Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 104

Chapter 104 The Scent of Memory

Jasper was uncharacteristically speechless.

“Since it was bad, why continue? Wouldn’t it be better if you just pretended you never saw me?”

She hadn’t understood before.

She just loved him. She hadn’t broken the law, yet she didn’t know what made him hate her so intensely.

The hatred was so deep that even four years in the correctional facility hadn’t been enough to

atone.

If this had been said before, Jasper likely would have genuinely let go and ended the connection, given that she had already suffered enough.

But now, he couldn’t.

He didn’t know why he couldn’t.

What he couldn’t do, he wouldn’t do.

“No. Tatiana, without my permission, you have no right to just walk away.”

Tatiana’s breathing stopped, her face turning pale and fragile.

Jasper let go of her hand and straightened his clothes. “Be here waiting tomorrow.”

He paused, then added a warning: “If I don’t see you, you will bear the consequences.”

He turned and left.

Tatiana stood rooted to the spot for a long time before slowly moving back toward the house.

Not long after, Felix delivered a large pile of food, drinks, and nutritional supplements. He did not linger to exchange pleasantries, but dropped the items and left. Jaime tried to chase him but couldn’t catch him, sighing repeatedly: “Why did that young man run off so fast? All this stuff is so expensive; what a waste of money.”

Tatiana glanced at the items. Indeed, they were all high–end goods, each item worth over ten thousand dollars.

She collected the things, but didn’t immediately give them to her grandmother. Jaime’s current health was too fragile to absorb such rich supplements; the shock might cause her to collapse.

Chapter 104 THE SCent of IVICHIULY

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Jaime was also reluctant to cat such expensive things herself, so she put everything away.

Tatiana, however, wanted to take them to the pawn shop to sell.

“You can’t sell them! These are from Jasper; how can you waste them like that?”

This time, Tatiana was uncharacteristically firm. “Leaving them here will make them go bad. Selling them gives us money to buy your medicine.”

Jaime instinctively retorted, “I’m not sick! My body is perfectly fine.”

“Yes, you’re not sick, but you’re getting old and need supplements. I feel unwell, and I want to see a doctor.”

With the roles reversed, Jaime immediately agreed. “Well, then sell them quickly for some money and go to the hospital to get checked.”

A sharp pain pierced Tatiana’s heart, and she barely kept her expression from breaking.

Jaime was, in fact, suffering from a serious illness. Her mind was confused, her memory was fragmented, and she often forgot things she had just said the moment before.

Tatiana vaguely suspected that this was the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, and without early intervention, the situation would worsen dramatically.

In the past, she definitely would not have accepted these items.

But now, what was dignity? She had lost it long ago.

The next day, she woke up early and took the health products to a gift shop to sell them secondhand. She received twenty thousand yuan, mainly because she was desperate to sell quickly, and the price was severely depressed; otherwise, she could have received more.

She didn’t have the time to haggle. After exchanging the items for cash, she went straight to a pharmacy and bought some relatively mild tonic medicines.

Unbeknownst to her, her movements were constantly monitored by a pair of eyes watching from behind.

Jackson Corp.

Jasper was looking at documents, but the words did not register in his mind. When filling in numbers, he added an extra zero, which Felix quickly caught.

He pressed the bridge of his nose, had the document shredded, and thought about something, clearly distracted.

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Chapter 104 The Scent of Memory

Felix understood completely. “Boss, it’s almost time to go to Tatiana’s place.”

Jasper put down his pen, asking casually, “Were the items delivered?”

“They were delivered yesterday, as per your instruction.”

“What was her reaction?”

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“Well… I left immediately after dropping the items off. Jaime couldn’t catch me.”

Felix looked awkward.

Jasper lightly tapped the desk, then suddenly made a phone call. “What did she do today?”

The subordinate’s voice sounded slightly strange, as he reluctantly managed to say, “Tatiana went to a pawn shop.”

