When two or three days passed without Hilda reaching out, Jasper was already getting restless.
By all logic, her grandmother's condition couldn't hold out this long. The fact that Hilda could endure the silence until now meant he must have truly broken her heart.
He was still turning this over in his mind when his secretary's call came through.
The tension visibly drained from Jasper's body. A faint smile even tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Well? Did Hilda contact you?"
Whatever was said on the other end made Jasper shoot straight up from his chair. "What kind of joke is that?"
"It's true, Mr. Fairmont." The secretary's voice hitched before continuing. "I've already confirmed with the hospital. Hilda's grandmother passed away after resuscitation failed."
"I also reached out to the funeral home. The deceased has already been cremated and buried. The day it happened was the same day as your engagement banquet with Miss Blake."
"That's insane!"
Jasper panicked. He floored the accelerator and tore across town to the funeral home where Hilda worked, only to learn she had resigned long ago.
The manager's gaze was far from friendly as he looked Jasper up and down.