His gaze was not filled with displeasure, but rather… with hatred.
Natalie Wheeler immediately looked away, and her dark eyes were indifferent.
“Why is he here as well?” Eli Wayne asked Allen in shock.
Allen shook his head. He did not know either.
“Hey, Jasper, why are you meeting Stephen too?” Eli asked directly.
Jasper Milton glanced at Eli and ignored her.
Eli hated people who refused to speak. These people always acted as if they were holier-than-thou, treating others with disrespect.
She lost her temper at that instant. She asked Natalie deliberately, “Natalie, when will you get married to Mr. Allen?”
Natalie knew that Eli was just trying to aggravate Jasper. However, Natalie also knew that if she acted rashly, the situation at hand would only worsen. She replied, “It’s still early.”
“What do you mean that ‘it’s still early’? You’re not young anymore. If you meet your Mr. Right, you should get married as soon as possible,” Eli urged.
“Stop it, Eli,” Natalie said in a low voice.
Seeing that Natalie was angry, Eli pursed her lips and lowered her head without saying another word.
A strange light flashed through Jasper’s eyes. He stared at Natalie.
Jasper had always had the impression that Eli was fearless. She became even bolder and fiercer ever since she got together with Sean Yaleman. No one could control Eli except… Stella Grace.
He had always thought that Natalie was sent by Sean. However, if she was indeed Sean’s accomplice, she should be listening to Eli and following her lead. She would not dare to reprimand her with that kind of unpleasant look. The most surprising part however was the fact that Eli did not even retaliate against her.
Could it be that she really was Stella?
Jasper’s heart missed a beat. He looked at Natalie’s eyes, nose bridge, lips, and face. She looked nothing like Stella. In that case, how could she be Stella?
If what Eli had said to him was true and that Stella had finally recovered, why did she not come to him and explain everything to him? Why did she choose to be in a relationship with Allen instead?
A storm was raging in Jasper’s heart. He clenched his fists and restrained himself. He asked Natalie tentatively, “Stephen lives on an island. Do you have any experience living on a deserted island?”
Natalie shook her head, “C City is not by the sea, so I never really had the opportunity to go to the beach, let alone live on a deserted island.”
“You were born and raised in C City, but yet your accent does not sound that of C City,” Jasper then asked again.
“I grew up in an orphanage. There are a lot of children from different areas in the orphanage, so, we have been using formal English all the time,” Natalie explained calmly.
Jasper fixed his eyes on her coldly.
Elvis Zachary had told him that she was never a member of the orphanage at all. She had only just appeared at the orphanage a year ago. Thus, Jasper was sure that her reason was not true at all.
“I stayed in C City for a while in the past and I have learned a few words from the locals. You may not know how to speak the dialect of C city, but you should understand it, right? What does ‘Cornell’ mean?” Jasper asked.
Natalie raised the corner of her mouth slightly, “Your pronunciation is not very accurate. Do you mean ‘corner’?”
Jasper’s eyes dimmed, “I guess so. I must have forgotten about it.”
“If you have forgotten about it, then you should just forget it completely. It’s a language that doesn’t belong to you after all,” Natalie’s words were profound.
“I may not need to remember the language that doesn’t belong to me, but I will never forget the people who belonged to me,” Jasper said in a low voice.
“Mr. Milton, are you talking about your ex-wife?” Natalie asked calmly.
“She is my only wife,” Jasper corrected her.
Natalie did not continue the conversation and merely lowered her head.
Allen’s lips twitched. He held Natalie’s hand and asked softly, “Natalie, do you know Mr. Milton before this?”
“I almost became his children’s tutor,” Natalie said frankly.
“Ah. That’s really interesting,” Allen said.
Natalie smiled faintly and felt Jasper’s gaze on her. She whispered to Allen, “I want to eat some oranges.”
Allen showed a doting smile, took an orange from the fruit plate, peeled it off, and brought a piece to Natalie’s mouth.
Natalie opened her mouth and bit the orange in his hand.
“Is it sweet?” Allen asked, feeding her another piece.
“Yeah,” Natalie replied simply with a faint smile.
Allen looked at Natalie affectionally.
Even though Natalie was usually cold and reserved, he thought that she looked very beautiful and dazzling whenever she smiled. He then said, “If you like it, I will buy more for you when we get back.”
“Okay,” Natalie responded. She tilted her head, leaned on Allen’s shoulder, and closed her eyes.
Jasper stared at Natalie, a sense of discomfort brewing in his heart. He walked out of the living room, went to the bow of the boat, and looked into the distance.
Eli put her hands behind her and walked to Jasper proudly. Following his gaze, she looked into the distance and said clearly, “Stella has found her own happiness. Mr. Milton, you should find a partner and get married as soon as possible. Only then could everyone be happy.”
“She’s not Stella,” Jasper said in a low voice.
“Yes, she isn’t. So, Jasper, please stay away from her,” Eli said, her voice filled with threat.
Jasper looked at Eli with annoyance, “What on earth are you trying to do?”
“Nothing.” Eli shrugged her shoulders and said disdainfully, “I think everything is fine the way it is now.”
Eli did not insist that Natalie was Stella this time. This made Jasper feel very uncomfortable.
He looked at Eli, who was already making her way back to the living room. He then turned to enter as well.
At that moment, he saw Allen kissing Natalie on her forehead.
Jasper was stunned.
Natalie did not open her eyes either. Jasper did not know whether she had fallen asleep or if she had acquiesced to the kiss.
His heart twisted inexplicably as if he had been entangled with poisonous vines. It felt as though he was being wrapped up so tightly that he could not even breathe. His heart ached, and it hurt terribly.
Eli wanted to give Allen and Natalie some privacy. She turned around and looked at Jasper behind her, “Let’s talk more.”
Jasper ignored Eli deliberately and sat across Allen in the living room. He asked coldly, “How long have you two known each other?”
Natalie frowned slightly. Would it look suspicious if she opened her eyes now and asked Allen to accompany her outside to get some fresh air?
Allen smiled and said, “Does fate depend on the time one had known the other? If fate depended on the length of time people had known each other, there would not be any breakups in this world anymore. Don’t you think so?”
“If that was the case, how will you ensure that she is your fated one?” Jasper squinted his eyes.
“She showed up at a suitable time, place, and occasion. What’s important is that we are together now. This is fate.”
“Perhaps, it’s a well-planned scam,” Jasper spared no effort in throwing cold water on his enthusiasm.
Allen smiled warmly, “Even if it’s a scam, it’s still a beautiful encounter. I do enjoy this arrangement. Even if I’m being cheated, I’m willing to do it. And I’m looking forward to a turning point.”
“Aren’t you afraid that your Mrs. Right has not appeared before you yet?” Jasper’s voice was even colder.
“Mr. Milton, have you only been in love once?” Allen asked suspiciously.
Jasper’s eyes moved to Natalie’s face gradually, he said, “When I found my Mrs. Right, I swore to be loyal to her for the rest of my life and I will never have another girlfriend, even if other women are better than her. If she dies, I will never get married again, and I will stay alone until I die.”