Chapter 9
"Yes, Mr. Montague," the bodyguard confirmed. "She's lively and cheerful, very enthusiastic. She's Jasper's deskmate. According to my investigation, she's even done some commercials and is a child star."
Charles narrowed his eyes, thinking. "Got it. Keep an eye on him and report back to me immediately."
"Yes, Mr. Montague," the bodyguard replied.
Late at night, while Bianca slept soundly beside her, Grace lay wide awake. She thought of Jasper's little face and couldn't help but smile. This was the child she had longed for day and night for three years.
Jasper was so well-behaved and polite, mature beyond his years. Grace sighed, feeling a deep sense of helplessness. She didn't have the power to confront Charles yet, so she could only try to make up for the love Jasper had missed out on these past three years.
Grace sat up, grabbed a pen and paper from the bedside table, and started jotting down Jasper's favorite things from memory, planning to make him a delicious meal tomorrow.
The next day, after dropping Bianca off at kindergarten, Grace headed to work. She was super efficient and finished her tasks early. As soon as she got off work, she hit the supermarket, bought a ton of groceries based on her notes from the night before, and picked up a bunch of snacks and toys.
Grace's hands were full as she barely managed to get home. Without resting, she changed into her home clothes and started cooking, busying herself in the kitchen.
When everything was almost ready, she brought the last dish to the table. The sound of children's laughter came through the door, and Grace smiled.
The door burst open, and Jasper and Bianca, backpacks in tow, rushed in and threw themselves into Grace's arms, sweetly calling, "Mommy! We missed you."
Grace's heart melted at the sound of their voices and the feel of their soft, fragrant bodies in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes as she held them close.
"Good kids, I made a lot of delicious food. Go wash your hands," Grace said, her voice choked with emotion.
Bianca nodded, hugged Grace's neck, and kissed her on the cheek. "Okay, Mommy," she said before running into the bathroom.
Jasper, tugging at his clothes with his small hands, looked a bit shy and unsure of what to do. Grace smiled warmly and hugged him, kissing his little face. "Good boy, go wash your hands with Bianca."
Jasper's face lit up with a smile, and he ran into the bathroom as well. The house wasn't very big, but it was filled with laughter and joy.
For the past week, Jasper had been coming back with Bianca after school to eat and play games. Jasper felt the warmth of a family here. Although Olivia was also very good to him, it was a different feeling.
In the blink of an eye, it was Friday. After dinner, it was already dark, and Jasper had to go back. Bianca was reluctant to let Jasper leave, pouting her lips and tightly holding onto his clothes with her chubby hands. "Jasper, it's the weekend tomorrow. I won't see you for two days."
Jasper's tender face tensed up, and he frowned.
Grace stepped forward to pull Bianca away and comforted her, "Bianca, be good. Two days will pass quickly, and you'll see Jasper on Monday."
Bianca broke free from Grace's hand and hugged Jasper again. "No! I want to be with Jasper every day!" she insisted.
Grace, feeling a bit helpless, lowered her voice. "Bianca, be good."
Bianca blinked her red eyes. Even though she was still reluctant, she let go, her face full of disappointment.
Grace gently patted her head, holding Jasper with one hand and Bianca with the other, leading them downstairs. Jasper's car was parked not far away. After reminding him a bunch of times, Grace finally let go of Jasper's hand.
Bianca's nose and eyes were red as she kept waving her little hand. Jasper suddenly stopped by the car, turned back to look at Bianca, who was still waving, and frowned.
Grace picked up Bianca and waved to Jasper. "Go on, Bianca will be fine in a little while."
Jasper pursed his lips and climbed into the car with his short legs. As the car drove further away, Bianca turned and buried her face in Grace's arms, sobbing softly.
Grace sighed helplessly and could only hold Bianca, comforting her as they walked upstairs.
Back at the Montague Mansion, Olivia and Charles were both in the living room. Olivia was sipping coffee, and Charles was working on his laptop. The mansion was super quiet, and the two didn't disturb each other.
A servant hurriedly came to report, "Mrs. Montague, Mr. Charles Montague, Mr. Jasper Montague is back."
As soon as the words fell, Jasper came in with his short legs. He directly ignored Charles, took off his backpack, and walked to Olivia's side. "Great-grandma, it's the weekend tomorrow. I want to invite my classmates over to play!"
Olivia looked at the bright-eyed Jasper in front of her, a bit surprised, as his expressions were rarely so rich. She replied kindly, "Alright, you've been going to your classmate's house for dinner recently. It's only right to invite her over to play. I'll arrange it for you."
Jasper nodded heavily. "Thank you, Great-grandma. I'll go to my room now."
Jasper had just taken a few steps with his short legs when a cold voice suddenly came from behind. "Stop!"
Jasper had to stop and turn around, his face full of impatience. Charles frowned slightly, his face cold. "Your great-grandma is old, don't trouble her. How about this, I'm not busy tomorrow. I'll take you and your classmate to the zoo."
Jasper was stunned, seemingly not expecting the workaholic Charles to say that. He decisively shook his head. "No need."
After saying that, he ran back to his room without looking back. He wanted to call Bianca and invite her over.
Being rejected by Jasper, Charles's face instantly turned very gloomy.
Sitting on the side of the sofa, Olivia felt both amused and helpless. She remarked, "You usually don't pay any attention to Jasper. You're always with Emily. He's grown up without needing or knowing your fatherly love. Now, to him, you don't matter at all."
Charles, feeling helpless, looked even more displeased. He retorted, "Grandma, don't say that. Emily is my girlfriend. It's normal for me to be with her!"
Olivia waved her hand, her face changing suddenly, and gave him a faint look. She didn't know what kind of magic Emily had. After all these years, even though Olivia had repeatedly opposed their relationship, Charles still didn't give up on Emily, and this made things hard for Jasper.
Olivia sighed inwardly, 'Forget it, I'm old and don't want to deal with these messy matters.'
Besides, Charles had grown up. He was no longer the little boy who followed Olivia around asking for candy. He was the CEO of the Montague Group, renowned for his business acumen and decisiveness.
Charles had his own ideas, and as his grandmother, Olivia couldn't interfere. Olivia sighed lightly and said earnestly, "Jasper is your biological son. I just want to remind you, do you also want your son to grow up in a world of schemes?"
Charles closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his face was full of pain. He had never been valued by his father and had lived in his stepmother's schemes from a young age. The miserable childhood made his heart ache.
After a moment of silence, Charles slowly spoke. "Grandma, don't worry. I will never let that happen!"
He thought, 'I will never let my son endure the pain that I went through.'