Chapter 4

Jasper, dressed in a navy suit with slightly long, curled hair, smirked and asked nonchalantly, "I'd also love to know when you will divorce Esther, Mr. Warner." Bradley snickered in response. "Jasper, as your business rival, let me give you some advice. There are plenty of fish in the ocean. Why waste your time on a murderer?" 'Murderer?' Jasper shook his head, unable to fathom why the sharp and ruthless Bradley in the business world was so ignorant about women. "Bradley, you must be blind not to see Esther's worth," Jasper retorted, and the two men stood at odds, their commanding presence distressing their assistants and secretaries. "If you divorce Esther right now, I'll marry her right away," Jasper continued. Bradley smirked cruelly and got straight to the point. "Your family won't agree." Jasper shrugged, saying, "I graduated from Stanford. Even without the Searle family's background as support, I won't let my wife suffer. But you, shouldn't you give a title to the woman who has given birth to your child?" A dark glint appeared in Bradley's eyes, but Jasper seemed oblivious to it as he continued nonchalantly, "See you." He walked past Bradley and entered the elevator. As the doors closed, Bradley turned around and stared at the closing doors, meeting Jasper's challenging gaze. The atmosphere suddenly turned cold, and Cole discreetly stepped away, avoiding Bradley's frosty aura. The elevator doors opened, and Jasper found the hospital ward where Esther was. His heart ached at the sight of her in such a condition. It had been five years since he wanted to visit Esther in prison, but she refused to see him. This was their first meeting since the incident five years ago. Esther was no longer the bright and sunny girl she used to be. She looked skeletal and empty-eyed, devoid of her former sparkle. Taking a deep breath, Jasper greeted her hoarsely, "Esther, it's been a while." Esther cracked a smile when she turned to look at him. "You look more and more like a boss now, Jasper." Jasper gestured for his assistant and secretary to leave the suitcases outside the ward and entered alone. "You didn't want to see me or accept what I sent during these five years. Are you punishing yourself, Esther? Or are you blaming me for not saving you?" Esther paused before shaking her head lightly. She replied in exhaustion, "I've never blamed you. After what happened, everyone I knew avoided me, but you were the only one who believed in my innocence. I'm grateful for that." Jasper indeed believed in Esther. Thomas had treated her like family and had even facilitated their marriage. There was no reason for her to harm him. Jasper even suspected that the video Bradley presented in court was edited, but a professional computer expert confirmed its authenticity. However, Jasper would never believe that Esther could do something to harm Thomas. "Mr. Thomas seemed to have woken up once after you were sent to prison, but the Warners hid the news. So I'm not sure how true it is. Not too long ago, though, the lawyer announced his will after he passed. You'll inherit one-third of his shares in the Warner Group." Esther replied with unprecedented certainty, "Divorce is inevitable." Jasper fell silent momentarily before speaking gently. "If you want to get a divorce, I can introduce you to a professional divorce lawyer." Esther thanked him sincerely, "Thank you, Jasper. But there's something else I need your help with." "What is it?" Jasper asked, straightening up. "Please find my kids for me." Esther had believed her children were dead, making her time in jail agonizing and muddled. Now, Bradley had told her that they were still alive, and she knew him well enough to know he wouldn't trick her into surgery with a lie like this. If Bradley said her kids were alive, they must be. "Your kids?" Jasper looked shocked. "Didn't you have a premature delivery in prison, and they didn't survive?" The memory of it caused Esther immense heartache, and her eyes reddened as she answered hesitantly, "I thought the same, but just a few hours ago, Bradley told me that if I go through with the surgery, he'll tell me where the kids are. Do you think he's tricking me, Jasper?" After pondering for a moment, Jasper replied, "No. He doesn't need to tell such a weak lie. If he said your kids are still alive, they must be. I've never heard of him having other kids. Besides, your kids are probably a disgrace to him." Esther had been overjoyed when she found out she was pregnant, and even Thomas had been delighted. But then her life took a dark turn when an indecent video of her was exposed on the internet, leading to Thomas's tragic accident. "Jasper, the kids I carried are Bradley's," Esther corrected him, her voice filled with disappointment. "I didn't apply for a paternity test back then because I was told they died during the difficult labor. Now I regret not insisting on one."