The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Jessica never truly intended to return to Casper and build a life together now that he had money. She was simply casting a wide net, hoping to catch the richest man.

If Zane showed even the slightest interest in her, she wouldn't hesitate to abandon Casper and be with him. A bitter, indescribable ache welled up in Casper's heart. The fleeting emotions he'd felt for her earlier now seemed utterly ridiculous. Every word out of Jessica's mouth was a lie. How could he have ever believed she was worthy of his genuine feelings?

Casper couldn't comprehend how Jessica could profess her love for him one moment and shamelessly flirt with another man the next. The hypocrisy was unbearable.

Casper's eyes stung, his vision blurred, and tears rolled down silently. He replied, "I'm spending time with Annalise and Willow."

Jessica nearly threw her phone across the room in a fit of rage. She had gone to such lengths to drive Annalise out of Steven's family, yet she still managed to find herself a man with an even better family background.

Not only that, but Annalise also had a sweet, obedient daughter and a person with whom to spend peaceful evenings. Why couldn't Jessica enjoy the same luxuries?

Jessica couldn't endure seeing Annalise happy. After carefully weighing her words, she sent a curt message.

"Do you know that when Annalise was with Steven, he treated her horribly?"

Casper glanced at the screen and replied impatiently, "Yeah."

Jessica's tone turned more malicious. "The fact that she stayed with Steven for six years despite everything says a lot, don't you think? Deep down, Annalise must enjoy that kind of treatment.

"She's the type who needs to be kept in check. If you're too good to her, she'll just walk all over you."

Casper stared at her message for a long time. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. Finally, he thought of what Zane might say in a moment like this.

A hint of clarity settled over him, and he began to reply.

"Only someone as clueless as Steven would fall for that nonsense. Do you really think people are stupid enough to believe your attempts at causing trouble?" Jessica immediately replied, "Am I wrong? Why don't you believe me? I'm not lying."

Casper glanced at her reply and chose to remain silent.

...

Jessica took a steadying breath. Normally, she prided herself on her charm. So why was she hitting roadblocks with both Casper and Zane?

Still, it didn't matter. As long as she kept reaching out and kept the conversations going, she was sure she'd win them over eventually. But for now, there was someone else she needed to focus on.

It had been a while since she had last spoken with Steven. Unlike with Zane and Casper, where she relied on texts, she called Steven instead. "Hello?"

Steven replied indifferently, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to update you on some things."

After all, Jessica had used his money. It was only polite to let him know where it had gone. More importantly, if she needed more funds later, this would make asking much easier.

"You wanted me to promote my

work further, to make it big enough for Annalise to notice so that she would feel jealous. Well, I've done as you asked. The promotion's been a huge success. noveldrama

"Sales of my merchandise are about to surpass Annalise's. Everyone online is buzzing about how generous you are with me."

Jessica could understand why Casper and Zane were distant. Zane was at the top of his world-he'd probably seen countless stunning women.

As for Casper, she'd hurt him. So, she couldn't blame him for being angry.

Steven, however, was the odd one. Not long ago, he'd claimed to love Jessica, doting on her as if she were his world. And then, just like that, he turned his attention to Annalise, declaring his feelings for her instead.

Sometimes, Jessica wondered if he'd ever really liked her at all. However, she wouldn't ask about that.

"Whenever Annalise goes online, she'll see how much money you've spent for me. She'll be so jealous," Jessica said.