Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20 The Old Man’s Blessing

The butler brought over tea and handed it to her.

Tatiana instinctively glanced at the man beside her, hesitating whether she should do it.

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They were divorced now. Though the cooling–off period hadn’t ended, their marriage was as good as gone.

This cup of tea…

Suddenly, a hand tightened at her waist. Jasper curved his lips into a smile, his tone intimate. “What are you spacing out for? Grandpa’s waiting for his tea.”

Gordon laughed even more heartily. “Yes! What are you daydreaming about?”

Realization hit her just as she was about to kneel, but the old man quickly stopped her. “What kneeling? We don’t do that anymore. It’s too tiring. This will do just fine.”

He was the only one who had shown her genuine care since she’d gotten out.

Her eyes stung with heat. Lowering her head in embarrassment, she reached for the cup.

“Mr. Gordon, please have some tea.”

The old man didn’t take it. Instead, he corrected her gently. “Still calling me Mr. Gordon? Time to change that.”

She pressed her lips together. “Grandpa, please have some tea.”

“Ah, that’s better!”

Beaming, Gordon accepted the cup, sipped, and slipped her a thick red envelope.

“Keep it. That’s Grandpa’s gift to you. Now work hard and give me a chubby great–grandson!”

She took the envelope, the money inside burning in her hand.

As she reached out, Gordon noticed something odd about her fingers. “Girl, let me see your

hand-”

Jasper cut him off smoothly. “Grandpa, your tea.”

Distracted, the old man forgot the matter and accepted Jasper’s cup instead. But his expression was noticeably cooler. He handed over a much thinner envelope, barely any weight to it.

11:38 Sat, Oct 25

Chapter 20 The Old Man’s Blessing

:

“You’d better treat that girl well. She’s your lucky star.”

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It was a phrase Jasper had heard so many times over the years that it had bred only rebellion. Just seeing Tatiana now made him bristle.

Still, for the sake of his grandfather’s health, he forced a reply. “I know.”

The old man looked relieved. “See? Marriage makes a man mature. You know the worth of a good wife now. All right, let’s eat.”

The whole group streamed toward the dining room.

The Jackson family was large, with countless branches, but the main line had dwindled.

Gordon had lost his wife early and never remarried. He had only one son, Barry, and one daughter, Aqua Jackson. Aqua had married abroad long ago and rarely returned, her relationship with her father strained.

Barry was, as his name suggested, utterly ordinary. He lacked Gordon’s business talent, painfully mediocre. But he’d produced one outstanding son: Jasper.

Originally, Gordon had considered adopting promising children from the collateral branches to raise as heirs. That changed when Jasper was born. From then on, all his energy went into shaping the boy into a prodigy.

As Gordon liked to say, the Jackson family was blessed by the heavens to be given such a star.

—

Jasper embodied everything Gordon sought in an heir vision, ruthlessness, discipline. Perfect.

And under his leadership, the Jackson family’s empire had grown larger every year, reaching unprecedented heights above all other clans.

The only flaw was that Jasper had never shown interest in women. At one point, Gordon had even wondered if he preferred men.

Worried, Gordon had secretly consulted a master. The master explained that after a century of prosperity, the Jackson line had reached its decline.

The appearance of a brilliant star would bring the family to its peak, but it would be a fleeting glory before extinction.

In plain terms the line would end with Jasper.

–

To break this fate, the master said, Jasper needed a woman who could change destiny. That

woman was Tatiana.

11:38 Sat, Oct 25

Chapter 20 The Old Man’s Blessing

This was why Gordon had insisted on their marriage.

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