Can't Win Me Back

Axel placed his hand in his pockets in a callous manner. Cocking his head, he asked, "Is Lyse here?"

Rosie examined him. "Are you a friend of Madam's?"

"No."

A realization set in. Rosie widened her eyes and stared at him vigilantly, "You're not an admirer, are you? Are you Mr. Beckett's love rival?"

Rosie was acquainted with most of Alyssa's visitors to the villa, especially men. As Axel was a stranger to her, she did not trust him at all.

"Pfft." Smirking, he arched a brow playfully. "If I were her admirer, Jasper wouldn't have stood a chance! He would've been out of the game ages ago!"

What a wild, arrogant man!

Rosie was about to snap at Axel when she heard Jasper's worried tone. "Mrs. Rosie, do we have aspirin or ibuprofen at home?"

At the same time, his eyes lit up when he found Axel at the door. "Axel, my dearest brother-in-law! It's you!"

"Oh, you sweet talker." Grinning, Axel marched in boldly. Rosie's jaw fell when she realized Axel was one of Alyssa's brothers. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Jasper, whom she had raised with all her attention and love but was now at the lowest rung of the Taylor family hierarchy ever since dating Alyssa.

"Are you feeling sick? I'll get you some meds."

Jasper looked worried. "No, not me. It's Lyse."

"What? She's down with a fever?" Axel's chest tightened. He approached Jasper and barked, "Why did she fall sick? Where's she now?"

Lashes fluttering, Jasper found it difficult to tell Axel the truth behind Alyssa's fever. He led Axel to the bedroom, where Axel removed his windbreaker and tossed it aside.

Axel sat by the bed and gently called out to Alyssa, "Lyse? Lyse, it's Axel. How are you feeling? Lyse?"

Unattentive to her visitor, she opened her parched lips and moaned softly, "J-Jasper..." This is from NôvelDrama.Org.

Heartbroken, Axel glowered at the helpless Axel. He growled, "Lyse is calling for you! Come tend to her now!"

Jasper hurried over and went down on one knee by the bed. He worriedly caressed her feverish forehead and assured her, "Lyse, I'm here. Mrs. Rosie is looking for meds. Please hang in for a bit more. Do you want some water? Does it hurt anywhere? Let's go to the hospital."

"Mm..." She flared her nostrils and shook her head.

"Oh, quit that nonsense. She's delirious, can't you tell?" Feeling sorry for his sister, he lost his temper with Jasper. "Jasper Beckett, how are you taking care of Lyse? She's pretty tough compared to other girls because she trained with her brothers at a young age. How did you get her into this state?"

"I—" Jasper choked on guilt.

At that moment, Alyssa frowned in pain. She wiggled and turned around, revealing an area of her fair skin under the blanket.

The sight of the crazy red marks across her neck, collarbone, and shoulders shocked Axel.

His mind went blank. He finally pieced the puzzle and glowered at Jasper while cracking his knuckles. "Fuck you, Jasper Beckett!"