《My Gorgeous Wife is an Ex-Convict!》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Prologue The day Grace was released from prison, two men were waiting for her. One of them sent her to prison, and the other one convicted her. The snow was very heavy that day. They looked like two snowmen waiting outside the prison. Grace vowed in her heart, she¡¯d make everyone pay their price. *** ¡°Grace, get yourself a job and be a good person out there.¡± The prison guard opened the gate and told her so. Grace nodded. Through the iron bar on the prison window, she saw two ck cars parked out of the gate. Waiting for her. They were Jacob¡¯s Benz G-Wagon and Sean¡¯s Porsche Panamera. Heavy snow has caused total chaos on the roads. Jacob and Sean were standing quietly in front of their cars. Sean held a ck umbre and stared at the gate. Jacob kept looking at his watch. One of them was Grace¡¯s ex-boyfriend, and the other one was her childhood best friend. How affectionate and caring they looked! If they hadn¡¯t sent Grace to prison and told the other inmates to ¡°take good care¡± of her, maybe she would be moved to tears. Five years ago, Grace went to confront Lily Atkinson, and her sister Jennifer Atkinson was also there. In an unfortunate turn of events, Jennifer Atkinson died. Although it was a terrible ident, the court still decided to sentence Grace to three years in prison. Lily dragged her sister¡¯s lifeless body out of the car and called the police. Sean arrived soon after. ¡°Sean, your girlfriend killed my sister!¡± Lily sat on the ground and cried out. Sean¡¯s first reaction was to push Grace down onto the ground in case she ran away. But Grace was already too weak to resist because she¡¯d also been hurt. What¡¯s more¡­ she was pregnant with Sean¡¯s baby. ¡°How could you be so evil?!¡± When Jacob rushed over, his eyes were blood shot as he questioned Grace. Before Grace could exin to the two most important men in her life, she was handcuffed by the police. In court, Lily¡¯swyer was Jacob, Grace¡¯s childhood best friend, another blow to her heart. Jacob med everything on Grace. She was convicted of reckless driving and involuntary manughter and was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. ¡°Grace, you deserve this. People have to pay for their mistakes,¡± he said. When Grace first got into prison, she was beaten constantly. She was beaten in ces without security cameras and had her nails pulled out. She was yanked by the hair and pressed into toilets. Her back was always being kicked, and it was bruised all the time. They even broke the bones in her finger, one by one. At first, Grace didn¡¯t know why. She was always stubborn and didn¡¯t cry when they hit her. But after a while, Grace found out why they picked on her exclusively. Grace sucked up to one of the female bosses in prison. She would wash her feet, give her massages, and even do herundry. Finally, she gained the trust of the female boss, and she told Grace why. ¡°Girl, you poor little thing. Someone paid us to beat you.¡± Grace knew who it was then in that instant. Sean. This was the man who ordered two hundred drones to spell out ¡°I LOVE YOU¡± in the night sky when he was pursuing her. He said, ¡°Grace, I will protect you from now on.¡± *** Upon seeing their cars outside the prison gates, Grace begged the prison guard to let her leave from the back door, to avoid seeing either of their faces. Besides, what if they were still angry with her and wanted to take their revenge? I am nothingpared to them. I can¡¯t afford to provoke them, but at least I can hide. Grace thought to herself. In a trance, Grace remembered her confrontation with Lily. Lily stood in front of Grace while holding her dog and shouted, ¡°My dog is worth 70,000 dors. How much is your grandfather¡¯s life worth?¡± When Grace was three, her mother died and her father remarried. He abandoned her so her grandfather raised her all by himself. Her grandfather worked night and day collecting junk and empty bottles for recycling. When Grace was in junior high, she moved to the city from the countryside and lived in a small rental apartment. Her grandfather told her that they could make more money in the city because there was more junk to collect. But Grace knew the true reason why her grandfather wanted her to go to school in the city. The children in the city had shiny hairpins, and Grace wanted them too. Grace¡¯s grandfather once stood outside a small essories store for hours, then he finally went inside to buy the expensive shiny hairpin for Grace. When the school offered financial aid to students from poverty-stricken families, Grace¡¯s teacher Mrs. Green helped her apply for it. That¡¯s when Grace met Jacob, Mrs. Green¡¯s son, whom she asked to make friends with Grace. Jacob had the best scores at school. He asionally helped Grace with her studies. She was clever and studious, so her grades improved very fast. Grace¡¯s grandfather was very grateful to Mrs. Green, but he didn¡¯t have any money, so he offered to help tend her garden. Mrs. Green lived in a small cottage. Her grandfather swept the garden while Jacob and Grace did their homework and yed in the yard. Mrs. Green joked to Grace¡¯s grandfather, ¡°Your little granddaughter is so beautiful and adorable. How about she and Jacob make a cute couple?¡± ¡°No, no, Jacob is too good. We don¡¯t deserve him,¡± he rubbed his hands nervously and said. Jacob blushed so much that he didn¡¯t even dare to raise his head. When Grace was epted by a top university, her grandfather went back to the countryside. He didn¡¯t let Grace go back with him, but she followed him back secretly anyways. That¡¯s when Grace saw him begging friends for money to cover her college tuition. Grace¡¯s grandfather did his best to give her everything. Grace vowed in her heart that she would grow up to be a topwyer so that her grandfather would never have to work again. He was the best grandfather that anyone could have asked for, but then¡­ he died. *** The year afterw school, Grace started dating Sean of the rich and powerful Stevens family. Suddenly, her father wanted to be in her life again, all because of who she was dating. ¡°What a nice young man. Bless you two.¡± This was what her grandfather said the day she took Sean to meet him. ¡°You are a big girl now. A big girl should have beautiful dresses. My pretty Grace should not wear shabby clothes,¡± her grandpa added. So he continued to collect junk to make money behind her back. Grace told him not to, many times. He was getting too old, and Grace was worried about his health. It was a winter three years ago. He was tackled by an unleashed dog in the park when he was collecting junk. He fell unconscious on the spot and was rushed to the hospital. It was Lily¡¯s dog. She said it was worth 70,000 dors. That day, Grace¡¯s grandpa was sent to the ICU. Due to a fracture of the cervical spine and spinal damage, he became paralyzed. Grace needed to pay a lot of money to the hospital, so she went to Lily forpensation. It was her dog after all. Lily stood in front of Grace and said arrogantly, ¡°You are Sean¡¯s girlfriend? You didn¡¯t get money from him, so you came to me?¡± Lily had always liked Sean, but he was dating Grace at the time. ¡°My dog¡¯s leg is broken because of your idiot grandfather, I should be the one asking you for money!¡± ¡°You and your grandpa are just a bunch of country bumpkin. You both deserve to die.¡± Grace didn¡¯t hold back. She really couldn¡¯t. So, she pped Lily across the face. Lily and Grace started to fight. Jennifer, who was Lily¡¯s sister, saw this and came to help. Grace couldn¡¯t fight two girls as she was pregnant and weak, so she got into her car and wanted to drive away, but Jennifer chased after her in her fancy convertible. That¡¯s when the ident happened. Grace was arrested by the police. She didn¡¯t even try to escape. Her grandfather was in the hospital, but no one would listen to a ¡°murderer¡±. Grace kept shouting Sean¡¯s and Jacob¡¯s names. Grace hoped that at least one of them could save her grandfather¡¯s life. But they were on the side of Jennifer and Lily. When Grace was detained, she heard that her grandfather had been in the ICU for 15 days and was discharged. But he became paralyzed for life, and he didn¡¯t want to be a burden to Grace so hemitted suicide. That day, Grace was lying on the ice-cold ground and had a miscarriage. She couldn¡¯t save either her grandfather¡­ or her baby. When Grace was locked up in prison, Lily went to see her. Lily whispered to Grace, ¡°My dog has always been obedient. Guess why my dog tackled your grandfather?¡± The dog didn¡¯t know anything, he only followed his owner¡¯s orders, and his owner¡¯s heart¡­ was vicious. Lily hated Grace because she was dating Sean. Grace had a lot of time to think while she was in prison. She med herself for the death of her grandfather. Lily would¡¯ve never harmed her grandfather if she didn¡¯t date Sean. Grace had a dream that her grandfather came back to life, and he told her how she was a good girl. Grace knew then it was just a dream because she was not a good girl like her grandfather said, she was a piece of garbage. If she could turn back time, she wouldn¡¯t want any shinny hairpins or any nice dresses, and she most certainly wouldn¡¯t want Sean. The only thing she wants is just to have her grandfather back. *** ¡°Aah!¡± Grace opened her eyes suddenly. Only then did she realize that she had been dreaming of what had happened all those years ago. She looked down at her calloused hands. After three years of imprisonment, and multiple fractures and broken bones, her hands would never look or feel the same way again. Her fingernails had grown back, but the prison doctors hadn¡¯t gone out of their way to reset her bones. Her joints looked distorted, and she had residual pain. I was nerve damage. There were many fine movements that she couldn¡¯t perform very well. Her fingers hurt more especially when it was cold or humid outside. Grace flexed her hands and breathed deeply. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. Today is a new day. She repeated the mantra as she stood up and resumed working. Sometimes, the memories threatened to consume her. She¡¯d lost more than just her freedom in that ident. Her future. Her boyfriend. Her grandpa. Everyone and everything she¡¯d cared about was gone in an instant. Jennifer Atkinson whom she¡¯d identally killed was the daughter of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the country. What¡¯s more, she was the fianc¨¦e of Jason Reed¡ªthe most powerful man in the city. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. Today is a new day. You don¡¯t need anybody. Grace finished mopping the room. She was wearing the bright-colored work suit of a sanitation worker with her long hair tied into a simple ponytail. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the wall. Her delicate face was slightly reddish due to the cold weather, and her mouth was pressed into a thin line. If you were to only look at her face, you would think she was a student who had just graduated from college. But gone was that youthful ignorance. She¡¯d seen how cruel the world could be. The eyes that stared back at her were old, far older, and duller than they should be. She sighed and rolled the cleaning supplies toward the door. Sitting down for a few minutes had been foolish. She hadn¡¯t meant to drift off to sleep. With an eye on the time, she moved quickly and efficiently to clean the rest of the building. The life of a sanitation worker wasn¡¯t morous, but after she left prison, this was the only job she could find. When she was about to leave, she heard a colleague watching the news on her mobile phone. ¡°Whoa! Lily is engaged to Sean Stevens! What a lucky girl Lily is! As a superstar and a daughter of a rich and powerful family, now she is going to marry into the wealthy Stevens family too.¡± Grace shuddered, and then she hurried out of the Sanitation Service Center. She took a deep breath. Then another. She repeated her mantra and pushed the thoughts of her ex-boyfriend and his new fianc¨¦e far from her mind. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She swept the walkway as this was her routine. This time of year, the cold winter wind blew and it pained her hands terribly. She should¡¯ve stopped to grab her coat, but she¡¯d been too fixated on escaping her co-worker and any more ¡®good news¡¯ about the happy couple. A couple that had stood by and watched as she was savagely beaten. Suddenly, a Ferrari stopped in front of her. Three men and a woman got out of the car; they were obviously drunk. One of the men looked at Grace with a tipsy expression. Heughed cruelly. ¡°I know you. What are the odds of finding Sean¡¯s ex-girlfriend?¡± Grace paled. She wasn¡¯t expecting to encounter anyone tonight, let alone someone she recognized. The man in front of her was a trust fund baby that she had once cussed out when he¡¯d made a pass at her back when she was dating Sean. In hindsight, many of Sean¡¯s friends were elitist creeps. She should¡¯ve paid more attention to that, after all, birds of a feather flock together. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a greatwyer? Why are you sweeping the road here?¡± Christopher Peterson asked knowingly. Another man stepped forward after Christopher. Grace didn¡¯t recognize him. ¡°Can a woman who has been in prison be awyer again?¡± he questioned. The womanughed. ¡°Bah, awyer? Just a janitor now!¡± Christopher stepped closer. ¡°Surely there are better ways for you to make money. Come with me,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you for a night, beats sweeping the streets.¡± He held out his big, fat hand and the other three burst intoughter. But Christopher wasn¡¯t asking, he was already moving in on Grace. Grace dodged, but the building was right behind her and there was nowhere to run. He grabbed her arms and pressed her against the wall at the side of the road. It waste at night, and no one passed by this area. She screamed but she knew her coworkers inside the building wouldn¡¯t hear. Christopher¡¯s friends got back into the car. They didn¡¯t care what Christopher did to her. He knocked her head back against the wall, and her vision dimmed. The hand around her throat tightened and she wed at it. ¡°L-let me go¡­¡± He used his free hand to pull at his belt, and Grace kicked out hard, kneeing him in the groin. ¡°You bitch!¡± He backhanded her so hard that her ears started to ring. When she kicked again, he jumped backward, and it was just the chance she needed. Grace took off running. Christopher blocked the way to her building, so she had no choice but to run down the street. Construction on the road limited the traffic and thete hour ensured there was no one to help her¡ªor to hear her scream. When the car roared to life and tires screeched, she knew he hadn¡¯t abandoned the chase. She stuck to the sidewalk thinking she could evade them, but when she turned down a side street, the car jumped the curb and followed. When she came out the other side and circled back down the next street, thinking she could run back to the Sanitation Center for safety, the car cut around her and clipped her. She copsed to the ground and struggled to get up. Christopher leaped out of the car and left it running. His two friends fanned out on either side. The headlights all but blinded her. She scrambled to stand as Christopher pulled off his belt. He shook his head at Grace. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I forgot the way you insulted me, did you, bitch? You told Sean to stop working with me, it cost my family millions!¡± He advanced on her like a predator. ¡°Sean isn¡¯t here to protect you now.¡± He coiled his belt around his hand like he meant to strike her with it. ¡°Fight all you like, but I¡¯m going to fuck you like the bitch you are, right here on the street.¡± Grace struggled to get up, she didn¡¯t think anything was broken, but she was still slow and disoriented. When Christopher lunged, she tried to move, but his heavy body pinned her to the concrete. He fumbled at her clothes and she fought. ¡°Stop! Get off me!¡± She thrashed even as he brought his hand down with the belt. It burned the skin along her arm and the buckle cut through her clothes and skin. ¡°Stop it! Stop!!!¡± Grace cried at the top of her lungs. ¡°I think you should listen to thedy.¡± A cold voice sounded behind her. Christopher froze. Grace turned her head to the man standing beside them. She didn¡¯t know where he came from. ¡°Fuck off!¡± Christopher told him. Christopher didn¡¯t feel scared of the man, it was three against one. Grace whimpered. She had no reason to think this neer would risk himself for some stranger on the street. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Terrence Klein shifted in the front seat of the car and considered his options. His boss, Jason Reed, had approached the group near the sports car. The headlights showed the woman on the ground and the three men. He better not go crazy¡­ Terrence had seen his boss Jason lose it before. It was terrifying. He nced around, gauging if there were any traffic cameras on this deserted stretch of road or if there were any other bystanders who might witness Jason killing somebody. He prayed it wouldn¡¯t go that far. But he knew Jason and what he was capable of. This was going to be bloody, and brutal. Tonight, the road had already been closed, so who would have expected that five people and a Ferrari would break in here? They¡¯d disturbed Jason, who wanted to be alone. Every year on this day, Jason always closed this whole road and stayed on it alone, wearing old clothes. No one dared to ask the reason as if it were taboo. Terrence who had worked for Jason all these years didn¡¯t know the reason either. At this moment, as he watched his boss lift a heavyset man with ease and m his head against the wall over and over, he did not know whether he should stop him. He got out of the car. Beating up some would-be rapists was one thing. Killing them¡­ wouldn¡¯t be so easy to overlook. Or clean up. And the men on this road were driving a Ferrari not a Ford. Which meant, like Jason, they had money. He started toward Jason and then paused when just as suddenly, his boss stopped fighting the man. ¡°Stop. Please.¡± Grace touched the stranger¡¯s arm. ¡°If you punch him again, he¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°So what?¡± the man said. He balled his fist as Christopher slid down the wall. Grace was stunned. It wasn¡¯t until this moment that she really was able to see the man clearly. He was handsome. With dark eyes and a strong jaw. Full lips and a strong body. His hair was longer on top and stylishly messy. When Christopher shuffled back and got to his feet, the man took a menacing step toward him. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Grace said. ¡°He isn¡¯t worth it.¡± The man¡¯s dark eyes cut into her. He looked deadly and still as if people¡¯s lives meant nothing to him at all. Grace took a deep breath and said, ¡°It is not worth being imprisoned for a lowlife like him.¡± The man didn¡¯t nod nor move, but she sensed him rxing. Christopher took advantage of the pause to grab his friends and get back into his car. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± he screamed. Grace didn¡¯t know if he was addressing her, the stranger, or maybe both. Whatever there wasn¡¯t much Christopher could do that she hadn¡¯t already experienced in prison. The woman who¡¯d been with these bastards stuck her head out of the car. ¡°Holy sh*t! Is that Jason Reed!?¡± The other three men looked at her with shock as they climbed into the car and one asked, ¡°Jason N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Reed, the richest man in the city? No fucking way.¡± Grace understood their confusion. The man¡ªher savior¡ªwore old clothes. He looked¡­ as broken as she did. This was no billionaire. His jacket was threadbare, and his face was haunted. Christopher peeled out with his asshole buddies. Grace watched the car tear up the street. When the road was once again quiet, she looked back at the man. Grace hesitantly said, ¡°Thank you¡­ for saving me back there.¡± He grunted, but beyond that, didn¡¯t say anything. When he walked across to the other side of the road, he sat down with his back against the wall. It was cold and windy. And the temperature was due to drop even lower. If he were to sleep on the road for the night, would he be alive tomorrow morning? After considering that the man had saved her, Grace started walking over to him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a rough night. Aren¡¯t you going home now? Where is your family? Do you have their phone number? I can help you call them and ask them to pick you up.¡± He slowly raised his head and Grace saw¡­ death. It was the same darkness she¡¯d seen in her own eyes too many times when she¡¯d been in prison. The kind of darkness that spoke of nothing to live for. No hope. ¡°If you have nowhere to stay, you can stay with me,¡± she said. *** Grace did not expect to bring a stranger back to her apartment. She wasn¡¯t impulsive by nature, and she certainly hadn¡¯t dated anyone or even considered hooking up with a man since her experience with Sean. But this man had saved her from rape, maybe even death. She shuddered at the thought. Those men, the three of them were soulless¡­ and how could that woman watch on while she was beaten up? As an attorney, she would¡¯ve fought hard to see all of them in prison for their crimes or And life was never fair. So why did she bring this man home? Hmm. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t ready to concede just yet. Her apartment wasn¡¯trge. It was just one room with a small kitchen and bathroom. She grabbed a nket from the closet andid it on the floor. She took her pillow from the bed and ced it on the ground. ¡°The bathroom is just through there,¡± she said. He crossed to it and closed the door behind him. The water kicked on a momentter. When the man came out of the bathroom, his hair was wet. He had washed his hair and face. His sleeves were rolled up. Looking at the man¡¯s wet hair, Grace fetched a towel and said, ¡°Bend over, please.