The Next Day.Morning came without ceremony, Jasper woke before his alarm, the faint gray light slipping through the curtains already enough to pull him from sleep. He lay still for a moment, eyes open, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts arranged themselves in order. The tournament was over. The roadblock, resolved. What lingered wasn’t adrenaline, but something quieter.Expectation.He replayed the previous day briefly—not the fights themselves, but the looks. The way people watched him now. Measured him. Victory had a way of changing how silence felt around a man. It made people listen even when you said nothing.He rose, dressed without haste, and left the apartment while the city was still stretching awake. Oakridge always felt different at this hour—less noise, fewer eyes. It suited him.The drive to the company was smooth. Familiar streets, familiar turns. He didn’t turn on the radio. He preferred the quiet hum of the engine, the steady reminder that things were moving, even

Jackson had reached the door, hand on the handle, when Jasper called him back. His voice was calm but firm, leaving no room for argument. “Jackson, wait. There’s a real task for you. The one I mentioned before… that was just preliminary.”Jackson froze mid-step. He turned slowly, eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. “A real task?” he asked, tone careful. He wasn’t used to surprises, not from Jasper. Not in this office.“Yes,” Jasper replied, voice even. “Something more important. Something substantial.”Jackson’s brow lifted. “What… what is it?” he asked, leaning slightly forward, a spark of interest lighting his features.Jasper’s expression didn’t change. He leaned against the edge of the desk, hands resting lightly on its surface. “I want us to start working on another project,” he said plainly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.Jackson blinked. The words hung in the air for a moment before he responded. “Another project?” His voice carried a mix of surprise and c

Silence sat between them longer than Jasper expected.Sophia had just told him the news, and for a few seconds, no one spoke. The plates on the table were still warm. Jasmine had stopped swinging her legs, watching the two of them with quiet interest. The room wasn’t tense, not exactly, but it wasn’t light either. It was the kind of pause that came after something settled, when the words had landed but hadn’t yet found their place.Jasper leaned back slightly in his chair. He exhaled through his nose.“You could’ve just told me,” he said at last. His voice was calm. “If you wanted to be a sales representative for the company, you didn’t need to go around like this.”Sophia didn’t answer right away. She picked up her glass, took a slow sip, then set it back down. When she looked at him, there was a small curve at the corner of her lips. Not proud. Not smug. Just knowing.“And rely on you?” she asked. “No.”Jasper frowned faintly. “That’s not what I meant.”“I know what you meant,” she

Michael sat across from Jasper in the quiet office of the hotel. He rubbed his chin, frowning slightly. His mind moved quickly, running through possibilities, risks, and options. Jasper didn’t rush him. He rarely did. He just sat back, arms folded lightly, observing, waiting.Finally, Michael spoke. “Since that’s the case,” he began slowly, “I’ll need to look into the companies that could handle this for us. I’ll check all of them, see which ones are reliable, which ones have the experience to get it right. There’s a lot at stake, and we can’t make mistakes here.”Jasper nodded once, simple and firm. He didn’t need to say anything else. Michael knew exactly what he meant.“And,” Michael continued, hesitating a little as he thought through the next step, “you might need to head to the capital of the country. From what I’ve gathered, it’s possible that only there will you find the family with the skills and knowledge to do these designs properly. They’re the only ones I’ve seen that can

Sophia, who had been listening quietly during the planning, leaned back in her chair and nodded slowly. She had a sharp mind and rarely gave her approval lightly. “The plan… it’s solid,” she said. “Flawless, even. But, Jasper… it does have risks.”Her tone was calm, measured, but there was an edge of concern that he couldn’t miss. “What kind of risks?” he asked, already guessing the answer.Sophia’s eyes met his, direct and steady. “Jasmine could be intercepted. Abducted, perhaps. Or forced into delivering the message under pressure. Then the whole plan falls apart, no matter how carefully it’s crafted.”Jasper smiled faintly, a small curl of amusement at the corner of his mouth. Not a full smile, just enough to show he appreciated her concern. “I’ve thought of all that,” he said, voice calm. “Everything you just mentioned… already accounted for.”Sophia blinked slightly, leaning forward in surprise. “You did?”“Of course,” Jasper said, tilting his head slightly. “That’s why Jasmine w