“A pawn shop?”

“Yes, she pawned all the gifts you sent. She got nineteen thousand eight hundred for them.”

Those things alone cost nearly one hundred thousand to buy; they were all high–quality goods.

Felix also heard this and swallowed hard. We are doomed.

The atmosphere in the office dropped to freezing point.

Even Felix dared not breathe, utterly shocked. This woman actually dared to sell everything the Boss sent?

Jasper did not speak. The subordinate on the other end had no choice but to continue reporting, “After getting the money, Tatiana went to a pharmacy.”

He snapped back to attention. “A pharmacy?”

“Yes.”

“Check what medicine she bought.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jasper’s face darkened, and a flash of unconscious worry surfaced in his heart.

Tatiana returned with the medicine. As soon as she entered the door, she saw Jaime collapsed on the floor. The words on her lips turned into a gasp. “Jaime!”

An ambulance arrived quickly and took the unconscious grandmother away. Tatiana followed

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Chapter 04 The scent of Memory

the entire way,

her heart lodged in her throat.

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After an examination, the doctor sternly chastised her: “She is very old and needs constant attention. You, as her family, cannot neglect this. Her condition has progressed to the middle stage. She must take medication and have check–ups regularly.”

“Yes, I understand, thank

you, Doctor.”

“Also, the patient has been in a severely poor nutritional state for a long time and requires meticulous care.”

Tatiana seriously noted the doctor’s instructions, her eyes full of worry.

When her grandmother lay in the hospital bed, Tatiana realized that this seemingly spirited, warm, and cheerful old lady was frighteningly fragile.

She thought that by bringing her grandmother food every day, she could ensure she wouldn’t go hungry, but she hadn’t expected the old lady to save money in a different way.

When the old lady woke up and realized she was in the hospital, she panicked. “Cindy, I’m fine. I don’t need to stay. Let’s go home. This is such a waste of money!”

Tatiana insisted, however: “No, you must stay for one day of observation.”

“I’m perfectly fine, truly!”

No matter what Jaime said, Tatiana insisted on staying overnight for observation.

She took advantage of a break to go back and get a change of clothes and prepare some food to take back.

She had just arrived home when she saw a familiar figure standing by the door. The shadow obscured his expression, but the low pressure surrounding him was palpable–she could tell he was displeased.

So what?

She walked straight ahead, into the house, but her wrist was yanked back.

“Where did you go?”

Tatiana grit her teeth. “Let go!”

“Speak.”

She didn’t want to waste time on this meaningless issue. “I went to the hospital. Grandma is sick. I need to get a change of clothes, and I need to cook. Is that clear?”

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The last word carried a mocking challenge.

It was something the old Tatiana would never have dared to do.

Her love had been humble; she had viewed him as a god.

Jasper hadn’t expected her to be so confrontational. In his momentary lapse of concentration, she directly pulled her hand free and walked forward.

She quickly packed clothes and prepared a meal from the groceries she had bought on the way.

Even though it was simple fare, the appetizing scent filled the small room because her cooking skills were excellent.

Jasper didn’t leave and continued to watch her.

Watching her busy herself, her back was the same as in his memory.

That image, inexplicably, stirred his past memories.

He knew she had learned to cook specifically for him, studying seriously. Those hands that played the violin handled a knife without hesitation.

He vaguely remembered a joke once shared in their social circle:

“There is no one in this world who loves Jasper more than Mrs. Jackson.”

His heart felt a sudden sting. He looked up at her and said, as if possessed, “I haven’t eaten.”

Tatiana paused, gave no verbal response, but when she finished cooking, she first packed a portion for him.

It was a very simple meal: braised spare ribs, stewed cabbage, and egg fried with green onions.

The portions were small; she had only bought a little. She packed half for her grandmother and gave the rest to Jasper.

After all, the money was from selling his gifts; this was payment.

Jasper looked at the food container in his hand, silent.

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