I go closer. “On what?”
Jasper stirs the concoction with a spoon and puts the lid on the teapot before facing me again. “She’s working on a more streamlined method of decluttering and spring cleaning.”
I frown. “Money isn’t an issue. She doesn’t have to work.”
Jasper crosses her arms. “Maybe she needs to.”
Arching a brow, I consider that. “Is she bored?”
“She needs a sense of purpose.”
“I told her she could go back to school.”
“With Noah? The time studying demands will be tough on both of them but mostly on Noah. Besides, I think she likes what she does. The job allows her to create something that’s been missing in her own life.”
“Order.”
“Exactly.” Jasper’s smile is wry. “She loves turning chaos into structure. And she’s damn good at it.” She nails me with a look. “You’re not going to tell her she’s not allowed to work, are you? Because then I may as well kill you now.”
Her threat makes me chuckle. “I told her she can do whatever she wants.” Except leave.
“Good.” Jasper drops her arms to her sides. “Working is her way of blowing off steam. I wouldn’t bother her now if I were you.”
I consider her for a moment. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to speak to her alone since Tatiana told me Jasper delivered that stuffed toy to her. “You knew Tatiana was pregnant and what she was planning. You should’ve told me.”
“I only found out on the night her parents died. She was going to tell you, but after what happened, she didn’t want you to know. You can understand why. I wasn’t going to betray her too.”
As I had. Yes, I get her accusation loud and clear.
“Sorry, Dante. I don’t stab my friends in the back.”
I can respect that. “When did Milena give you the stuffed dinosaur for Tatiana?”
She purses her lips.
“Leander bugged the toy,” I explain. “I want to understand how it happened.”
Her eyes flare. “That piece of shit.”
As always, the mere mention of that motherfucker ignites the violence that simmers beneath the surface of my calm. “That’s him in a nutshell.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Why do you think?”
Her nostrils flare. “I wouldn’t put anything past that son of a bitch. He’d kill his own sister if it meant getting her company shares.”
“That’s an accurate deduction, and that’s why you need to tell me what you know.”
“If you want the finer details of that night, you’ll have to ask Tiana. It’s not my place to tell you.”
“I already did.”
“Then why are you asking me?”
I sigh. She’s not going to give me anything. While I want answers, I admire her loyalty. I’ll just have to torture the details from Teszner himself.
Letting her refusal to cooperate slide for now, I say, “The dress fitting for the wedding is tomorrow. Reino will drive you.”