Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 114

Chapter 114: The Repudiation

Jasper was about to speak, but his attention was drawn to her eyes—red and glistening with tears that slowly traced down her cheeks.

He stood frozen, caught off guard by the raw emotion in her gaze.

“If you’re done pretending, can you please just let me go?” she asked quietly, her voice trembling.

His lips pressed into a firm line. The sharp taste of blood filled his mouth, accompanied by a stinging ache on his tongue where she had bitten down fiercely, without holding back.

“I wasn’t pretending,” he replied softly.

“Then what was it?” she challenged. “Storming in out of nowhere and forcing yourself on me without any regard for the consequences? If that’s not a game to you, then is it affection? I’m no longer the Tatiana you once knew. I’m Cindy now. Please, stop confusing me with her.”

With those words, she reached for her mask, slipped it on, and hurried away swiftly.

As she stepped outside, a small group of people gathered nearby, whispering and gossiping. The moment they spotted her, they scattered, startled.

Ignoring them, she kept her head down and quickened her pace, eager to put distance between herself and the prying eyes.

Behind her, the murmurs erupted once more.

“What on earth were the Chairman and she doing in there just now?” one voice questioned. “That utility room’s soundproofing is incredible—I couldn’t catch a single word!”

“You’re asking for trouble. Who dares pry into the Chairman’s private affairs?” another warned sharply.

“Don’t you want to know?” a third asked.

“I do, but it sounds unbelievable. The Chairman and a cleaner? This isn’t some cliché CEO romance story—how could something like that actually happen?”

The crowd buzzed with speculation until suddenly, they all fell silent and dispersed as the Chairman himself emerged, his expression icy and unreadable. No one dared to provoke him.

Jasper made his way to the restroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The bleeding on his tongue had stopped, but the deep bite mark remained clearly visible.

He could still feel the ghost of their lips and teeth touching, the unexpected intimacy lingering on his tongue.

He rarely kissed anyone, yet strangely, this didn’t bother him.

But then, his thoughts darkened.

He remembered the missing piece of her tongue when they had been entwined, and a heavy weight settled in his chest.

That injury wasn’t self-inflicted.

It was a scar left behind by someone else.

A grim reminder of the correctional facility’s cruel hold.

This realization pushed him to call Felix. “How’s the investigation into Westport Rehab coming along?”

Felix’s voice was tinged with frustration. “It’s difficult to get any confirmation. Everyone who’s been through that place stays tight-lipped. They refuse to talk about the punishments and just keep repeating that the facility only uses proper training methods.”

Jasper’s expression darkened further.

“We suspect the facility employed psychological manipulation, causing patients to mentally block out the truth and fear Rowan’s influence. The police have released Rowan from custody, but the sanatorium remains temporarily closed.”

Renee thought it over. Indeed, this wasn’t some typical CEO romance novel where the powerful boss falls for a cleaner. The Chairman was like a god—untouchable by ordinary people. Besides, he was married to the Lowell family’s eldest daughter. Why would he look elsewhere?

See? People really shouldn’t read too much into things! I got carried away!

“Ha! You’re right, I overthought it. I knew it! Those rumors are baseless! Don’t let them bother you.”

But as she spoke, Renee recalled how Jasper had specifically asked her to take Cindy out for dinner last time, which made her doubt herself again.

“I’m off work now.”

“Wait, let me treat you to dinner!”

“No need. I have something to do.”

With that, Tatiana left without another word.

Renee wanted to stop her but hesitated, remembering that the Chairman had told her to frequently invite Cindy to dinner, with expenses reimbursed—she could eat whatever she wanted.

She was secretly hoping for a free meal on the company’s dime.

Felix approached and asked, “Renee, did you manage to ask her out for dinner?”

Renee looked troubled. “No. Cindy said she had something to do and left before I could stop her.”

This news reached Jasper’s ears, stirring his suspicion.

Jaime had already been discharged, so there was no urgent reason for Cindy to rush anywhere. She was short on money, so refusing a free dinner didn’t add up. Why had she left so abruptly?