Their eyes locked, and Estre, groggy with sleep, stared at Jason for a long moment before closing


    her eyes again, convinced she was dreaming. But the pressure on her wrist felt too real, too heavy.


    When she opened her eyes again and saw Jason still in front of her, Estre’s displeasure showed.


    With a frown, she said, “Jason, for crying out loud, I’m sick here. Have you no shame?”


    At Estre’s words, Jason was also


    unwell?”


    displeased. “Oh, you think you’re the only one who’s


    Estre struggled to free her wrists andmanded, “Get your hands off me.”


    Jason did not remove his hands but instead looked into her eyes and asked, “Estre,


    I I


    what if I told you I like you, and I don’t want a divorce? Can we start over?”


    Bryce’s attentiveness to Estre earlier that evening had sent Jason into a tizzy. Whether it was Korey


    or Bryce, he was actually quite bothered by them. Estre was his, and his alone.


    That’s how people can be sometimes they just can’t stand the thought of someone else coveting what’s


    theirs.


    After staring unblinkingly at Jason for a long spell and seeing that he hadn’t disappeared, Estre felt a


    headacheing on and turned her head away. Jason’s sudden seriousness was more than she could


    bear. She must be hallucinating from the fever to be witnessing this scene.


    When Jason saw Estre turn away, he gently took her chin to direct her gaze


    him. “Estre.”


    back to


    Still, Estre refused to open her eyes to look at Jason. In the dead of night, he was up not sleeping but


    acting crazy with her. It was just because he saw her getting cozy with Brycetely, and she had a


    video chat during the day that made him jealous.


    Him saying he liked her didn’t mean squat unless he could do something wild like break a boulder on


    his chest or swallow a sword ande out unscathed – only then might she


    believe him.


    “Estre.”


    After calling her name again and seeing that Estre kept pretending to be asleep, Jason leaned in to


    kiss her. Estre, in turn, quickly twisted her neck to avoid him.


    The next second, there was a crack in her neck, and Estre’s eyes


    flew open, furious. “Jason, when will you ever stop? Damn it, my neck!” She took a deep breath from


    the


    pain.


    08:03


    Jason wasn’t sure how to respond. He reached for his phone to call a doctor, but Estre stopped him,


    “Don’t make a fuss in the middle of the night. Go back to your room. I’ll be fine after some sleep.”


    Ignoring her, Jason gently prodded her neck. “Can you move your neck?”


    “Ouch, ouch, it hurts!” Estre cried out, and Jason quickly withdrew his hand. “Is it the bone that hurts,


    or the muscle?”


    “Both,” Estre whimpered.


    Jason reached for the phone again.


    Estre stopped him once more. “I’ll feel better once you leave.”


    He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was just trying to get rid of him.


    After locking eyes for a moment, Estre realized Jason had seen through her, so she nonchntly


    turned over andy face down on the bed.


    Jason raised his right hand and began to massage her neck in sync with her movements.


    “It hurts, be gentle.”


    “Jason, are you taking revenge or what?”


    “It hurts.”


    Jason’s expression darkened. “Estre, if you keep yelling, I’m going to get hard.”


    Estre’s left leg emerged from the covers and she kicked him, not too gently.


    The night was deep, and at this moment, the tension between them wasn’t as stiff as during their


    previous encounters. Estre didn’t bring up divorce, either. She had promised not to mention it during


    his hospital stay, and she intended to keep her word.


    As Jason massaged the back of her neck, he asked, “Who were you video chatting with at lunch


    today?”


    Lyingzily on the bed, Estre teased, “My man.”


    Jason’s expression darkened, and his grip tightened, eliciting another cry from Estre.


    Jason continued, “About what I said earlier…


    Estre cut him off. “How about you smash a boulder on your chest, and then I’ll consider whether to


    believe you.”


    The pressure increased once more from Jason’s hands. Estre cried out again, “Go back to your own


    damn room!”


    Later, she couldn’t recall when she had fallen asleep.


    The following morning, when she awoke, Jason had already changed into his clothes and


    08:03


    was taking a work call by the window.


    Shielding her eyes with her arm, Estre finally understood why he couldn’t get better. He wasn’t taking


    his shots properly, wasn’t taking his medication, and wasn’t resting on schedule. How could he possibly


    recover?


    “You’re awake?” After resting her eyes for a bit Jason’s voice suddenly sounded very close. Estre


    removed her arm to see that he had approached.


    “Mom was here earlier,” Jason said. “She saw you sleeping deeply and didn’t wake you. Breakfast is on


    the table.”


    “Your mom or my mom?” Estre asked.


    If it was Autumn, she would be upset because she had told her repeatedly to stay home. with Isaac and


    note to the hospital.


    Noting how Estre distinguished between the two, Jason casually said, “My mom.”


    Relieved, Estre got out of bed.


    As she got up, Jason pinched the back of her neck. “Does it still hurt?”


    “No, it’s fine now,” Estre replied.


    “I’ve got a meeting. I’m heading to the office. Call me if you need anything,” Jason said, as, if there had


    been no friction or three years of separation between them.


    Estre hummed nomittally and stretched her way to the bathroom. Looking at herself in the


    mirror, she remembered the scene from the night before, when Jason aske if they could start over, and


    she felt it was all so unrealistic.


    Jason must have gone mad.


    After spitting the foam into the sink, she continued to rinse her mouth.


    Downstairs, as soon as Jason got into the car, Drew asked with concern, “Mr. Jason, did


    have a feverst night? Maybe we should rest for a couple of days?”


    you


    “It’s alright,” Jason replied.


    Last night, after Estre had drifted into dreams, he couldn’t shake the fever that clung to him like an


    unwee shadow.


    Estre had promised that there would be no talk of divorce while he was in his hospital bed. Now, it


    looked like he might be shackled to that bed for the remainder of the year.


    The engine of the car hummed to life, and Drew, gripping the steering wheel with both hands, nced


    back at Jason and said, “You know, Mr. Jason, about that big fire seven years back, I’d wager that Ms.


    Holly has got her hands on every scrap of evidence and


    08:03


    clue that we have.”


    As Drew finished, Jason lifted his hand to rub his temples, a headache blooming behind


    his eyes.


    Drew continued his update, “Mr. Jason, it’ll likely take a few more days to get the full picture on Ms.


    Estre’s situation. After all, she spent three years abroad, and digging up information isn’t going to be


    a walk in the park!”


    “Uh-huh,” Jason responded in a nomittal murmur.


    Deep down, Jason had a feeling that someone important, someone whom Estre valued highly, had


    appeared by her side. However, there was no way that he would let her be with someone else.


    In the afternoon, when Jason finished work and returned to the hospital to Estre’s room, she was no


    longer there. The hospital bed was neatly made, and Estre’s personal items from the past few days


    were gone.


    As Jason turned to leave, he saw a passing nurse and inquired about Estre. The nurse replied,


    “Estre’s fever broke today. She’s been discharged. She’ll just need toe back. to the infusion


    room for her IV treatment for a couple more days.”


    Estre had left?


    A cold sensation seeped into Jason’s heart. It seemed his confession the night before had


    been in vain.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.