Chapter 293

When Bianca found out Jasper had busted out of the hospital, it was like getting hit by a lightning bolt.

She felt like even the universe was against her. Just when she had a shot at taking down Isabella, Jasper went and escaped. If they didn't catch him soon, who knows where all that embezzled money would end up?

Bianca's body shook, the weight of despair almost knocking her back onto the bed, but John was quick to catch her.

"What's wrong, babe? Jasper escaping isn't the end of the world," John asked, worry etched on his face.

Bianca's face went pale. She forced a weak smile and explained to John about the chance to become the biggest shareholder in the company by recovering the missing funds.

John, who had been too wrapped up in company issues, hadn't been keeping up with the latest news.

"Dammit, why is everything going wrong at once? If I wasn't being targeted by the three major families, I could've helped you with the funds by now," John said, pounding the wall in frustration, scraping his hands.

Bianca gently took John's injured hand in hers.

"It's okay, babe. Don't stress. The cops are on Jasper's trail. Once they find him, we'll get the info about the funds," she said, trying to soothe him.

John let out a long, tired sigh. The people he had watching Jasper at the hospital had messed up, letting him slip away. Was Jasper playing him again?

A sudden thought hit John. He had once given Jasper a contact, a guy named Zane Hays, who was a human smuggler.

"Could Jasper have reached out to Zane?" John wondered aloud, quickly dialing Zane's number.

Bianca watched him, curious about what he was up to.

After a few rings, a stranger's voice answered. "Who is this?"

John hesitated, surprised by the unfamiliar voice. "Who are you? Isn't this Zane's phone?"

There was a brief silence before the person on the other end asked, "Are you Mr. Williams?"

John's face darkened as he realized this wasn't Zane.

"What's your name? Where's Zane?" John demanded coldly.

The voice on the phone, Joe Roach, sighed before replying, "I'm Joe Roach. Zane died in a gang fight, and I've taken over his business. He mentioned you before, said you were a good client. Need anything, Mr. Williams?"

Joe's voice had a greedy edge, clearly hoping to make some money off John.

John's eyes narrowed. He knew the type-people who'd sell out their own family for the right price.

"I don't need anything right now. I just want to know if you've gotten any calls from a guy named Jasper recently," John asked, his tone icy.

Joe paused, seemingly thinking it over.

"I haven't gotten any jobs related to Jasper lately. If you're talking about your deal with Zane, I had no idea about it! Are you trying to get Jasper out of the country? You'll need to renegotiate the price. Unlike Zane, I haven't been paid by you. I'm not doing it for free," Joe replied, trying to keep it polite.

John paused, then frowned. "Are you sure you haven't heard from Jasper?"

Joe, sounding a bit annoyed, said, "Mr. Williams, like I said, I'm not doing this job for free! If you want to get someone out of the country, you'll need to pay. Money's not an issue for you, right?"

John snorted, "I don't care about the price, but listen up. If Jasper contacts you, you need to tell me. I'll pay you for the info. But if you try to play me, you'll regret it."

Joe's voice perked up. "Don't worry, Mr. Williams. I know the rules. If I hear anything, I'll let you know!"

John, fed up, ended the call.

He knew these guys only cared about money. Since John didn't pay Joe, he wouldn't help Jasper even if Jasper reached out to him.

Jasper didn't have the cash to get out of the country, so he was still around.

John shared this bit of good news with Bianca as he held her.

Bianca felt a bit relieved but still worried. She knew Isabella would be hunting for Jasper too, and with Mason backing her, she had a serious advantage.

Bianca thought Isabella was her only competition for finding Jasper, but she forgot about Paxton and the other two major families.

The leaders of the three major families met up again.

Anthony, looking serious, broke the silence. "Jasper's on the loose. We need to find him before the cops or the Williams family do. He might have clues about the Taylor family's secrets."

Richard, with a slight smile, said, "We don't have much control over this. Finding people is the cops' job. But I've got people watching the police station. If there's news, I'll hear about it."

Paxton chuckled, "I heard Jasper escaped dressed as a nurse. I'd love to see him in women's clothes, hahaha."

Richard and Anthony exchanged looks, clearly unimpressed.

"Your sense of humor is... unique. But are you sure Jasper has the Taylor family's secrets?" Anthony asked, skeptical.

Paxton shook his head, "I'm not sure, but it's a gamble, right? I've heard Isabella got the shares from the minority shareholders, making her the second largest shareholder. John lost this round. If we find Jasper, eliminate him, or stop John's people from finding him, it's a win for us."

Richard and Anthony fell silent, realizing Paxton had a point.