Chapter 10: Jasper Has Her Back
1155 Words
A man in casual clothing, looking to be about fifty, ran through the door. His shirt was soaked with sweat, and it clung to his chest.
As soon as the officers saw him, they all stopped what they were doing.
The assistant director shouted in frustration, "Who the hell dares tell us what to do?"
The nearby police officers wanted to be a hundred miles away from him. The one who had been bribed finally offered an explanation. "Shut up, that’s our police chief!"
Celia casually removed the handcuffs, which had yet to be locked, and tossed them onto the desk, the noise startling the chief, whose heart nearly leapt out of his chest.
In truth, the chief wasn’t entirely sure who this young woman was, but considering a call from the ‘crown prince’ himself had reached his phone, he wouldn’t dare act rashly, no matter what.
"Miss Celia, I deeply apologize for the trouble you’ve been put through." The chief bowed his head humbly.
Not only was the assistant director in shock, but Jack was also dumbfounded. He knew Celia came from money, but he never imagined she had connections with the police chief. Her background was clearly formidable.
Upon hearing this, Celia’s knees buckled as if she was about to faint. Fortunately, Lily was quick to catch her, tears streaming down her face. "Celia, are you okay? You’ve just left the hospital, and now you’re being treated like this! You must be feeling so fragile!"
"Mhm!" Celia nodded dramatically, sitting in the chair and cradling her head as if in great pain.
She hadn't informed her family about this situation, and even if she had, they wouldn’t have been able to get the chief involved this quickly.
It had to be Jasper Lawrence who’d called the chief.
He really does have fast reflexes.
The officers were dumbstruck. Not long ago, Celia had been energetic enough to nearly tear the police station apart, but now she was playing the part of a fragile damsel? She even clutched her chest as if she had heart problems.
The chief spat in anger, cursing, "What’s wrong with you people? The victim is clearly still weak! She should be in the hospital resting, not being harassed like this!"
The police officers, though they had plenty to say, bit their tongues.
The chief's position was clear, and none of them dared argue.
"What are you waiting for? Arrest this harasser!" he barked.
The police quickly cuffed the assistant director, who let out a pig-like squeal, "How dare you touch me!"
"Shut him up!" The chief kicked him for good measure, then turned back to Celia, smiling obsequiously. "Miss Celia, again, I deeply apologize for the treatment you and your friend received today."
The lead officer overseeing the case knew how to read the room and quickly approached to bow his head in apology. "Miss Celia, I’m truly sorry. Please, be magnanimous and forgive us for our mistakes."
Hearing him grovel, Celia raised an eyebrow and glanced at the darkening sky outside. Her voice was soft but pointed. "It’s fine. You’re all good officers of the people. However, I expect that if any similar incidents occur in the future, you’d feel so guilty you’d voluntarily resign."
"Yes, yes, of course." The officer understood her hint, nodding quickly, before adding, "No, no, nothing like this will ever happen again."
Feeling like every additional minute spent in the police station was a waste of her life, Lily helped Celia up, and they made their way toward the exit.
The chief breathed a barely audible sigh of relief. But just as they were about to walk out, Celia turned back around, causing sweat to drip into the chief’s eyes. "Miss Celia, is there something else?"
The junior officers behind him plastered sycophantic smiles on their faces.
Celia grinned sweetly. "Oh, nothing important. I just wanted to say your station has really high-quality fire extinguishers."
Praising the weapon of choice right in front of the "victims."
It was a verbal kill shot.
The chief glanced around at the white powder coating the room, his laughter stiff and awkward. "I’ll make sure to have a few more sent to your residence later. I hope you’ll accept them."
"Thank you very much."
As the sun set, the evening glow bathed the sky in warm, stretched hues.
Celia left the station, exhausted from the day, ready to hail a cab home.
But as she walked past the trees, a black Cullinan honked twice.
Jack was busy on the phone, and Lily hadn’t noticed.
Jasper Lawrence stepped out of the car and instinctively cupped Celia’s face in his hands, gently asking, "Did you get hurt?"
"No," Celia responded, wrapping her arms around his waist, trying to rest her head on his chest.
But just then, a loud voice cut through the air. "Celia!!"
Jack came charging over, fury in his eyes. Startled, Celia quickly pushed Jasper away, standing awkwardly.
Dating for a celebrity, especially one on the rise like Celia, was career suicide. Jack glared daggers at Jasper, demanding, "Who is this guy?"
Celia and Jasper’s marriage was still a secret, known only to a few in the industry. Swallowing nervously, Celia whispered, "Uh... he’s trying to, um, sponsor me."
Jack immediately exploded, yanking Celia behind him and pointing at Jasper with a mix of contempt and rage. "I hate scumbags like you! Just because you have money, you think you can buy a starlet! Well, Celia is different from all those floozies out there! Stay away from her!"
Celia tugged on Jack’s sleeve, trying to calm him down.
Jack patted her shoulder, reassuring her. "Don’t worry. I won’t let this creep disrespect you."
"I suggest you choose your words carefully," Lily said, amused by the scene.
Jasper raised an eyebrow lazily, his gaze lingering on Celia. She had her hands clasped together in a pleading gesture, silently begging him not to speak.
Jack ranted a little more before grabbing Celia and dragging her away. "Come on. There’s someone I want you to meet."
Inside the van, Jack took a sip of water and knocked on his head, deep in thought. "Why does that guy look so familiar? Celia, do you know his name?"
Fearing Jack might actually figure out Jasper’s identity, Celia quickly shook her head and changed the subject. "So, who are you taking me to meet?"
After all the chaos of the day, she was physically and mentally drained. While she was sure Jasper wouldn’t let the assistant director get off lightly, the fact remained that she’d lost out on a major role.
It hurt—badly. She had been on the verge of a breakthrough, only for the opportunity to slip away at the last second.
She was sad, but she didn’t regret it.
Because, in the end, she was more afraid of Lily getting hurt.
Jack smiled mysteriously. "You’ll see soon enough."
- Writer
