Chapter 234: Did You Really Think I Couldn’t Do Anything to You?

Julian Lancaster had always been a deep thinker. Having fought his way up from the very bottom, he didn’t trust anyone’s words.

But when it came to her inner voice, he let his guard down completely.

He suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

A moment later, he spoke. "Chase, you need to find a way to get her to the film set and the studio as soon as possible. See who makes a move to poison you."

This hidden threat had to be eliminated as soon as possible; it couldn’t be delayed any longer.

Julian Lancaster rose and looked out the window, his eyes filled with cold fury.

"No matter who they are, I won’t let them destroy the Lancaster Group and my family!"

The butler, who was just walking in, froze in his tracks, hearing the murderous intent in those words.

He was also confused about who Julian was referring to.

Judging from recent events, it felt very much like he was referring to Miss Lancaster.

He wasn’t surprised, though. The servants of the Lancaster household had been gossiping lately, gloating that the young master could no longer stand Miss Lancaster.

No amount of doting, it seemed, mattered when core interests were at stake. In the end, one would still be cast aside.

The "family" Julian Lancaster mentioned certainly didn’t include Jane Lancaster. He had already, on his own, cast his sister out from that circle.

—

Just as Jane Lancaster’s car pulled out, she saw the car parked on the side of the road.

This time, Jasper Sterling wasn’t sitting in the car. Instead, he was standing right on the roadside, blocking her car’s path.

"Apologies, Senior. Please step out of the car."

Jane hesitated. "I’m busy right now, so... maybe another time?"

For some reason, she felt a little guilty and didn’t dare to look him in the eye.

She had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.

Jasper Sterling glanced at her, said nothing more, and instead walked straight to the driver’s side window and knocked. In a tone that brooked no argument, he said, "Unlock it!"

He rarely showed such a forceful side. Even though he was an assertive person at heart, he never displayed it so openly.

After all, he didn’t need to be too forceful. With just a slight change in his expression and tone, countless people would be tripping over themselves to carry out his orders.

"But Miss Lancaster didn’t agree..." The driver was a long-time employee of the Lancaster Family, the exclusive driver Timothy Lancaster had assigned to Jane.

After the incident where Mrs. Everett had used the driver without permission came to light, Bishop finally realized that his salary had always been paid independently by Miss Lancaster!

What a fool he’d been. He’d nearly been bought off by Mrs. Everett’s small favors, forgetting who was really in charge.

If it weren’t for such a high salary, he wouldn’t be able to provide a good life for his two children.

Bishop knew full well that if he just wanted an easy life, he could just be a regular driver. But then his salary would be at least halved, and he wouldn’t even be able to pay his mortgage.

Miss Lancaster hadn’t held it against him, precisely because she knew about his family’s situation, right?

Bishop’s heart hammered in his chest. He clearly remembered Mr. Lancaster’s instructions from when he first started the job: always prioritize Miss Lancaster’s safety!

But when his eyes met Jasper Sterling’s, he shivered in fear and subconsciously unlocked the car door.

A second after unlocking it, he regretted it and was about to lock it again, but Jasper’s movements were faster than his.

Jasper Sterling pulled open the car door, grabbed Jane Lancaster’s hand, and pulled her out.

Bishop scrambled out of the car to follow, but Gavin blocked him with a raised arm. "We won’t harm Miss Lancaster, please rest assured."

In her haste, Jane only had time to call out, "I’m fine."

Then she was pushed into Jasper Sterling’s black car.

The car door shut. She looked up and met Jasper Sterling’s eyes, which were as black as ink.

At such a close distance, she could see how black his pupils were, like the dark surface of the sea before a storm, hiding whirlpools and danger, ready to swallow her whole in the next second.

Her breath hitched.

’He can’t possibly know about my mission to seduce Gordon Dawson, can he? I haven’t even had a chance to do anything yet. The really explosive stuff is still to come...’

Jasper Sterling hadn’t even opened his mouth to ask, yet he already had his answer.

When he learned that it was Gordon Dawson who had taken Jane home yesterday, he had a bad feeling.

He had followed the lead and checked the street surveillance footage near the coffee shop, where he’d seen an infuriating sight.

In that instant, Jasper Sterling had snapped the pen in his hand.

As Jasper Sterling thought about this, he raised the privacy partition, instantly creating an enclosed space in the back.

"What are you doing?" Jane averted her gaze, casually changing the subject. "By the way, did you see the trending topics?"

She told herself not to panic. She could handle this!

’Even though he’s always been making advances on me, eager to steal me away, he’s always been such a gentleman...’

’That’s right! He’s Jasper Sterling, the perfect model of good breeding and etiquette. He definitely won’t do anything rash!’

Jasper Sterling was so angry he laughed. "Senior, do you really think there’s nothing I can do to you?"

"I don’t..." Jane’s voice died in her throat, and her eyes widened.

Jasper Sterling tilted her chin up, and a second later, his lips came crashing down on hers.

The car drove smoothly along a secluded road lined with brilliant yellow ginkgo trees and crimson late-autumn maples, a riot of color, as if God had overturned his paint palette.

Inside the car, however, the light was dim, and passion surged.

Jane Lancaster was definitely not one to sit back and take it, but just as she started to move, she was pinned down with a powerful and undeniable force.

The man had finally torn off his gentle disguise. The beast had finally bared its claws and fangs.

An unknown amount of time passed before the restraining hold loosened.

Jasper Sterling’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked down at the woman in his arms as dark, damp, sunless thoughts churned in his mind.

"Senior, why won’t you look at me? Wouldn’t being with me be a better way to strike back at Pauline Shaw and Caleb Lowell?"

Jane Lancaster slapped him right across the face.

Jasper Sterling’s face was knocked to the side. He licked his split lip and let out a soft chuckle.

The next second, he grabbed Jane Lancaster’s wrist and kissed her even more forcefully.

...

A minute later, Jane Lancaster wrenched her hands free from his grasp.

Jasper Sterling stopped, waiting for the slap to land, but it never came.

He couldn’t help but smile wryly and pulled back a little.

"If you can’t even accept this level of force, why are you letting that scoundrel Gordon Dawson get close to you?"

Jane Lancaster raised an eyebrow at him.

’Are you provoking me? Do you really want me to slap your lecherous face until it’s swollen?’

The metallic tang of blood spread across his tongue. Jasper Sterling didn’t care at all about her slap; perhaps it would sober him up and stop him from doing something even more outrageous.

His adoration for this woman had seeped into his very bones; he wasn’t sure he had enough self-control to hold back.

Jane Lancaster was silent for a moment, then smiled. "Since you know no one can force me to do anything, why can’t you consider that I’m doing it willingly? Gordon Dawson is very capable. I want to fight for control of the Lancaster Group, and he’d surely be willing to go through hell and high water for me."

’After all, I just have to put on a little show to earn a clean five million. What’s not to like?’ she thought coldly.

"Is that so? Then why not choose me? Not only can I help you fight for the Lancaster Group, I would also hand over the Sterling Group on a silver platter."

Jasper Sterling paused. "Last time I went to Solara, I didn’t even have time to persuade that old codger Theodore Hughes. How do you think I managed to get him here?"