¡± The man fixed his eyes on her. ¡°I just want to help you dry your hair with a towel. I have no bad intentions,¡± she said. ¡°If you don¡¯t dry your wet hair, you could easily catch a cold.¡± He still gazed at her but slowlyplied. After a few minutes, he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Grace did not avoid eye contact with him. ¡°After bringing you to my home, I don¡¯t want you to get sick.¡± With his eyes taking her in like she was some oddity, he slowly bent over. Toweling his wet hair, Grace asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He remained silent for a long time, but finally answered, ¡°Jay.¡± ¡°Jay,¡± Grace repeated his name. It was a verymon name, so Grace didn¡¯t think much about it. ¡°My name is Grace. Where do you live? What about your family?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any family,¡± he responded. She suddenly stopped. How sad. No one should be alone. She had people before¡ªbut they¡¯d turned their backs on her. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in the same boat,¡± she said with a bitter smile on her face as she continued to towel his hair dry. She rose and got ab and came back to him. These were small gestures¡ªintimate ones¡ªto touch his hair and smooth it away from his face. But this stranger¡ªJay¡ªhad risked his life for her. It was the least she could do. As she pushed his hair back, the true features of his face were revealed. He was a devastatingly attractive man. Strong jaw. Full mouth. Dark eyes. Eyes that were inches from hers and searing her in the ce where she stood. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°Are you hungry?¡± His dark eyes studied her and he tilted his head. ¡°What?¡± When he still didn¡¯t reply, she wrung her hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± Grace moved to the tiny stove and threw some noodles and eggs into the pot to make a simple bowl of noodles for him. She didn¡¯t have any meat, but she chopped what vegetables she had and added them too. She set the tiny table and poured them both a ss of water from the sink. He moved cautiously to take a seat when she set the bowls down. ¡°Eat, but don¡¯t eat too fast. It¡¯s quite hot,¡± she said. She didn¡¯t mean to treat him like a child, but his presence made her nervous even as there was Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. something incredibly calming about him. He lowered his head and ate his noodles quietly. Grace also stared at him in silence. Normally, she¡¯de home and hate the feeling of being alone, confined in a tiny space. For some reason, the loneliness that she¡¯d usually feel seemed to have disappeared. Could it be due to the presence of another person in the room? After he had finished eating, Grace cleaned up the tes. ¡°I usually sleep with the lights on. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± she said. Ever since she was released from prison, she had gotten into the habit. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Grace took her pajamas into the bathroom and shut the door to brush her teeth and change. Was it weird having a man alone beside where she¡¯d sleep? Yeah. Probably. But she didn¡¯t feel triggered by his presence of fearful. If he¡¯d wanted to hurt her, he wouldn¡¯t have defended her on the street. When she exited andy down on the bed, he took his position on the floor. The room was silent save for the sound of the heater. If she listened hard enough, she could hear each breath he took. It was a steady rhythm, peaceful even. Grace closed her eyes and focused on sleeping. This was her routine every night because it was almost impossible for her to rx. Even being out of jail, at night she would always dream of her time in prison. She would be beaten, shamed, and abused¡­ and every finger would burn with the pain of being broken and the nails being torn off¡­ She¡¯d wake up screaming, fingers curled, terrified, and heart pounding. However, oddly, that didn¡¯t happen tonight. She slept until sunrise and was not visited by her usual nightmares. As she awakened, she rolled over to look at the figure lying on the ground beside her bed. Still here. Was it because of him? Because she was no longer alone in this room? Before she even knew it, she had gotten out of bed, squatted down, and ced her hand on his cheek. Her hand felt warm. He was real, and not something from her imagination. Last night, she really had taken a strange man into her apartment. When she came to herself, she found that he was already awake. His beautiful eyes were fixed on her. ¡°Sorry.¡± Her face heated with embarrassment. ¡°I¡­ I just¡­ that¡­ If you don¡¯t have anywhere to go, you can also live here.¡± She spoke in a hurry, but after she had said it, she felt relieved. His eyes widened with a trace of surprise. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± she added, biting her lip. His mouth finally opened and he spoke quietly. ¡°Do you want me?¡± If this had been said by some other man, it would¡¯ve sounded like they were flirting with her. But when the words came from him, it was like he was just asking a simple question of ¡°want¡± or ¡°don¡¯t want¡± and she assumed he meant it to mean his presence here. She didn¡¯t read any ambiguity into his words, even if there had been, she realized her answer would be the same. Grace pursed her lips. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± He stared at her, and a smile slowly formed on his lips. ¡°Good.¡± This was the first time she had seen him smile. Although it was very light¡­ it looked extremely beautiful to her. *** Jason remained at the tiny table while Grace got ready to go back to work. When she left money on the table for him to buy himself some food, he sat staring at the twenty-dor bill for a long time. With her gone, the room was eerily still. None of her light vani scent or somewhat nervous energy filled the space. He rolled up the quilt that he¡¯d slept on and then washed out the coffee cup he¡¯d used. Normally he¡¯d be tempted to look around, maybe snoop a bit. But he didn¡¯t want to intrude on her space. When he finally left the apartment, there were already people waiting for him outside. After seeing hime out, they respectfully greeted him, ¡°Mr. Reed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jason responded faintly. A ck Bentley was parked in front of him. Jason got into it and looked at the twenty-dor bill in his hand. It had been many years since someone had given him money like this. On the contrary, for as long as he could remember, people only wanted to take money from him. Terrence met his gaze in the rearview mirror. ¡°The woman who was with youst night is a contract worker of the Sanitation Service Center. She started renting her current residence here a month ago, and was just released from prison two months prior.¡± ¡°Prison?¡± ¡°Yes, her name is Grace Cummins. She¡¯s the ex-girlfriend of Sean of the Stevens family. She was convicted of reckless driving and killing Jennifer Atkinson. She was sentenced to three years of imprisonment and had herwyer¡¯s license revoked,¡± Terrence said as he carefully observed Jason¡¯s reaction. Jason kept his expression nd. ¡°Grace¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Well, this is interesting.¡± Back then, considering how Jennifer Atkinson had been set on marrying him and that she was also a good political marriage candidate, he thought that if he had to marry someone, then she wouldn¡¯t be that bad of an option. However, who would¡¯ve thought that Jennifer would end up dying in a car ident? If Grace knew about his past rtionship with Jennifer, how would she react? He considered that twenty-dor bill again. When had someone cared for him? Taken his hand, brought him into her home, and said she¡¯d wanted him¡ªjust for him. ¡°Terrence. I want all the information you can find on Grace Cummins on my desk today.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Then¡­ ¡°Sir, are you interested in this woman?¡± *** When she got off work, Grace got a call from her father asking her to go home. He said that since she had been released from prison, she should go home to pay her respects to her mother. Grace¡¯s mother died when she was three. Dad had remarried only a few months after mom died, and her stepmother gave birth to another daughter, Evelyn. It was always clear that Grace¡¯s father favored his ¡°new¡± family, which led to her being sent to live with her maternal grandmother in the countryside. Grace¡¯s grandmother cared for her until third grade, but had to leave her. Fortunately, her paternal grandfather stepped in and kept her by his side. As she¡¯d been in college and at the top of her ss, her father finally warmed to her. He eventually started to show off to others that he had a smart daughter. When she and Sean started dating, her home life became the best it had ever been. Her father regarded her as an honor, and her stepmother cared about her well-being, even if only out of pretense. Even her half sister tried to get on her good side¡ªsomething that had never happened before. From the moment Evelyn was born, she¡¯d taken the role of the favorite child, and she¡¯d scarcely bothered to even acknowledge Grace. Dating Sean had been the one act that had finally made her worthy of love in her family¡¯s eyes. She knew it was only because he was the heir of the Stevens Corporation. However, at that time, she still couldn¡¯t help but long for familial affection. She¡¯d just wanted to be epted by them. To be loved. After the car ident, she realized that everything was just her wishful thinking. Coming home, she stepped into her father¡¯s house. The decor was mostly the same. Pictures of the three of them. Not a single photo of her in sight. Same couches and tables. The living room had been painted a bright red, and the kitchen was redone with all-white cabs with stainless steel appliances. Grace joined her ¡°family¡± in the kitchen. Her stepmother, Melinda Riley, smiled at her. That was something, she supposed. But no hugs or kisses or wee¡¯s home, around here. She listened patiently as her father and stepmother made small talk. Evelyn sipped her tea and remained silent. After a few minutes, the conversation turned toward Evelyn¡¯s career. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for your sister to get roles these days,¡± her stepmother said. Grace took a sip of tea. ¡°Oh?¡± Truthfully, she¡¯d had more important things to think about thesest three years¡ªlike surviving and serving out her time, and staying sane while she¡¯d been wrongfully prosecuted, imprisoned, and beaten. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy to re-enter the entertainment industry in the wake of ¡­ things,¡± her stepmother continued. ¡°And it¡¯s vital that your sister only ept good roles.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Grace replied absently. ¡±You know that our family isn¡¯t very rich, but your sister just happens to need money right now. How about¡­ you lend some money to us first, and when your sister bes a big star in the future, we will return it to you after she makes a lot of money?¡± The real reason for being summoned home presented itself¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t have any money,¡± Grace answered sinctly. Her stepmother¡¯s expression turned stiff, but then she smiled slightly and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have money, but Sean does. You dated him before, but as soon as you had an ident, he broke up with you. Shouldn¡¯t he make it up to you somehow?¡± Were they really expecting her to beg the man who¡¯d deserted her for scraps of money? She couldn¡¯t believe their audacity. Grace pushed back from the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, didn¡¯t you, Father, and my sister pretend like you didn¡¯t know me back then and avoid me the entire time I needed my family?¡± Her father said angrily from the side, ¡°So what? Are you here to get even with me? If you hadn¡¯t killed someone back then, your sister would have already been cast as a main actress a long time ago and would¡¯ve already be a big star by now!¡± Grace smiled sarcastically. Back then, when Evelyn had been chosen as the leading actress in a television drama, it was because the Stevens Corporation had been one of the investors in the TV series, and Sean had specifically asked for Evelyn to be the leading actress. Later, after Sean broke up with her, Evelyn¡¯s role naturally went up in smoke. ¡°Sis, are you still resentful that we didn¡¯t do anything for you when you were in jail?¡± Evelyn asked quietly. Her features were perfect, her skin smooth. Her long manicured fingers tapped on the table. ¡°Because I think that¡¯s very selfish of you. Your actions damaged our family¡¯s reputation. The Stevens family. The Reed family. The Atkinsons, Epsteins, Changs. Even the Westons. Every prominent family in this city wanted your blood for what you¡¯d done. What could our family even do? If back then, we had really stood by your side and helped you file awsuit, our whole family would¡¯ve also offended them.¡± Because powerful, wealthy families were above thew and enabled to abuse whoever they wanted on a whim? To hell with justice and the entire judiciary system. Grace shook her head. She wouldn¡¯t waste her words or even attempt to make these people see how their actions had pained her. In their eyes, she was the viin, not the victim. ¡°How could an ordinary family like ours withstand their retaliation?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Grace said coldly. She was nothing to them. A means to an end. They cared nothing for her pain, her suffering. Her heartbreak. It wasn¡¯t just her trial and sentencing to prison. This disconnect had been there from the moment her mother left this earth. She was through with trying to please them. She¡¯d never strive for their love again because they didn¡¯t have it to give. Not to her, anyway. Her eyes burned, and she had only to squeeze her fingers for the pain of her assault to give her strength. Grace rose from the table and smiled gently. She looked straight at her sister. ¡°Since you couldn¡¯t stand by me when I was at my lowest, why should I bother helping to make you rich?¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Evelyn¡¯s face contorted with rage just as her father¡¯s vicious p connected with Grace¡¯s face. ¡°What are you talking about!¡± her father screamed. ¡°You drove a car into someone else and were locked up in jail because of it. Our entire family was shamed because of you. You don¡¯t have a future anymore. Do you want to ruin your sister¡¯s future as well?¡± His eyes were full of disgust for her. ¡°The one thing you did right was dating Sean Stevens and then you destroyed it all. We had so much respect from other businessmen and our rtives from that connection¡­¡± Grace nodded, understanding that her father, Tony Cummins had been embarrassed. Her rtionship with Sean had afforded her dad the chance to im a higher social ranking. When she N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. fell¡­ he did too. And her father resented her for it. Her face burned and she knew she¡¯d likely bear a bruise. But her expression remained calm as if she didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°I originally just wanted to say a prayer for my mother¡ªthat was why you invited me back home, wasn¡¯t it?¡ªBut now it seems there is no need for me to do it here. I won¡¯t step foot in this house ever again.¡± After saying this, Grace walked out of the house without looking back. This ce had never really been her ¡°home,¡± and she should¡¯ve stopped hoping for it to be a long time ago. When Grace got to her apartment, the ce was dark and the lights were off. When she turned on the lights, she was greeted by cold silence. She could tell at a nce that there was no one else in the room. Was Jason gone? Her heart suddenly felt a little empty. Which was silly, she knew. The man was a stranger. He¡¯d helped her out, but he didn¡¯t owe her anything, and she was very foolish to think he¡¯d want to stay with her. Grace let out a bitterugh. She was alone. Again. Something in her chest ached painfully at the thought as if acknowledging that even out of prison, she was still constricted, and destined to live out her existence without anybody. Just as she was about to close the door, she saw a figure slowly walking towards her. She was stunned. It was Jason. He was still wearing those worn-out clothes of his from yesterday while he held a bag in his hand. His longish hair almost covered the entire upper part of his face, making it difficult for people to see him clearly at a nce, but she knew that under that mussed hair was a face that could easily take over people¡¯s hearts. If not for the clothes, she would¡¯ve thought him an actor like her sister might work with on one of the TV series. He was that powerfully handsome. Such a man¡­ was he really a homeless person? And if he was¡­ why? Drugs, mental illness, violent tendencies? There were a number of causes that could set someone on the streets, and most of them carried elements of instability. She knew that taking him in like this was an impulsive decision and could put her in danger, but¡­ she couldn¡¯t stop herself. Perhaps humans were tribal animals after all. They neededpany. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± His voice was low and indifferent, but to her, it was the sweetest sound. Her throat suddenly felt tight. ¡°I¡­ I thought you wouldn¡¯te back.¡± He stared at her. ¡°I just went out to buy something.¡± She quickly leaned to one side, pulled him into the room, and closed the door. Then, she saw two white steamed buns in the bag he held. She smiled gently and felt that her whole body seemed to be much more rxed now. Sad, wasn¡¯t it? Her family abandoned her, but some homeless stranger was the one to keep her ¡°We¡¯ll eat together, but before that, I¡­ wanted to light a candle for my Grandpa and mother. Today is the anniversary of his passing¡­as well as my mother¡¯s.¡± Fate was cruel to her. Her beloved grandpa and mother died only a few days apart. Jason¡¯s dark eyes followed her movements as the took the prayer candle from her bag that she¡¯d bought on the way home along with a framed photo. It was a ck-and-white photo of a man. The man in the photo was about sixty years old. His eyes crinkled up in a smile that looked kind. Grace lit the candles and channeled her thoughts. She kissed the photograph gently. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve started a new life now. I¡¯m living a good life. I have a job that pays well enough for me to feed myself. You can rest in peace, and in the future, I will only live a better and better life¡­¡± Jason stood to one side and looked at the woman in front of him with a smile on her lips. However, her almond-shaped eyes looked misty. The light of the candle and the light of themp in the corner of the room mixed together and caused shadows to dance across her face. She had arched eyebrows, a small nose, and pink lips. She was not at all bad-looking, but he¡¯d seen countless women more than Grace. Back then, Jennifer Atkinson, his fianc¨¦e, had been a rare beauty. To Jason, Grace¡¯s looks were only ordinary. He had seen her information and naturally knew that today was the anniversary of her Grandpa¡¯s death. He understood her to need to say some kind words and to acknowledge her Grandpa¡¯s passing, but fresh out of prison and working in a sanitation center, to say she was ¡®doing well¡¯ ¡­was one hell of a stretch. ¡°Also, grandpa, there¡¯s another person here who¡¯s staying with me,¡± she said softly. She then turned her head and looked at him. She smiled. Under the light of the candles, she seemed to glow from within. It was like his presence in and of itself was enough to bring her joy. After a moment, she turned to look at the man in the photo again. ¡°So, I am doing really good, grandpa. You can rest in peace.¡± After saying this, she respectfully bowed to the photo. She closed her eyes and though her lips moved, whatever words she said were between her and her grandpa or deity. It was several minutes before she nodded and opened her eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll clean up and make some soup. Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he responded easily. He offered to help, but she bid him sit. He washed his hands and set out tes and utensils before sitting at the small table and watching her move around the kitchen. Her movements matched her name¡ªgraceful. And while she didn¡¯t hum and there was no sound in the room, there was a rhythm to her motions as if she moved to somenguid melody. When she set a pot of soup on the table between them and a te of some egg frittata she¡¯d mixed up with leftovers from the refrigerator, he inhaled deeply. It smelled delicious. She thanked him profusely for the buns he¡¯d brought back and rather than eat them out of the back she set them out formally on dishes. His lips twitched at that. She¡¯d been the one to give him the money. He was the guest here. He should be the one thanking her if anything. They both quietly ate, and after a few minutes she asked, ¡°Jay, what kind of work did you do in the past?¡± ¡°I did all sorts of work,¡± he said vaguely. ¡°If there was work to do, then I would do it. If there wasn¡¯t, then I would just find a ce to rest,¡± he said. ¡°Rest? I hope you hadfortable ces to rest.¡± From the way she said it, he assumed she was thinking of how she came upon him¡ªwandering the streets on a cold winter night. Hardly a fortable ce to rest.¡¯ ¡°How old are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Twenty-seven,¡± he replied. ¡°We¡¯re the same age,¡± she said in surprise. ¡°Which month were you born in?¡± ¡°November.¡± ¡°It¡¯s July for me. In that case, I¡¯m a few months older than you.