Chapter 3: Chapter 3: She Really Is Foolish

Jasper was momentarily stunned.

He’d never expected to hear such resolute words from Stella; she’d always done whatever he asked without complaint.

He knew she was afraid of injections—every time the needle went in, she’d tremble violently and took a long time to recover...

Yet, she still transfused blood to Grace Quinn for him countless times.

Jasper hesitated, raising his eyes to look at Stella. "Then..."

"Stella..." Before he could finish, Grace suddenly burst out, interrupting him, her tears falling before words could form. "You... what do you mean? Are you wishing me dead?"

Stella stared at her coldly. The malice and obsession of this woman, her first-class acting skills—she fooled Jasper over and over again.

Maybe... he was willing to be fooled.

Stella’s lips curled into a cold smirk. "Anyone who wants to donate blood, let them. But I’m never giving you blood again!"

Grace turned and clung to Jasper’s arm, her voice thick with grievance. "Jasper, look at her, she’s cursing me to die. She hopes I’ll move into the ICU with my mom so she can finally be happy, right?"

Grace’s mother had once spent five years in the ICU, saving Jasper, and still hadn’t woken up.

Because of this, Jasper felt deeply guilty toward Grace and doted on her especially.

But Grace exploited this, always bringing up her mother whenever she stirred up trouble.

And Jasper indulged her every time.

Only—this time things were different. When Jasper heard Grace mention her mother, his brows furrowed slightly.

He would never forget five years ago, in the moment when the truck spun out of control, Auntie Quinn shoved him out of the way and instead was knocked under the wheels, a pool of blood spreading beneath her...

But Stella...

Seeing he remained silent for a long while, a flicker of hope rose in Stella’s heart.

Even if it was only this once.

If Jasper could stand on her side just once.

She would feel that everything she’d sacrificed over the years was worth it.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like her—he just couldn’t let himself like her.

"Stella, donate blood for Grace just one more time, okay? I promise this is the last time!" Jasper looked up at her, his obsidian eyes reflecting her face.

The hope that had risen instantly turned cold and died.

Stella let out a bitter laugh—damn, she was so stupid.

She still clung to hope for him.

But it turned out, every time he made his choice, it was always the same.

And she was always the one abandoned after he weighed everything...

Grace secretly breathed a sigh of relief; when she looked over at Stella, smugness danced in the arch of her brows and corners of her eyes. "Stella, looks like I still have to trouble you to donate blood for me again. Thank you so much!"

Stella glanced sideways at her.

—Jasper really treats her so well...

She used to believe in her foolish heart that Jasper had learned how to love.

But now, with his habitual cool indifference, he made it clear—he would never love her in this lifetime.

Stella withdrew her gaze, coldly swept her eyes over Jasper. "I said I’m not giving her blood."

Jasper frowned faintly—Stella’s indifferent gaze unsettled him.

He still remembered the first time he met Stella; it was a bright summer, her smile outshining the sun.

But when did she stop loving to smile?

"What do we do now? If Stella won’t donate blood, I’ll die!" Grace wore panic all over her face. "Jasper, you promised my mother you’d take care of me..."

Jasper’s voice went cold. "I’ll find someone else to donate blood for you right now. I won’t let you die!"

Grace’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Jasper. "What if you can’t find anyone? Stella’s donated blood to me so many times—she’s a match, no rejection, so why change?"

Jasper said nothing.

Grace’s eyes welled with tears immediately. "Fine, fine, if you won’t care about me, I’ll go find Auntie May!"

She turned, crying, and ran into the ward.

Moments later, May Wright was dragged out by Grace.

May, having just gone to bed, still wore traces of fatigue on her face.

No one knew what Grace had said, but May’s glance at Stella carried a hint of reproach.

"Jasper, stop bullying Grace. Her mom became vegetative to save you, and now all we’re asking is for Stella to donate a little blood. It’s not a big deal—she’s done it so many times, nothing bad happened. But if Grace doesn’t get blood soon, she could die!"

