"I've never seen you go to work, nor do you act like you work from home," Ella said, her brows tightening with curiosity. "What do you do that you were able to afford all this?"
Jasper froze. Her question struck him harder than she expected. He opened his mouth, closed it again, then forced a quiet breath.
"They're all from my dad…" he finally said.
He looked away, his voice sinking lower. "My dad worked tirelessly to give me the life he never had. But life was unfortunate… he passed away because he overworked himself. Neglected his health. He just kept pushing until his body couldn't take it anymore."
Ella's face softened immediately. "I'm sorry for asking a question that awakened a sad memory."
"You don't have to apologize. I'm a full-grown man now," Jasper replied, trying to sound composed even though a shadow lingered in his eyes. "Now… let's talk about yours."
Ella brightened slightly. "My parents are doing fine and healthy. I'd love to introduce you to them someday," she said with a warm smile.
A few minutes later, Ella picked up her bag and headed out for work.
"I told you to give me some time! I'll propose to her soon, okay? She just said yes to be my girlfriend!" Jasper's voice echoed loudly from the hallway. Rita was clearly pressuring him again, pushing him harder toward a marriage proposal Ella knew nothing about.
"Who are you proposing to?" Ella asked sharply as she stepped back inside the room. She had forgotten a file and returned at the exact wrong moment.
...or the exact right one.
"Ella…" Jasper said, her name stumbling out of his mouth as his face drained.
He swallowed hard, forcing his tone to steady. "I mean… I've been talking to my mom about you. She can't wait to have you as part of the family."
"Oh really? Yeah, right…" Ella said softly, trying to mask the confusion swirling inside her. "It's too early for that. I guess she understands."
"I'll see you soon," she added, stepping out again.
Jasper was shaking. His hands trembled as he set his phone down. He had almost been caught, too close this time.
During her work hours, since she had little to do, Ella found her thoughts drifting back to Jasper's panicked reaction.
"Why did he panic when he saw me?" she whispered to herself. "Something is off…"
A small seed of suspicion settled quietly inside her chest. From that moment, she began watching more carefully; paying attention to the things she once ignored. But Jasper was smart. Smarter than she gave him credit for.
He left no traces.
No slips.
No holes in his stories.
Every move he made was suddenly calculated, careful, almost rehearsed.
He was being too careful.
And that alone was suspicious.
"We need to be more careful," Jasper told Rita later as he explained how he almost got caught.
"Then hurry up and do your damn job," Rita snapped, her voice dripping with frustration. She was running out of time and patience.
"We're already far ahead of our plan," she added. "Just a little push and we're there."
There was satisfaction in her tone, a dangerous kind. Because once their plan succeeded, she believed she would finally have Ben all to herself.
She just needed Ella out of the picture.
And Jasper was her perfect weapon.
"I know you're hiding something from me, Jasper. I just can't figure out what exactly it is…" Ella whispered to herself later that night, refusing to accept the excuse he gave her.
The uneasy feeling in her chest only grew stronger.
And this time, she wasn't ready to ignore it.