Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 195

**TITLE: Even the Night Couldn’t Silence Her Light**
**Chapter 195: A Fateful Name**

Hadn’t anyone noticed? Hubert’s birth mother was still languishing in that sanatorium, supposedly “recovering.” The very idea seemed to hang in the air like an unspoken truth, heavy and unyielding.

Jasper, with Hubert in tow, made his way to the ancestral home for dinner with Gordon. The years had slipped by—three of them, to be precise—and Gordon appeared even more aged than before. He rarely ventured outside these days, finding solace within the familiar walls of the family estate, and he turned away most visitors. The exception, however, was his great-grandson, whose presence seemed to breathe life into the old man’s weary spirit.

Today, remarkably, Gordon stood outside, waiting with an eagerness that was palpable.

As Hubert came into view, Gordon’s face lit up with unmistakable joy. “Hubert, my boy!” he called out, his voice a blend of excitement and affection.

“Great-Grandpa!” Hubert exclaimed, his heart racing with delight.

He felt an overwhelming urge to dash forward, but a flicker of instinct made him glance at Jasper first. Only when he saw the absence of disapproval in his father’s expression did he launch himself into Gordon’s welcoming arms.

“Great-Grandpa!” he repeated, his voice bubbling with happiness.

Gordon’s smile widened, revealing the depth of his love for this little boy. Hubert was a mirror image of Jasper as a child, and that resemblance stirred something deep within Gordon’s heart, a blend of nostalgia and pride. He had never imagined that Bianca, with all her complexities and flaws, could bring forth such a wonderful son.

“I’ve had all your favorites prepared! Come in, come in!” Gordon urged, his enthusiasm infectious.

In the family hierarchy, Gordon was the one who showered Hubert with the most affection, treating him as if he were the very apple of his eye.

Jasper followed behind, his face a mask of neutrality. Yet, Gordon sensed a flicker of something unusual—perhaps a decent mood? That was practically a rarity.

As they entered, Gordon instructed the butler to take Hubert to wash his hands, seizing the opportunity to broach a pressing topic. “Which company has gone belly-up this time?” he inquired, his voice low and conspiratorial.

Jasper shot him a quick glance. “Do you want me to intervene?”

“No, no! You’d better refrain!” Gordon replied, a hint of urgency in his tone.

“Mm.”

Gordon’s confusion deepened. What could have possibly put Jasper in such a good mood?

Dinner unfolded in an atmosphere thick with unspoken tension. Gordon’s gaze frequently flickered toward Jasper, silently urging him to break the silence, but Jasper remained tight-lipped, lost in his own world.

Hubert, caught in the middle, glanced from his father to Gordon, his own appetite waning as he sensed the weight of the moment.

Gordon noticed the shift in the boy’s demeanor. “Hubert, is the food not to your liking?” he asked gently.

Hubert shook his head vigorously. “It’s yummy.”

“Then why aren’t you eating more?” Gordon pressed, concern etching lines across his brow.

The little boy lowered his gaze, apprehensive about speaking, yet his eyes darted back to Jasper, seeking reassurance.

Gordon’s heart ached at the sight. The boy, because of his mother’s absence, had not been given the affection he deserved. While Jasper dutifully fulfilled the role of a father, he remained emotionally distant. The child was young, his mother was nowhere to be found, and his father was an icy figure in his life. Spending countless hours in the hospital had made Hubert quiet and withdrawn, lacking the buoyancy that other children his age possessed.

It was a heartbreaking situation, a tragedy that echoed the struggles of the boy’s own childhood.

Fate, it seemed, was a cruel mistress.

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