Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

In September, Kade entered ninth grade, the sschool as Harper. Harper was still in eleventh grade, while Nona and Cyril entered the tenth grade.

George was admitted to the best university in Sapphire City. His results were ranked first in Sapphire City, and his grades were exceptionally excellent.

Cyril's final exam results did not reach the points his father set. He was still grounded and was demanded to better themselves with Harper.

The day before school started.

Jasper, the elder child among the others, sent an announcement to the group chat. [Tomorrow is the start of the new semester. If any of you achieve the required scores this semester, you can ctofor a gift. You can exchange for whatever gift you want unconditionally. | will not renege on a promise. Whether you can take your gift away depends on your ability.] As soon as this announcement was released, the group chat beclively. At that moment, everyone's phones were in their hands and were not confiscated before nine.

The first person who replied to Jasper's words was Cyril. [Jasper, keep your word!] He had wanted a gconsole for a long time, but his father refused to buy it. There was no room for discussion when his total score reached the goal, and he needed to maintain the score till the college entrance examinations.

Liam asked, [Do | count? Jasper, | want a car.] Jasper replied, [you can choose to repeat the grade, and I'll consider it when your college entrance exam results are outstanding.] Liam was speechless.

Olivia sent a cute emoji and said, [LOL. What my brother means is that you don't count. If the ban on your driving hasn't been lifted, my brother won't dare to buy you a bumper car.] Liam cursed, [Shut the fuck up!] He had only bumped into a car once. How could it be considered a bumper car? Who didn't have a history that they refused to remember? Ruby sent, [Mind your language!] Nona said, [I want to think about what gift to buy.] Harper asked, [Jasper, are you sure you want to do this?] Jasper mentioned Harper and asked, [Do you mean that you plan to repeat the grade several times? You don't have to be so ambitious. Repeating the grade for once is enough.] Everyone sent a laughing emoji, while Harper sent a speechless emoji. He was not confident in his scores, but he wanted many gifts. However, his father would not buy those gifts for him.

Jasper's actions were blatantly stimulating.

They discussed a lot in the group chat, and Jasper browsed through the records before mentioning Liam. [Ctoand get your gift when you finally succeed in graduating.] Liam was pleasantly surprised by this reversal. He was so thrilled and typed with trembling hands. [Jasper, | love you! You have to keep your word!] Whether he could drive the car was one thing, but whether he could own the car he liked was another. Even if he could only look at it, he was satisfied.

To him, a car was his wife. Previously, he had only been married for a day before he was forced to get a divorce.

Furthermore, he was forced to get a divorce by his father. He was restricted from marrying again, even if he wished to. Liam felt that his metaphor was too vivid.

Jasper's chat interface popped up with Ruby's message. He left the group after telling Liam he would wait to see how capable Liam was. Meanwhile, the group was still discussing what gifts they wanted.

Ruby sent a private message to Jasper. [You're not busy, are you?] Jasper could feel Ruby's gentleness even through the screen. Even the words she typed were soft.

Jasper texted his guess. [You're not in the living room? Didn't you say that you would get off work early today?] Ruby replied, [I'm drawing in the room. | drew a painting. Do you want to take a look?] Jasper said, [Sure.] The next second, Ruby sent the portrait that she had been drawing for several days to Jasper's phone. The person in the picture was wearing a black suit and leaning against the balcony with one hand bent. His deep eyes were staring at someplace. He held a lit cigarette between his slender fingers. The smoke added a hazy feeling to the entire painting, and the person in the painting exuded laziness and aloofness.

Jasper leaned against the back of the bed and looked at himself in the painting repeatedly. He asked, [How did you know that | smoked?] He did not seem to have smoked in front of her once. Every the went to see her, he would change his clothes. Jasper could not figure out why, and Ruby replied, [I'm sensitive to the smell of cigarettes. As long as you smoke it, | can smell it.] One night, Jasper cto the stuto look for her. When they kissed, she smelled the faint smell of cigarettes on him, so she was sure that he would smoke. It was just that he did not smoke in front of her.

The picture was of Jasper smoking in her imagination. She had never seen Jasper smoking before. After drawing, she suddenly felt his smoking appearance was more casual and unruly. At the stime, there was a sense of distance and wild sexiness.

Jasper asked, [If you don't likesmoking, why don't you say tell me?] Ruby said, [It's not that | don't like it. I'm only quite sensitive to it. You can smoke it. I don't mind. Don't smoke too much. It's not good for your health.] Jasper always had a smile on his face. He promised, [I'll quit it.] However, now was not the time. When another company was successfully established and on track, he would quit smoking. The airline was already on the right track. Next, he had to start planning another company and strive to open next year.

Ruby repeated, [I don't mind.] She understood him. It was inevitable for people to distribute cigarettes to each other when they had just started the business. Yet, her godfather was different. When the others gave her godfather a cigarette, it depended on whether her godfather was willing to take it.

So, Ruby did not force Jasper to quit smoking. She knew he had tried hard enough.

Jasper did not want Ruby to be worried, so he typed a few words on the screen. [I'm shortening the time.] Ruby still said the same. [I don't mind it. | only want you to be healthy because I love you.] Jasper asked, [Can you knock off later tomorrow?] Today, Jasper had planned to go to the stuto look for Ruby after working overtime. However, Hackett called Ruby and asked her to get off work early at night. He even went to the stuto pick up Ruby.

Ruby agreed. [Sure.] The following morning.

After breakfast, Ruby told Hackett she would be back late tonight. She also said she would be busy because a candidate would be at the stufor an interview.

After hearing his daughter's words, Hackett decided to pick his daughter up at night. He was worried about her coming back so late. "Alright, I'll pick you up tonight. Don't worry. Now, off you go." Joy said, "I hope the young lady you recruit this tis capable and not a slacker." Nathan nodded. "That's right. Don't make do with those unworthy ones if you can't find someone suitable." Ruby also nodded. She agreed with her grandfather. That was what she thought.

