The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

"Because, in some ways, you really

are a decent man. You're smart,

good at what you do, and most

importantly, you really care about

Annalise. Even when your family

clashes with her, you see the real

issues and know how to handle

them.

"You never let Annalise be treated unfairly. I've always envied her. I kept wishing I

could be the one to take her place and be married to a man like you."

Jessica had written a lot, and Casper read every word carefully.

"But recently, I've started to see that

depending on a man means being at

the mercy of everyone else's moods.

If I stand on my own, I won't have to

deal with some guy's chaotic family

drama.

"So, yeah, I admit I was wrong before, and I'm going to change. From now on, I

promise I won't bother you anymore because I need to focus on my work."noveldrama

A wave of panic crashed over

Casper. If Jessica wasn't even

planning to talk to Zane anymore,

that meant she had truly woken up

and decided to rely on no one but

herself. And where would that leave

him?

Almost on instinct, Casper texted back. "Actually, I'm not Zane. We've been

together for so many years. I know you pretty well."

"Casper, I knew it was you for a while now. Back then, I just wanted to forget

everything and try to make things work with you again," Jessica said.

Casper read the words but couldn't figure out what she was really getting at.