Chapter 2

Bruce Hennessy was so excited that his voice was trembling. "Lissie, is that true? Have you solved the issue with your mother? And that man—" Lisette interrupted him. "My mother has passed away, and that man is no longer of any use." There were two seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. Charles then tried to comfort her. "Lissie, although I don't know what you've been through in the past five years, the most painful times are also the times when you grow most rapidly. Your life has only just begun." He was right. How could a scumbag like Jasper ruin the life of a prodigy like Lisette? Perhaps, she had once had some feelings for Jasper. He was handsome and had treated her well, and he had been willing to put in money and effort in treating Fiona's illness. Lisette had not had any complaints. However, Jasper finally told the truth after Stella returned to the country. He had never drunk any alcohol before that, but after Stella came back, he got drunk and said, "Ella, I miss you so much that I'm about to go crazy. If only I hadn't adopted you as my niece back then…" Lisette picked up the photo that he had dropped on the floor. She was a very pretty young woman, and her eyes bore a slight resemblance to Lisette's. However, Lisette knew very well that between herself and Stella, she was the substitute. From then on, the tiny spark of affection that she had felt for Jasper was completely extinguished. She played the part of a substitute very well and stoically endured it when Jasper did despicable things to her because he did not dare to do them to Stella. Once Fiona recovered, Lisette was determined to extricate herself at once. However, all she had ended up with was Fiona's corpse. Jasper had asked ruthlessly, "Do you realize your mistake now?" Lisette stared at the message for a long time. Almost instinctively, she tapped on Jasper's Instagram profile. His post featured a sunset on the beach by the ocean, along with a gorgeous-looking Stella. The price of that had been Fiona's life. Lisette flagged down a cab to return to the villa and pack. As soon as she walked in, she saw Jasper sitting on the living room couch with a thunderous expression on his face. "Where did you go? Why didn't you reply to my messages?" he demanded. He was callous, ruthless, and conceited. Lisette could not understand how she had ever felt any kind of affection for him. When she ignored him, Jasper ran upstairs after her and grabbed her wrist roughly. "Lisette, you made Ella sad. What right do you have to lose your temper at me?" Lisette gasped in pain, but she gazed calmly into his eyes, which were blazing with anger. "Well? How do you want me to apologize to her this time? Do you want to smash another rock on my chest? Will you break my other hand? Or will you make me drink another ten bottles of liquor?" Lisette had always been meek. Her sudden defiance startled Jasper, but unexpectedly, he calmed down. "Come back to the Sullivan residence with me. Grandpa wants to see you." He seemed to think of something and added. "I'll give you 100 thousand dollars. You know what to say and what not to say." Lisette snorted derisively. The Sullivans prized their reputation. That was why Jasper's grandfather, Frederick Sullivan, had immediately sent Stella abroad when he found out about Jasper's inappropriate feelings for her. Frederick had immediately arranged a series of blind dates for Jasper after that. However, Jasper had only been interested in Lisette, even though she had been alone in a corner. The only reason for that was because she bore an uncanny resemblance to Stella. That night, Jasper had gotten drunk and taken Lisette by force. He lacked love, and she needed money. They had developed a relationship that was like that of a sugar daddy and his kept woman. … The scenery flew past the windows, and the car soon stopped at the entrance to the Sullivan residence. As soon as the door opened, a slender figure jumped into Jasper's arms. "Uncle Jasper, I've missed you so much!" Jasper's cold expression immediately softened, and he picked her up fondly. "Why aren't you wearing shoes? What if you catch a cold?" "I want to catch a cold so that you'll have to keep me company." The two of them were flirting like a couple in their honeymoon phase. Beside them, the butler hinted diplomatically, "Mr. Jasper, Mr. Sullivan Senior hasn't been very healthy lately. You'd better tone things down a little." The last time they were at the Sullivan residence, Jasper had gotten into an argument with Frederick over Stella. Frederick had gotten so angry that his blood pressure had risen abruptly, and he'd been sent to the hospital for emergency care that very night. Jasper frowned and asked in an annoyed tone, "Why does Grandpa suddenly want to see Lisette? Have there been rumors again?" At that moment, an authoritative voice came from upstairs. "Are there any rumors that I shouldn't hear?" Frederick walked steadily down the stairs, leaning on his staff. Lisette hurried up to help him. Apart from Fiona, Frederick was the only person who sincerely treated her like family. Frederick looked contentedly at Lisette, but when he turned to see Jasper and Stella entangled together, he became instantly furious. "How can you be so intimate with each other when you're uncle and niece? That is completely inappropriate!" he shouted. Jasper's expression turned cold, but he let Stella's hand go. "Why did you ask Lisette and me to come?" Frederick snorted. "For you and Lissie's wedding, of course! "You and Lissie have been together for five years. It's time to talk about getting married. I've already made the arrangements. One month from now, you and Lissie must have a wedding!"