Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 202

202 /298

**TITLE: Even the Night Couldn’t Silence Her Light**
**Chapter 202: The Illegitimate Son**

“Why not?”

**+8 Pearl**

“Ann, no more questions! Just be a good girl!” Tatiana’s voice held a rare firmness, a tone that made it clear she meant business. When she used Ann’s name, the little girl found it hard to resist.

“Okay, Mommy.” Ann nodded earnestly, her big eyes reflecting a mixture of curiosity and compliance. Despite the inexplicable fondness she felt for that fierce-looking man, her love for her mother overshadowed all else. She would never intentionally do anything to bring her mother sadness.

“Good girl. Now go play by yourself for a little while. I’ll whip up something delicious for you.”

With that, Tatiana turned and headed toward the kitchen, her mind already racing with thoughts of what to prepare. Ann, however, was not quite ready to let go of the intrigue that had captured her attention. She retrieved her super-mini laptop, a delightful second birthday gift from Chandler, and her chubby little fingers danced across the keyboard.

She quickly navigated to a page about ‘Jasper.’ Unfortunately, the information was scant. The only recent buzz surrounding him was a scandalous rumor, complete with grainy photographs of him at a hotel with an enigmatic woman. Speculation ran rampant—who could possibly make the notoriously disciplined Jasper abandon his strict no-scandal policy?

Ann scanned the page, her face falling into a frown. Hmph! Bad man! Hubert was right!

Meanwhile, Hubert was feeling a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach.

It was an unusual occurrence for his daddy to bring him home personally!

“Daddy, do I have to go back to Grandpa’s?” he asked, his voice tinged with reluctance.

“No,” Jasper replied, his tone flat and unyielding. “You can stay with me for now. You don’t want to?”

Hubert shook his head vigorously at first, then hesitated before nodding. “I want to.” Children often felt a sense of security in their parents’ presence, and though he had never met his mommy, the desire to be close to his daddy was a constant yearning in his heart. His initial rejections were merely cries for more attention, a way of seeking reassurance.

“Mm.” Jasper’s response was a low murmur, a sound of understanding.

After a brief pause, Hubert ventured, “Can I play with Ann?”

“You can,” Jasper replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Back at the mansion, Hubert was free to play, the watchful eyes of the maids keeping an eye on him. Jasper, however, retreated to his study, his sanctuary—an impenetrable fortress where no one, not even Hubert, dared to intrude.

He settled into his chair and closed his eyes, allowing the image of Tatiana to flood his mind. Every movement, every expression from earlier in the day replayed vividly, magnified in his thoughts.

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open and yanked open a drawer. Inside lay a file, its contents worn and frayed from frequent handling. He extracted it and spread the pages before him.