A thick yet warm smoke enveloped them, and the stark contrast between the lively scene behind the door and the desolation outside took Jasper aback. His reaction was visceral.

As he stared at the bustling living hall, his heart raced.

Seated on the couch were Tatiana and Julien, and alongside them was Rose, who had been studying overseas and hadn't crossed paths with Jasper for several years. They were joyfully chatting while skewering vegetables.

The kitchen buzzed with activity as Jonah, wearing an apron, showcased his culinary skills, with Cyrus assisting in preparing barbecue sauce.

Silas and Sean were focused on putting meat on the skewers, their attention fixed on Tatiana and Rose. Sean's concern for his girlfriend was evident, while Silas watched in helplessness as Rose engaged in an animated conversation with Julien.

Silas sighed sadly, unsure of the unease he felt witnessing their interaction.

"Dr. Lovelace, you're nailing those skewers! Your hands are so skilled!" Tatiana exclaimed as she noticed the perfectly arranged food on Julien's skewer, resembling a carefully crafted assembly. She couldn't resist showering him with praise.

"Really? I'm just putting the food on a stick," Julien replied nonchalantly, humming a tune as he examined the perfectly arranged plate.

The skewers Tatiana and Rose assembled were nowhere as beautiful as Julien's.

"Look at the one I did. It's all over the place like a chicken claw." Rose pouted sadly.

Despite being an internationally renowned fashion designer, Rose had fashioned countless exquisite outfits with her skilled hands, but her culinary prowess was lacking.

Life, it seemed, was fair. Meanwhile, God appeared to have favored Alyssa by granting her everything.

"It's really simple. Let me teach you. You see, this is how you do it..."

Julien hunched over, almost pressed against Rose, his head nearly touching Tatiana's. Both Rose and Tatiana listened attentively, unaware that this proximity set off significant alarm bells for Sean and Silas, who were not far away.

"Jonah, why is Julien meddling where he shouldn't?"

Cyrus approached Jonah, gossiping as he mixed the ingredients, "Check out all the guys getting stuff done. Axel is out there starting the fire. Can you believe he's flirting with the ladies on the couch? How oblivious can he be?"

Jonah furrowed his brow slightly as he stirred the mixture vigorously with his spoon.

"Jonah, you should keep a closer eye on him."

After a prolonged silence, Jonah lowered his gaze and said, "The kitchen is messy and dirty. Since he's clean, I didn't let him come in."

Cyrus, being straightforward, didn't grasp the subtext. Puzzled, he exclaimed, "Huh?"

"Julien isn't a Taylor; he's Lyse's guest. It's nice that he's pitching in. Don't expect too much from him." Jonah slipped in his words and swiftly changed the subject, his face warming up.

Sean couldn't ignore the closeness between Tatiana and Julien. Unable to contain himself, he snapped the skewer stick in his hand.novelbin

"Ouch! It hurts!" Distracted by the situation, Silas lost his focus and accidentally pricked his finger with the skewer stick.

"The two of you..."

It seemed as if Jonah had eyes in the back of his head. He shot a glance at the jealous men and said, "If you've got all that energy, help Axel with the fire on the balcony. Maybe your frustration can help him light it up."

Jonah thought them both idiots.

He wasn't even jealous. He couldn't fathom why they were overreacting.

Everyone was busy with their tasks and enjoying each other. No one noticed Jasper and Xavier standing by the entrance.

"M-Mr. Beckett, we're at the right house, right?" Xavier was dumbfounded. It was as if they had returned to how the Taylor family was in Belbanks.

"Hey, you're back, Mr. Jasper!"

Mrs. Rosie stood behind him with shopping bags in her hand. She nudged him gently. "Why are you standing here? Don't you recognize your home?"

Jasper looked at Mrs. Rosie absent-mindedly. He croaked, "Mrs. Rosie, they."

"Ah, the guests were invited by Madam Alyssa."

Rosie said joyfully, "Madam Alyssa arranged this gathering for you, Mr. Jasper. The minute you left, she began making calls and went to prepare the food and the fire. She was occupied the whole day. She thought no one would come due to the last-minute invitations, but surprisingly, everyone showed up."

"Lyse did this for me?" Jasper's eyes welled up as he felt a lump in his throat.

"Who else would this be for? Madam Alyssa mentioned Sophia's case going to trial. Seeing you stressed these past few days, she arranged a barbecue for you to unwind."

Then, Rosie winked and nudged his arm. "Remember to thank Madam Alyssa and treat her well behind closed doors tonight. I'm sure I don't need to give you any advice on what to do, do I?"

Just then, Alyssa descended the stairs with a radiant smile, and a young woman adorned in a light blue dress, complete with a crystal hairpiece, followed closely behind her.

Xavier's eyes widened, and he rubbed them vigorously. That breathtaking woman was Maggie! The moment that followed left Xavier standing alone at the entrance, his lips trembling, tears already spent.