Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 141

Chapter 105: Elevator Accident

Chapter 105: Elevator Accident

(Author’s POV)

Jasper didn’t let Phineas’s exit bother him.

He couldn’t win everyone over at once. That was fine. He was playing a long game, and tonight had already given him more than he’d expected.

Serena was at the estate.

She caught his eye across the living room and smiled – a small, deliberate smile – and said, “Hey, cousin.

Come sit down.”

The word landed somewhere in his chest. *Cousin.* He hadn’t heard that from anyone in the main family in years. He kept his expression neutral, but something in him settled.

William didn’t object. He watched Serena’s greeting and then turned to Jasper with something approaching ease, as if the word had given him permission to relax.

By the time they moved to the dining table, William was asking about the Aether Life Sciences quarterly numbers, and then about the medical division’s new projects, and then – almost casually – whether Jasper had been spending much time with Arthur lately.

“He oversees the healthcare portfolio,” William said. “You two should talk more. He knows that sector better than anyone.”

Jasper kept his voice measured. “I’d welcome that. I’ve been wanting to get his perspective on the regulatory side of things.”

“Good.” William reached for his wine. “That’s good.”

It was exactly what Jasper had spent months trying to engineer. Recognition. A foothold. He didn’t let himself smile.

William set his glass down and said, almost as an aside, “Don’t take Phineas to heart. He’s always been like that. Short fuse, no patience. It’s not personal.”

“I understand,” Jasper said. “He has his reasons.”

“He does,” William agreed. “Doesn’t mean he’s always right about them.”

Jasper nodded and said nothing more. He didn’t need to.

The dinner was warm, easy, full of the kind of conversation that felt like belonging. Serena kept the table light, steering topics whenever they threatened to stall. Arthur made a few dry observations about the

market. William laughed twice.

most nothing.

dof the table and ate without comment, and when Jasper rose to leave and thanked

Chapter 105 Flevator Accident

them for the evening, she didn’t stand. She gave him a small, composed nod and stayed in her chair.

He left

The moment the front door closed, Eleanor set her napkin on the table and walked upstairs.

William followed her to the bedroom ten minutes later. She was sitting at her vanity, removing her earrings, and she watched him in the mirror as he came in.

“You made a rule,” she said. “Years ago. You were very clear about it.”

William closed the door. “Eleanor-”

“You said it yourself. You said you would never allow it.” She set the earrings down. “And tonight you sat at the same table with him and talked about business.”

“He saved my life today.”

“You don’t know that.”

“The elevator records-”

“The records tell you the machinery wasn’t tampered with.” She turned from the mirror to look at him directly. “But that was only a preliminary investigation, and my sixth sense told me that this matter was not as simple as it seemed.”

William exhaled. He sat on the edge of the bed. “That’s a serious accusation.”

“I’m not accusing anyone. I’m pointing out that you don’t actually know.” She paused. “What I do know is that you made a rule because you believed in something. And tonight you broke it because it was convenient.”

“The sins of the parents shouldn’t fall on the children.”

“I didn’t say they should.” Her voice stayed even. “I said you made a rule and you broke it. Those are two different conversations.”

William was quiet.

“And Phineas,” she continued. “You’re angry at him for walking out.”

“He embarrassed me in front of-”

“He told you the truth,” Eleanor said. “He always tells you the truth. You built him that way, William. You raised him to call things exactly as he sees them and never look the other way. And now you’re angry at him for doing precisely that.” She turned back to the mirror. “You can’t be surprised.”

William sat there for a long moment. He didn’t answer.

Eleanor picked up her brush and said nothing more.

Aurora was still in the lab at ten o’clock.

Chapter 105 Elevator Accident

The last data set had finally resolved – the anomaly she’d been chasing for three hours turned out to be a calibration error in the second trial’s baseline measurements, something small and correctable, and once she’d accounted for it, the numbers aligned cleanly. She sat back in her chair and let herself breathe.

She started shutting down her workstation, stacking her notes, capping her pens. The building had gone

et hours ago. She didn’t mind. She’d always worked well in the silence.

ached for her bag, walked to the door, and pushed.

he tried again, putting her shoulder into it. The door didn’t budge. She crouched and looked at the lock- the cylinder was blocked, something jammed into the keyway from the outside. She straightened up and looked through the glass panel into the hallway. Dark. Empty. The whole floor looked empty.

She thought of her phone. Locked

She knocked on the glass, ha

She stood there for a m

around the room.

There was a sm

between the

overhe

It

orage unit, per lab protocol.

No response.

of the situation. Then she let out a short breath and looked

the kind that nobody ever actually sat on, shoved against the wall equipment shelf. She dragged it out, positioned it away from the coat off the hook by the door to use as a blanket.

worse.

oat over her shoulders, and closed her eyes.

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