¡± Grace took a bite of food. She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. ¡°You don¡¯t have any family, and neither do I. Why don¡¯t you treat me as your sister from now on? I will also regard you as my younger brother.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± He smiled lightly. There had never been anyone who had dared to be his family before, and yet this woman still insisted on being his sister? If she knew who he was, would she still dare to say such a thing? However, it was exactly because she didn¡¯t know that it was so interesting to him. ¡°Can¡¯t you?¡± Her eyes darkened. ¡°You look sad,¡± he said. ¡°This was your idea, adopting me.¡± Her lips twitched and then she gazed back to the small candle still burning on the countertop in memory of her grandfather and mother. ¡°When my mother passed away, I was only three. I don¡¯t have many memories of her, to be honest, but I know she loved me.¡± He¡¯d have to think very hard to recall his life at that age. And for a child grieving, the trauma would probably overshadow the good memories. ¡°How did she die?¡± ¡°Miscarriage. The baby was six months along.¡± She nced back at him. ¡°My brother. But he only lived for ten minutes after entering this world. It would¡¯ve been so wonderful, I think. Having him with me.¡± A tear slipped down her cheek. ¡°I like to think that they¡¯re together.¡± He grunted. So¡­ a brother. ¡°Are you sure you want to be my sister?¡± he asked suddenly. She nodded. ¡°But, neither do I have a permanent home nor do I have an actual job. I can¡¯t even provide for myself properly. Why do you want to be my sister?¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¡°Because¡­¡± Jason swallowed what was left of the steamed bun he was holding as he waited for her to finish her sentence. Grace struggled to find her words. As an attorney, she¡¯d thought out every argument and calcted conversation to be convincing andpelling. But she wasn¡¯t looking to sell him on something or to try and win him over. He either wanted herpany or he didn¡¯t. She took a bite of one of the steamed buns he¡¯d brought. The taste was subpar. In the past, she probably would not have liked them, but now, the taste was secondary. The most important thing for her was to fill her stomach. A dozen different arguments filled her head, for ¡®why¡¯ she should be his sister, but in the end, she went for an honest exnation. ¡°Jay, we are the same kind of people. We¡¯ve both been abandoned by others and can only look for a living on the bottom-most rung of society. No one will want people like us, and no one will care about us, but at least we can keep each other warm. I can care about you, and you can also care about me, right?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± he said. She felt her smile wobble. If he were to describe her expression, what would he see? Hope, loneliness, desire, and also some uncertainty. She¡¯d been so guarded thest three years. She understood what she was feeling now: vulnerability. ¡°It seems that we really are the same kind of people¡­¡± he muttered. His gaze was like that of a hunter watching a small animal fall into his trap. ¡°Sister.¡± He nodded as ifing to some agreement. In the blink of an eye, her smile turned as bright as the starry sky. After dinner, Grace took Jason with her and left for the night market to buy some clothes. He was bemused by her efforts, but apparently, she was taking this whole ¡®sister¡¯ thing seriously. Perhaps the days were really bing too boring for him. He could easily get whatever he wanted with a wave of his hands, but now this game was bing somewhat interesting to him. So he indulged her, following behind her like some lost puppy. Now there was a thought, maybe he should just get her a dog and call it a day. It wasn¡¯t his ce to ease her loneliness. A handful of his normal garments were worth more than the entirety of what was in this store, but he saw the way her eyes widened as the cash register tallied his clothes. She nodded resolutely and paid, and it left him feeling¡­something he couldn¡¯t describe, to see her sacrifice her hard-earned money to buy some spare clothes for him. ¡°Here,¡± she said. ¡°Put this on.¡± The cotton jacket was thick, but not particrly attractive. ¡°Is it warmer now?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Jason answered indifferently. He lowered his eyes and looked at her. She was almost a head shorter than him. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to buy these clothes for me. I am used to the cold. I¡¯d be fine even if I were to only wear my previous clothes.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that you should be cold just because you¡¯re used to it,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t have much money and I can¡¯t buy a lot of clothes for you, but I can at least let you wear something warmer.¡± ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Because I am your sister.¡± She smiled and identally touched his hands. She found that his hands were freezing, so she held his hands with her own, lowered her head, and blew on his fingers before starting to rub them back and forth. ¡°Your hands are too cold. Rubbing them like this should make them a little warmer,¡± she said. His hands, no, his whole body stiffened for a minute. Never had a woman rubbed his hands like this before just to warm them. He had never liked physical contact with other people, but it seemed that he did not reject her touch as much. Perhaps he was fine with her touch because, right now, she was an important part of this game for him. Seeing that he had no reaction, she suddenly seemed to think of something and nced at her hands, which were full of calluses. ¡°Did I hurt you? My hands are quite rough¡­¡± As she spoke, she quickly let go of him. He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think your hands are rough at all, but your hands actually felt quite cold as well. Sister, why don¡¯t you rub your hands on mine for a while longer?¡± As he spoke, he offered his hands to her again. She was slightly stunned, but then she held his hands in hers again. Compared with his big hands, hers were much smaller. She lowered her head and breathed warm air over his hands from time to time. Her nose had gone slightly red due to the cold. In his opinion, she looked adorable like this. *** Two dayster, Grace received a phone call from Evelyn. ¡°Grace, father said that he was going to throw the album away today. It was not easy for me to ask him to leave the photo album alone. I want to give it to you. Can youe to get it?¡± Grace was shocked as she knew what Evelyn was referring to. It was the album that contained photos of her and her mother before her mom died. ¡°If you don¡¯te, then I might identally lose the album,¡± Evelyn said in a gentle voice. She then added the specific address and ended the call without waiting for Grace¡¯s reply. Grace stared at the phone in her hand. She naturally knew that Evelyn would never hand the album to her for no reason. She had to be plotting something. However, that album contained almost all her memories of her mother. ¡°Sis?¡± a deep male voice rang in her ears. She came back to her senses, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Jay, I have to go out for a bit. You should get to bed.¡± As she said that, she hurriedly stood up, put on her coat, and went out. She didn¡¯t realize that a pair of eyes remained fixed on her, staring at her back thoughtfully. When Grace got to the address Evelyn had provided, she found out that it was a country club. When she walked into the private room Evelyn had mentioned, she found that Evelyn wasn¡¯t the only person inside. There was also an overweight, middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties in the room. ¡°Evelyn, is this your sister? She was the girlfriend of Sean Stevens back in the days?¡± the man looked at Grace and asked. ¡°Yes, Assistant Director Curtis.¡± Grace didn¡¯t miss the way her sister used his proper title. She was really looking to score points, it seemed. ¡°This is my sister, Grace. And Grace, this is the assistant director of my film crew. He has always said that he wanted to see you after learning that you were Sean¡¯s girlfriend,¡± Evelyn said with a smile. ¡°Where is the album?¡± Grace asked coldly. ¡°I¡¯m first going to have to ask you to put in a good word for me with Assistant Director Curtis.¡± A ¡®good word¡¯. Is that what they were calling it, these days? Grace imagined anything this heinous man wanted would have little to do with talking. ¡°If Assistant Director Curtis is happy and is willing to give me more screen time,¡± Evelyn went on, ¡°I will naturally give you the photo album.¡± Thatst part was said in a low voice and the words sounded like a threat. ¡°Well, since you are already here, let¡¯s have a drink.¡± Director Curtis directly poured Grace a ss of red wine, indicating that she should start drinking. Grace was still staring at Evelyn with pursed lips. It seemed that this ¡®kind¡¯ sister of hers was going to sell her off in exchange for increased screen time in a film. Evelyn picked up the wine ss and handed it to Grace. ¡°Grace, since you destroyed my opportunity to stardom in the past, it¡¯s not too much for me to ask you topensate me now. What¡¯s more, if you win Director Curtis¡¯s favor, you might be able to live a better life in the future. I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard someone say such things in such a clean and righteous-sounding way.¡± Grace directly swatted the wine ss away, causing the red wine inside to spill all over the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t you want the album anymore?¡± Evelyn asked through gritted teeth. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d have to be selling my body in exchange for it,¡± Grace replied. Her mother would not have been happy to see her do such a thing. However, when she turned around and was about to leave, the Director suddenly said, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t care about giving me any respect, do you? Do you really think that you are still the girlfriend of Steven¡¯s N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. family heir? I heard from Evelyn that you are now a street cleaner. You should consider it apliment that I even offered you a drink!¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Grace replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need yourpliments.¡± Under the influence of alcohol, Assistant Director Curtis rushed towards Grace and pped her right in her face, then said, ¡°If I want you to drink, then you will drink! Why are you acting all high and mighty when you¡¯re just a failure¡ªa f*cking convict?!¡± As he spoke, he grabbed Grace roughly by the jaw. In the next instant, he had the bottle of alcohol and was pouring it into her mouth. Grace wanted to push him away, but a man¡¯s strength was much greater than a woman¡¯s, not to mention that Evelyn was helping him from the side. Her sister was holding Grace¡¯s arms, so she could only jerk and try not to choke. The Director paused only to thank Evelyn for her help, saying, ¡°You¡¯re still smart,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the writers and give you more screen time.¡± Naturally, Evelyn put in even more effort. ¡°Thank you, Assistant Director. My sister isn¡¯t smart, so please be understanding.¡± Grace didn¡¯t know how much wine she had been forced to drink. Her alcohol tolerance wasn¡¯t good, to begin with, and at that moment, she already felt a little intoxicated. She tried to hold on to thest of her sobriety. ¡°I¡­ I want to go back¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you back in a moment.¡± The man only relented when Grace wobbled on her feet. Grace¡¯s vision wavered. But she saw the heated look in this man¡¯s eyes and she tried to n a way to escape. Assistant Director Curtis liked the way his handprint glowed bright red on this woman¡¯s face. The woman in front of him did not have sexual charms. She was too thin and in. He preferred his women with fake tits and hip. But when he thought that this woman had once been Sean Steven¡¯s girlfriend, he couldn¡¯t help but get excited. He wouldn¡¯t mind f*cking the same woman as one of the wealthiest men in the city. He couldn¡¯t help but think that it would be prime p*ssy. But then his cell phone rang. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. And rang. He silenced it without looking, but then it started up again. He nced at the caller ID. It was his brother, the Head Director of this film. He had relied on his older brother to get this position on the set. And he couldn¡¯t imagine why his brother would be calling. However, after picking up the phone and listening to his brother curse and yell, Curtis felt as if he had suddenly woken up from a drunken stupor. His face turned pale and his breathing quickened. ¡°How¡­ how could it be? She, she¡­ she is just a sanitation worker with no background. Even if her former boyfriend was Sean, Stevens has a fianc¨¦e now, so he has no reason to care about her at all. Otherwise, why would his ex-girlfriend be cleaning garbage?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch this woman,¡± his brother yelled. ¡°You have to let her leave safely. You have to know that the boss of thepany himself called and warned me. The boss also said that if anything wrong happened to this woman tonight, the entire production crew would be dismissed tomorrow. As for you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in this City.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Are you not listening? They threatened you and me explicitly.¡± Curtis¡¯s hand shook. ¡°How is that possible? Hundreds of millions of dors¡¯ worth of investment? Dismissed?¡± He nced at Grace. ¡°Who the hell is this woman?¡± ¡°How would I know? Either way, you¡¯re the one who caused this mess. If you dare to touch even a single hair of hers, watch how I take care of you!¡± His brotherunched into another rant. ¡°How is she now? She¡¯s fine, right?¡± Curtis wanted to cry but no tears came out. He did not dare say that he had pped Grace and forced her to drink more than half a bottle of wine. That he¡¯d been about to drag her into the nearest vacant room and rape her senseless. At this time, Grace staggered to open the door of the private room and went out. Evelyn stepped forward and tried to stop her. Sacrificing her stepsister was nothing as long as she could be famous. That woman! Curtis surged forward and caught Evelyn by the arm. He spun her around. And pped her hard. Evelyn tripped and almost fell to the ground. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess!¡± He watched Grace stumble out of the room. Evelyn cried and held her cheek. ¡°Assistant Director Curtis, what are you¡­?¡± ¡°Are you trying to set me up? Who is your sister? Who is behind her?¡± he asked sternly. Evelyn had a nk look on her face. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about! My sister has no one. Not even her family¡­¡± Grace staggered into the hallway. The effects of the alcohol made her feel like she was walking on air, and her vision became more and more blurry. ¡°I have to go back¡­¡± she told herself. ¡°I have to go back quickly. I will be in danger if I pass out outside!¡± She tried her best to tell herself that she was going home, but her body seemed to be a little out of control. A blurry figure appeared before her eyes. That figure¡­ gave her a sense of familiarity and made her feel at ease. She felt that as long as that figure was there, she would be safe. Grace walked towards that figure step by step. With much difficulty, she finally arrived in front of him. She was outside. The cold air helped sharpened her senses before everything started spinning. ¡°Jay?¡± She raised her head and looked at the figure. The next second, she finally closed her barely-open eyelids, and her swaying body fell down. He took hold of her falling body with a single arm. Jason stared at the cheeks of the woman in his embrace. His fingers gently caressed the area where she had obviously been pped. He clenched his jaw and his free hand curled into a fist. ¡°Mr. Reed!¡± Terrence put away the phone in his hand and carefully exined the situation that he had just discovered. ¡°Miss Cummins must have been forced to drink some alcohol, and then she was pped.¡± ¡°Is that so? Break the hand of the person that hit her,¡± Jason said. He picked Grace up and carried her into the limousine. Terrence was shocked. ¡°Sir, are you sure?¡± Previously, Mr. Reed had not done anything in retaliation when his fianc¨¦e had died, but now, with the perpetrator of the ident, he¡­wanted to protect this killer? In the car, Jason couldn¡¯t stop staring at the marks on her face. As he looked closely, he thought he saw a second, dimmer bruise on her other cheek. She was obviously just a toy to him, but why was he so unhappy when he saw that she had been injured by someone? Was it out of pity? But, when had he even felt pity for anyone? *** When Grace woke up, she saw the ceiling of the rental apartment and¡­ a familiar face. ¡°Jay!¡± Grace sat up abruptly, but her head throbbed with pain. She took a deep breath and waited for the pain to pass. ¡°How¡­ how did I get back here? I was at that private club¡­¡± The previous scenes in the room reyed in her mind, and her expression darkened. ¡°I saw youing out of the entrance to the club, so I brought you back,¡± Jason said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you that I went there.¡± ¡°When you were answering the phone, I heard the address,¡± he said. ¡°Would you like some water? You¡¯ll probably feel better.¡± He handed her a ss of warm water. She took a few sips of it and then felt morefortable. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything strange when I was drunk, did I?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°No,¡± he said, but he recalled that after he had carried her back to the rental apartment when he wanted to put her on the bed, she had clung to him. When he went toy her down, she pulled him onto the bed and rolled until she was on top of him. A man of rigorous control and training, how had he let his guard down like that? Before he could get up, she touched his face with her hands. ¡±Your eyes are so beautiful¡­ I really¡­ like them¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°Like?¡± The word was not strange to him. After all, there were always women who said that they liked him and liked his eyes. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. In the past, when he was young, his father would always look into his eyes and be lost in thought. His father would mutter to him, ¡°The kind of eyes you have are deceptive. They look like they¡¯re very emotional, but in reality, they¡¯re the most heartless. I don¡¯t know if you will be emotional or heartless in the future.¡± ¡°They¡¯re clean¡­¡± She ran her fingertips across his brow. ¡°Clear.¡± He sneered. She was drunk. Of course, his eyes were clean or clear or whatever. He¡¯d showered this morning. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ They have never been tainted by any sin¡­ They¡¯re clean¡­¡± She was so drunk that she didn¡¯t seem to notice that her face was almost touching his. ¡°Jay, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ I will¡­ protect you¡­¡± After saying that, shey on his chest and fell asleep. Protect him? This woman can¡¯t even protect herself, but she wants to protect him? What a joke. Grace¡¯s face blushed as she stared at him. She really didn¡¯t remember. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything. You just fell asleep.¡± Hearing this, she let out a sigh of relief. His eyes fell on the red, swollen part of her cheek. ¡°Does your face hurt?¡± Her eyes widened with surprise. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± This was the truth. After all, she had suffered much worse pain in prison. ¡°What happened yesterday? How did you get hurt and drunk?¡± he stared at her and asked. ¡°Nothing, I just met a drunkard and had a little conflict,¡± she said lightly. She didn¡¯t want to tell him about the dark things fromst night. She always felt that he was clear and clean. Even though he had been wandering on the streets, he was still pure like the horrors of this world had yet to touch him. If possible, she hoped that he would stay that way. ¡°Is that so?¡± He frowned. ¡°It would be great if I had arrived earlier. In that case, you wouldn¡¯t have been hurt.¡± In reality, it wasn¡¯t true that he couldn¡¯t have solved this matter earlier. This was just a game that added a bit of fun to his boring life. He had even expected that something might happen after she entered the private room. But when he really saw what had happened, he found that he was not happy. ¡°It¡¯s already good enough for you to havee to the club to pick me up. Otherwise, I might have slept right next to the street,¡± Grace said and pulled at his hand. ¡°Thank you, Jay. It¡¯s really good to have you here. And I¡¯m fine, really. It was just a p in the face. It¡¯s nothing to me.¡± Hmm. It was nothing to him either. But the bruise on her face offended him and when she smiled as she did now, looking at him like he was the greatest man in the world¡­it stirred something to life inside him. *** ¡°What? Evelyn tricked you into drinking with a man? She¡¯s shameless! I¡¯m going to find her!¡± Lina had gone to look for her friend that day and saw that Grace¡¯s face was still faintly red and swollen. ¡°So what?¡± Grace held back Lina. ¡°I was too careless. I thought that she would at most try to get some money from me. I didn¡¯t really expect¡­ but fortunately, Jay came to pick me up when I was drunk.¡± ¡°Jay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the person who¡¯s living with me now. Think of him as my younger brother. I got him to call me ¡®sister¡¯,¡± Grace said. When she mentioned Jason, a smile unconsciously appeared on her face. ¡°Younger brother? How old is he?