The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 548

Jasper sobbed freely, fat tears rolling down his pale, sickly cheeks in a pitiful display. Between hiccups, he sneakily peeked at Lance, trying to gauge his reaction. When he saw that Lance wasn't rushing to comfort him but was instead watching him with total emotional detachment, the boy's cries began to slowly taper off.

The stark scent of antiseptic lingered in the air. At nearly four years old, Jasper was already learning how to manipulate a situation. He had figured that if he looked pathetic enough, his uncle would eventually cave and give him whatever he wanted.

Lance stared at the tears the boy was shedding just to keep Felice around, his gaze turning somber. He reached out, gently thumbing the wetness from Jasper's cheeks. "Jasper, be a good boy. You're going to get better. From now on, Aunt Nathalie and I will take care of you."

He absolutely refused to let a viper like Felice anywhere near this child again. This time, she had poisoned her own son just to secure her spot in the estate. What would she do next time she didn't get her way? There was no limit to her depravity.

And so, Lance offered comfort but flatly denied his request. Sensing that his tactics were failing, Jasper's lower lip wobbled, and he launched into an even more dramatic fit of weeping.

The realization that he might truly never see his mother again hit him hard. He sobbed so intensely he began to hiccup, making the tragic scene look slightly comical.

"Aunt—Aunt Nathalie doesn't even like me!" Jasper wailed between gasps. "I... I'm scared to even look at her! Uncle Lance... please, just let my mom stay. I'm begging you... please..."

Lance silently dabbed at the boy's face with a tissue, letting him burn through the tantrum. He knew the child would eventually wear himself out. Jasper was far too young to comprehend the twisted reality of his situation, but the day would come when he was old enough to face the ugly truth.

His eyelids were swollen and puffy from the endless tears. Seeing such a small, fragile boy strapped to a hospital bed, ravaged by a poison his own mother had fed him, stirred an uncomfortable, tightening ache in Lance's chest.

Lance arranged for a team of private nurses and nannies to monitor Jasper around the clock. He instructed them to call him the second the boy woke up.

Arriving back at Lumina Grand, he found the main floor empty. He flagged down a maid. "Where's Nathalie?"

Sophia stepped forward, pointing toward the private elevator. "She went straight to the basement the second she walked in. You gave strict orders that no one is allowed down there without your permission, so I have no idea what she's up to."