Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 432

Chapter 432 The Underground Silence

Finished

The team understood immediately, their gazes collectively dropping to the ground beneath their boots.

Jasper had been granted a temporary, limited freedom.

The atmosphere in the stronghold had shifted; many of the men no longer looked at him with the same blatant loathing and contempt. Instead, there was a budding sense of grudging respect.

Just yesterday, he had defeated three of Max’s men in succession. All three were skilled fighters, and they had all lost to a man with a wounded leg. The entire base had watched that fight, and the display of his sheer combat prowess had left a mark. He was undeniably strong–it was no wonder Max was hell–bent on recruiting him.

Of course, the price Jasper paid for that victory was steep.

As Ginnie changed his bandages, she couldn’t help but complain, “Are you insane? You almost suffered internal organ rupture. We don’t have the facilities to resuscitate you here if things go south!”

He looked away, his tone flat. “As long as I’m still breathing, it’s fine.”

Ginnie paused, a realization dawning on her. In a place like this, only those willing to gamble their lives in a desperate fight could survive long enough to even need medical attention. A sense of admiration welled up in her heart. As she looked at the man’s profile–handsome even with his injuries–her pulse quickened.

“Your wound is dressed. My father wants to see you. Go on.”

“Understood.”

He stood up with clean, efficient movements, donned his jacket, and headed toward Max’s office. Along the way, he was subjected to multiple security checks to ensure he wasn’t carrying any concealed weapons.

When the doors opened, the interior was decorated in gaudy gold and velvet, reminiscent of a low–rent nightclub. It was aggressively tacky, yet obscenely expensive. No one, however, dared to question Max’s aesthetic.

Max himself was sprawled across a sofa, flanked by two beautiful women who were peeling and feeding him fruit. Beneath the cover of the table, another woman was kneeling.

Jasper acted as if he saw nothing, his expression calm. He didn’t even react to the thick, metallic scent of blood and vice hanging in the air. Max had always been a man of depraved tastes.

“You’re here. Sit.”

Jasper chose an empty seat. Max shoved the woman on his left toward him.

The woman was experienced; she moved close immediately. Her clothing was so sparse it was practically non–existent, and she was drenched in a cloying, suffocating perfume. The moment she leaned in, Jasper shifted away.

Max’s eyes narrowed into slits, a flash of cold light dancing in his gaze. “What? Don’t like women?”

“It’s inconvenient.”

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20:46 Fri, Jan 9 MM.

Chapter 432 The Underground Silence

“Inconvenient? Or are you looking down on my women?”

* Finished

Max’s hand slowly drifted toward the pistol at his waist, ready to execute him on the spot despite his fighting prowess. Max admired talent, but he had zero tolerance for those who defied him.

Jasper knew that without a plausible explanation, he wouldn’t make it out of the room alive. But the thought of touching something so filthy was even more repellent. Finally, he gave an ambiguous answer.

“I need to practice abstinence for a while.”

Max blinked, then burst into a roar of laughter. “Ginnie told you that, did she?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, fine. Then follow the doctor’s orders.” Max pulled his hand away from his gun, laughing heartily. He looked Jasper over once more, finally understanding why his daughter had taken such a shine to the new arrival. “You’re a good–looking kid. You married?”

“No.”

“Got a girlfriend?”

“I did. It’s almost over.”

“Oh?”

“She cheated. The other guy has more money than me.”

Jasper lied without a single blink, his expression so sincere it seemed gehuine.

“Women,” Max grunted. “They’re all like that. Just find another one.”

“You’re right.”

“Have a drink with me.”

Jasper didn’t refuse. He poured the champagne from the bottle on the table, and they clinked glasses.

Shortly after, Max had ‘business‘ to attend to and dismissed him. It seemed he had called Jasper in just for idle chatter. As the doors closed behind him, a woman’s scream echoed from inside.

Jasper’s footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second before he continued back to his room. He walked calmly into the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the shower.

Amidst the roar of the water, he forced himself to gag, vomiting up every drop of the alcohol he had just consumed until his stomach was empty. Ignoring the burning sensation in his throat, he leaned back and closed his eyes. It was only here, in the small confines of this room, that his tightly wound nerves could relax–if only slightly.

He had no idea that ten meters above his head, someone was searching for him.

Tatiana and the team had scoured every possible location, yet the underground entrance remained hidden. They were at a dead end.

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