Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Surprisingly, the dinner turned out to be a peaceful meal.
Winston and Alyssa seemed to have a tacit understanding of one another. Neither of them made any mention of the things that
would make each other upset.
"Woah! Are you all having a feast by yourselves? How could you!"
Cyrus came over after being tired of strolling around the house. He was also hungry, so he sat himself down at the dining table
too.
"That wasn't very hospitable of you, Lyse. Why didn't you call me over when there's a feast here? I don't even have an appetite
as big as Silas'. Were you afraid that I'd gobble everything up?"
Winston and Alyssa looked at Cyrus. In unison, they exclaimed, "Oh! I forgot about you!"
After dinner, Winston got ready to leave.
Alyssa stood on the steps as she watched Winston and Neil depart. As for Jasper, he wasn't just going to stand and watch. He
walked them straight to their car.
Before Winston got into the car, he paused. He stood up tall and looked at Jasper with a deep gaze.
He said, "I stayed back tonight because I missed my daughter. I just wanted to spend more time with her. Don't you dare feel
smug about it. I have never acknowledged you nor forgiven you."
In a neutral tone, Jasper replied, "I'm aware that I'm very inadequate. So, I've never expected to receive your forgiveness. I just
hope you can give me a chance to be good to Lyse."

Jasper's voice was hoarse and overflowing with bitterness.
"I am willing to give whatever it takes and sacrifice my life for her."
Winston's pupils constricted, and a dimness settled in his eyes. He quirked his brow and sniggered, "You can present yourself
however you like in front of Lyse. That is up to you. However, it is not necessary for you to act so affectionate when you're in front
of me.
"I am cold-hearted toward anyone who is not my family. Even if you give your life away for my daughter's sake, I will still hate
you. I will continue to despise you. I do not approve of your relationship.
I still don't. Lastly, all of your efforts will go down the drain. It might all be too late when you regret it by then."
"There is only one thing I regret in my life." Jasper's eyes began to well up with tears. His thin lips trembled as he continued, "My
only regret is not knowing my own heart from the start and not cherishing Lyse properly.
"Even if I cannot be with her, I will watch over her forever. I will do so until I take my last breath."
Winston stared straight at him without blinking. After a while, he got into the car without saying another word.
Jasper watched as the Taylor family's entourage of luxury cars drove into the distance. Then, he turned around and walked back
to Alyssa's side.
Alyssa clung onto his arm and asked, "What did you and Winston talk about?"
"Winston asked me to tell you to sleep early and to have your meals on time. You are not as strong as you might think. So, don't
overexert yourself."

Jasper lowered his head and planted an adoring kiss on her cheek. "And he said to stop eating ice cream when you're on your
period."
"I can't be sure if Winston actually said the first few points. But you were the one who included the last point, right?" Alyssa
squinted at him. She saw right through his sneaky little move.
"I really can't hide anything from you." Jasper pouted helplessly. "That's why you should listen to me for once, alright?"
"Okay. But what in the world did Winston say to you? I'm sure it wasn't anything nice!" Alyssa persisted.
Jasper's eyelashes fluttered. He laughed. "No matter what he said, aren't you still right here next to me?
I am satisfied as long as he didn't take you away."
Neil didn't have the guts to speak to Winston along their way back.
The atmosphere in the car was quite heavy. However, he felt that this heaviness wasn't because of Jasper.
After quite some time, Winston exclaimed, "Actually, that fella's cooking was not too bad."
Neil widened his eyes. But he just smiled slightly and said, "That was mainly thanks to Ms. Alyssa's good guidance."
"He was also really patient. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to handle having a woman nagging in my ear like a buzzing
mosquito. I'd be so annoyed," Winston grumbled.
"Mrs. Taylor was also someone who loved to chat and nag at you. I've never seen you lose your patience with her either..."
Neil's mention of Winston's first wife, Jennifer Whitaker, who was also Alyssa's birth mother, was a slip of the tongue. His chest
tightened, and he stopped mid-sentence. He couldn't bear to continue in case he reminded Winston of his grief.
A cloud of sadness came over Winston's sharp eyes. He felt a lump in his throat. His hands, which were resting on his knees,
trembled. He clenched his hands into tight fists.
Winston stayed silent for a while. He then mumbled in a raspy voice, "Neil. I miss Jenny."
Neil opened his mouth, wanting to share a few words of comfort with Winston, but he couldn't find the right words to say.