Chapter 23 Stubborn Pest 81 Finished Though the stream of complaints and impatient messages kept coming , Sterling's mood was light . He'd approved the dinner menu but vetoed the snacks with one decisive vote . After leaving the supermarket , he even detoured to a private patisserie nearby to buy a small cake . Henry's curses - that no one would ever love him - didn't matter . Sterling never needed love , that fragile thing . What he liked , he would seize with his own hands . Of course , calling it love would be an exaggeration when it came to Claudia . But the faint spark of interest she had ignited was enough to claim her as part of his territory . His fragile Rosebud . He didn't mind tending her carefully . But the gardener's good mood soured the moment he spotted the clingy , unwelcome shadow waiting outside the apartment building . Jasper . Because of Lydia and Zane's urging , he had resolved to wait for Claudia to apologize before forgiving her . Yet staring at the silent phone day after day , it dawned on him - weeks had already passed . They had never gone this long without speaking . Regret gnawed at him . Why had he insisted on matching her stubbornness when he knew her so well ? And then there was Grandma's burned house . The Lancasters had tried to keep it quiet , fearing for Lydia's fragile health . But when she brought up the transfer of ownership , Lottie had been forced to admit the truth . Without that emotional weight , the old property was just an isolated , worthless lot . The priest's claims about it bolstering fate carried no meaning now . Lydia had been heartbroken . " That was Grandma's most cherished place . How could Claudia be so cruel ? " Lottie had comforted her endlessly , promising to find some other relic of equal value . 1/4 9:43 Tue , Oct 7 Chapter 23 Stubborn Pest 900 81 Finished " I'm not worried about myself . I just feel crushed knowing I've lost Grandma , and now even Grandma's home ." Watching Lydia weep in Lottie's arms , Jasper had drifted away in thought . He had grown up alongside them . He knew perfectly well Claudia's bond with Grandma had run deeper than Lydia's ever could . If Lydia was devastated... then what about Claudia ? What had she felt in that moment , striking the match ? How desperate must she have been ? For the first time , he regretted not being at her side when she needed him most . But when he tried to call , he found his number blocked . When he rang her doorbell , no one answered . Panic had clawed at him until Whitney had cursed him out on the phone - yet at least she had assured him Claudia was safe . If not for that , he might have called the police . Once every dark thought had been ruled out , only one possibility remained : Claudia truly meant to cut him off . The realization plunged Jasper into deep anxiety . He haunted her building like a stray dog . He saw the lights upstairs , but she never opened the door . When he kept knocking , she called security on him . In just days , he had grown gaunt . Jasper's mother was furious . She had watched them grow up . As a little girl , Claudia had been charming , adored - the Lancasters ' treasure . Naturally , she had spoiled her . But as Lydia joined the family and Claudia grew estranged , even she had grown dissatisfied . When her son returned defeated yet again , she had blurted out in frustration , " Maybe the engagement should be switched to Lydia instead . " The look on his face had silenced her with fear . " There's nothing between me and Lydia . I'll only ever marry Claudia . " " Then why do you always choose Lydia over Claudia ? " his mother sneered . She hadn't meant it seriously - just voicing what everyone already knew . His father valued 2/4 9:43 Tue , Oct 7 Chapter 23 Stubborn Pest 81 Finished Lydia as much as an adopted sister , sometimes more than his own girlfriend . His mother - in- law - to - be favored the daughter who could bring the Lancasters more advantage . She had only torn open the boil , and now she looked like the villain for saying aloud what they all thought . Jasper's heart twisted painfully . Even his own parents saw how the Lancasters favored Lydia . That was the environment Claudia had grown up in . And he - because of his guilt toward Lydia and her boyfriend - had stood against her again and again . What had he done ? Leaving the house , Jasper returned once more to Claudia's door . He longed to speak to her , to hold her , but she seemed truly angry this time , determined to keep her distance . It didn't matter . Claudia was softhearted with those closest to her . He believed he could reach her . But his persistence looked very different to someone else . A parasite . Sterling's lip curled in disgust . Crawling toward the scent of another man's rose , shameless as a sewer rat . Lower than a cockroach . Should he take his legs ? Or gouge out his eyes ? Sterling considered coldly . Jasper's name was familiar . It had appeared over and over in the dossiers when he first investigated Claudia . And only recently , he had been dumped for siding blindly with the wrong person . Oh , and humiliated with a failed proposal . No matter how many times he swore there was nothing between him and Lydia , everyone knew the saying - flies don't swarm without a crack in the shell . Sterling passed judgment . 3/4 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!