Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 138

< Chapter 102 Little Schemes

Chapter 102: Little Schemes

(Author’s POV)

The divorce wasn’t finalized. The court hadn’t issued its ruling. Aurora was still, technically, his wife – and his mother had already moved on to staging replacements in his living room.

The whole thing felt absurd, and slightly humiliating, and he couldn’t say any of that with Charlotte sitting three feet away.

So he said nothing, and dinner was announced, and they all moved to the table.

Rosalind had been sitting

wanted to sit next to C

Charlotte’s first ins

“Of course,” she

Victoria look

and the Sh

rememb

Jasp

d

on the stairs. When the adults stood, she jumped up and announced she

y no. She overrode it.

spent the first half of dinner talking about Charlotte’s academic publications history in the university system, and Charlotte answered graciously and tried to objectively, a reasonable evening and she was an adult who could handle it.

an Victoria probably wanted. But he was attentive when Charlotte spoke, and he questions about her research, and Charlotte found herself looking at him a little more wasn’t watching.

Not in a flashy way – there was nothing performed about him. He had the kind of that came from having nothing to prove. If the situation were different, if the family so layered with complication, she might have been genuinely interested.

hinking this when she felt something press against her foot under the table.

ked down. Rosalind was watching her with wide, innocent eyes, her fork held politely.

otte looked back up and said nothing.

salind watched the way Charlotte’s gaze kept sliding back to her father. She watched the way Charlotte aughed a little too readily at things he said, leaning forward just slightly, like she was trying to close the distance without being obvious about it.

Rosalind stabbed a piece of roasted potato with significant force.

Practically drooling over Dad, she thought, right in front of me. The absolute nerve.

fficult, and she intended to keep that promise.

She’d promised Sienna sh

After dinner, whil

call, Rosalind

“Do

ing room and Jasper had stepped aside to take a

set. I can show you.”

Chapter 102. Little Schemes

Charlotte looked at the small hand extended toward her. Every nerve in her body said no.

But Rosalind seemed to see through her refusal, and she enthusiastically reached out to take Charlotte’s

hand. “Come on, let’s go together.”

Jasper and Victoria both looked over, making it even harder for Charlotte to refuse. “Sure,” she said.

The garden was quiet. The swing set sat at the far end of the lawn, and Rosalind walked toward it with purpose, still holding Charlotte’s hand. Charlotte followed, telling herself it was fine, it was a child, it was a

garden.

She was watching Rosalind climb onto the swing when she heard the back door open behind her. Victoria and Jasper’s voices carried faintly from inside – they were arguing about something. Charlotte caught her own name and looked toward the house.

She didn’t hear Rosalind jump off.

The thud came first. Then the cry.

Charlotte spun around. Rosalind was on the grass, both hands pressed to her mouth, making a sound that cut straight through the evening air. Charlotte dropped to her knees beside her.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

The back door burst open. Jasper came out first, then Victoria right behind him.

Jasper crossed the lawn in seconds. He pushed past Charlotte without looking at her and scooped Rosalind up, and Charlotte saw the blood – just a thin line at the corner of Rosalind’s mouth, but enough.

“I’m fine,” Rosalind said, in a voice that suggested she was absolutely not fine.

Jasper turned to Charlotte. His expression was controlled, but his eyes were cold.

“You should go.”

“She fell off the swing, I don’t know how it happened, I was right there but I turned for a second-”

“I said you should go.”

Charlotte straightened up. “Mr. Everett, I want to explain-”

“There’s nothing to explain.” He was already walking back toward the house, Rosalind against his shoulder. “Mom, have the driver take her home.”

Charlotte stood in the garden with the grass under her heels and the night air going cool around her.

She looked at Rosalind’s face over Jasper’s shoulder. The child’s eyes were dry. She wasn’t shaking. The crying had stopped the moment Jasper picked her up.

Charlotte thought about the gift box knocked off her palm. The foot under the table. The hand pulling her

out here.

She thought about saying it out loud and immediately understood that no one in this house would hear

her

Victoria appeared at her elbow, already apologetic, already managing the exit. “I’m so sorry about the fuss,

the driver will take you – it’s been a long evening.*

“It has, Charlotte agreed.

She collected her bag from the entryway and walked out the front door and didn’t look back.

Jasper drove to the hospital himself. The ER doctor examined Rosalind’s mouth, pressed gently along her jaw, and told him the two front baby teeth had been loosened but not broken. They would either tighten back up on their own or fall out in time. Either way, they were baby teeth. Not worth worrying about.

Jasper sat with Rosalind in the car afterward, the engine idling.

“Does it still hurt?”

“A little.” She leaned her head against his arm. “Daddy?”

“Yeah.”

She was quiet for a moment. Then, in a very small voice: “If that lady has a baby boy with you someday, do I have to share everything? Would I still matter as much?”

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