“Absolutely, absolutely, I swear it a hundred, no, a thousand times over,” Estre conceded with feigned
enthusiasm, as Jason bent down to kiss her lips once more.
–
Only after Estre’s repeated promises that she would never set foot in another massage parlor and
would not so much as nce at another man did Jason reluctantly release her.
–
Once freed, Estre stretched out her leg and kicked Jason, cursing, “You dog.”
As Jason made to move towards her, Estre, how frightened, braced her right hand against his chest.
“I was talking about myself. I’m the dog,” she dered.
Jason couldn’t help butugh at the absurdity, and instead of reprimanding her further, he pulled her
into his embrace.
On guard, Estre heard him say, “Not gonna tease you,” but then he pinched her chin as a warning,
“Remember the promises you’ve just made, Estre. Don’t forget them, or crying your eyes out won’t
help you next time.”
Instead of responding directly, Estre yfully scraped him with her toenail.
“Hmm?” Jason raised an eyebrow.
“In my eyes, from now on, there’s no one but you,” Estre assured him.
Satisfied, Jason hugged her tightly, and then asked, “Have you eaten tonight?”
Drowsily, Estre replied, “Yeah, I have.”
“I’ll go downstairs and bring up some ginger tea,” he offered.
“No need. I’m not so frail,” she protested.
Regardless, Jason went downstairs and insisted that Estre drink arge bowl of the fortifying ginger
tea before allowing her to sleep.
The next morning, when Estre woke up, Jason was already dressed and on the phone by the floor-
to-ceiling window. After he hung up and saw Estre awake, he approached and tenderly stroked her
forehead. “Feeling alright?”
He was worried she might have caught a cold after leaving the massage parlor in shorts, despite the
ginger tea.
“I thought I was looking at my dad for a second there,” Estre joked groggily.
Jason pinched her cheek without a smile. “If you’re awake, then get up.”/
Estre didn’t feel like getting up, but there was a case waiting for her attention. Therefore,
she stretched and got out of bed.
After a quick breakfast at home, Jason drove her to thew firm.
At lunchtime, Jesse and Bryce showed up to dine with her. From a distance, Bryce shouted, “Estre,
Estre!”
As Estre approached, Bryce opened his arms wide and embraced her tightly. Damn Jason and his
possessiveness. The less he wanted others to touch Estre, the more Bryce wanted to. Remembering
Jason’s bullying, Bryce deliberately rubbed his face against Estre’s shoulder.
Estre pushed him away with a look of disdain. “Enough with the snot on my clothes.”
Bryce clung to Estre, cursing Jason, “Jason is no good. I shivered all night, couldn’t sleep, haunted
by nightmares…” He trailed off, choosing not to share the details of his dream with Estre and Jesse.
Jesse, with her hands in her pockets and aloof, chimed in, “Your cousin’s here.”
At her words, Bryce immediately let go of Estre and stepped back. “Estre, I didn’t do anything,
didn’t hug you, alright!”
Estre kicked Bryce lightly in response. “No backbone.”
The trio was notorious for throwing each other under the bus.
Watching Bryce cower, Jesse couldn’t help butugh. Bryce looked around, realized Jesse was teasing
him, and yfully chased after her to settle the score. Soon, the three of them headed to the
restaurant,ughing and joking.
As the waiter finished serving, Bryce begandling soup for them when Estre’s phone rang. It was
Jason.
When Bryce saw Jason’s name sh on the screen, his hair practically stood on end. He held his
breath, silently serving soup, and signaled Estre to take the call.
“What’s up?” Estre answered with mild irritation.
Bryce shot her a look, urging her to be more enthusiastic, not to be too cold toward his brother.
Otherwise, he’d be the one to suffer. It seemed clear to him now. Whenever Jason was annoyed, Bryce
bore the brunt of it.
Jason asked, “Where are you having lunch? Who are there?”
Estre chuckled, “Checking on me?” ed, “Checking on me?”
Without waiting for her response, Jason switched to a video call.
When Bryce saw the iing video, he darted under the table. Estre and Jesse could only shake
their heads at his antics.
211
Bryce finally settled, and Estre answered the vide now?”
“You’re too much of a worry,” Jason retorted.
call.
“Have some shame! Who’s making you worried?” Estre shot back. She then briefly turned the
camera towards Jesse before briskly ending the call.
Estre had just hung up when Jason texted her to tell Bryce that he had been spotted. She nced up
and saw the tableware set for two. With a swift kick under the table, she informed Bryce, “No use
hiding. You’ve been found out.”
“But how? I didn’t even show my face,” Bryce protested.
Jesse nced at him. “The tableware betrayed you.”This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.
Bryce turned to Estre, pleading, “You’ve got to help me exin to Jason that I was just here for
lunch, not taking you out to meet men” Bryce felt his luck had been rotten this
year.
Jesse handed him a drumstick. “Eat up!” Then, looking at Estre, she hinted, “You and Jason seem to
be getting serious… he seems.
–
Before Jesse could finish, Bryce chuckled. “No wedding, no photos, no ring – what’s
‘serious’ about that?”
Jesse’s face fell. Her tone was tinged with irritation. “Can’t we just have a normal meal and talk like
civilized people?”
Bryce swiftly scooped up his fork and knife. “Eating, I’m eating,” he stated, diving into his te.
“Estre, don’t listen to his nonsense,” Jesse advised Estre. “If Jason keeps up this attitude, the
matters at hand…”
Bryce interjected, with a smirk on his face, “Men just chase the thrill, the novelty. Once that’s gone, who
even know you?”
As Bryce’s words hung in the air, Estre and Jesse simultaneously shot him a re. Bryce’s knack for
being a troublemaker was something they’d recognized since they were kids, and it was no surprise
Jason took every chance to put him in his ce. Not that they were on Jason’s side, but Bryce never
let anyone get a word in edgewise.
Meanwhile, in Jason’s office.
Jason had just
d a video call with Estre when there was a knock on his office door. He looked up, and his expression
darkened at the sight of the visitor. Drew was supposed
to handle this. How did she get through?
08:32
“Jason,” Pa greeted with a brighter smile than before, after finding Jason in his office.
Jason was cool and detached. “What do you want?” he asked, as Pa approached with
a lunchbox in hand.
“Jason, I came with my brother on business. I thought you might not have had lunch yet, so I brought
you something to eat,” she said, holding out the lunchbox.
Jason’s demeanor was frosty. He wasn’t known for being particrly warm to strangers,
and even less so to women.
Of course, Estre was the exception. She was the one who could drive him to the brink of madness, to
the point of internal bleeding.