¡± Lina asked. ¡°Twenty-seven years old, a few months younger than me.¡± Lina almost choked on her own saliva. She couldn¡¯t believe that her friend was living with a man. ¡°What are you thinking? What if he has evil intentions? Have you ever thought that you might be putting yourself in danger? You studiedw, didn¡¯t you? Are you not thinking about the risks!¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but, Lina, with someone living with me, I don¡¯t feel as lonely. Plus, Jay is a nice person.¡± ¡°What do you mean that you feel lonely? Don¡¯t you still have me!?¡± Lina said. ¡°Why don¡¯t I move out and live with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Your parents will hate me even more if you move out of the house,¡± Grace said. When the car ident happened, she had not been drinking, but all the evidence seemed to show that she had been driving under the influence. No one believed her words except Lina. And during the three years she had been in jail, Lina had been busy with Grace¡¯s case. She had even given up studying abroad for her. This also made Lina¡¯s parents angry with Grace because they thought that she had dyed Lina¡¯s work. They hated her for disrupting their daughter¡¯s career path. And it was the truth. If it weren¡¯t for her, Lina would have had a better life now instead of being an obscure designer in an architectural firm. ¡°Moreover, Jay is like a little brother to me. You know, in the past, I always wanted to have a little brother. Now, my wish has finallye true,¡± Grace said. Lina knew that there was no way she could dissuade her good friend. She could only put up with the second-best option. ¡°Let me meet with him next time.¡± Only after she had met Jay could Lina feel at ease. ¡°Sure,¡± Grace replied. ¡°By the way, this is a copy of your case from back then. There¡¯s also some information I¡¯ve found over the past few years.¡± Lina passed a stack of documents to Grace. ¡°Since you have been released already, are you nning on reopening the case?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know where to find the witness from that year, and all the evidence still points toward me. I haven¡¯t been able to reverse the verdict for three years. In the future¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll find an opportunity to turn over the case in the future. Don¡¯t forget that you are Grace Cummins, and the Grace I know doesn¡¯t give up easily,¡± Lina said. Grace smiled, but it was forced. Maybe she would have tried to overturn the verdict for herself three years ago, but after spending three long years in prison, her high spirits and sharp edges had been obliterated by pain. And by acknowledging that the system was broken and corrupt. Grace took the stack of information back to the apartment. She saw that there was no one in the room and Jay was nowhere to be found. That void of emptiness insider her deepened. What she¡¯d said to Lina was true, she liked hispany. But how would she feel when he inevitably moved on? Would this time have been a balm or would she feel worse, and even more lonely? Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 As the hours ticked by, Grace worried that something had happened to Jay. He didn¡¯t have a mobile phone so she couldn¡¯t even make a phone call to contact him. Maybe he¡¯d already moved on, and her whole vision of a sibling and having some semnce of a family was just a pipe dream. Grace went outside and walked to the entrance of the residentialmunity. She kept looking around, hoping to see some sign go him. After God-knows how long, she finally saw a familiar figure walking towards her. ¡°Jay!¡± Seeing him approach, she finally heaved a sigh of relief. Jay eyed the figure that was rushing towards him and could not help but be slightly startled. He looked at her as she ran over to him. She was panting slightly, her facepletely red from the cold, and yet her pretty eyes were bright. ¡°Great, you¡¯re finally back,¡± she said. ¡°Sister, are you¡­ waiting for me?¡± He gently touched her cheek, and the coldness seeped into his fingertips. It seemed that she had been waiting outside for a long time. ¡°Yes, I was so worried because you hadn¡¯te back yet and it¡¯ste. Fortunately, you¡¯vee back safely,¡± she said with a smile. He rolled his eyes slightly. She was worried about Jay-the-homeless-man instead of Jason from the Reed Conglomeration. However, if she found out that he was that Jason in the future, would she still worry about him so much? Not likely. Raising the corner of his mouth, he said, ¡°I was working.¡± He made up some job about handing out flyers. She nodded. ¡°Your hands are cold. I¡¯ll help you warm them up.¡± As he said this, he held her cold hands in his palms. Taking the same action as she didst time, he rubbed the backs of her hands with his palms. Grace felt her hands gradually warm up. It was such a cold day, but¡­ it felt so warm. ¡°Jay, it¡¯s so good to have you home,¡± she muttered in a low voice. His lips curved into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I hope you won¡¯t regret saying that in the future.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t regret it,¡± she said. ¡°Well, my hands are warm now. Let¡¯s go back to the house and I¡¯ll heat up the food.¡± She pulled him into theplex and did not notice a ck car parking at the corner of the street just outside. Meanwhile, in the car, Terrence couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. Mr. Reed must have just been¡­ warming the hands of a woman¡­ He had never seen Mr. Reed do this to any woman. Even Jennifer Atkinson, who had once been Mr. Reed¡¯s fiancee, had never been treated this way. But now, Mr. Reed was doing this to Grace. The same woman who was the cause of Jennifer Atkinson¡¯s car ident! It made no sense. Recalling the scene of Mr. Reed going to the club and picking up the drunk Grace at the door, Terrence felt that his brain was not working properly. What was going on in Mr. Reed¡¯s mind? Had Grace taken up space in his heart? Surely not. But as he stared at the couple across the parking lot, holding hands and staring into each other¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this unlikely situation was real or if he¡¯d imagined it. The next day, at Reed headquarters, when Terrence reported on Jason¡¯s schedule and work, his gaze could not help but turn to Jason¡¯s hands. Jason¡¯s fingers were long and slender. Terrence would even go so far as to say his boss¡¯s hands were beautiful and that was saying something because he didn¡¯t think of hands or men in that way. Terrence had seen this pair of hands choking someone without mercy, almost taking that person¡¯s life. Mr. Reed didn¡¯t care about getting his hands bloody, and the thought of it could make people shiver and give them goosebumps. However, he had never seen this pair of hands being used to keep another person¡¯s hands warm, let alone those of a woman who had been locked up in prison. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my hands?¡± Jason¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in Terrence¡¯s ears. ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± Terrence came to his senses and quickly turned his eyes away. He handed an invitation card to Jason. ¡°This is the invitation. In two weeks, Lily and Sean Stevens will get officially engaged. Chairman Stevens hopes that you can join.¡± ¡°Engagement?¡± Jason nced at the card. Of course, he understood the intentions of the families in sending this invitation. After all, Jennifer Atkinson, the eldest daughter of the Atkinson family, had once been his fiancee. They wanted to see his attitude. ¡°Then let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± In the afternoon, Terrence apanied Jason to a private hospital in the city. Terrence stood outside the ward. Jason pushed open the door and walked in slowly. The old man in the ward had once dominated the world. He¡¯d built the Reed empire and it was his efforts that grew his family¡¯s fortunes. But his only son had run away from home for a woman. Many yearster, the only two things that woulde back to the Reed family were a handful of ashes and a child. Jason looked at the old man in the hospital bed. This man, who deserved to be called his grandfather, was dressed in a hospital gown with a needle in the back of his hand. His body was getting weaker and Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. weaker day by day, and he looked thin. Frail. Mr. Reed looked at his only grandson and said, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here,¡± Jason said. The grandfather and grandson quietly faced each other. The two of them seemed to be extremely familiar with this kind of silence. After a long while, Mr. Reed spoke. ¡°I heard from my secretary that the Stevens family and the Atkinson family are going to join forces through marriage?¡± Even during the old man¡¯s hospitalization, his secretary would still report to him every day. ¡°They¡¯re getting engaged in two weeks, and they¡¯ve already sent us the invitation,¡± Jason said. ¡°You¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I go?¡± he asked back. Mr. Reed stared at the grandson in front of him. After a long time, he suddenlyughed and said, ¡°Good, good, you¡¯re not like your father.¡± Since the death of Jennifer Atkinson, his grandson had not been in contact with any woman for years. Mr. Reed had once worried that his grandson would turn out to be like his son, who had been deeply trapped in his love for a woman. He thought perhaps Jason would avoid any reminders of his pain. Or he might resent the Stevens Family since Sean¡¯s girlfriend had been the one to crash into the car and kill Jason¡¯s fiancee, but Jason seemed calm and collected about everything. Jason naturally understood what Mr. Reed meant by saying ¡®You¡¯re not like your father¡¯. He replied, ¡°No, I am not him, and neither will I be like him.¡± Mr. Reed grabbed hold of Jason¡¯s wrist. His wrinkled old fingers seemed to have used up all of their strength. ¡°Remember what you have said today. Do not act like him. If he was willing to listen to me back then, he would not have¡­¡± Mr. Reed gritted his teeth. His fingernails sank into Jason¡¯s wrist, producing deep red marks. Jason acted as if he could not feel the pain at all and a mocking smile slowly rose from the corners of his lips. He would never give up everything for a woman. He was not his father. He would never do something like groveling at her feet until there was nothing left of him. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Aftering out of the hospital, Terrence asked, ¡°Mr. Reed, do you want to go back to the mansion, or¡­?¡± ¡°Back to the Westside,¡± Jason said absently. The Westside was where Grace lived. Terrence didn¡¯t know how long his own superior was nning to stay in that small rental apartment. With that damaged woman. Then a thought urred to him¡­ maybe Jason wasn¡¯t as calm as he pretended to be. Maybe he indeed intended to seek his revenge and his time spent with this Grace woman was only in preparation for ¡­something. On the way to the Westside, at a traffic light intersection, Terrence suddenly noticed something. ¡°Uh, Mr. Reed, Miss Cummins is on the side of the road.¡± Jason turned his head and saw a slender figure sweeping the garbage with a broom at the side of the road. She was wearing a fluorescent work suit with a simple ponytail. Because of the cold weather, every breath she exhaled was apanied by white vapor. At this moment, an electric bike sped by, trying to catch the green light. It bumped into Grace¡¯s leg and made her fall to the ground. However, the person riding the electric bike didn¡¯t stop but simply rode away. ¡°Mr. Reed, do you want to find out who the owner of this electric bike is and make him take responsibility?¡± Considering his actions when Grace had gotten drunk and been beaten up, Terence assumed Jason would stand up for her again. Jason¡¯s gaze fixed on the woman who had fallen to the ground outside the car window. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. His grandfather¡¯s voice rang out again in his mind: ¡°Remember what you have said today. Do not act like him¡­¡± He would never care about a woman like his father did. It was just a game, and right now he was not Jason Reed, but only some random stranger, so why would he care about a sanitation worker named Grace? ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about it,¡± he said cidly as he looked away. Terrence was stunned. The red light turned green, and the car continued to drive forward. At this moment, ire helped Grace to her feet and said, ¡°Grace, are you alright? Do you want to go to the hospital?¡± Grace gritted her teeth and checked her injury. There was no bleeding. There were only some heavy swellings where her ankle had been scratched. ¡°No need. It¡¯s just a bruise. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°If the swelling doesn¡¯t diminish, go and get checked out,¡± ire said, and then she swore at the driver who had done the hit-and-runs. Grace thanked her friend and then resumed her cleaning. In the evening, at the end of her shift, Grace returned home. As soon as she entered the room, she saw a figure sitting under the light. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back.¡± The man stood and greeted her. In an instant, the chill in her body dispelled. It turned out that what she wanted was just a person who would wait for her, even though this apartment was simple and small. It was having someone that cared about her in it that made this house a ¡®home.¡¯ ¡°Well, I¡¯m back.¡± She smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Give me a few minutes to wash up and then I¡¯ll prepare our dinner.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he answered and then watched her limp across the room to the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your foot?¡± he asked, even though he already knew. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. I¡¯ll massage it with safflower oil,¡± she said lightly, but her face would change slightly with every few steps she took, and her forehead beaded with sweat. Jason pursed his lips. ¡°Then it would be better to clean it up now.¡± As he said this, he stretched out his arm and caught her from moving past. Then, he pulled up the cuff of Grace¡¯s pants. She sucked in an unsteady breath. Immediately, an obvious lump met his eyes, even though it was still covered by her sock. When he pulled the sock down, he saw the bruise on her ankle which had already swollen to the point of going purple. He thought that he wouldn¡¯t care. Even if she broke her leg, he would still be indifferent. But, for some reason, when he saw her injured foot, it stirred something in his chest. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she insisted. ¡°Some safflower oil will mend it up.¡± She tried to pull her ankle out of his hand, but his fingers firmly held onto her, making her unable to move at all. There was a moment of silence that filled the air. ¡°Where¡¯s the safflower oil?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s in¡­ the medicine cab on the bedside table,¡± she answered. The next moment, she gasped because he had suddenly picked her up, bridal style. Carrying her, he walked to the bed, put her down, and took out the oil from the medicine box. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her injured right foot onto hisp. Then, he took off her shoes and socks and pressed his finger against the lump. It was a terrible bruise. Hot to the touch and incredibly swollen. He was no doctor, but he pressed down on the spot to feel for any breaks or fractured bones. She hissed a breath but didn¡¯tin. ¡°Point your toes,¡± he said. ¡°Now flex your heel. Roll to the right, then left.¡± She clenched her jaw but was able to make the necessary movements. There was nothing wrong with the bone. It seemed that it was as she said, only a flesh wound. Jason poured some safflower oil into his palm and began to rub Grace¡¯s ankle. His touch was not light, but she gritted her teeth and her body trembled. The pain would have been intense. Truly, for getting clipped as she did, it was a miracle she wasn¡¯t more injured between the impact and her fall. ¡°Isn¡¯t it painful?¡± he asked. If it had been any other woman, she would have screamed in pain a long time ago. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said although she couldn¡¯t hide her wince. ¡°This doesn¡¯t hurt as much as when I¡­¡± She paused but did not say the word ¡°prison¡±. Instead, she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to what I¡¯ve had to deal with in the past.¡± Jason nced at Grace with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He naturally understood what she had not said. When she had been in jail, even when he had only watched coldly and not taken any action, the Atkinson family had not let her go. Moreover, there were many people there who wanted to be on the Reed Family¡¯s good side. Her life in prison had been much worse than that of an ordinary person. ¡°It seems that my sister has suffered a lot before,¡± he whispered. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Grace said. ¡°There,¡± she whispered. ¡°The pressure is already reducing, thanks to you.¡± He grunted but didn¡¯t believe her. It would take weeks for a contusion like this to heal. ¡°Jay, thank you. You¡¯re a really good person.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°Good person?¡± His lips curved. Even those who ttered him never used the words ¡°good person¡± to describe him. He¡¯d done many things in his life, but none of them would qualify him as ¡®good.¡± ¡°Sister, do you really think so?¡± He was teasing, but she replied in earnest, ¡°Yes, of course, Jay is a good person.¡± She spoke matter- of-factly as if, at least in her eyes, he really was her good younger brother. ¡°Then, if one day you find out that I¡¯m not a good person, will you be disappointed?¡± he asked. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Since that night at the country club, Evelyn had been feeling anxious. After all, Assistant Director Curtis¡¯s attitude that day had been really odd. He¡¯d gone from praising her to pping her, from desiring Grace to shoving away from her sister. After a few days of him noting to the set, his older brother, the Head Director had also been reced. As for the reason, no one in the film crew could seem to exin it. However, Evelyn felt that the change in the film¡¯s director had something to do with Curtis. When she thought about it some more, she became afraid that it had something to do with Grace. Then, a few dayster, when she heard Assistant Director Curtis had been hospitalized and that his right hand seemed to be ruined for life, she was dumbfounded. His right hand¡­ If she remembered correctly, that was the hand that he had used to p Grace. Evelyn was panicking inside. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± After Assistant Director Curtis answered the phone that night, his attitude towards Grace had coincidence? Or could it be that¡­ Grace really had someone powerful behind her? But if Grace really had someone watching over her, would she still be bitterly sweeping the road every day? Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but tell her parents about what had happened that night. When her father heard that his youngest daughter had sent his eldest daughter to drink with an old man, he immediately red at Evelyn. ¡°How could you ask your sister to do such a thing? At the very least, our family is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just drinking together. What¡¯s the big deal? Besides, Evelyn did this for the family. Only if Evelyn makes it as a star will our family have a good future. Otherwise, do you want us to rely on your eldest daughter who had been to jail?¡± her mother interrupted. Upon hearing this, her father¡¯s expression fell, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He¡¯d never been warm to Grace, but Evelyn acknowledged that she had set her sister up to be sexually assaulted. Her father wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew that too. If he pressed her, she¡¯d deny it. As she said, it had only been a few drinks. Her father couldn¡¯t prove the rest, and she¡¯dunch into a tearful performance if he pushed the point. ¡°Dad, could Grace really have found someone to help her? Otherwise, why would Assistant Director Curtis have let go of her that night and eventer ended up in the hospital himself?¡± Evelyn asked. How would he have known anything about this!? Her mom touched dad¡¯s arm. ¡°You are her father after all. You should try to ask her about it. If she really has a backer now, she should tell the family about it. I¡¯m worried that if she gets involved with some bad people, then our family will be dragged down as well. Again. She was in prison before, and there are all sorts of people in prison. Who knows who she had met in there!¡± Evelyn covered her mouth as though the very suggestion terrified her. ¡°Oh, father! What if theye after us? Or her criminal friends do more damage to our family name. Father, you were so honored and revered before Grace killed that woman and dishonored us all.¡± Her father frowned when he heard this. Then he pped his fist down on the kitchen table. ¡°If she dares to implicate the family again, I¡¯ll break her legs myself!¡± When Grace was cooking a meal in the apartment and waiting for Jason toe back for dinner, the doorbell rang. However, when she opened the door, she saw her father, her stepmother, and that stepsister of hers. The three of them then rushed straight into her apartment. Her father immediately asked, ¡°Did you meet some shady people in prison? I¡¯m telling you right now if you dare do anything that will affect our family¡­ Don¡¯t expect me to deal with you lightly!¡± ¡°What on earth did I do that would require you to ¡®deal with me¡¯?