Jasper's response cut deep into Imogen's pride. She offered a strained smile and pushed herself to say, "I was just kidding. You don't have to get so uptight."After clearing his throat, Jasper explained, "Imogen, it's not that I'm unwilling. It's just—""It's okay. You don't have to explain," Imogen said, feeling overwhelmed. Maintaining a facade of composure, she added, "I get it. Let's just go with the flow!" With that, she lowered her head and began eating quickly.Seeing her tense expression, Jasper felt uneasy and unsure how to proceed. He began, "Imogen—"Imogen cut him off quickly. "Let's eat. We don't have to discuss this."Jasper sighed resignedly and quietly focused on his meal. The atmosphere at the table grew noticeably heavy. After dinner, Imogen left the dishes for Jasper to take care of and retreated to her room in a sulk.Sitting on the couch in the living room, Jasper was lost in thought and unable to quiet his mind. As time ticked away, the night deepened. Ev

Imogen felt nervous and afraid. It was her first time, after all. She had an important interview the next day and couldn't afford to be anything less than flawless.She shook her head to break free from Jasper's kiss, panting as she weakly pushed against him. "Jasper Morrison, cut it out."Jasper trailed kisses down her neck, undoing the buttons of her pajamas one by one. Imogen's body had yielded to his touch, but her mind was still fighting to stay clear. She protested, "No, stop it."She could barely endure it. As Jasper's kisses moved to her chest, she tilted her head slightly back, closed her eyes, and bit her lip. His lips brushed against her sensitive skin, and she felt herself weaken. She let out a shy whimper.Jasper abruptly stopped, his breath ragged. He lay atop her soft, sweet-smelling body. The sudden halt was agonizing for him, almost causing physical pain. He felt like he was nearly losing his mind trying to control his desire.He was overwhelmed by an unprecedente

As Scarlett underwent a series of tests, Imogen sat on a hospital bench, glancing at her phone to check the time and reading over the apology message she had sent earlier. A sense of heaviness burdened her heart.Before, Scarlett had taken the man Imogen once had a crush on. Now, Scarlett had also dashed the job opportunity Imogen had longed for. Imogen couldn't help but feel that Scarlett's presence was nothing short of bad luck for her.Imogen couldn't gauge how much time had elapsed when Ethan rushed into the hospital in a frenzy. Upon spotting her, he hesitated briefly before blurting out, "Imogen, what are you doing here? Where's Scarlett? And why are you soaked?"Imogen stared at him with a steely glare but chose to say nothing.Her simmering frustration caught Ethan off guard, making him nervously swallow. He glanced around, asking, "Scarlett said something happened with our child. What happened?"Imogen scoffed inwardly. Instead of something happening with their child, i

Jasper felt flustered and hastily attempted to deflect. "I could tell something was bothering you, and I figured it might have been related to the interview."Imogen wasn't convinced by his explanation, which seemed full of holes. She questioned, "Maybe I'm just in a bad mood from a botched interview. How do you know I didn't even attend?"Jasper fell silent, leaving Imogen staring at him, clearly baffled. He quickly shifted gears, making his way to the kitchen. "You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you? Let me whip something up for you.""Jay," Imogen called after him.Jasper remained focused on cooking. "What are you in the mood for? Maybe some beef?""Are you really not going to explain?""I was just guessing."Imogen let out a deep sigh, unsure of how to respond.Jasper avoided addressing the question by spending the entire evening holed up in his study, deeply immersed in work, and retiring to bed late into the night.…The next morning, Imogen arrived at Star Enterprise's

Zoey's jaw dropped and her eyes widened at Imogen's words. She exclaimed, "What? Y-You got hired at Star Enterprise?"Imogen nodded.Zoey scoffed incredulously, "Seriously? What credentials did you use to land a job there? Are you doing janitorial work or scrubbing toilets?"Imogen hadn't expected Zoey to mock her after she had sincerely shared the news. Imogen swallowed her frustration and issued a final warning. "You don't have to concern yourself with my position. I suggest you focus on reverting to your name. Stop appropriating mine for your work.""Did they actually hire you?" Zoey asked, her displeasure evident. It was clear she harbored doubts.Imogen flashed her ID badge. Zoey couldn't make out the department, but seeing the familiar badge unsettled her. She quickly pulled Imogen into a secluded corner and hissed, "You can't be here at Star Enterprise. We can't work together. It'll ruin everything for me."Smirking disdainfully, Imogen snapped, "You ruined me years ago. H