Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Axel slept in the guest bedroom that night while Alyssa and Jasper cuddled in their bed.
Jasper let Alyssa rest her head on his arm while occasionally kissing her on her forehead, which was no longer hot to touch. Fortunately, her fever seemed to have reduced in intensity.
Languid and flushed, she purred as she nestled comfortably in his arms. Her vulnerable state and misty eyes stirred a desire within him to conquer her, but he firmly refused to act upon it. The deeper his love, the more he needed to exert self-control.
"Did Axel... tell you any nonsense?" Alyssa couldn't help but worry, knowing that Axel took after Winston's foul mouth.
He shook his head and tucked her in. "Rest early and get well soon. We need to get up early the day after."
"Right. We need to attend Angelina's funeral." A pang of sorrow pierced through her. Her tears started to well. "The recent events are tragic. I really hope nothing of that sort repeats. I want happiness for everyone."
"Of course, Lyse. We'll all be happy," he mumbled, kissing her soft lips.
"Seeing Axel's aversion today, I think he'll never get over the grudge." She pouted in frustration.
Jasper weighed his words before inquiring, "Lyse, did Madam Colene... really."
"Yes. Colene willingly removed her uterus." However, Alyssa had flashbacks of the time she vehemently opposed Colene from joining the family. Looking forlorn, she confessed, "No. Actually, I forced her to.
"I insulted her badly to stop her from marrying into our family. I, too, looked down on her origins. Not only that, I accused her of social climbing, of manipulating Winston's power to whitewash her family's connections to the gang, and of splitting up KS Group's assets.
"To prove that she wasn't after Winston's wealth, she removed her uterus and cut ties with her father. She hasn't visited home since."
Jasper quietly listened to Colene's story with a heavy heart. At the same time, he gently stroked Alyssa's hair to offer solace.
"Even now, I can't say if her decision was right. But I can't blame or resent her because, just like Mandy and Lyla, she was good to Winston, my brothers, and me." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "That's why I feel that I'm the guilty one. My youthful brazenness might have denied Colene her chance at motherhood. And karma has caught up with me now."
Jasper hurriedly silenced her. Breathing heavily, he felt like he had been stabbed various times in the chest. "Lyse, please don't say so. You're not at fault. If there's karmic retribution, it should fall on me instead."
She gave him a moist peck on the palm of his hand. "Your 'karma' has caught up with you you're stuck with me forever, and I can be a difficult woman."
The hedonist party at Millennium continued past midnight. Meanwhile, Jameson was negotiating a significant deal with a Tsulu buyer.
Should Jameson succeed in exporting his new drugs to Tsulu and cornering the market, it would mark a significant breakthrough. His business stood to double, if not triple, in no time.
Once the demand steadily grew, so would his supply. The projected profits would be nothing short of astronomical.
Jameson engaged in a drinking session with the Tsulu buyer, switching seamlessly between Grunslandish and Tsulian with an air of grace. One wondered if he was born a refined man or if it was a skill honed by years of serving sir.
Despite being a gentleman on the surface, Jameson had committed atrocious crimes in the shadows.
Their drinking session was interrupted by a knock on the door. Carl shuffled into the lounge and whispered into Jameson's ear, "Mr. Schmidt, a member of the Lovelace family has arrived."