¡± Grace looked at her father coldly. ¡°Did you ask someone to break Assistant Director Curtis¡¯s hand? He was just asking you to drink with him, and he didn¡¯t do anything else. How could you be so vicious? Did you lose your memory while in prison? Do you think that you can just do whatever you want after meeting some evil people in prison!?¡± Her father scolded. Grace snickered. ¡°It seems like karma is real. He got what he deserved. Also, if you think that there¡¯s nothing wrong with drinking together, then go ahead and ask your precious daughter Evelyn to drink with him instead. What did she scheme against me for!?¡± ¡°This is what you owe her! If it weren¡¯t for you, she¡­¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, do you think she would¡¯ve even had a chance at being chosen as the female lead for a film in the first ce?¡± Grace paused and let that little barbnd. Then she said directly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that I owe her anything, because I never did!¡± ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve never med you for your sins. You don¡¯t need to speak to dad like this.¡± Evelyn acted like she had been wronged. ¡°You¡¯re so noble,¡± Grace replied sarcastically. She was bemused that they thought they could charge into her home and bully her into being some sex toy to advance her sister¡¯s career. This entire conversation and trying to me her for her sister¡¯s shorings was ludicrous. Her stepmother quicklyforted her daughter and looked at Grace with dissatisfaction. ¡°Grace, don¡¯t take your anger out on your sister. Your father just doesn¡¯t want you to go down the wrong path. If you go to jail again, what will happen to our family¡¯s reputation!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking to her about all this? Anyway, go to Assistant Director Curtis immediately. No matter what method you use, ask him to forgive you. You can¡¯t implicate Evelyn because of this matter, do you understand? If you dare to ruin Evelyn¡¯s future, just watch how I deal with you!¡± Her father ordered. Grace felt that this wasughable. Did her father really think that she could be controlled at will? Or was it that when one¡¯s heart waspletely biased, one would ignore everything else they didn¡¯t agree with? ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to anyone, so you can go back now. You¡¯re not wee here,¡± Grace said. As her father heard these words, his face flushed with anger. ¡°Who do you think you are!?¡± He raised his hand to strike her. Grace subconsciously took a step back, but when she moved her feet, her ankle rolled. She winced and braced for the hit. But it never came. A hand blocked her father¡¯s fist in mid-air. ¡°Jay!¡± Grace had not expected Jay home so early. Jason looked coldly at the three uninvited guests in the room. He had read Grace¡¯s files and so he knew that these three were her father, stepmother, and stepsister. ¡°Get out!¡± he said coldly. ¡°Who do you think you are to stop me from hitting my own daughter?! Let go!¡± Her father shouted. He felt that his hand was about to break from the man¡¯s grip. Then, her father got what he wished for. Jason let go of his hand after throwing her father out of the apartment. Her stepmother and Evelyn rushed outside the apartment to help him up. ¡°Grace, why are you letting a stranger treat your father like this?¡± her stepmother scolded. ¡°Who is this man?¡± her father asked with hatred. ¡°Fine, Grace, I see how great you are. You hooked up with a wild man right after getting out of jail¡­¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Her father¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. Jason growled. The sound was more suited to a wild beast than this man, but the intent was the same. He would fight. He would kill. Grace dragged Jay inside and mmed the door behind him. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Her father, stepmother, and Evelyn looked at each other hesitantly. Her stepmother was about to curse and start pounding on the door, but her husband caught her hand. ¡°Let it go.¡± Her father shrugged. ¡°Come, let us leave. Perhaps the man was released from prison as well! There are all kinds of people in prison. Who knows why this man had been sentenced to jail?¡± Hearing this, Evelyn and her mother exchanged a nce. ¡°Then shall we just let it go?¡± Her father hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait. If Assistant Director Curtis holds Evelyn ountable in the future, then we¡¯ll think of other ways.¡± He didn¡¯t have the courage toe in and challenge the man now. Evelyn frowned. ¡°Had the man just now ¡­ really been in prison?¡± Although she could not see very clearly since the man¡¯s hair was longer on top, she could still notice that he was good-looking. Particrly for some reason, she felt that the man looked somewhat familiar as if she had seen him somewhere before. Or was this man also a member of the entertainment circle? In the apartment, Grace looked at Jay and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± If Jay had note back, she would have been beaten by her father just now. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me for the help, Sister. Isn¡¯t it what I should do?¡± He pointed at her ankle. ¡°It hasn¡¯t healed yet. I¡¯ll apply the Safflower Oil for you.¡± The routine of removing her sock and shoes, rubbing in the oil, and wrapping her foot took several minutes. The whole time, he didn¡¯t say a word. Grace bit her lip and finally said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me what those three came here for?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask if you don¡¯t want to tell,¡± he said. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing difficult to say. They are my father, stepmother, and half-sister,¡± Grace said. ¡°But now, they are no longer my problem.¡± After hesitating for a moment, she asked again, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have anything else to ask?¡± He should have heard her father scolding her in front of him, saying that she had been in prison. His eyshes flickered, then he lifted his eyes. ¡°What do you wish me to ask? His dark eyes revealed a kind of strange silence under the dim yellow light. Grace took a deep breath. She was swallowed by shame and that was something she¡¯d have to contend with for the rest of her life. She was innocent, but that didn¡¯t matter. She¡¯d been tried, convicted, sentenced, and had served her time. ¡°I was sentenced to three years in prison for drunk driving and killing a person, Jay. I was released not long ago.¡± Many people would change their attitude when they heard that. After her release, as long as people around her knew that she had been in prison, they would treat her with prejudice and deliberately keep a distance from her. There was a reason she was working in sanitation. No one else would hire her. As she waited for his reaction, for him to say something or judge her with his beautiful eyes, she felt as edgy as she had while awaiting the trial verdict in court. ¡°Really?¡± he said indifferently, still concentrating on massaging her ankle. ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s it?¡± She blinked her eyes in surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± she asked. ¡°Why should I mind?¡± he asked in response. ¡°As you said, from now on, we only need to care about each other, and there is nothing else to care about.¡± Her heart seemed to swell in her chest. Here, with a total stranger, she found eptance. How ironic that her only family, who should¡¯ve loved her unconditionally werepletely incapable of this. Grace smiled as if she had been relieved of a heavy burden. ¡°Jay, I am so lucky to have met you.¡± Something shed in his eyes, but it was gone in an instant. On Sunday, Lina specifically visited Grace¡¯s apartment. When she saw Jay, she could not associate him with the homeless person that was mentioned by her friend. And she made it a point to say so, in a whisper that wasn¡¯t really a whisper. Grace groaned and ultimatelyughed. It was true. Jay looked good. Even in the cheap pants and sneakers and jacket more suited to an old man, there was no hiding his tall frame or strong muscles. His bone structure was too perfect, the kind of polished good looks that only came from surgery or good breeding. Although he was only wearing an ordinary cotton-padded jacket and trousers and cheap sneakers, Even his too-long hair fell just right so it looked more intentionally styled than overgrown. He was a handsome man. A kind man. Grace valued Lina¡¯s opinion, but if her friend had anything negative to say, they¡¯d be thest words on N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. the matter. Just as Jay had defended her, Grace would not let anyone disrespect him in her house. Lina pulled Grace to the side and asked again, ¡°Are you sure he is a homeless person who has no ce to live? Seriously. I can¡¯t believe it. He can be a star or model just with his appearance.¡± ¡°Not all the good-looking ones are suitable to be stars or models,¡± Grace replied. Lina thought again and realized that it was not easy to make a living in the entertainment circles. That took a certain personality and drive. ¡°As you¡¯re stuck with him every day, don¡¯t you have any idea?¡± Grace rolled her eyes. Wasn¡¯t Lina worried before that Jay would do something evil to her? Now, she seemed to worry that she would do something to him instead. ¡°He is a few months younger than me. I only regard him as my younger brother.¡± Lina walked in front of Jay. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank that you can live here if you want, but you have to promise that you won¡¯t mess around and won¡¯t lie to Grace. You know, she hates deception, and if you are a liar, I¡¯ll call the police and have you arrested!¡± ¡°Lina, what are you talking about? Jay wouldn¡¯t lie to me,¡± Grace replied in a hurry. ¡°How long have you known him? Let¡¯s make it clear first. Hey, Jay, did you hear that?¡± Lina said to Jason. He raised the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°Okay, I know.¡± He was smiling lightly at the moment, but saying ¡®I know¡¯ wasn¡¯t the same as vowing not to lie. She didn¡¯t miss the way he evaded her question. Grace¡¯s eyes rounded and she was shaking her head vehemently so Lina dialed back her impulse to interrogate this man. She knew Grace. Grace had the biggest heart of anybody. And this man, Jay, was likely just the first of many strays she¡¯d take in. Lina nced at Grace. ¡°Cats are easier, you know. Even a dog. They¡¯re always loyal.¡± Jason snorted. Grace rubbed her eyes, embarrassed. ¡°Walk me out,¡± Lina said. Slinging her arm through Grace¡¯s. ¡°I can see why you keep him around,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s easy on the eyes. But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s all he appears to be.¡± She kissed Grace¡¯s cheek. ¡°Protect yourself. And call me if you need anything.¡± Grace shook her head. ¡°I will. Love you.¡± When only the two of them were left in the room, and the door was closed and locked behind Lina, Grace said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind what Lina said just now. She¡¯s just worried about me.¡± ¡°She is your friend. No matter what she says, I won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Jason¡¯s expression revealed nothing. She didn¡¯t know to take him at his word or if he¡¯d been offended. ¡±Are you getting on well with her?¡± ¡°Do you know what a life-saving straw is? When you are drowning, you can¡¯t grab anything no matter how hard you try. At that time, when you are able to grasp a straw, even if this straw can¡¯t save you, it will give you hope so that you won¡¯t despair.¡± She murmured, ¡°Lina is that straw to me.¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Back then in prison, Grace was alone. If Lina had not visited her frequently to encourage her, Grace might not have walked out of prison alive. There were days¡­too many of them when she¡¯d contemted ending it all. It was Lina who had been giving her support over the past three tough years. ¡°The life-saving straw¡­?¡± Jason¡¯s eyes glittered. Lina seemed to hold a special ce in Grace¡¯s heart. Jason asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you find it funny to treat a person as such a lifesaver? What if they abandon you, won¡¯t you feel despair?¡± ¡°Lina would not do that,¡± Grace replied confidently, showing her absolute trust in Lina. Jason had no idea why he felt uneasy. Over the next few days, Grace¡¯s workload increased tremendously, as the management staff from Sanitation Service Center would being over for inspection. Most days, she had to work overtime. Fortunately, when she went home, Jay would have prepared dinner and he¡¯d be there, a steady, calming presence waiting for her, and that warmed her heart. She had told Jay before to go ahead and eat. He shouldn¡¯t have to suffer just because she would return homete. However, he insisted on waiting for her so they could eat dinner together. Early in the morning, after cleaning the streets that she was assigned to, Grace returned to the Sanitation Service Center. After putting away her tools, she stood on thewn in front of the entrance. After a while, the inspectors from the Urban Management Bureau arrived. Everyone who was in charge of sweeping the streets stood on thewn to wee the inspectors, making it convenient for reporting. Grace¡¯s skinny body stood out among the group of middle-aged women. ¡°You¡¯re Grace!¡± When the inspectors reached the Sanitation Service Center, a woman of about 28 years old shouted out when she saw Grace. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Grace lifted her head. The woman in the light-blue suit had her hair up in a bun. Her face was round and her eyes narrow. She was ordinary, but her makeup made her look good. Grace was stunned for a while before she recognized her high school ssmate, Mia Jenkins. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Mia looked at Grace in amazement as she asked, ¡°Why are you here? Are you now¡­ a sanitation worker?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m working here,¡± Grace replied. She didn¡¯t look away from Mia¡¯s gaze. After all, it was unavoidable for one to meet their old friends. No matter how embarrassing that would be, she had to face it. ¡°Mia, do you know each other?¡± her colleague who hade along with her asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. Back then, Grace was the prettiest girl in the ss and our valedictorian! She always topped in ss. Many guys in our ss liked her and but Grace was always focused on her education.¡± Mia deliberately praised Grace to the skies. The more she did that, the more it showed the contrast to Grace¡¯s current situation. As expected, the colleague frowned,menting, ¡°Was she the prettiest girl in the ss? You must be kidding!¡± Mia smiled faintly, and Grace tensed. She wasn¡¯t ignorant of the undercurrents here. Back then in ss, a lot of students were envious of her. ¡°Oh yes,¡± Mia said. ¡°Our Grace was quite the swan.¡± Right. And the ugly duckling was now the supervisor, while the swan was sweeping the streets. When Grace¡¯s colleagues heard what Mia Jenkins had said, they turned to look at Grace with different expressions on their faces. Some looked surprised, some looked at her with sympathy, and some The following day, after Grace had finished sweeping and went back to return the tools, a girl in the Supply Department asked her curiously, ¡°Grace, everyone overheard Miss Perkins yesterday. Is it true what she said, about you being the prettiest and smartest?¡± Grace didn¡¯t reply. Farah Steele, another woman from the Sanitation Department, snorted. ¡°What¡¯s the use of being the prettiest girl in the ss or being super smart? Obviously, that couldn¡¯t be true¡ªor she wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± The girl who had asked Grace the question looked at Grace with embarrassment, but Grace merely lowered her head. After she had signed her name on the logistics record book, she turned to leave. ire caught up with her and patted her on the shoulder. ¡±Don¡¯t take Farah¡¯s words to heart. She¡¯s venting her anger on you because she likes Chase from the fleet.¡± Grace looked puzzled, as she had no idea who ire was referring to and what Chase had to do with her. ¡°Chase is one of our drivers and he seems interested in you. He always greets you,¡± ire exined. She was truly concerned about Grace as she said, ¡°Chase is a nice guy, and the Center has ns for him. His parents have also bought him a house for his marriage. You may wish to consider epting him.¡± Grace shook her head as she replied, ¡°No thanks. I have no intentions of getting into a rtionship.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already twenty-seven years old. As a woman gets older, it will be more difficult to find a partner.¡± ¡°In that case, I shall remain single,¡± Grace replied. After she came out of prison, she no longer harbored any hope of love or marriage. Back then, Sean had made several promises to her. He¡¯d promised to love and cherish her, to protect her forever. And she saw how well that had yed out. Her ¡®true love¡¯ had watched as each of her ten fingernails was ripped out. As the bones in her hands were stomped and broken. He had been the one to order the abuse. ¡°No, thank you, ire. I¡¯m not looking for love. Or a rtionship. I¡¯m fine, but thank you for suggesting it.¡± ire pursed her lips. ¡°How is your ankle?¡± ¡°Much better,¡± Grace replied absently. ire shook her head. ¡°It could be amputated, and you¡¯d say the same thing.¡± One corner of Grace¡¯s mouth tipped up. ¡°Comining doesn¡¯t change things.¡± ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re right about that, I suppose.¡± ire tugged her down a hallway. ¡°Hey, all joking aside¡­give yourself a chance, Grace. The past is in the past. You have paid enough for it. You deserve happiness, more than anyone.¡± Grace patted her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a good person.¡± Huh. It seemed she had a few good people in her life these days¡ªLina, ire. Jay. Her heartbeat elerated. Jay knew her past. Her failings. He didn¡¯t judge her for it. He wasn¡¯t boyfriend material, either, seeing as how they were in agreement about being the family neither of them had. As a brother¡­ it was enough. But relegating him to that role did send a little pang of longing through her chest. ¡°I¡¯m blessed, ire. And happy with what I have. Wishing and hoping for more¡­that¡¯s the surest way to be discontent.¡± ire rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine. Fine. You win. I can¡¯tpete with all your zen sh*t.¡± She tightened her ponytail. ¡°You¡¯re a disgustingly positive influence, you know that.¡± Graceughed. There was apliment in there, somewhere. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± On payday, Grace took Jay to the market to get a mobile phone. ¡°It¡¯s fine that I don¡¯t have a mobile phone,¡± Jason said. He had not expected Grace to get him one. ¡°Nowadays, everyone has a phone. It will be more convenient forpanies to contact you when you apply for jobs. You can¡¯t be distributing pamphlets all your life,¡± Grace said. ¡°Moreover, if you have a mobile phone, it will be more convenient for us to inform each other if we would be homete.¡± The two of them arrived at a stall in the market that sold mobile phones. There were different models, but Grace could only afford the older ones. She had checked on the Inte and selected a few models. She indicated the ones she¡¯d researched. ¡°They¡¯re not as fancy as the newer ones, but they still have wifi and most of the bells and whistles, so ¡­¡± She blushed. ¡°When I can earn more money, I will¡­¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°This model is good enough!¡± He cut her off. He lowered his head to take a serious look at the mobile phones. Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind them, saying, ¡°Oh, Grace!¡± Grace lifted her head and saw Mia Jenkins and another woman walking toward them. They were out shopping. When they came near, Grace saw that the other woman was another of her high school ssmates, Maria. ¡°What a coincidence seeing you here! Is that your boyfriend?¡± Mia asked as she sized up Jay, who was standing beside Grace. When Maria saw that Grace did not respond, she said, ¡°Hey, Mia, don¡¯t spout nonsense. I heard that Grace has a rich boyfriend. This guy doesn¡¯t dress like a rich guy. What a cheap set of clothes!¡± Wow. That was horribly rude. Grace snuck a nce at Jay, but his expression was nd. Anyone watching would think he was oblivious to her ssmate¡¯s cattyments. Maria raised her brows. ¡°Oh! Are you feeling awkward? I forgot that your boyfriend already has a new girlfriend and they will be getting engaged soon. Over the past few days, the papers were reporting on the engagement between Sean and Lilly. They are well-matched in social and economic status! By the way, does your new boyfriend know that you¡¯re sweeping the streets?¡± Sigh. ¡°Why did you say that?¡± Miamented. Mia wasn¡¯t stupid. There were privacyws and the gossiping she was engaging in with Maria could get her tangled up at work. If Grace bothered to report it. If the higher-ups cared to write up her supervisor. If they wanted to take the word of an ex-con. ¡°What I¡¯ve said is true. Didn¡¯t you say that she is currently working in the Sanitation Service Center?!¡± Maria said arrogantly. Grace looked coldly at Maria. Since Maria was out to humiliate her, she would ignore her, lest she bes more aggressive. She wasn¡¯t even angry for herself but for the cruelty toward Jay. Making fun of a man¡¯s clothes¡­ how petty was that? Grace turned her head away from the woman and asked, ¡°Jay, which model do you prefer?¡± ¡°This one,¡± he replied after choosing one of the mobile phones. Grace told the cashier to ring it up and get a new unit for her. ¡°Go and sign up for a number,¡± Grace said. