Is this destiny?

Mr. Stocker grabbed the folder with incriminating evidence against him and walked toward the door with a dark expression.

"Mr. Stocker!", Ellie called. "I advise that you leave that folder here… but it\'s up to you to decide if you want to take it or not."

Mr. Stocker narrowed his eyes. There is no way he is leaving this for others to see. He snorted and walked out.

Mr. Stocker stopped in his tracks at the sight of two police officers who were standing in front of the conference room with Faith.

"Clarence Stocker, you are under arrest under suspicion of illicit activities involving minors. Please come with us to the police station.", one of the officers approached Mr. Stocker with handcuffs.

"What is the meaning of this?", Mr. Stocker shouted as his rage mixed with panic.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against…", the words of the officer were silenced when Faith closed the door of the conference room.

Jasper noticed that Faith and Ellie exchanged smiles and nods before the door closed. He understood that those two worked together to get the police here.

Ellie looked at Jasper like nothing strange happened. "I can\'t make up my mind. So, you pick the lunch place."

Jasper pointed toward the hallway. "Didn\'t you say that he can go after signing the documents?"

"I said that he can leave, and I meant that he can leave this conference room. Also, I said that if he signs this document, the media will not get his filth." Ellie reminded him. "I never said anything about the police. For the despicable things he did, he does not deserve to walk away without consequences."

Ellie held the folder with the document Mr. Stocker signed. "Besides, after this... seeing his attitude, he would retaliate. Oh, and you should keep an eye on his son. Mr. Stocker is harboring thoughts that his son will be a better CEO of K Industries than you." Ellie remembered that she overheard that when Mr. Stocker spoke with Norman during the party.

Jasper rubbed his temples. "I didn\'t realize that you can create so much commotion. Let\'s go to my office and figure out what we are having for lunch."

Jasper needed few minutes of peace to collect his thoughts. So many things happened in last two hours! What he didn\'t expect is that it was not over...

Back in Jasper\'s office, Jasper is slouched in the sofa while staring at the document which Mr. Stocker signed. It\'s a document to transfer all Mr. Stocker\'s shares to Jasper as a gift (for free).

"I can\'t accept this."

"Yes, you can. Think of it as a loan. In five years, we can discuss for you to give them back to me if you still feel the same way. Until then, I want you to hold onto them. With this you have the majority without the need to butter up anyone for votes. Just do your thing and make us money." Ellie can see that Jasper is not comfortable. "Don\'t feel bad for him. I don\'t know if you are aware how much that man despises you. He called you incompetent while sharing laughs with Norman. Maybe you are OK with that. But I am not. I will not allow anyone to talk bad about you, or scheme behind your back. I wanted Mr. Stocker to suffer for looking down on you, and his expression when he saw to whom he is signing off his shares, was priceless."

It\'s not that Jasper does not agree with Ellie, but all this was too sudden. In last two hours he found out that she is the one buying the shares, and that she ousted three Norman\'s most zealous supporters in the company, she embarrassed Norman, and she even secured for him to have guaranteed 52.7% of votes.

In last two hours, she flipped his world from uncertainty to placing him in a position of control.

"I don\'t know how can I ever repay you for everything you did for me."

Ellie smiled when she realized that his comment means that he will accept these 6%.

She moved to sit into his lap. "We have a long way ahead of us. I\'m sure you will think of something."

Jasper smiled. He loves when she plays with his hair. "You are a bandit."

"Your bandit.", Ellie clarified.

"My bandit. I like that."

Ellie inhaled deeply when butterflies danced in her belly at the touch of his palm on her neck, and that magical thumb moved over her jaw.

They kept their make out session short because they are hungry. It is lunch time.

"Are there more secrets that I should know about?", Jasper asked on the way out of his office.

"Yes."

He squinted. "How many?"

"One more big one that relates to two of us."

Jasper understood that there are more secrets this fascinating woman holds. It is true that Ellie is anything other than boring. And he looks forward to unravelling each of those secrets over time. "That was specific. Can you tell me that one?"

"Are you sure you can handle another stress right now?", she asked with a smirk.

At the end, they didn\'t have their lunch out. They picked up carryout and had lunch in Jasper\'s apartment.

During lunch, Ellie told him the last secret: she looked into his locked assets and Sophia Hill can help him get his things back legally.

He took it well.

It\'s understandable that he was slightly upset that Ellie looked into his information without his knowledge, but after he witnessed firsthand Ellie wrestle those stocks out of Mr. Stocker with a smile on her face, nothing surprises him more about her. She is a bandit. His bandit.

Jasper can\'t deny that he is intrigued to find out what can Sophia do where his previous lawyers failed.

Regardless of heavy topics discussed over teriyaki chicken and pot stickers, two of them moved from flirty to handsy and ended up in bed.

There is no better way to relieve stress than an intense session of love making.

And this was intense.

Knowledge that Ellie can be this scheming and fierce and protective of him, and that such an amazing woman is giving her body and heart to him, made the whole experience several folds better for Jasper. And based on the noise level, for Ellie as well.

He knows that both of them should go back to work, but at this point he does not care about anything outside that bed. This is his cuddle time with Ellie.

Jasper is cradling half-asleep Ellie in his arms and even though she didn\'t say it, he is confident: she loves him.

He is aware that they crossed the border of love and they are now in the uncharted area of unconditional trust.

She trusts him, and she is willing to fight for him. For them. And he will do the same. He will step up and take what is rightfully his and not allow anyone else to take it. Because now he has a reason to fight. He will fight to be worthy of this amazing woman in his arms who is capable of projecting an illusion of fragility. But he knows that she is not fragile. She keeps him on his toes. She makes him feel alive. She is the strongest woman he ever met. And he will do whatever it takes to be strong enough so that she can be fragile if she wishes to be. Because she is his bandit.

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