Can’t Win Me Back

"That's fine too, but you should keep it a secret from Winston. He's still unwell, after all." Jasper looked concerned at the mention of Winston. He seemed to regard Alyssa's father as his family now.

Alyssa nodded and lowered her gaze. "| won't ask Winston about it. | won't force him to talk if he doesn't want to. I'll learn about Mom's past through my own investigation.

"There's just one thing that boggles my mind. What exactly was it about my mom's past that Winston wanted to keep it a secret? I'm fine with him keeping things from me when | was a child, but as my mom's only daughter, | deserve to know everything about her now that I'm all grown up.

"| don't care if Mom had a spotty background. Even if she were a wanted criminal internationally, she would always be mommy dearest to me."

Jasper listened to her words silently as he grappled with the heartache. He was transported back to the time he lived at the filthy and dingy slums, where he recalled hearing insults and curses hurled at Anne.

even extended to Jasper, branding him a bastard child and suggesting that Anne was

to believe that Anne was the woman people painted her to be. Even if she were guilty as

promptly admitted her to the VIP ward of

bringing me home," Zoe said weakly, her complexion pallid

from falling. "It's all my fault. I'll never leave you out there alone from now on. Even if Landon holds a knife to my

missed you..."

immediately told your grandpa about what happened to you. He was close to tears," Preston remarked while casting an amused look at his niece. "Your grandpa will never

grinned smugly when she met Preston's

an immaculate black suit. The black jacket draped across his shoulders fell onto the floor when