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get it done tomorrow when I pass by the service provider,¡± Jason replied. The two of them spoke as though they were the only ones around, disregarding Mia and Maria. Mia was not agitated, but Maria was fuming with anger. She was insulting Grace, but she felt as though she was the one being humiliated! When Maria saw Grace taking out her mobile phone to make the payment, she taunted, ¡°What? Do you have to pay for the mobile phone? Grace, are you spending money on a gigolo? However, you don¡¯t earn much by sweeping the streets. That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting such a cheap mobile phone.¡± As Maria was talking, she was looking at Jay. She felt that Jay was good-looking. Although his hair was longer on top and shadowed his features a bit, there was no disputing his perfect mouth or jaw, or those dark eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be with her. Why don¡¯t you break up with her? I can get you a better mobile phone if you break up with her. You can choose any of the mobile phones in this market,¡± Maria said. Maria¡¯s family owned a small business. Although she was not as wealthy as those influential people or the billionaire families in the city, she was richer than ordinary people. Jason pursed his lips as he stared at Maria. Maria reckoned that Jason was tempted and she continued saying, ¡°What do you think of my suggestion? If you break up with her, we can be friends. I can take you for a spin in my BMW and introduce you to some of my friends in the film and television circle. Given your looks, you will have no problem bing a star.¡± Maria became more excited as she spoke. It would be the ultimate payback, to take this man away from Grace and see him shine. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in bing a star. As for your BMW, take good care of it,¡± Jason replied casually. Maria felt insulted as she said, ¡°Do you know who I am? I can make you¡­¡± ¡°Oh? What can you do to me?¡± Jason asked as he looked at her coldly. Suddenly, Maria felt a chill traipse up her spine. Jason ignored the two women. After Grace had made the payment, she and Jay walked away with the mobile phone that they had just purchased. Mia tugged at Maria, asking, ¡°Are you doing all right?¡± Maria bit her lip and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± But she felt threatened by that man. Their gaze from him seemed to be telling her that he was superior and he could crush her at any time. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d had the upper hand the entire time, and now¡­she felt like she¡¯d made some grave mistake. However, that man was some loser, dating an ex-con and wearing a cheap set of clothes! She brushed the thoughts away. The man was beneath her. And that b*tch Grace¡­ she was finally T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. getting what she deserved. Mia pulled Maria along with her to shop and eat. After a while, when the two of them were at the car park outside the market, Maria received a text message. At the same time, a man in a ck suit walked over to her, saying amicably, ¡°Are you Miss Martin? We have transferred 85,000 dors to your ount, which is based on the depreciation value of your new car. I believe that you have received the money.¡± Maria was stunned. The man had to be referring to the 85k that she had just received in the text message. The man turned around and lifted his hand to make a gesture. Suddenly, a few men in ck suits started to smash Maria¡¯s BMW with hammers. Maria and Mia were shocked. Maria screamed, ¡°What are you doing? Call the police. I¡¯m making a police report!¡± ¡°Miss Martin, you¡¯ve received the money, thus this car no longer belongs to you. I have the right to smash it!¡± The man smiled. ¡°No. I have no intention to sell my car. You can¡¯t smash my car!¡± Maria wanted to stop them, but the few men ignored her and continued to smash the car. Within a short while, the beautiful car looked like a scrapper. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Maria was so angry that she started to shiver. She almost lost the grip of her phone. ¡°If Miss Martin wishes to make a police report, you may go ahead. However, I have records of our transaction.¡± The man continued saying, ¡°What can one do? My boss doesn¡¯t like your car. Miss Martin, please get a more pleasant-looking car in the future, lest it gets smashed again.¡± After saying that, the man and the few men who had demolished her Beamer left. Many people crowded around to watch the scene. When Maria turned her head, she saw that Grace and the man by the name of Jay were looking in her direction not far away from her. Maria felt rage beat at her heart, and she almost exploded. She had just unted her new car to them, but in the next instant, the car was smashed before their very eyes. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Maria was angered and humiliated. Her hands fisted at her sides and she shook with the force of her outrage. She immediately turned to leave with Mia following her. That was pping her in the face. Grace felt as if she were watching a show. The minute she stepped out of the market, she saw a few people smashing a car that seemed to belong to Maria. ¡°What happened? Has she offended someone and that person is taking revenge?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Who knows?¡± Jason replied as his eyes glittered. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s none of our business.¡± Grace took Jason¡¯s arm and walked to the bus stop. Suddenly, Jason stopped walking. Grace turned to look at him and saw that he looked pale. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Grace asked, looking worried. ¡°Jay, are you okay?¡± ¡°N-nothing,¡± Jason stuttered. He shook his head as if to clear it. ¡°You look like you saw a ghost.¡± His gaze cut swiftly to her. The woman who stepped off the bus and disappeared into the market crowd¡­she¡¯d looked too much like the woman who¡¯d deserted her husband and son. Surely, he was mistaken. *** Grace frowned at him as they got ready for bed. She didn¡¯t pry and he credited her for holding her tongue. ¡°Thank you for the phone,¡± he said and forced a smile for her benefit. Her smile wobbled a bit, but she nodded. It was obvious she was worried about him. But he was fine. As the lights dimmed, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He could mark the exact moment that Grace drifted to sleep. Her breathing evened out and she inhaled less frequently. Sleep evaded him for a while, as bits and jagged pieces of memories floated through his psyche. His father sat him down in the library and told him, ¡®Jason, don¡¯t follow in my footsteps. Even if you were to fall for a woman, don¡¯t love her wholeheartedly.¡¯ Later on one of his birthdays, Dad said, ¡®The most unreliable thing in this world is love. When she no longer loves you, it will be useless even if you were to kneel before her.¡¯ Then he was in the living room. ¡°Jason, one day, when you fall in love, you will realize that someone in this world has the power to control your emotions. She could make you live or d*e. However, if possible, Dad hopes that you will never get to experience that.¡± Jason blinked and tried to make sense of his surroundings. It was the mansion but the wall color was different and there was a crib. Was this some nursery? ¡°Stop saying these things to me. Don¡¯t stay here! It¡¯s cold¡­ it¡¯s so cold¡­ Don¡¯t stay here¡­ if you continue to stay here¡­ you will freeze to death!¡± The dark-haired woman stormed out the door and he followed. He had to catch her. He couldn¡¯t let her leave. ¡°Jason, I¡¯m leaving. I don¡¯t want to hear your father telling me how much he loves me and is yet unable to give me the kind of life I want! I¡¯ve already done my best.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that, who¡¯s talking to me now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­go¡­¡± Who¡¯s that talking about now? Oh, it¡¯s him. He¡¯s begging the woman. If she leaves, my father would¡­ T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t go!¡± Jason struggled to catch hold of her, but it was like trying to catch the breeze. The surrounding area became darker and he was about to drown. He felt so terrible that he found it difficult to breathe. He struggled to grab hold of something, even if it was only a straw! Suddenly, he caught hold of something warm. A gentle voice rang beside his ears. ¡±Jay, Jay, I¡¯m not leaving, I¡¯m not leaving. Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid!¡± ¡°This voice¡­ Sister. Grace, the woman who has asked me to address her as Sister!¡± The minute Jason opened his eyes, he saw a pretty face. Her dark eyes were full of anxiety, her pink lips opening and closing as if she were talking. She was telling him not to be afraid! He swallowed hard and then nodded. When Grace saw that Jay had awakened, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡±Jay, what happened? Did you have a nightmare?¡± Jason frowned. He had not had that dream for some time. It¡¯d been years, actually. ¡°Yeah, I had a nightmare.¡± Jason realized he was holding Grace¡¯s hand tightly as though she was his lifeline. What was that nonsense she¡¯d talked about straws and lifesavers? He¡¯d thought it so s*lly when she¡¯d said it, but there was no discounting that her presence brought him peace. In his dream, while he was about to drown, he had caught hold of something¡­ her hand? And it had saved him. Jason immediately let go of her and the warmth he¡¯d felt disappeared. A dull ache spread in the pit of his stomach. He curled up on his side. When Grace saw him move, she became concerned again. ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He tried to suppress the pain. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ stomach cramps. I¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡± ¡°Does the paine because of the nightmare?¡± When Jason was young, he would suffer from severe stomach cramps whenever he tried to suppress his emotions. But that had been the reaction of a child, a boy too young to process his grief and forbidden to talk about it. As an adult, he¡¯d not experienced a physical reaction like this. It was as if someone had reached into his abdomen and was twisting his organs out of alignment. Grace poured a ss of warm water and helped Jason to sit up. He managed to take a few sips. Grace looked worried. She suddenly stood up, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while!¡± Before she left, she covered him with a nket, afraid that he would feel cold and that would worsen his pain. The door clicked as it closed. The sound of footsteps outside the house became distant. Jason was left alone. On the one hand, he was d that she wasn¡¯t here to witness his pain. He could bear it, and he would, and it was better that there was no audience for his weakness. But part of him also felt saddened by her departure. Like she, too, was abandoning him. He continued to sh*t his eyes, waiting for the pain to abate. The loneliness was familiar. Ever since his father passed away, Jason had been taken back to the Reed family. Although he had a grandfather and many servants around him, he still felt alone. After some time, the door opened. Jason heard a familiar voice gasp for air before saying, ¡°Jay, I¡¯ve bought medicine for you.¡± Jason opened his eyes and saw her panting. Her hair was in a mess, and it was obvious she¡¯d been running. Her pretty face looked worried. She had a cute nose and slightly red lips. Although Jason had seen many women more beautiful than Grace, at that instant, he couldn¡¯t shift his gaze away from her. He felt as though there wasn¡¯t another person in this world for him. ¡­ Grace poured another ss of lukewarm water and took out two tablets, ording to the prescription. She helped Jay sit up and watched as he swallowed the pills and washed them down. ¡°If you still feel terrible, sh*t your eyes and try to sleep,¡± Grace said. ¡°If you¡¯re not well in a few hours, I¡¯m taking you to the ER.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯ll pass,¡± he said. She wrung her hands together, obviously not so sure. ¡°Come up onto the bed,¡± she said. And she guided him toy out and rest his head on her pillow. The sheets and pillow smelled like her. Clean soap and a hint of citrus. She smelled like summer. As she was about to turn around, Jay suddenly caught hold of her hand. ¡°What is it? Should I call an ambnce now?¡± Grace asked. He was in a daze as he looked at her. He had caught hold of her hand unconsciously, as he didn¡¯t want her to leave him. After some time, Jay said, ¡°Just¡­ stay with me.¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll stay with you. You¡¯re not well, why would I leave?! I¡¯lly right here beside you on the floor. Just say the word and I can get you anything you need.¡± ¡°This bed can hold two people. Come and lie beside me.¡± Even he was unaware of the longing look on his face. Grace bit her lip and hesitated for a while before nodding. ¡°All right.¡± She lifted up the quilt on the floor andy down beside him. She was astonished that she had agreed to sleep beside a man. His scent enveloped her and his body radiated heat. Not like a fever, just a warm, healthy body. ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t take you to the hospital?¡± She didn¡¯t think he had insurance, but she could go on a payment n. The cost was irrelevant, the only thing that mattered was his well-being. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay,¡± he assured her. ¡°Just stay with me.¡± She held his hand and shifted on her side so she could hold one arm over his body in a loose hug. It was a novel feeling tofort this man, and for her, it brought into acute awareness how long she¡¯d denied herself anyfort or any connection to another human being. Sure, she had her friends, and she loved them. But this¡­ this involved trust, and connecting to someone new. After all that she¡¯d been through, she was d she hadn¡¯t lost all of her humanity. She switched off the light and then it was just the two of them, holding each other and quietly breathing. ¡°Sister, will you stay with me forever?¡± Jay asked softly ¡°Of course! In the future, when you get married and have a family, I¡¯ll still keep youpany.¡± Bonds could be forged that were stronger than blood. Hadn¡¯t she learned that? While her own father and half- sister had forsaken her, Jason had shown that he would be there for her. And she would be there for him. Jason slowly shut his eyes. He felt assured by her voice and the pain gradually lessened. ¡°Get married¡­?¡± he mumbled. Ever since the death of his fiancee, Jason had never thought of getting married. However, Grace was already thinking about that. ¡°Sister, do you mean what you said?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. He made a small sound and then allowed himself to fall asleep. Early in the morning, when Grace awoke, she lifted her hand to touch Jay¡¯s face and forehead. No fever. And his body had stretched out during the night, which made her think that the pain in his stomach must have lessened. He looked peaceful and handsome. His strong, big body took up most of the bed, and though she¡¯d tried to roll away from him to give him more room, even in his sleep, he¡¯d pull her close again. She edged away now, hoping to let him sleep a while longer. ¡°Morning.¡±Grace believed that he was no longer in pain. ¡°Sorry, I woke you up,¡± Grace said. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Rest a little longer.¡± As Grace spoke, she hurried off to wash up and get changed. She set a pot of soup in the slow cooker and set out the medicine on the counter. ¡°Try to eat something. And please don¡¯t forget to take your medicine. You have to take it three times a day.¡± After Grace had given the instructions, she hastily left. Once again, Jason was left alone in the small apartment. He buried his face in the spot where she hadin. He could still smell her, and feel the residual heat of her body on the quilt. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. This woman continued to care for him and asked for nothing in return. Only his friendship and He breathed her scent again and his thoughts turned to darker things. *** Terrence saw his boss holding a cheap mobile phone. It was an old model, and it wasn¡¯t to his boss¡¯s usual taste. However, Mr. Reed instructed him to go and get a SIM card. So he did. Terrence was surprised. But he didn¡¯t question his boss¡¯s request. He procured the SIM card in no time and handed it over. After his boss slotted the SIM card into the mobile phone, he sent a text message. Shortly, the text message alert tone resounded, and his boss, who usually looked cold, smiled after reading the message. Terrence blinked his eyes in disbelief. He nced at the sender of the text message from the corner of his eyes and saw the name stated as Sister. Sister? Mr. Reed was an only child. Could Grace be the ¡®sister¡¯ whom Mr. Reed was referring to? In the afternoon, the top management of the Reed Group conducted its quarterly financial meeting. When everybody was listening attentively to the report, Jason¡¯s mobile phone suddenly rang. Everyone saw Jason take out a cheap, old-model mobile phone and answer the call. He put the phone up to his ear and listened to the person speaking on the other end. ¡°All right, got it. I will remember to eat,¡± Jason said. The top management was even more surprised than Terrence, by the way, their boss sounded so gentle over the phone. ¡°Who is the boss talking to?¡± William Sharf asked him. Terrence pretended not to hear the question. After the call ended, Jason suddenly stood up and said, ¡°I need to go out for a while. Carry on with the meeting.¡± After saying that, he walked out of the conference room, leaving the top management astounded. All of them then looked at Terrence. ¡°Secretary Klein, what happened? Who called the President earlier¡­?¡± Terrence smiled awkwardly. When the President answered the call, he was sitting close to him, so he heard the words ¡°take medicine¡± on the other end of the line. Terrence recalled seeing the bottle of medicine on the President¡¯s desk, and he reckoned that Mr. Reed had gone to take the medicine after receiving the call. Terrence found it unbelievable. Mr. Reed went to take medicine upon receiving Grace¡¯s call. In the past, Jason wouldn¡¯t have taken medicine unless he was in great pain. And even then, it would be because he felt like it, not because someone told him to. ¡°This is the President¡¯s private matter,¡± Terrence said. ¡°Let¡¯s continue with the meeting.¡± Terrence nodded at the other board members and adhered to the schedule for the duration of the meeting. Across town, Grace put away her mobile phone and continued to sweep the rubbish on the streets with ire. ire caught her smile and asked, ¡°Who did you call?¡± ¡°My younger brother,¡± Grace replied. ¡°You have a brother?¡± ire asked in amazement. ¡°I never heard you mention it before.¡± Grace merely smiled. After Grace and ire finished sweeping, they went back to the Sanitation building. A number of women were staring at the television on the wall, catching the news. It was official, the Stevens and Atkinson families would be united. It was hot celebrity gossip and her coworkers were eating it up. A picture shed of the beautiful couple. Lily held out her hand, showing off a ginormous pink diamond ring. ¡°¡­ the six-carat pink diamond ring is exceptionally rare and of the highest quality. The diamond costs around 10,000,000¡­¡± ¡°Lily is a winner,¡± one of the women said as she stowed her tools. ¡°Lucky girl. Not only is she pretty and rich, but her husband is handsome and wealthy.¡± Grace pursed her lips. Yes, they were both attractive and wealthy. But they¡¯d ordered her torture and had stood by and watched as she¡¯d had her fingernails ripped out and bones were broken. They might be pretty on the outside. But inside, they were ugly. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Grace¡¯s body froze. Seeing Sean and Lily, and reliving those hours in the prison¡­ the pain, the terror. Not knowing if she¡¯d live or die. Her whole body shuddered. And that stupid ring¡­Sean had taken her to that jeweler and she¡¯d tried it on. He¡¯d been ready to buy it and she¡¯dughed and said it was too extravagant. She¡¯d told him to save his money. Her love didn¡¯t cost anything. ¡°Grace¡­ are you going home?¡± a man¡¯s quiet voice asked. Grace lifted her head and saw a man about thirty years old smiling shyly at her. He had short hair and wore the uniform of the Fleet. She recalled that this was Chase, from the Sanitation Service Center¡¯s Fleet. ¡°Yes,¡± Grace replied. ¡°I¡¯m free. Let me take you home,¡± Chase said. His light eyes crinkled at the corners. He looked kind. A little bashful even. Grace remembered ire telling her that Chase was interested in her. That was sweet, but she had no intention of getting into a rtionship. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Grace turned him down. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I have a car. It¡¯s no trouble to give you a ride home,¡± Chase said as he made a second attempt. ¡°Huh! Your car is too cheap. This is Grace Cummins-she only wants to sit in a luxury car. If you could buy her a six-carat diamond ring, maybe then she¡¯d let you drive her around,¡± Farah said. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Grace sighed. She was not interested in Chase, but she had wanted to let him down gently. Chase¡¯s face immediately turned red, not knowing what to say. Grace nced at Farahand said, ¡°I think perhaps that¡¯s your dream. Because you only care about material things. Or maybe I have it wrong, and you¡¯ll go home with anyone who asks you?¡± Farrah sucked in a breath. ¡°You-you¡­¡± Farahwas rendered speechless and she settled for ring at Grace. Grace turned to Chase. ¡°Thank you for the offer. You¡¯re very kind. However, I live nearby and I¡¯m used to walking home.