Stella Grace was washed over with resentment.
It was not Jasper Milton who should feel sorry.
But her.
It was indeed her who had kidnapped Ralph. She couldn’t blame him for distrusting her.
Her eyes turned a little watery, but soon she regained her composure and looked at him. “It’s okay. I’m having a bad mood.”
“You’re right. Since I brought Bettany here, it’s no longer safe here. I was too hasty and didn’t consider much. I’ll find a place to move back tomorrow.”
“No need for that. I really want to calm myself down for a few days,” Stella refused.
She did have some matters to attend to. It would be more convenient for her once she left this place. She knew of a spot where Jasper would not be able to find her.
“What is next after you have calmed down? Do you want to break up? After going through so much, is there anything that we can’t overcome? I might believe in Bettany more than Hale, but between Bettany and you, I absolutely believe in you.
I don’t agree to part with you. I’m usually at work and I won’t disturb you at all. I will leave you alone even if you stay here,” Jasper said in a low voice. He was overwhelmed with bitterness at the thought of parting as if she had made a hole in his heart.
Stella lowered her eyes and her face turned pale. Her logic was battling against her emotions. Eventually, she lost to her heart.
She nodded and walked towards Jasper. She hugged him and closed her eyes. Tears flowed out of her eyes uncontrollably.
One day in the future, he would know that he had married such a weak woman, so weak that she could not even be able to live without him.
“Eat more, you didn’t eat much just now,” Jasper said softly and looked at her.
Stella was not able to hold back her tears and her teary state was discovered by him.
Jasper looked at her with distress. “There’s nothing between me and Bettany. I swear that I will send Bettany to court personally if I find out that Bettany is against us. Ralph is my child, and I am merely playing my part as his father.”
“Alright.” Stella sniffled as she sat down and wiped her tears.
Jasper shoved her plate towards her and then sat down next to her. He smiled slightly and said, “Are you still jealous?”
Stella didn’t say anything. She put a piece of fish into Jasper’s plate, “Let’s eat.”
Jasper knew that Stella was shy, so he did not press further. He picked up the piece of fish on his plate and placed it back into Stella’s plate. “You can have it.”
“Let’s eat together,” Stella insisted on giving some of it to Jasper and continued eating.
After eating, the two of them walked together along the lake. Jasper held her hand and no one spoke. Stella fell into her own train of thought.
“I won’t come back for dinner tomorrow. I have to go home,” Jasper broke the silence.
Stella vaguely remembered that Anthony Levis seemed to have mentioned that Jasper’s father wasn’t feeling well, so she said, “Okay.”
“Would you like to come with me?” Jasper asked softly.
Stella shook her head and said, “No, it’s better to avoid these troubles for the time being.”
“Okay, I will be home by midnight. Elvis will take you to a new place in the afternoon. Call me if you need anything,” Jasper ordered.
Stella nodded.
Jasper’s cell phone rang. When he saw that it was Anthony, he answered the phone.
“Chief, something’s wrong. The officer has ordered that they want to put Hale on trial immediately. I don’t have time to officially report it to them,” Anthony said agitatedly.
“Officer? Who?”
“The order came from the Military Committee. Hale will definitely say that the mission was fake in court. If she said it before I did, I will become an accomplice. If I said it first, she could still be saved. What should I do?”
“Tell Hale not to mention it for the time being,” Jasper said in a low voice.
“What worries me more is that Hale might be executed before she gets to court. Or, she might not have the chance to say it anymore if she doesn’t mention it at court.”
“You have to ensure her safety. Stall for an hour. I will gather the men,” Jasper hung up the phone and immediately called Sean Yaleman. “Sean, I have something to discuss with you. It’s very urgent. It’s about Hale.”
“Well, I know what happened. The Discipline Inspection Committee, the relevant personnel of other departments, and I have received an anonymous letter saying that Anthony is covering up for Hale and he had deliberately withheld some information. They all decided on an immediate interrogation, and then they issued a notice. I’m afraid that Anthony will be the next person to be summoned by the Discipline Inspection Committee,” Sean replied.
“There is another side to the story. The mission back then was fake, so Hale could not be a spy. I participated in that mission, so I was investigating why it was fake, and who was the mastermind behind the scenes.”
“Even if it’s fake, many people have died at that mission. It’s the first time we had suffered so many casualties in a secret operation. We can’t exclude the possibility that Hale is the murderer. After all, you, Hale, and Bettany were the only ones who had survived. Apart from her, it’s either Bettany who had been disfigured or you, who have gone through a meteoric rise. Jasper, those who do great things are bound to make sacrifices.”
“But this is equivalent to burying the truth. I have already found the Vice President of S Country. He admitted that the person I saved back then wasn’t him.”
“Then who do you think is the mastermind? Your direct superior, General Titan, is dead. Do you want to put all the blame on Titan?
Even if you put the blame on him, Hale would not be able to get rid of the suspicion. You might even get yourself in trouble. Furthermore, there was no reasonable explanation for Titan to do this.
Jasper, sometimes the outcome is more important than the truth. Sometimes, you simply have to sacrifice for the greater good,” Sean persuaded.
“So, according to you, it doesn’t matter whether the mission was fake and whether Hale was the murderer. She will be regarded as a spy regardless, am I right?” Jasper said coldly.
“This is for the greater good. It will also maintain the diplomatic relation between our country and S Country. Hale will be sacrificing for the country. It will be an honorable death.”
“F*ck you and your sacrifices for the country. If a country is full of evils, this country will not be far from destruction. Sean, I don’t share the same goal with you. You can let down the person you love for your responsibilities. I can’t do that,” Jasper swore angrily and hung up the phone.
Stella heard what he said and a dark look flashed in her eyes.
“Stella, I have to go,” Jasper said in a low voice.
Stella knew Jasper well. He would be responsible even for a total stranger, not to mention a comrade who had gone through life and death with him. Then she said, “Go ahead and do what you think is right. I will fully support you.”
She watched as Jasper left. Then, she returned to the room, closed the door, and called Anthony. “What I’m going to say now may surprise you, but please listen to me calmly and make sure that no one else is listening. This matter is the key to Jasper’s life and death.”