over bagain/b.

James red at her. “That’s enougherying, Sean’s still fighting in there, and you’re out here talking bad luck Knock it off.”

Charlotte didn’t hear any of it. Every second felt like a lifetime. Regret, fear, guilt, and panic wrapped around her like avke.

She could barely breathe, her chest tight and aching like someone drowning just below the surface.

Time dragged on.

The sky outside was already starting to darken

After what felt like emity,

the doors to the o

OR finally opened.

Lillian mashed forward. “Doctor, how’s my son?!”

Everyone crowded around, bolding their breath.

Charlotte’s hands were trembling so hard she had to clutch the wall to stay bsteady/bb. /bHer palms were slick with cold sweat. She didn’t even know what she was more afraid to her

The doctor removed his m

removed his bmask /bhis tired face easing into a reassuring smile. b“/bHe’s stable now. He’s out of immediate dangerb./b”

A collective sigh of relief swept through the hallway.

Charlotte finally felt the tension in her bbody /bloosen bjust /ba little, the pressure in her chest easing for the first time all day.

Sean was transfered to the ICU for post–op monitoring. The doctors wamed that he would need to stay under observation for ba /bbfew /bbdays /bto preventplications.

With the worst finally behind them, Mr. Jasper St. tumed to the next pressing matter.

He looked toward James, bhis /bvoice stern. “How the hell did that bwoman /bget into the estate? With our level of security, no one should’ve made it past the gate bwithout /bban /binvitation. bHave /bwe figured it out?”

Only then did James remember the flood of missed calls from earlier that afternoon. Hebudheen too panicked to answer them at the time.

“I’ll make ba /bcall.

A few minutester, be came back with an update. “She got bin /bbas /bTom Gibson’s guest. Security footage shows her wearing ba /bbmask/b. She imed that she had a cold. Since Tom, the bthird /bGibson sonb, /bpersonally escorted her in, the guards didn’t question it.”

“Gibsonfamily?” Mr. Jasper 5p. narrowed his eyes.

Jamesnodded. “They say Tom’s been abroad for byears/b. just got back recently. He ims he didn’t know she bwas /bbobsessed /bwith Seat.

Mr. bJasper /bSr.’s voice went licy. “What a convenient excuse, but I don’t buy it. Keep digging.”

Desmond had been keeping his anger in check all bafternoon /bwhile Sean was in surgery. But now that Sean was safe, he bwasn’t /bholding back

He raised his voice “What’s with this lunatic stalker of Sean’s our child never bprovoked /bher. She kidnapped my bdaughter/b, then stabbed Sean! What kind ofwless

The room bdel /bquiet.

Then Mr. Jasper Sr. tumed his alump puerto Chudutte.

Frutting, “what happened on that pooltop? Why was Sean the one who ended up hun?”

“Cutlotte,” he said, his torse en