Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 72

hapter 50: The Divorce Summons–1

Chapter 50: The Divorce Summons–1

(Jasper’s POV)

I sat at the edge of Rosalind’s hospital bed, watching her chest rise and fall in sleep. The VIP room was quiet except for the soft beep of monitors. Moonlight filtered through the blinds, casting shadows across her pale face.

When had I become such a terrible father?

The question gnawed at me. Mother knew about the allergy. Aurora knew. Even the nanny knew. But I, her own father, had forgotten. Completely forgotten that mango could kill my daughter.

The ER doctor’s words still echoed in my head. *Too busy shopping to remember your child’s medical history?*

He’d been talking to Sienna, but the accusation hit me harder. I was the parent. I should have

known.

I leaned back in the chair, rubbing my face. Since taking over the family business after my brother’s death, I’d thrown myself into work. Board meetings. Mergers. International deals. I’d told myself it was necessary, that I was building something for Rosalind’s future.

But the truth was simpler and uglier.

I’d been running.

Running from grief. Running from responsibility. Running from the ghost of a brother I’d both loved and resented.

Before his death, I’d spent years competing with him. Trying to prove myself. Trying to catch Sienna’s attention. Every business decision became a silent battle between us.

And then he was gone.

The competition ended, but the weight didn’t lift. If anything, it got heavier. Now there was no one to share the burden with. No one to strategize with when competitors attacked. No one to understand the pressure.

I missed him.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I actually missed my brother.

If he were still alive, would Aurora have stayed? Would she have been happy enough to

50: The Divorce Summons–1

remain in this family?

The door opened. Mother walked in, her face tight with worry.

“How is she?”

“Sleeping,” I said quietly.

Mother sat in the chair across from me, her designer handbag clutched in her lap. Her eyes bore into me with that look I’d seen my whole life. The look that said *do better, be better, fix this.*

“You need to be more careful, Jasper.”

“I know.”

“Aurora would never have let this happen.”

I said nothing. What could I say? She was right.

Mother’s expression softened slightly.

“You have responsibilities. To this family. To your daughter. To the business. Your uncle Phineas is watching everything you do. You can’t afford mistakes like this.”

The weight pressed down harder. CEO. Father. Nephew. Every role demanded perfection.

Sometimes I wondered what would have happened if my brother had lived. Would I still be drowning under all these expectations?

Rosalind stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open.

“Daddy?”

I moved to her side immediately, taking her small hand in mine.

“I’m here, sweetheart. How do you feel?”

“Tired.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “My throat hurts.”

“I know. I’m so sorry, Rosalind. I should have known you couldn’t eat mango. I should have checked the cake before-”

“It’s okay, Daddy.” She squeezed my hand weakly. “I’m not mad.”

Guilt twisted in my chest.

“Did you know you were allergic to mango?”

Chapter 50: The Divorce Summons

Rosalind’s eyes dropped.

“Yes.”

“Then why did you eat it?”

Claim

“I forgot.” She bit her lip. “No, that’s not true. I remembered. But it looked so good, and I thought maybe if I just ignored the itchy feeling in my throat, it would go away. I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

She shrank back against the pillows, fear flickering across her face.

“Are you going to punish me like Mommy did?”

I froze.

“What do you mean?”

“When I tried to sneak mango juice once, Mommy caught me. She hit my hand really hard and yelled at me. She was so scary.”

My jaw tightened. Of course Aurora had been strict about it. She’d understood the danger.

“Sweetheart, Mommy wasn’t being mean. She was scared. Do you know what happens when someone with a severe allergy eats the wrong food?”

Rosalind shook her head.

“They can die.”

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