Jasper pressed his lips together, his brows creased. "Mom, I said I’d look for someone right away, and there’s blood in the bank. It doesn’t have to be Stella’s."

"Auntie May, you see? He only knows how to care about Stella, doesn’t care about me!" Grace dragged Stella into it with one sentence.

May frowned, clearly troubled. But Jasper’s expression had grown stone-cold, those chilling eyes impossible to persuade, and she knew once her son made up his mind, no one could change it.

Helpless, she could only turn to Stella. "Stella, could you donate some blood to Grace? Please, for Auntie’s sake."

Stella gave a small laugh.

She knew this was how it would be!

Every time Grace threw a fit, she was the one making concessions.

And May Wright, her supposed future mother-in-law, always chose the option that wronged Stella.

Of course.

From the start, she was the one putting herself out there.

She remembered meeting May Wright for the first time during winter break five years ago.

Back then, she’d just started university.

One night, returning late to campus, a drunken thug dragged her into a dark alley—at the critical moment, a tall, thin boy saved her. She didn’t see his face, only saw the thug slash his chest with a knife.

When she was discharged, she spotted the same scar on Jasper’s chest.

She’d already fallen for him at first sight, but discovering he was her rescuer, her joy knew no bounds.

No matter how coldly he treated her, she just chased after him harder.

Even though she was the belle of the law department, she shamelessly pursued him, dizzy with love.

The next winter break, unable to endure a whole month apart, she secretly bought a train ticket to his hometown, determined to see him.

She’d grown up in the city, privileged and sheltered from hardship.

She asked around and found Jasper—only to see him pinned to the ground.

"Why won’t you listen, kid! There are wolves in the mountains—you saw Ma Sullivan get bitten, didn’t you? Heading up there is suicide!"

"Your mom probably met a wolf, too. We’ve called the police. Wait for them before anyone goes up; don’t be reckless."

The village folk all shouted over each other.

Jasper was held down, his face smeared with dirt, his clothes covered in grass.

But he just stared up at the mountain with a blank face—the look in his eyes like a beast on the verge of madness.

"Let him go!" Stella rushed forward, strength coming from who knew where, shoving away the two men pinning Jasper.

"Who’s this little brat? What are you making trouble for? We’re trying to help him—it’s nearly dark, you go up there now, you’re just wolf food!"

Jasper sat quietly on the ground, long fingers balled into fists, still silent.

"There’s so many of you! It’s not dark yet—help search the mountain! It’s better than standing around doing nothing."

The crowd looked at each other, unsure.

If you really ran into wolves, it’d mean risking your life!

"If you won’t help, then don’t stop him!" Stella grabbed Jasper’s hand. "Come on, I’ll go with you to find your mom!"

Jasper, still sitting, looked up at her.

"Let’s go!"

Stella pulled him up and led him up the mountain, hand in hand.

By then, night had fallen.

"Jasper, don’t worry, I’ll help you find Auntie!" Stella took a deep breath, her eyes fixed bravely on the shadowy, dangerous path ahead, trying to steel her own nerves, even as her heart pounded so hard she thought it’d burst from her throat.

"Once we find Auntie, we’ll learn boxing and taekwondo together. No one will ever stop you from doing what you want!"

The image of Jasper being pinned to the ground had shaken Stella deeply.

Only then did she realize—even someone as proud and brilliant as Jasper could be so helpless and desperate.

She never wanted to see him like that again.

He should shine, worthy of everyone’s awe.

Truthfully, fate had mercy on them.

Just as darkness fully fell, they luckily found May Wright, barely conscious from blood loss.

She hadn’t met any wolves—she’d just fallen and been impaled in the calf by branches, bleeding heavily.

Jasper carried her on his back down the mountain without hesitation.

Stella remembered May Wright thanking her endlessly, urging Jasper over and over not to waste such a good girl.

But now—

Things had changed.

Everything was different.

Now May Wright was begging her to donate blood to someone else.