Chapter 243: We Are No Longer Friends

Jasper Sterling’s tone was unhurried, yet it held an inexplicable authority.

The scene fell silent; everyone was speechless.

Even Chloe Dave, who wanted to say a few words in Luna Morgan’s defense, found himself at a loss.

Jasper Sterling’s voice was cold. "Showing a Bodhisattva’s compassion to a devil... don’t you find yourself ridiculous?"

Luna Morgan cried even harder, her voice choked with sobs. "I’m sorry."

So this whole disaster began with the money she had sent.

But that wasn’t what she’d meant at all. She just thought the Lucas family was so pitiful!

Luna Morgan was a picture of heartbreaking beauty as she cried, looking at Jane Lancaster through her blurry, tear-filled eyes. "Miss Lancaster, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault."

The stares of the people around her were frightening, as if she had committed some unforgivable sin.

She grabbed Jane Lancaster’s hand like it was a lifeline.

’Miss Lancaster is so gentle. In the past, no matter what, she would always comfort me, at least on the surface. Surely she’ll understand me this time, right?’

Jane Lancaster’s thoughts began to drift.

’Right now, she probably really wants to hear me say, "It’s not your fault," doesn’t she?’

’But I have no intention of saying it.’

She suddenly sighed. "Since you know you were wrong, don’t do something so foolish again. Kindness needs to have limits; not just anyone is deserving of your sympathy."

Luna Morgan froze for a moment. "But..."

"No buts." Jane Lancaster pulled her hand away, her voice icy. "If you insist on sympathizing with the Lucas family, then you’re standing against me. From this day forward, we are no longer friends."

Luna Morgan was utterly panicked, scrambling to grab her hand again. "Miss Lancaster..."

But she was pushed away. Jane Lancaster walked off decisively, not once looking back.

Luna Morgan’s tears flowed even more fiercely. She turned to look at the members of the Lucas family, a powerful feeling of disgust welling up inside her for the first time.

"This is all your fault... I gave you 300,000. Wasn’t that enough? Do you have to bleed me dry before you’re satisfied?"

That day, after the middle-aged woman introduced herself, she had gone on and on with thanks, saying it was lucky Luna had sent the money, which allowed their family to finally catch their breath.

At the time, Luna Morgan had been overjoyed, thinking her kindness had been repaid and that they had come specifically to thank her.

She never expected them to later make such an exorbitant demand, which had now escalated to them trying to smash a car for money today.

She had never expected anything in return from the Lucas family, so why were they biting the hand that fed them?

"Did President Lowell really withdraw three million?" Jasper Sterling asked with a smile, glancing at the bodyguards holding aluminum briefcases.

The eyes of the Lucas family members lit up. Had he really brought three million?

Walter Lucas kicked Flora Miller hard. Flora Miller paused for a second, then burst into tears and clung to Luna Morgan’s leg.

"Miss Morgan, we were wrong! Please, forgive us! But my mother-in-law has cancer and needs surgery. We’re waiting on this money to save her life! We were pushed into a corner, that’s why we took such a risk..."

"Luna!" Chloe Dave cried out, wanting to warn Luna Morgan not to fall for it again.

Luna Morgan was silent for a moment. "Get up and speak."

Flora Miller hesitated, then wiped her tears and scrambled to her feet.

Only then did Luna Morgan speak. "I don’t have any money. Don’t come looking for me again. I won’t give you a single cent."

Flora Miller stared at her, shocked and suspicious.

Walter Lucas’s voice was shrill. "You dare go back on your word?"

"That’s right, I am. I never owed you anything to begin with." With that, Luna Morgan turned to leave.

Suddenly, a shout of alarm came from behind her. "Luna, get out of the way!"

An instant later, something hit her back, sending a sharp pain through her.

Luna Morgan turned her head, looking at Mr. Lucas in disbelief.

Mr. Lucas’s face was twisted with rage. "Bitch! You promised you’d give us the money, and now you dare to back out? Give us the money! Money! Give me the money!"

He had gotten his hands on a steel pipe from somewhere and was now lunging menacingly toward Luna Morgan, ready to strike.

More than not getting the money, he couldn’t stand the fact that the money he’d almost had was now gone.

Caleb Lowell, his face grim, grabbed the steel pipe, shoved the old man to the ground, and said in a tone that allowed no argument, "Call the police!"

Jane Lancaster was sitting in the car when she received a call from Caleb Lowell.

Beside her, Jasper Sterling, who had been looking at files on a tablet, lifted his head and glanced over.

Jane Lancaster instinctively covered her phone.

"Jay, where are you? Can I come find you?" the voice on the other end asked cautiously.

Jane Lancaster: "No, don’t come. I don’t want to see you."

The person next to her was watching her like a hawk.

Caleb Lowell was silent for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating laugh. "You’re right. I didn’t stand firmly on your side today. You have every right to be angry."

Jane Lancaster shot upright, feeling that the situation was not good.

’I’m not trying to seduce him, so why is he talking like that? Don’t tell me he thinks I’m competing with Luna Morgan for his affection, right?’

’How crazy! Who cares what he thinks!’

Suddenly, she remembered something. She opened the character affection interface, her expression thoughtful.

Even though Caleb Lowell had called her, his affection level showed no sign of increasing.

She thought for a moment, then said in a deceptively innocent tone, "I wasn’t asking you to take my side. I just feel that forgiving evil is the same as condoning a crime."

"By the way, how did you handle the Lucas family?" she asked, as if testing the waters.

On the other end of the line, Caleb Lowell’s voice was much more subdued. "I called the police. Didn’t Jasper Sterling tell you?"

Beside her, Jasper Sterling looked over with a half-smile.

How could he not have told her? When it came to anything Jane Lancaster wanted to know, he always told her everything without reservation.

"He said he didn’t know what happened afterward, only that the police came. He said if you don’t press charges for the three-million-dollar extortion attempt, it can only be classified as instigating a disturbance."

Jane Lancaster lowered her gaze, her voice soft. "Zion, Luna is too naive. I don’t want them to keep harassing her."

After a long pause, Caleb Lowell finally said, "Okay, I understand. They’ll be prosecuted for extortion."

’[BEEP. Change in character affection detected. Disgust Value +1.]’

Hearing this announcement, the corners of Jane Lancaster’s lips curled up slightly, a smile instantly lighting up her eyes.

’Great, the test worked! So it really is like that!’

Her phone was suddenly taken from her. Jasper Sterling hung up for her and, for good measure, blocked Caleb Lowell’s number.

Since the test was complete, there was no longer any need for contact.

’So he actually thought Jane did it on purpose? That she was using someone else to do her dirty work by getting the threatening Lucas Family sent to prison?’

’Did that mean all his efforts to clear things up today had been a complete waste?’

"There’s no need to answer calls from a fool like that. I’m afraid it might be contagious," Jasper Sterling said with grave seriousness.

Jane Lancaster: "..."

’Whatever, let him do what he wants.’

She propped her chin on her hand and thought for a moment. What Caleb Lowell seemed to detest were calculating, two-faced schemers who acted pure and innocent.

So, to get his affection value to zero, she had to keep working in that direction.

Suddenly, her phone chimed. A text message had arrived.

’Are you free today? How about we grab a meal together?’

Jane Lancaster paused, then subconsciously texted back: ’Who’s this?’

After sending those two words, she suddenly remembered something and whipped her head around to look at Jasper Sterling.