¡± She left quickly after that, wanting to avoid a scene. On the way home, Grace bought some lean meat and vegetables. She¡¯d never been one to enjoy cooking and had viewed it more. as a necessity, but having someone to cook for¡­ mealtimes had more significance now, and she took more care with her recipes. After she returned to the apartment and started cooking, she settled into afortable routine. When Jay arrived as she was finishing up, she smiled. ¡°Perfect timing.¡± He grunted and removed his shoes and hung up his coat. Then he came beside her to wash his hands. His nearness had the oddest effect on Grace. It both settled and excited her. But she knew not to let her thoughts turn in such a direction. This was her friend, her brother¡¯ and she¡¯d be wise to remember that. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. But please continue to take the medicine for another few days. I¡¯d hate to see that pain re up again.¡± He nodded. ¡°Maybe you can look for another job. Something more stable so you can eat your three meals on time.¡± Grace continued, ¡°Shall I help you check on the Inte to see if there are any suitable jobs for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I will look around,¡± Jason said. ¡°If you want me to get a stable job, I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°Wonderful!¡± Grace lifted her hand and touched Jay¡¯s head, smiling happily. She was really taking this sisterly role seriously. Jason wanted tough. But he knew that would hurt her feelings, so he turned his head so she wouldn¡¯t see him smiling. What would Grace say if she learned that he was the President of one of the wealthiest corporations in the city? That his job earned him revenues that rivaled some countries¡¯ GDPs. He had money, power, and privilege. As the head of Reed Group, there was nothing denied to him. He had everything that he had wished for, but he wasn¡¯t content. There was something that he desired. He desired¡­ his gaze fixed on the person standing before him¡­ Grace¡¯s mobile phone suddenly rang. She moved her away to pick up the call. When Grace answered the phone, a stumbling voice was heard on the other end of the line. ¡°Is this Grace? This is Chase. re gave me your number. I just, uh, would like to¡­ tell you not to take to heart what Farah said. I know you¡¯re not a materialistic girl. Although I¡¯m driving a domestic car, I¡¯ll work hard and get a better car in the future!¡± Before Grace could reply, Chase had ended the call. Grace looked at her phone, appearing troubled. ¡°Who called you?¡± he asked. His tone was sharper than he intended. ¡°A colleague from the Sanitation Service Center,¡± Grace replied as she put down the phone and resumed ting their dinner. Jason nced at the phone and asked, ¡°A male colleague?¡± Although she had not put the call on speaker, he could hear the voice clearly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Does he like you?¡± Jason frowned. ¡°Maybe,¡± she replied. ¡°What about you? Do you like him?¡± Grace shrugged. ¡°If he finds out that I¡¯ve been to prison before, he will stay away from me. So it¡¯s not important whether I like him or not.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with you being in prison before? If he truly likes you, he will not mind that,¡± Jason said. Grace smiled bitterly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not so sure. Many people might not mind such things. Until¡­they do. Love is not so ¡®true¡¯ as the movies make it out to be.¡± Jason tilted his head. ¡°What if that guy epts that you were imprisoned before? Would you like him then,¡± Jason asked. Grace was stunned-was she open to a new rtionship or the possibility of one, even? She wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°If someone is willing to ept me, knowing that I¡¯m an ex-convict¡­I suppose, maybe.¡± Jason looked unhappy. ¡°Would you like him?¡± He was determined to get an answer from her. ¡°No,¡± Grace replied, ¡°I¡¯d treat him like any other colleague.¡± Moreover, she had no desire to get into a rtionship. When Jason heard what she had said, he smiled. ¡°In that case, continue to treat him like any other colleague.¡± His smile deepened as he asked, ¡°Do you like me, Sister?¡± ¡°I like you,¡± Grace replied without hesitation. ¡°I like you too. I like you very much,¡± Jason said. It had been ages since he hadst found someone who could interest him. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 After the inspection from the Urban Management Bureau ended, Mia told Grace. ¡°We¡¯re having a reunion with our high school ssmates this weekend. Come and join us.¡± ¡°A gathering?¡± Graceughed. Given her current condition, she would be mocked if she were to go. No doubt, that was exactly what Mia intended. ¡°You¡¯re so kind to think of me,¡± she said. ¡°But, no. I¡¯m not free, and I won¡¯t be going.¡± ¡°Ohe on, Grace. These events are impossible to pull together. It¡¯s a rarity. What is it you¡¯re busy with? Come and join us!¡± Mia tried to persuade her. Did Mia think that Grace was born yesterday? This woman had been rude, spiteful, and petty. She could just imagine how a ¡®reunion¡¯ would y out- with Mia, no doubt, telling everyone how Grace, former beauty and valedictorian, lost it all, went to jail, and was currently working in Sanitation. Nope. Not happening. ¡°I need to work over the weekend. Do you really think that weekends would be rest days for me given the scope of my job?¡± Grace asked. Mia was speechless when she heard that. Indeed, she had forgotten. ¡°However¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m clearing the rubbish. Let¡¯s talk another time.¡± Before Mia could finish her statement, Grace turned to leave. She was not stupid. And, seriously, Mia was so obvious. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. Tomorrow is a new day. Grace repeated her mantra and pushed the negative thoughts from her mind. She couldn¡¯t control the mean or shallow people around her, but she could control herself. And she could choose to meet experience with positivity. Two dayster, the Vice Director instructed her to send a document over to someone from the Urban Management Bureau, only problem was it was the weekend, and the Management Bureau representatives were at a country club luncheon. Ordinary sanitation workers were not allowed to enter such a ce, and more than one employee at the prestigious club tried to intercept her as she entered the lobby. Grace caught the odd stares of other wealthy people, their looks saying clearly, ¡®what is SHE doing in here!?¡¯ Like she was some other species or something. Grace had been to this particr club many times before for dinners and charity events. Sean belonged to this particr country club. One of the staff nodded to her. ¡°We¡¯re expecting you,¡± he said. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The sooner she could hand off this paperwork, the better. Then she could leave. The staff member led her down one hallway and into another. Then he opened the door to a ballroom. Many people were inside. When Grace stepped in, she heard a familiar voice, saying, ¡°Look who¡¯s here!¡± Grace saw Mia Jenkins, Maria, and some of her high school ssmates. ¡°There you are, Grace!¡± Mia called out loudly. Grace knew immediately that Mia had deliberately made this arrangement. As she was from the Urban Management Bureau, the supervisors would be eager to get on her good side. As long as Mia wanted a document and specified the person she wanted to bring it to her, the Vice Director would ede to her request. ¡°See! I didn¡¯t lie to you. The prettiest girl in our ss has be a sanitation worker!¡± Maria said, looking snobbish. Grace¡¯s uniformpletely stood out from the ssy attire of the rest of the people in the private room. ¡°Is this our beautiful super schr? You were imprisoned for three years and I almost couldn¡¯t recognize you.¡± Greg looked down his long nose at her. ¡°Aw, what¡¯s wrong, Sean didn¡¯t want to dote on you anymore after you killed his sister?¡± Between the mention of Sean, the horrible ident that ended Jennifer¡¯s life, and seeing this man in front of her, Grace froze. The pain of so many memories mmed into her like a flood. Greg smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not so high and mighty now, are you?¡± Grace stepped back instinctively. Greg had been a rich and entitled jerk back then and he didn¡¯t appear to have matured at all. She¡¯d been cornered by him at a charity auction when she¡¯d gone outside for a bit of fresh air. Greg grabbed her arm and assaulted her. If Sean hadn¡¯te out to find her, she knew it would¡¯ve been worse. Sean had taught him a lesson that day. But there was no one here to protect her now. Greg fingered a small scar near the corner of his eye. ¡°Your ex is untouchable¡­ but you aren¡¯t. And I still owe you for what he did to me.¡± Mia and Maria¡¯s eyes were glittering like this was the greatest show they¡¯d ever seen. Grace ignored Greg. She walked a few feet over to Mia and handed the paperwork over to her, saying, ¡°This is the document you asked for.¡± Mia smiled. After taking the document, she said, ¡°Grace, sorry you had to make the trip.¡± Sure, she was. From the way Mia grinned, this had been better than Christmas. Grace turned around and was about to leave the room when Greg caught hold of her arm. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? This is our reunion. Let¡¯s catch up.¡± After saying that, he took a ss of red wine and put it to Grace¡¯s lips. ¡°Come on, drink up. Back then, you were convicted of driving under the influence. Don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t drink!¡± Grace refused to open her mouth. She turned her head and pushed him away. Greg lost his bnce and spilled the red wine down his shirt. He became angry and gave Grace one tight p in the face, shouting, ¡°Ugh! Do you think you¡¯re still Sean¡¯s girlfriend? You¡¯re an ex-con and a sanitation worker. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± As Greg was shouting, he took up the bottle of red wine beside him and poured it over Grace¡¯s head. The cold wine soaked her body, embarrassing her. What chilled her more were the looks her other ssmates gave her. They shook their heads and cringed, but no one called Greg to stop. No one tried to help her escape. Mariaughed openly. Mia smiled, saying, ¡°Grace, apologize to Greg quickly. He may forgive you.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± Grace found the idea ridiculous. She was humiliated and assaulted, but she was expected to apologize to Greg. No. That wasn¡¯t happening. She might be the butt of their jokes and she might have to deal with being looked down upon for the rest of her life, but she still had her dignity. Grace pursed her lips. ¡°No.¡± Greg only became more infuriated. ¡°Grace, do you think that you¡¯re still Sean¡¯s girlfriend? I¡¯m giving you a chance to apologize to me. Even if I raped you right here, no one would stand up for you!¡± A bell sounded, signaling the meal, and Grace was horrified as the other guests filed out of the room, ignoring her plight entirely. Greg grabbed Grace by the shirtfront and sent her flying. She hit the ground hard and her shirt tore open, revealing her skin. ¡°No!¡± Grace screamed as he advanced on her. However, none of her ssmates spoke for her, let alone stood up for her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her skin?¡± Maria asked. ¡°Probably from the ident,¡± Mia replied. No. Her pale flesh was because she hadn¡¯t been exposed to any sunlight during her three years of imprisonment, making her fairer than anyone. And the scars¡­ they weren¡¯t from the car ident, but from the beatings and abuses she endured while imprisoned. Some of the scars had not faded away, and they were hideous. Grace struggled to stand up, and though she pushed to her knees, her hand remained anchored to the ground. What the- Maria was stepping on her right hand with her high heels. ¡°Grace,¡± she said dramatically. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to leave? You have not yet apologized to Gregory,¡± Maria said. She looked as if she couldn¡¯t wait to see Grace in a more pathetic state as she twisted her heel and stepped down harder. The pain in Grace¡¯s hand reminded her of her prison days when her finger bones had been broken inch by agonizing inch. Back then, Grace had been unable to defend herself and was forced to ept the treatment. However, Grace wasn¡¯t constrained now, and she wasn¡¯t going down without a fight. She used all of her might to push Maria¡¯s foot away from her right hand. Then she lunged to her feet and ran for the door. She wanted to get out of this ce. She had to get out! She held her torn clothes around herself and ran forward. However, a strong force came from behind her, catching her by her hair and yanking her backward. She screamed, feeling hair ripped from her scalp and then she gasped as her body connected with the floor. ¡°Stop! Leave me alone!¡± But the doors to the room remained closed and no one came to help her. Greg twisted the hand he held in her hair. ¡°Are you trying to run away? Don¡¯t you know that my family is one of the shareholders of this club¡­ eh?¡± Greg paused as he made that statement. A momentter, Grace heard a familiar voice saying, ¡°Greg, what are you trying to do?¡± Grace froze-instantly. That¡¯s¡­ Sean¡¯s voice. Grace shivered. She had never expected to meet Sean again-let alone in such a sorry stale after getting out of prison. ¡°Why? Have you brought your fianc¨¦e here for a meal? What a coincidence. Your ex-girlfriend is here to have a meal with me too. However, your ex-girlfriend doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her and she has agitated me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sean replied neutrally. Greg rubbed at the scar near his brow. ¡°I¡¯m thinking I owe her from ourst time meeting.¡± As Greg spoke, he pulled Grace¡¯s hair, forcing her to lift her head to face Sean. Seeing him, after all, that had transpired, it was like a chasm of grief was boiling up to swallow her And there, besides Sean¡­ Lily Atkinson. The woman who¡¯d egged him on to break her bones. Who¡¯d stood beside him and goaded him to show no mercy. Seeing them, being at the mercy of Greg, was like a nightmare roaring to life. ¡°Let me go,¡± she demanded. Greg looked at Sean as if asking his permission. Sean shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re here for dinner,¡± he said. ¡°How you choose to¡­entertain¡­yourself is up to you, Greg. I have nothing to do with her.¡± Grace was cut to the heart. Although she had given up on Sean and had resented him for his harsh treatment, part of her had believed that he¡¯d been angry by the position her ident had put him in. She expected this of Lily, and could even think that Lily was blinded by her grief. But Sean? She¡¯d never given him reason to punish her like this. She had expected his indifference, but she saw now that he truly wanted her to suffer. Endlessly. And for what? To impress his new fiancee? ¡°You might want to take this outside,¡± Sean suggested. ¡°Y¡¯all have a good night.¡± He held out his arm and Lilly epted it. They paraded off like they hadn¡¯t a care in the world. Like he hadn¡¯t all but encouraged this man to rape her. ¡°No!¡± she screamed. ¡°No!¡± Greg started pulling her toward an artificial pond near the doors. ¡°I¡¯ll press charges!¡± she dered. ¡°There are witnesses.¡± Gregughed. ¡°You¡¯re an ex-con. And I own this club. Who do you think they¡¯ll believe?¡± Grace tried to stay calm but her heart was beating a hundred miles a minute. She dug in her heels knowing if he got her outside, he¡¯d overpower her. This couldn¡¯t be happening! She dug in her heels and cried out as her hair ripped again because she refused to stumble behind him. ¡°B*tch!¡± Greg eyed the pond and the next minute he took her and shoved her face beneath the water. Grace thrashed and choked and tried to hold her breath while fighting against his grip. As she started to lose consciousness, her head was dragged back up. She sucked in a giant gulp of air and then choked as the water in her lungs came rushing back up. Before she could catch her breath, she was shoved back down again. He was punishing her, she realized. Greg had lost face when Sean beat the sh*t out of him all those years ago. Greg had never gotten over it, and while he couldn¡¯t take on Sean because of his family, Grace was an easy target. Cold water gushed into Grace¡¯s mouth and nose, suffocating her. ¡°Grace, let¡¯s see who will save you now.¡± On the next reprieve, she dragged air into her lungs and blinked rapidly. Oh my god, Sean was still at the edge of the room. Near the grand staircase. And Lily was beside him. ¡°My love,¡± she said. ¡°Jay is waiting for us. Don¡¯t let him wait too long.¡± Lily¡¯s voice resounded in Grace¡¯s cars. ¡°All right,¡± Sean said, before turning his back on Grace withplete finality. Grace felt suffocated and she no longer had the strength to retaliate. Once, twice, the cold water covered her head, and no matter how she fought or rallied, there was no N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. escape. Would she die like this? Had she survived prison only to end up the victim of some spoiled heir¡¯s revenge? No one would save Grace. Even if she managed to survive, she would be half-dead. ¡°Enough! Bring that woman to me!¡± A voice suddenly resounded from the second floor. Grace blinked rapidly, but her vision was too blurry to see. But she knew that voice. Knew it intimately. ¡°Brother?¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Lily¡¯s face was full of incredulity. ¡°Is Jason¡­ going to see Grace?¡± Jason had attended her sister¡¯s funeral. Jennifer¡¯s fiancee¡¯ had not cried. Jason had been stoic as one would expect of his position. But she¡¯d thought it interesting that he could act so coldly. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder exactly what kind of matters would make this man¡¯s mood fluctuate. Now she was seeing anger on his handsome face which she had never seen before. Not even for her sister. But it was because of¡­ Grace?! The woman who was as insignificant as an ant?! The very woman who was responsible for her sister¡¯s- his fiancee¡¯s- ident and death!? She turned her head and looked at Sean next to her, but she saw the same disbelief in Sean¡¯s eyes. At this moment, Terrence who was standing beside Jason hurriedly leaned toward Jason and whispered something. * The sshing had stopped. It seemed even Greg was curious about what Jason Reed, CEO of Reed Group might say. Just at that moment, Jason¡¯s voice rang again. ¡°Forget it, you go down and deal with it. It¡¯s too noisy!¡± Terrence nodded. ¡°And Secretary Terrence,¡± Jason warned quietly. ¡°I expect you¡¯ll know how to handle this.¡± ¡°Of course, sir.¡± He nodded once more and left in a hurry. Grace felt as if she had heard Jay¡¯s voice just now, but¡­ Jay¡¯s voice had always been calm. It was never as angry as the man she¡¯d heard hollering Jay¡­ That cool, chiseled face that was as beautiful as an angel¡¯s shed across her mind. If she died, would Jay miss her? Would he be all right without her to look after him? Just when Grace felt that she was going to suffocate and pass out, the pressure on her neck suddenly lightened. She copsed to the ground, coughing and taking big gulps of air. Greg had been stopped by two uniformed security guards. He At the same time, a high-level manager of the club hurried over. ¡°Manager Wang, what are you saying? Tell them to let me go!¡± Greg shouted. ¡°I have shares in this ce and I demand you let me go! I will have you fired for this!¡± However, Manager Wang did not even look at Gregory. He walked directly to Grace and said N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. respectfully, ¡°Miss, you can leave now.¡± People from the reunion trickled in from the dining room as Greg was screaming and making a scene. Manager Wang reached for her elbow to assist her, but Grace jumped back reflexively. He frowned. ¡°Do you require assistance?¡± She shook her head no. ¡°Manager Wang, what the hell are you talking about? She is just a sanitation worker. I won¡¯t allow her to go. What right does she CC ¡°This is the order of Mr. Reed. He doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed,¡± Manager Wang said. The words ¡°Mr. Reed¡± immediately made Greg tremble all over. In this city, he was at the top of the hierarchy. The wealthiest. The most powerful. With his hand in everything. ¡°Mr. Reed?!¡± Greg pushed a hand through his hair. ¡°Are you nuts? Why would he stand up for this woman!? She¡¯s the one who killed Mr. Reed¡¯s fiancee!!!¡± However, Manager Wang did not offer further exnation. Even Grace, who was standing to the side, was stunned. It was so ironic. Grace adjusted her clothes, stood up awkwardly, and left in a hurry. She did not notice that there was a person on the second floor who had been staring at her. Watching her every move. Ensuring she made it to safety. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Jason stared at Grace¡¯s sorry figure. She was just a target in the game, but why¡­ why did he feel ufortable when he saw her being treated like this? It was because¡­ even if she was a target in their twisted games, he could not allow others to touch her. Even if he wanted to torture her, he was the only one who could do it. No one, no one else was allowed. This is what he told himself. After a while, he turned around and left. Sean who was standing not far away looked at Grace¡¯s back and a thoughtful look shed across his eyes. Lily, who was next to him, gnashed her teeth in anger. ¡°Grace is really lucky. Greg, that idiot, can¡¯t he be less ostentatious? He just had to disturb Jay!