Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 454

Chapter 454 The Frailty of the Strong

+5 Pearls

She didn’t waste a moment. After dealing with the most pressing issues, she rushed back to the hospital.

Yet, Jasper had not awakened.

The two little ones were leaning against the edge of the sickbed, their large eyes swimming with

worry.

“Daddy, please wake up.”

“Daddy, we miss you so much.”

Tatiana stood by the bed, her gaze fixed on him without blinking. Suddenly, she spoke. “Both of you, step out for a moment.”

Everyone in the room turned to look at her.

“Mommy?”

“Ms. Tatiana?”

“Out. Everyone,” she repeated.

Ann and Hubert exchanged a quick glance and obediently retreated. The doctors and nurses followed suit. Soon, the room held only her and the unconscious Jasper.

She took two steps closer, leaning down until her lips were right against his ear. Her voice was a low, cool murmur.

“Pretending any longer would be quite rude, don’t

you think?”

Visible to the naked eye, his eyelashes gave a microscopic tremor. Finally, his eyes fluttered open. There wasn’t a trace of grogginess in them; he clearly hadn’t just woken up.

Tatiana straightened her back, a cold smirk playing on her lips. “I thought such childish tactics would be beneath you.”

Jasper gave a slight nod. “It is quite embarrassing. How did you figure it out?”

She arched an eyebrow, “Your performance was decent, but Ann and Hubert are terrible actors. They were far too calm.”

There was a fundamental difference between feigned concern and genuine, raw terror. Adults could wear a mask, but it was nearly impossible for children. Previously, just seeing their father

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Chapter 454 The Frailty of the Strong

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in a hospital bed would have sent them into hysterics. This time, their eyes weren’t even red, and they didn’t dare meet her gaze.

They were clearly feeling guilty. It takes a mother to know her children.

Furthermore, Lucas had guaranteed he would wake soon. She trusted his medical expertise too much to believe Jasper would remain in a coma for this long. When she put the pieces together, the answer was obvious.

“Jasper, you’re a grown man, and you’re playing these games with me? Hmm?” Her smile remained, but her eyes turned icy.

Jasper felt a constriction in his chest. “Tatiana, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then how did you mean it? I’m listening. Give me your best excuse.”

She despised being deceived. At this moment, she was truly angry. If his reasoning failed to convince her, she was more than ready to sever the small, flickering hope that had begun to grow in her heart.

Jasper understood this perfectly. He didn’t offer a defense; instead, he spoke the truth he had been too afraid to voice.

“I was afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“Yes. Afraid that you would leave. Afraid that everything that happened out there was just a dream–my own wishful thinking. I thought that if the dream didn’t end, you wouldn’t go.”

As long as he remained ‘unconscious, she would stay by his side. It was a pathetic, self- deceiving thought.

“It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? It is. But I felt I had no other way.” He paused, a flash of self- deprecation in his eyes. “I have nothing left to make you stay, Tatiana. You don’t even need me anymore. What else could I do to keep you here? Holding onto those extra minutes was the only thought I had left.”

Tatiana pursed her lips, remaining silent.

In this moment, Jasper was no longer the golden child of the elite, the cold untouchable, or the scion of a great family. He was simply a man, trembling with the fear of losing the woman he loved. He reached out and caught her hand, refusing to let her pull away,

He looked at her and said, syllable by syllable:

“I hate that the high moon shines on everything but me.”

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“I hate that the world holds everything except just the two of us.”

He wasn’t her only world, but she was his.

Tatiana remained silent for a long time. Time seemed to stretch into infinity. Often, silence is the loudest answer of all.

The light in Jasper’s eyes began to fade. His clenched fist tightened and loosened as he fought to suppress his emotions.

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble. Those words…” his voice grew raspier, “just pretend you didn’t hear them.”

Suddenly, Tatiana let out a soft, melodic laugh. The sound was enchanting, instantly dispelling the gloom of the hospital room. Jasper stared at her, dazed by the brilliant smile on her face, unable to even blink.

“Jasper, I never knew you were such a coward. You’re going to take back words you’ve already said?”

“Tatiana…”

“I heard you. Quite clearly, in fact.”

For a moment, Jasper was speechless. But seeing that her face held no trace of disgust–only a gentle, teasing smile–his heart began to thrum wildly against his ribs.

“So… what are you thinking?”

Tatiana pulled over a chair and sat down. She picked up an apple and a paring knife from the bedside table and began to peel it, speaking as she worked. “I previously suffered from a very strange illness.”

“It was bizarre. It kept me in a state of constant, unrelenting headaches. It felt as if someone was prying open my skull to hack away inside. No amount of medicine could stop the pain.”

Jasper’s expression turned grave, his eyes filling with an intense, raw ache for her.

“At my lowest points, I thought about suicide. Standing by a window made me want to jump; seeing water made me want to drown. It was a level of agony that no one could possibly understand. But looking at Ann and Hubert, I couldn’t do it. I wanted to see them grow up. So, I cooperated with every treatment, no matter how bitter the medicine. As long as there was a chance to get better, I would do anything.”

“Eventually, Lucas found a specialist for me–Dr. Xander. I heard he was brilliant, though his methods were entirely unconventional.”