Previously, when the stuwas recruiting, a few young ladies had come. However, they were all there to idle away their time. During the interviews, they promised they could endure hardship and work well. They could do anything they were told. In the end, after coming to work, they ordered milkshakes and desserts every day. It was as if they were always having afternoon tea parties. None of the things they were instructed to do were done well.

In the end, they were all dismissed by Ruby. At the moment, only her assistant was most reliable and trustworthy.

Sherri noticed her daughter's troubled expression and rolled her eyes at Hackett. "Why do you have to pick her up? Ruby has already grown up. Do you think Frank's four bodyguards were all good-for-nothings?" Hackett retorted, "No, | want to pick up Ruby after she gets off work because | miss her. What does it have to do with Frank's bodyguards? | only want to be there with Ruby." Liam had already moved to school and would only return hon Friday. To Liam, staying in school was much more unrestricted than staying at home. At least he would not be despised by his father every day. He could play basketball in school and hang out with his classmates at night. It was so satisfying.

Sherri felt Hackett was watching their daughter too closely and affecting their daughter's love progress. What if her future son-in-law took a fancy to her daughter? What if the two of them fell in love one day? Hackett would beca stumbling block if he always went to the studio.

"Why do | feel you only have Ruby in your heart now? There's no place foranymore. How long has it been since you went shopping with me?" Joy and Nathan had already finished their breakfast. They automatically ignored their son and daughter-in-law's lovey-dovey daily lives and left the restaurant silently.

Hackett was confused and resigned. He did not understand why Sherri suddenly was somewhat unreasonable.

"Alright, alright, | won't go. I'll go shopping with you tonight. You can go wherever you want." Hearing that, Sherri happily forked a piece of omelet for Hackett. "Hackett, eat more. You can walk faster tonight." Hackett thought, 'Or maybe you wantto take more shopping bags for you?' Sherri's words amused Ruby. Ruby watched as her mother winked at her and was a little puzzled. Did her mother know? That should not be the case. She had never told anyone about her relationship with Jasper. Sherri should not know.

At night.

In the studio, Ruby's assistant Winnie had already gotten off work early. A wall lamp was turned on. The dim light was hazy, and the halo swayed with people's movements.

On the bar counter sat a girl embraced by a boy, displaying what love was. The sound of their lips intertwining was like a beautiful song, painting into moving notes that kept floating in the air.

He kissed her from her lips to her delicate earlobes, smooth neck, and flawless shoulders. Her off-shoulder shirt was down one arm, and any part he kissed turned pink.

His voice was low and hoarse, suppressing a particular emotion. "I miss you, Ruby." She liked to hug his neck. He loved to bend down and bury himself in her neck. After kissing her, he would hide in her neck like a child and hug her tightly.

After making out for a while, Ruby's voice was a little hoarse. Although she would tease him, she indulged in his actions and did not stop him. She blushed and laughed. "This is how you miss me?" He did not go overboard and cross the line, but compared to the previous light kisses, he was much bolder now.

Ruby had to dress up again and redo her makeup every tshe went hafter spending twith Jasper.

If she went hnow without tidying herself up, her father would see what was wrong at once.

His chest was punched. Jasper groaned and pretended to be in pain, even though it was like another kind of seduction. He lowered his head and moved closer to her neck. He began to peck her neck gently, again and again, making her shiver and tingle.

Ruby felt that Jasper turned into a completely different person from usual at that moment. He was too flirtatious.

Yet, he was cold and aloof when someone else was around during the day. He was wordless and only answered when necessary. Who would have thought that he could be so seductive? He ignored her resistance and continued to peck her neck. He leaned closer to her neck and kissed her shoulder.

He smiled and admitted shamelessly, "This is also a way | miss you." Ruby did not expect him to say such a thing so directly. She could not find the words to retort him. Perhaps it was not that she could not find the words, but she could not bear to say anything harsh to him. In the end, she said, "Oh boy." When her words fell, Ruby was lifted into the air. She subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at his chin. She was carried to the sofa and sat on his lap.

Instead of jumping down, she asked suspiciously, "What are you doing?" "I'm afraid you'll be too tired from sitting on the bar counter. My lap is softer." Ruby was lost for words.

Looking at her at eye level, he saw her messy clothes and helped her adjust them. He buttoned up a button on her chest and smiled contentedly. "I'm sorry, | couldn't control myself. There's a red mark on your neck..." Hearing that, Ruby becnervous. She automatically touched her neck and was so angry that she punched his shoulder. He did not even frown and only smiled. "Put a band-aid on it later." Seeing his teasing smile, she could not help but pinch his cheek. He let her play with him, his eyes filled with affection. Ruby pretended to be angry and glared at him, but it was not intimidating. In Jasper's opinion, she looked even more adorable. "I thank you for helpingthink of a solution." "You're welcome." He laughed even louder and looked even more handsome.

Suddenly, she hugged him. "Jasper, you look perfect when you smile. Smile more in the future. | like to see you smile." "Alright, only for you." He hugged her back, cherishing every second of this moment.

She buried her head in his neck. They enjoyed the quiet and peaceful ttogether. Neither of them spoke, and they just held each other quietly.

The bodyguards outside the door stood upright and gossiped. "Man, | don't think we're here to protect Miss Blackwell." "So what do you think you're doing here, only standing guards?" "No, we're here to be on the lookout for them." "That's true. In the future, when Mr. Jasper Wilson and Miss Ruby Blackwell get married, they might even invite us to their wedding." "Fair enough." The bodyguards were only thinking about the benefits and completely forgot that Hackett might beat them up if Hackett knew about this.