Chapter 2096


    As dusk settled, Jason finally made it to the Quintin estate.


    His flight to J City had been canceled, so he had taken a ne to H City and driven from there.


    Weary from the journey, he was eager to get home – but who was he so desperate to see?


    Having spent the entire day in transit, Jason nned to freshen up with a shower before meeting


    with Old Mr. Quintin and Old Mr. Jarvis.


    Passing through the back garden, he ran into Gabriel.


    With a respectful nod, Jason greeted him, fatigue etched on his face, "Gabriel!"


    "I heard you weren''t going to make it back today, but here you are," Gabriel remarked, his ruggedly


    handsome features standing out against the snowy backdrop. "You must be exhausted."


    Jason offered a weary smile. "You guys fought tooth and nail to gather evidence. What I did was


    simply go with the flow. It was hardly a struggle."


    "How''s Estelle doing?" he asked.


    "She took a bit of a knock but is holding up. She and Jonathan came by today and just left a short


    while ago."


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    "That''s reassuring with Jonathan at her side."


    "Yeah," replied Gabriel. "Heading to see Old Mr. Quintin?"


    "I''m going to my room first; I''ll catch up with him and Old Mr. Jarvister."


    "Alright, see you in a bit!"


    After parting ways with Gabriel, Jason headed upstairs to his room.


    Pushing open the door, he was greeted by darkness.


    The gloomy day outside and drawn curtains left everything inside to mere outlines.


    Adjusting to the dimness, Jason didn''t bother with the lights. He grabbed a robe from the wardrobe


    and made his way to the bathroom.


    Two days with hardly any rest took their toll as the hot water cascaded over him, washing away the


    fatigue.


    Donning the robe, he nced at the clock. There was no rush to go downstairs, so he decided to


    rest a bit first.


    Slipping off the robe, he set the rm and slid under the covers, nning to catch an hour of sleep.


    Exhaustion was catching up, and as he drifted between consciousness, a warm body snuggled up


    to him and clung like an octopus.


    Jason''s eyes snapped open and he instinctively pushed the intruder away.


    "Ouch, stop pulling at me!" The girl''s sleepy protest was followed by a mumbled, "Sofy, just let


    me hug you a moment longer."


    Jason''s heart skipped a beat as he took in the girl in his arms.


    It was Sophia, scantily d, her only undergarment barely hanging on. And he was wearing nothing


    at all.


    How did she end up in his bed?


    His voice rough, he tried to disentangle himself again.


    Sophia grew petnt. "Don''t move!"


    He froze, lifting the nket and tensing as he focused on her face in the dim light.


    She seemed upset, her brows furrowed, lips pouted, probably annoyed by the clothing wedged


    between them. With a few tugs, she discarded it and burrowed into his embrace once more.


    Her body was feverishly hot against his freshly cooled skin, reflecting the turmoil within him.


    Soft, burning, she threatened to ignite his entire being. Jason''s breathing became the most


    pronounced sound in the silent room.


    Finally, he touched her forehead, confirming she was indeed feverish.


    Sophia was prone to illness, and once, delirious with fever on a cold winter''s day, she had plunged


    into the garden''s lily pond. Fortunately, he had been passing by; otherwise, that winter could have


    imed her life.


    Pushing aside any lingering sentiment, Jason carefully peeled her away and stood up.


    Slipping back into his robe, he switched on the light and noticed the medicine on the table.


    He turned back to her, his eyes narrowing, his body tensing.


    He knew she was naked, but with the lights on, the visual impact was even more unsettling.