Once She Came Like a Flash novel Chapter 30

**Faith Didn’t Survive Time – by Aadi Sharma**
**Chapter 30**

Alison was simply not going to be able to do it.

“Too busy? Forget it, then. I’ll ask someone else.” With a resigned sigh, Renee ended the call. The sound of the dial tone echoed in her ears as she swiftly navigated through her contacts, dialing two other friends in quick succession, hoping they could come to her aid.

Once the calls were wrapped up, she turned around, and to her utter disbelief, she was met with an unexpected sight.

Jasper was already there, lounging comfortably in a chair directly behind her. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, smoke curling lazily into the air. He exuded an effortless confidence, his posture relaxed yet commanding.

In that instant, a wave of embarrassment washed over Renee, as if she had been caught in the act of something scandalous. The heat crept up her cheeks, and she felt an overwhelming urge to disappear, to sink into the ground and hide from the world.

“Err, Mr. Zeller…” she stammered, trying to regain her composure.

She forced a smile, attempting to mask her discomfort with a facade of nonchalance.

“I’m so sorry. I just found out today that you were the one who took me to the hospital that night. You’ve saved me twice now. I really don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

Was this some kind of twisted fate?

In such a short span of time, their paths had crossed repeatedly. Jasper had come to her rescue not once, but twice, and the weight of that realization settled heavily on her shoulders.

How could she ever repay him? It seemed an impossible task, one that loomed over her like a dark cloud.

Jasper exhaled slowly, a thin plume of smoke escaping his lips and momentarily obscuring his striking features. The wind picked up, scattering the smoke and revealing his sharply defined profile. His eyes, bright yet icy, held an intensity that was both captivating and intimidating.

He was a paradox—fascinating yet daunting.

“Your idea of gratitude involves following me all the way here?” he asked, his voice laced with a sharpness that cut through the air.

Renee felt like a child caught in a game where she didn’t know the rules. Her attempts to be clever were nothing more than trivial antics in his eyes.

Jasper leaned on his golf club, his handsome features twisted into a look of disdain that made her heart race.

“Not interested,” he replied flatly, raising the club slightly toward her as if to emphasize his point.

Startled, Renee flinched, instinctively closing her eyes, bracing herself for an impact that never came. Instead, the club merely nudged her arm, gently pushing her aside as he walked past.

Feeling defeated, she let out a long, exasperated sigh and sank back into her seat, her head hanging low in frustration. She had anticipated resistance, but this was beyond what she had expected.

With her elbows resting on the table, she sulked, her gaze fixed on Jasper and the others as they played golf not far away, their laughter ringing in her ears like a cruel reminder of her failure.

Just then, a few familiar figures emerged on the golf course, catching her attention.

There they were—Adam, Julian, and Kayla—approaching with the kind of energy that made her heart flutter with a mix of hope and apprehension.