The old man immediately understood what was going on. Michelle Gates had been lying to the elders all along! She hadn't even met Jasper Hart!
Feeling embarrassed, he forced a smile and said, "Piper has always been well-behaved. I hope she hasn't disturbed your work?"
Jasper Hart turned to glance at Piper Gates, who was sipping her tea with her head down, and smiled slightly. "Not at all. She's quite considerate."
Piper nearly choked on her drink. The last time someone praised her for being considerate was when she chose to shoot rather than engage in hand-to-hand combat.
"That's good to hear, that's good..." The old man thought that as long as he didn't offend the Hart family, everything would be fine.
Jasper Hart's smile faded as he continued, "I came here today for another matter."
"What is it, Jasper? Please, go ahead," the old man asked eagerly.
Jasper Hart glanced at Michelle Gates, who suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, sensing something ominous in the air.
Jasper took a bill from Michael Stones and placed it on the marble coffee table.
In a detached voice, he said, "This morning, the young master of the Gustin Family caused a scene at Donald's restaurant, and it's said that the woman with him was the second daughter of the Gates Family?"
This was clearly an accusation, and the old man didn't dare to refute it. He immediately turned to Michelle Gates and scolded, "You reckless fool!"
Michelle stood up, her face pale as she stammered, "No... it wasn't me... it was clearly..."
"Are you saying that Ms. Gates is claiming that Jasper came all this way just to frame you?" Jasper Hart looked up at her.
Rumor had it that Jasper Hart was the kingpin of both the underworld and the legitimate world. Now that Michelle Gates realized this, just one glance from him left her speechless, his aura overwhelming her.
Daisy Ethan shielded her daughter behind her, bowing and scraping as she explained, "Of course not! Of course not! It was Michelle who was being unreasonable!"
Jasper Hart turned his gaze to the old man, his long fingers interlocked and resting on his knee as he said, "You know Donald has a bad temper."
Michael Stones, standing beside Jasper Hart, added, "Ms. Gates didn't make a reservation and barged into the restaurant, causing a mess on the floor. The flooring at the restaurant is imported, and the second young master is a perfectionist. Everything has to be replaced, totaling a cost of two hundred seventy-three thousand dollars."
The old man's face turned bright red with embarrassment as he immediately said, "Butler, go notify the finance department to give Mr. Harr…"
"No need," Jasper Hartb interrupted the old man.
"It's just a matter of a couple hundred thousand. I've already sent Jasper to withdraw the funds from the Hart Family. I'm just here to inform you on behalf of my father. After all, last time my mother fainted outside, we were grateful for the Gates Family's help."
As soon as those words were spoken, the old man instantly understood Jasper Hart's intention.
The reason a small gathering from the Gates Family could invite the Hart Family was all due to this favor! Previously, when Mrs. Hart fainted, the Gates Family had rushed her to the hospital. If they could leverage this favor, getting on board with the Hart Family would be just around the corner!
But now, because of Michelle Gates' reckless behavior, such a significant favor was brushed aside by Jasper Hart with just a couple hundred thousand!
Jasper Hart stood up, adjusted his suit, and said, "I have matters to attend to at my company, so I'll take my leave."
The old man nodded, too preoccupied to be polite with Jasper Hart. His mind was racing with thoughts of how Michelle Gates had ruined such a golden opportunity!
Jasper Hart glanced at Piper Gates, and the older man quickly chimed in, "Piper, why don't you see Mr. Hart off?"
"Uh? Oh." Piper Gates stood up and said, "Mr. Hart, please."
As they stepped out of the Gates Family's front door, Michael Stones smartly hopped into the car.
Piper watched Jasper Hart standing by the car, noticing he had no intention of getting in. She blinked, wondering if the big boss needed someone to take care of him.
Silently, Piper walked over and opened the car door for him. "Mr. Hart, please get in."
Jasper looked at her and said, "Raise your hand."
Piper lifted her bandaged hand, and Niles grasped her wrist firmly, asking in a low voice, "Does it hurt?"
Piper felt a soft pang in her heart; it was like being gently poked. She shook her head, "Not really."
What did she have to complain about? When a bullet had pierced her shoulder, she had been strapped to an electric chair and endured two rounds of shocks. This was just a small cut with a few drops of blood.
"You little liar." Jasper Hart's rough fingertip brushed against the gauze, but Piper Gates felt as if it had grazed her wound, causing a sharp twinge of pain.
This sensation made Piper uncomfortable; it struck a nerve deep within her.
In the years when she was still Piper Downs, she had faced countless trials and tribulations. Even after enduring severe hardships, she could return to the organization with a calm demeanor, laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened.
She was never one to show weakness, nor did she ever indulge in complaining.
Piper pulled her hand away, her tone icy. "Mr. Hart, you really can lie without batting an eye today."
"True," Jasper replied, his palm empty but unbothered, a smile playing on his lips. "It's rare for me to lie."
"Rare? You seem like a habitual offender!" Piper raised an eyebrow.
"There's no one worth my effort to lie to," Jasper said.
That was true; someone like Jasper Hart, perched high above, had no need to deceive anyone.
His warm gaze fell on the scar on her right cheek, and his lips parted slightly as he said, "It's rare for me to make an exception."
Piper's heart skipped a beat. This man was trying to worm his way into her heart. For a killer, harboring emotions was a vulnerability; once you had a weakness, death was never far behind.
Piper Gates instinctively took a step back, avoiding Jasper Hart's touch, and frowned at him.
"Remember to change the dressings," Jasper said calmly, turning to get into the car. Michael Stones smiled at Piper and said, "Goodbye, Ms. Gates."
The black Bentley sped away, leaving Piper with Jasper's words echoing in her mind: "It's rare for me to make an exception."
She raised her hand to touch her heart. While she was merely Piper Gates on the surface, deep down, she was still Piper Downs, a legend from Jeju Island. Everything here felt foreign to her.
Piper turned and walked back to the Gates family home, where the living room was in complete chaos.
Michelle Gates was on her knees, crying like a wilted flower, while Daisy Ethan stood by, too afraid to speak.
The old man's face was ashen with anger as he shouted, "What a good daughter you raised! Lying! Causing trouble! Making a scene on Hart Family's turf!"
Daisy, feeling wronged, replied, "Dad, you can't blame Michelle for this... It was just a little mess on the floor. That second son of the Hart Family insisted he had OCD. We can afford to pay the twenty thousand, but who knew the Hart Family would be so petty..."
"That's nonsense!" The old man shouted, slamming his teacup down in anger. "Does Jasper Hart really care about that two hundred thousand? This is clearly a slap in my face! Those two hundred thousand, they'd rather pay out of their own pockets than be associated with our family!"
"Well... this should be blamed on Cisco. He insisted on taking Michelle to that restaurant to show off. Michelle is so young; she doesn't understand all these complicated matters!" Daisy Ethan hurried to defend her daughter.
Michelle Gates sobbed, "It was clearly my sister! She was the one who messed up the floor, and now the second young master is trying to pin it on me and Cisco!"
Piper Gates scoffed, "That's interesting. I was sitting right next to Jasper Hart. Why didn't he hand the bill to me?"
The old man shouted angrily, "At a time like this, you still want to blame your sister! Go to the ancestral hall and kneel! You're not allowed to come out for dinner today! Get out!"
Michelle Gates ran off in tears, and the old man took a deep breath to calm himself down. He turned to Piper Gates and said, "Piper, come here and sit down."
Piper frowned as he pulled her by the wrist and asked, "What's wrong?"
The old man cautiously asked, "What is your relationship with Jasper Hart now?"