The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

If Zane hadn't played him that recording earlier, Casper might have believed

Gary's sincerity.

Casper replied, "Is it?"

"He's just using you to make money for him!" Gary said firmly.

Casper couldn't help but laugh. "So what? Did you think Zane hired me just to hand me a salary or do me a favor? He's not an idiot. He'd never do something that stupid."

Gary was speechless, unable to formulate a rebuttal. After a long pause, he finally said, "But he's underpaying you! If you come back, we'll give you a raise!"

"No thanks," Casper replied flatly.noveldrama

Gary continued, sweetening the deal, "We'll even pay you back for all the wages we owe you from before!"

Gary and Julia had fooled Casper for years, and now he felt it was only fair to reclaim what he was owed.

"If you're really that sincere, why don't you start by paying me what you owe from when I worked for you? Otherwise, it's hard to believe you," Casper said.

Gary glanced at Julia with uncertainty. If they gave the money to Casper, they'd lose any leverage over him. What were they supposed to do now?

Julia whispered, "Just agree for now. Once he comes back, we'll transfer the money to him in person."

Gary repeated her words to Casper.

Casper laughed. He knew his parents' tricks inside and out-there was no way he was falling for this.

"If you're not transferring the money,

then forget it. Don't bother about it. My stance is clear. If you insist on dragging this out and only telling me after Loome back, then go ahead and waste your time. When the company goes under, I won't be the one losing out."

With that, Casper ended the call.

Casper glanced around the empty office, and suddenly, memories of his first

meeting with Jessica flooded his mind.

Back then, he was still in school, and

his parents were unreasonably

strict. Despite their wealth, they often withheld his allowance, forcing him to take on projects with his classmates just to make ends meet. Thankfully, he was capable and managed to earn enough to get by.

In the beginning, when Casper had no money and his parents refused to help, he

had been so desperate that he'd resorted to drinking cold water to stave off hunger.

That was when Jessica appeared.

She wasn't dating Steven at the time. Upon seeing how rough Casper had it, she approached him—not to hand him money directly, but to ask for his help with a problem she claimed to have. In return, she promised to pay him.

Casper agreed. He didn't have much of a choice. If he didn't take the job, he wouldn't eat. He would have starved.

Jessica took him under her wing

and included him in her projects. At first, there was no salary, but she used her money to buy him lunch Over time, Casper began to develop feelings for her, though he always felt he wasn't good enough for her. So, he threw himself into his work, determined to prove himself.

In Casper's mind, he had no right to confess his feelings to her until he could be independent and fend for himself.

As they successfully completed project after project, Casper began to build up some savings. One day, Jessica invited him to dinner and subtly hinted that she had feelings for him too.

Casper had been ready to confess and finally tell her how he felt. That was when he thought they might start dating.