Wealthy Jasper

Abigail hailed a cab to come to her friend's place. She initially thought of asking Christopher to drive her here, but he had left in the morning and had not returned yet. She didn't call him because she assumed he was too busy at work and instead took a taxi.

She took a look around the posh residential area, which had luxurious villas on either side of the road. Each villa had plenty of open space surrounding it, with towering trees separating them.

The car pulled over in front of the last villa on the right side of the road.

Abigail looked at the two-story white structure in awe. The villas she had seen before had spacious outdoor areas, but this one outdid them all with a massive backyard.

Abigail was awestruck and wondered how wealthy Jasper had become in such a short period of time.

Even many wealthy people avoided purchasing a home in this neighborhood, preferring to stay a little outside of town where property prices were lower and build a large house to their liking. Christopher had done the same thing.

Abigail had no idea how wealthy Jasper was. It was surprising and delightful at the same time that he had grown into a successful, rich guy despite coming from a poor family. Not only Jasper, but Elsa was also successful.

She was really happy for them. Her face was bright with a smile as she walked up to the house. She adjusted her dress as she raised her hand to press the doorbell.

The door opened before she could even press the bell, revealing the pretty, familiar face.

"Abi…" Elsa smiled as she examined her from head to toe, a surprised expression on her face.

Abigail was wearing a beige dress that flared from the waist and ended just above her knees.

"You are… beautiful…" Elsa said. "This hairstyle... looks good on you. Awe…" She clutched her shoulders. "You look like a doll." She checked on her again. "You have changed a lot. I recall you wearing a plain t-shirt and pants. Take a look at yourself... You are wearing a sexy dress. Are you trying to impress me or someone else?"

"No…" Abigail laughed. She couldn't tell her that she had recently changed her appearance to attract her own husband. She could only pretend that she had been wearing such outfits all those years.

"Come on… Be honest with me. I won't mind if you say you are trying to impress your boss." Elsa winked at her mischievously.

Abigail didn't take her words seriously because she was used to Elsa teasing her in this way. She had never thought of attracting Jasper's attention.

Jasper was only her friend's brother to her, not more than that… and she believed Jasper also only considered her as his sister's friend.

"Jasper is not the type to be impressed by how someone dresses," she said.

Jasper, who had been quietly watching her from inside, was disappointed to hear her words. It was unfortunate that he couldn't tell her how attracted he was to her.

He couldn't express his desire in the past because he was afraid of being rejected. He couldn't do it now because she was someone else's wife. All he could do was watch her covertly from afar. His desire to hold her in his arms and make love to her would remain buried in his heart.

He averted his gaze. "Elsa… It's cold outside. Are you planning to stand there the entire night?"

"See… How worried he is about you." Elsa laughed and dragged her inside. "You have no idea how happy I am… to see you here."

She added the last few words after a while, glancing at her brother.

Jasper simply turned aside. His action gave Abigail the impression that he didn't like her presence.

She felt awkward, thinking Elsa had not talked to her brother before inviting her to dinner. She lowered her head.

"Oh, God! Why are you still standing? Sit down…" Elsa drew her down onto the sofa. She was sitting in the middle of them. "I can't believe I am seeing you."

She didn't let go of her hand. "Tell me how your work is going on."

"Everything is going well," Abigail replied. She lost all her excitement after noticing Jasper's gloomy expression. She planned to have a lot of fun with Elsa, but she changed her mind and decided to leave soon.

"I knew it. Jasper will make sure that you will not face any trouble. Right, Jasper?" She cast a meaningful look at her brother, who gave her a blank stare. She wanted to roll her eyes. "Okay… I will go check the chicken I have put in the oven."

Elsa went to the kitchen, leaving them alone in the big hall.

Neither Abigail nor Jasper said a word.

Abigail kept her gaze fixed on a painting of the rising sun on the wall opposite her. She couldn't stand the awkward silence any longer. She turned to him, who also happened to look at her.

"I just impulsively accepted Elsa's invitation and came here. If you are not happy with it, I apologize."

"Why are you apologizing? Why would I ever have a problem with you coming to my place?" Jasper immediately realized that he had become overly anxious. He kept his feelings in check and said in a controlled way, "You often came to our house. You spent time with Elsa playing, studying, and eating. We were like one big family. You are always welcome here. I am not upset with you. But something is really bothering me these days."

His countenance was shrouded with worry as he thought about the recent problems the company was facing because of Christopher. He had considered talking to her about it several times but had always backed down, believing it was inappropriate to ask for her assistance.

"What is it? Care to tell me?" Abigail was intrigued to learn what was bothering him.

"It's nothing… Don't worry. I will resolve the issues." He refused to tell her anything.

I have no doubt that you can handle the situation on your own, but please let me know if I can help."

Jasper gave her a thoughtful look before saying slowly, "Yes… You can help me."