hapter <b>368 </b>
Mr. Jasper Sr.’s gaze was heavy with emotion.
After a long silence, he finally began to speak. He gave <b>the </b>three officers a concise but pointed ount of the long–sCtanding feud between James and Joseph, as well as Joseph’s mother.
The officers were seasoned professionals. They had heard their share of scandals involving wealthy families. Still<b>, </b>hearing Mr. Jasper Sr. speak so openly about such personal family matters caught them slightly off guard.
The surprise didn’tst long. They quicklyposed themselves, stened attentively, and took notes as needed.
When he finished, Mr. Jasper Sr.’s voice turned grave. “I agree with Lilian. We both believe Vivian is the prime suspect.”
The officers nodded.
Joshua responded respectfully, “We’ll do everything we can to get to the bottom of this.”
Thinking of his son<b>, </b>now lying in a hospital bed with only days left to live, Mr. Jasper Sr.’s eyes dimmed. His voice<b>, </b>usually firm andmanding, was filled with exhaustion and sorrow. “Thank you. Please… find the truth as soon as possible.”
At the very least, his son deserved to know who was behind it all before he died. He couldn’t leave this world with unanswered questions.
The men nodded solemnly and replied in unison, “Understood.”
Sean’s voice cut in, cold and unwavering. “I’ll assign people to assist with the investigation.”
Charlotte remained in the ICU for three days.
On the fourth day, the doctor finally gave the go–ahead for visitors. Visiting hours were limited to 2:30 to 3:00 p.m., just thirty minutes a day.
Sean had nned to be the first to visit her. But Desmond stood firmly in his
way.
Sean didn’t argue.
After all, Charlotte had nearly died again. If he were in her father’s position, he wouldn’t let the man who had hurt here anywhere near her either.
Sean understood. But that didn’t stop the ache in his chest.
These past few days hadpletely drained him.
Right after rescuing Charlotte from the brink of death<b>, </b>his father ended up in the hospital too.
It was all because of Joseph. He had thrown their lives into chaos and turned the entire Jasper family upside down.
After a few brief words with Desmond, Sean turned and walked away.
He hadn’t even reached James’s hospital room when he heard shouting from down the hallway.
It was Lilian’s voice<b>. </b>She was arguing with someone.
Sean quickened his pace, rounded the corner, and arrived at the door.
<b>From </b>afar, he had only heard Lilian. But now, up close, he could hear both voices clearly. Even James’s weak and broken tone reached his ears.
James rasped, “Why are you stopping me? What’s the point of living like this? I might as well just die and <b>get </b>it over with. I’m going to die anyway.”
Lilian’s voice cracked as <b>she </b>cried, “Have you thought about your parents? About Sean? How are they supposed to handle losing you like this?”
James’s voice rose, hoarse and sharp, “What difference does it make? The doctor already said I’ve got, what–a month left at most? Whether I die now <b>or </bter, it doesn’t matter!”
“A month is still time!” Lilian sobbed. “Even one more day is worth living!”
James broke down<b>, </b>his voice choked with tears. “You think I want to live like this? Waking up in agony every night<b>, </b>pumped full of painkillers just to get through the day. My hair’s falling out in clumps, I can’t eat anything, and every time I open my eyes, I’m just counting down the days. <b>I </b>can’t do this anymore. I’d rather die than keep living like this.”