¡± Sean shrugged, but his gaze remained on Grace. Terrence greeted Manager Wang. Terrence stared at Greg as if he was looking at a dead man. They were all the same, these wealthy young men. Too much money, too little control. Always someone to clean up their messes. But Gregory, he had gone too far today. And the foolish man was about to pay the price for provoking someone under Mr. Reed¡¯s protection. It was a coincidence that Mr. ReedMr. Reed happened to be al the club today, and had seen what had just happened. What might have befallen the young woman had they not been here? What would befall Gregory if he¡¯d sessfully followed through with his assault on her? Terrence had heard themotion- the ¡®disturbance¡¯ as his boss had called it-and he¡¯d seen the Stevens heir and several other people watching on while Miss Cummins was nearly drowned in a decorative pond. Of all the things¡­ He considered himself a master at his role and as the direct liaison to Reed Group¡¯s President. Terrence took his job seriously. What would Mr. Reed do? He knew exactly what his young boss would expect. Terrence said to the security guard at the side, ¡°Whatever he did just now, do it again.¡± The security guards immediately heeded the order. Two strong and powerful guards dragged Greg directly to the side of the pool, grabbed the back of his head, and dunked him into the water over and over again, just like Greg had been doing to Grace before! As for those ex-ssmates who came out to spectate, as well as Sean and Lily, they were all a little dumbfounded. Who would have thought that things would develop like this? The security guards seemed to have no intention of going easy on him. Manager Wang had no intention of pleading for Gregory either. Good. They all knew who the real muscle was in this city. After all, the Anders family was only one of the shareholders of this club. At present, merely the son of a shareholder had been sacrificed. Manager Wang knew the other shareholders would want to be on the right side of Jason Reed. Terrence turned his head and his gaze fell on Sean and Lily. Lily was the first toe to her senses. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for letting Mr. ReedMr. Reed wait. We¡¯ll go to see him now.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Terrence said calmly. He¡¯d overheard every word this young couple had said to Grace. ¡°Mr. Reed said that he won¡¯t have time to meet the two of you today anymore. The both of you may go back.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. With that, Terrence left without waiting for the two to react. Grace returned to the Sanitation Service Center, still shaken. ¡°My goodness, girl, why are you drenched? Did you fall into the river?¡± ire asked. Then she saw the state of Grace¡¯s torn clothes, and her teasing tone evaporated. ¡°Did something happen when you sent the documents?¡± Grace took a deep breath and slowly said, ¡°The documents¡­ never mind, just now¡­ I identally fell into a small pool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a cold day, you need to go home and change out of your clothes-and dry your hair,¡± ire said. Grace nodded. ire stood by awkwardly while Grace grabbed her purse and phone from her locker. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not sure this is even the right time, but Chase asked me about you. He¡¯s interested. And he¡¯s a nice guy, Grace.¡± Grace mmed her locker closed. ¡°ire, I¡¯ve said that I don¡¯t want to be in a rtionship now. Why don¡¯t you help me with Chase and instead of encouraging him, why don¡¯t you tell him not to put his hopes in me anymore? It¡¯ll only be a waste of time.¡± ire sighed. ¡°If you really don¡¯t have the heart to take a chance on him, I will tell Chase. But I want it noted that I think you¡¯re wasting a great opportunity here.¡¯ Grace nodded. She was too tired to argue. ¡°Seriously, Grace, that is no way to live through. You don¡¯t really want to be alone until you die!¡± Inexplicably, a handsome face appeared in Grace¡¯s mind. She¡¯d have Jay. Well, not in the romantic sense. But they¡¯d be family. And that would be enough. ¡°I appreciate you, ire,¡± Grace said before starting her long walk home. In the evening, when Grace returned to her apartment, Jay was already there. ¡°I, uh, I¡¯ll get dinner started in a moment. I just need to shower first.¡± Jason grabbed hold of her hand. ¡°You¡¯re soaking wet and it isn¡¯t raining.¡± She bit her lip. He reached out gently and touched her shirt where it was torn. ¡°How did this happen?¡± The question was delivered in an even tone, but she sensed the emotion coursing in him. Jason¡¯s eyes burned into hers. ¡°Sister, did anything happen to you today?¡± ¡°What would have happened to me? I¡¯ve just been sweeping the road like I usually do,¡± she said. She did not want to tell him what had transpired. What could he do? And with his stomach, what if news of her assault upset him? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She tried to move past him into the bathroom, but he caught her by the hand. She winced. Jason rubbed the wound. A dime-sized hole that was swollen and bleeding. Compliments of one well-ced stiletto heel and a hundred and ten pounds of force. ¡°What about this?¡± Jason said. ¡°Is this an upational hazard too?¡± . Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Grace looked at the back of her right hand, at the spot where Maria had stepped on today. ¡°Today, when I was working, I identally hit it. It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said casually, not wanting him to worry. ¡°Is that so?¡± Jason stared fixedly at Grace. ¡°Sister, if someone bullies you, just tell me and I will stand up for you.¡± He would make those people pay the price. In the future, no one would dare bully her. For a moment, her heart pounded quickly. It was as if he knew everything. Was he ¡­testing her? She didn¡¯t want to lie. Not to him. But she didn¡¯t want him to worry either. Especially when he couldn¡¯t help her. He was poor and broken down like her. And if he were to take on one of those privileged assholes, it¡¯d only end badly for him. And she wouldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°I can protect myself,¡± she said. ¡°What if you can¡¯t?¡± he asked. If that were the case, it would still be useless to tell him, but Grace did not say that. She didn¡¯t want to prolong this conversation. 2/6 ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to protect you?¡± He stared at her with his dark and deep eyes. She bit her lip. ¡°You already saved me once, remember? Now it¡¯s my turn to try and protect you. And I¡¯ll try my best not to let others bully us.¡± There was a sh in his eyes, but he did not say anything in the end. Instead, he simply replied faintly, ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, Grace took that shower she¡¯d been waiting for. Underneath the hot water, she tried to channel all of those terrible feelings and fears out of her and right down the drain. She only partially seeded. Inw school, she¡¯d studied and strove to always protect the innocent, and yet¡­ what had she learned? That there were many people above thew. And being innocent didn¡¯t mean you couldn¡¯t lose. What happened today was proof of that. She shuddered. What if that man on the second floor hadn¡¯t intervened? What then? Would that bastard Greg have abused and drowned her? And what of Maria and Mia, two ¡®ssmates¡¯ who¡¯d stood by and watched the assault¡­ If she were to press charges, they would be aplices. If¡­ she wasn¡¯t a convicted felon. If their families didn¡¯t have enough money to buy entire juries¡­ if anyone actually cared about her or the pain they¡¯d caused her. She knew seeking justice was pointless. It would nevere for a person like her. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. Tomorrow is a new day. She said it over and over again, but deep down, she knew it wasn¡¯t true. Jason found it hard to bite back the words he wanted to say. On the one hand, he knew why she remained silent. His ¡®sister¡¯ was hellbent on protecting him. Which was just ridiculous. Maybe she was holding back because of his physical sickness from the other night. If that was the N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. case, well, f*ck that. He¡¯d been in pain, yeah. But it was bearable. He¡¯d allowed her to mother him because he¡¯d sensed that was what she needed to do. Grace sat back down at the kitchen table. She wore a fluffy bathrobe over her pajamas and she worked in the dim light of the kitchenmp to sew back together the uniform shirt that Gregory had torn. Jason¡¯s hands clenched into fists. Grace hummed some nameless tune. She had her head lowered, and her long hair was hanging loosely over her shoulders. Her hair seemed tock some shine due to malnutrition. After three hard years of imprisonment and the recent exposure to the wind and sun, her skin was not fair at all. Even though she had aely appearance, she still looked weathered, and given all that had befallen her in the short time. he¡¯d known her, it was obvious the hardships in her life were taking their toll. However, at this moment, she was sewing her clothes, stitch by stitch, and¡­ she looked beautiful. The quiet and elegant way about her was unusually attractive. In the circles he moved in, he seldom saw women sewing clothes like this. The very notion was year. He had never thought that one day, such a simple and in woman would capture all his attention. Grace finished sewing and looked up. She met Jay¡¯s gaze. His eyes were so focused that her face turned slightly red. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± she whispered. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I just think that you are really beautiful,¡± he said. Graceughed. She knew how big the gap between her and her past self was. At most, she was not ugly. ¡°You¡¯re sweet,¡± she said. From her tone, he knew she was patronizing him. But the blush in her cheeks and lingering smile told him she liked thepliment. ¡°By the way, when I was free earlier during the day, I saw something for you on the inte. Have a look, do you like it?¡± She took out her mobile phone, opened the shopping website, and clicked on a sweater in the shopping cart. Then she handed the phone over to show him. Jason looked at it. It was particrly attractive and expensive. From the reviews, he could tell that tens of thousands of pieces had been sold. 1 ¡°You only have one sweater for winter,¡± Grace said. ¡°And you don¡¯t even have a spare one. I think the reviews for this are rather good so it seems worth the price, and you should look good wearing this color¡­¡± ¡°If you like it, I will like it,¡± Jason said. ¡°Don¡¯t think about what I like. You should like it yourself. If you don¡¯t like it, I will find you another one in a different style.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, this one is good,¡± he said. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± Grace started the online purchase. She was staying upte into the night to stitch back her own clothes but was going out of her way to buy him something new. He looked at her and suddenly asked, ¡°¡­ why are you so good to me?¡± The coat and clothes, the phone and food. He knew she didn¡¯t make much money. She couldn¡¯t afford to buy him these things. 1 ¡°You are like my younger brother. Of course, I have to be good to you,¡± she said as if it was given. However, for some unknown reason to him, the whole ¡°younger brother¡± was a little hard for him to hear. Had she really forgotten that he was actually still a man? Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 After losing face in the club, Greg was beaten into the hospital by his father, who valued business over family. Even so, several of the Anders family¡¯s businesses rted to the Reed Group had been affected. For the Anders family, the loss could not be said to be small. The people who took part in the alumni gathering that day either lost their jobs or their families suffered. In short, every single person who ignored Grace¡¯s plight paid the price for it. When Mia Jemerged from the personnel department, both of her legs were trembling, and she could barely stand. The personnel department directly gave her a termination. letter, saying that they would dismiss her and let her finish the resignation formalities within a week. Dismissed! She had never thought about it before. Her family had expended a lot of effort to get her into the Urban Management Bureau. It had not been easy for them to pull so many connections to secure her such a job. What¡¯s worse, she¡¯d been on a series of dates and blind dates, and her job was an advantage. She¡¯d been elevated by the political position that she¡¯d been afforded at the Urban Management Bureau. One of those guys caught wind that she¡¯d been fired¡­ it was doubtful they¡¯d want to continue pursuing her. If she was dismissed like this, not only would it be hard to find a new job, but also she would lose face in front of her rtives and friends. And her family¡­would be devastated. When she asked the personnel department why they had fired. her or what exactly she had done wrong, the staff simply said, ¡°It¡¯s an order from the superiors. You¡¯ll be givenpensation for the dismissal, but you¡¯ll never be employed here again.¡± Mia panicked and called Maria. ¡°Maria, what should I do? I¡¯m being let go from the Urban Management Bureau. You¡­ Didn¡¯t you say that you have good rtions here? Can you help me think of a way? All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Find someone who¡¯s on good terms with our director and plead for me.¡± Usually, since Mia was obedient enough, Maria would be willing to help her. They¡¯d been friends a long time, and there were few people Maria trusted. Mia had proven her loyalty over the years. But at this time, Maria couldn¡¯t care less about Mia. She had her own problems to contend with. Maria could not even protect her own family. The bank loan that had originally been agreed upon was suddenly rejected, and the family¡¯s capital flow was about to stagnate. As she took this call, her whole family was scrambling to borrow money from people. However, they were in trouble. No one wanted to lend them a dime. And she knew their names had been tarnished-in ways they might not recover from. Maria held the phone away from her ear as Mia prattled on. Damn it, her family was on the verge of bankruptcy. She didn¡¯t have time for this. ¡°I can¡¯t help you. Go find someone else!¡± Maria said. ¡°You¡­ How can you say that? I¡¯ve always done everything you¡¯ve asked me to. You said that you wanted me to lure Grace into the private room for the alumni event. I did it, and I didn¡¯t hesitate at all. Now, I¡¯m asking you for your help with something, and you refuse!?¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 At this moment, Mia hated Maria to death. She had a good rtionship with someone in the personnel department who had secretly told her that it was rted to a misuse of power. It was something to do with the person from the Sanitation Service Center. The only thing she could think of was asking Grace to send the document. However, on this matter, Maria had been the true mastermind! ¡°I didn¡¯t force you to do it. You wanted to see Grace get humiliated, that¡¯s why you were willing to agree. At most, I just gave you an idea. It¡¯s your own doing. It has nothing to do with me,¡± Maria said coldly. The two of them began to attack each other like rabid dogs. After Mia fell out with her best friend, her family also gave her a hard scolding. However, in the end, they still spent money and made use of connections for her. They tried to find someone to intercede for her, but the money and gifts could not even be sent out. Even those they did manage to send away, all came back in less than two days, returned by their recipients. Finally, it was an old acquaintance who had had a good rtionship with them for many years who secretly said, ¡°Who on earth did your daughter offend? The backing of that person seems to be very strong. I heard from the director of the Urban Management Bureau that in the future, your daughter will find it difficult to find an ordinary job, let alone this kind of secure one.¡± Mia¡¯s parents were stunned when they heard that. After returning home, they questioned their daughter about what kind of big shot she had offended. Mia was confused. What big shot could she have offended? In her usual work and life, she did not The reunion gathering came to mind. Because what had happened with Greg was pretty hard to forget. And Jason had been furious to have his dinner disturbed by themotion they¡¯d been causing with Grace. Wait. Could it be¡­ that the big shot behind Grace was Jason Reed? This idea shed through Mia¡¯s mind, but it was immediately shot down. Grace had crushed Jason¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Jennifer, in a drunk driving ident. The Stevens family, the Reed family, hell, the most prominent families in connection to them had all wanted her head on a tter. So who else could be supporting Grace? Grace was only a sanitation worker-and a convict. Was it even possible? Or had her parents received All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. bad information? Nheless, after thinking about it for a while, it seemed that the only person she had offended was Grace. The next day, Mia hurried to find Grace. As soon as she saw Grace, she said with tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for that day. It was Maria¡¯s idea to ask you toe to the reunion, so I asked you to send me the documents. Since then, I¡¯ve been regretting it. It¡¯s all my fault that you suffered such an insult. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Grace looked at her coldly. Like she did not believe a word of what Mia had said. ¡°Grace, can you forgive me?¡± Mia seized the opportunity to ask. Grace said calmly, ¡°Why should I forgive you?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡­ I¡¯ve already admitted my mistake. Won¡¯t you forgive me?¡± Grace felt that this was ridiculous. ¡°It¡¯s normal for you to ask me to send documents. There was nothing wrong with it. Naturally, I can¡¯t talk about forgiveness.¡± Mia was dumbfounded. What¡­ what was she supposed to say? Did she have to say that she had been wanting to see Grace get humiliated and make a fool of herself, and so she had set her up to deliver the document? Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°But I¡­ I made you lose face in front of everyone, and even Greg¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they did. It had nothing to do with you, right?¡± ¡°It had something to do with me!¡± Mia shouted in her heart. This was the first time in her life that she desperately wanted to take responsibility for something. But the words wouldn¡¯te. ¡°Well, if there is nothing else, I still have to work,¡± Grace said, ignoring the bitter look on Mia¡¯s face. She went around Mia and walked to the other side of the road to sweep the ground. Although Grace did not know why Mia hade to her today, she did not intend to forgive her for what had happened that day. Just as Grace was sweeping, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up to see that it was Chase from the fleet. Chase¡¯s face was slightly red, and he said with great courage, ¡°Grace, ire said that you don¡¯t want to be in love now, but¡­ but¡­ I¡¯m sincere. I¡¯m willing to wait for you. When¡­ when you do want to be in a rtionship, you can look for me.¡± After saying this, he seemed to feel that something was amiss. He quickly corrected himself and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that you can look for me, but that I can line up and wait for you¡­¡± Grace stared at him in a daze. ¡°You can find someone more suitable for you. I am just a street sweeper. I don¡¯t earn much, and my job has no future. I am not good wife material.¡± ¡°But I like you.¡± After saying this, Chase¡¯s face seemed to turn redder. ¡°ire said that you don¡¯t have a boyfriend now. I will wait.¡± ¡°But I¡­¡± She just wanted to refuse again, but when she saw his flushed face and somewhat nervous expression, she was a little stunned. At least this man, at this moment, seemed to be sincere to her, and as ire had told her, he was an honest person. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Such a man, generally speaking, would be a good husband and a good father. But¡­ if this man knew that she had been in prison, he would probably stay far away from her. At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded behind her. ¡°Sister, won¡¯t you introduce us?¡± Grace turned around and saw a familiar figure walking towards her. The ck down jacket, ck trousers, and sneakers were all from discount stores, but on him, they looked stylishly good. However, his expression was a bit more, she wasn¡¯t sure, but predatory came to mind. He didn¡¯t outwardly reflect any anger, but something told Grace that Jason wasn¡¯t nearly as calm as he appeared. ¡°Of course,¡± she replied automatically. ¡°This is my colleague. Jay, why are you here?¡± she asked. ¡°I finished work early today, so I came to see you,¡± Jason said as he held Grace¡¯s left hand, he rubbed his palms over hers. ¡°Your hand is a little cold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Working in the chilly winter, her hands would be blown by the harsh wind. Obviously, they would get cold, but she was used to it. She didn¡¯t wear gloves most of the time because they made it harder to work. However, Jason held her hands with both of his, warming them. up gently. He rubbed them with one hand and then changed over to the other. Chase stared at the intimate interaction between Jason and Grace, his frown deepening. He could not help but ask, ¡°Grace, is this¡­ your brother?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Grace nodded. Jason nced at Chase andzily put his hands around her waist. ¡°When do you finish work?¡± he asked her. ¡°In half an hour. I¡¯ll be done after sweeping this road,¡± Grace said. ¡°Alright.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± He nced at Chase. ¡°You should let her finish,¡± he said. ¡°Have a good day.¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Seeing that Grace was trying to finish her work for the day, Chase shook his head. ¡°Excuse me. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go since you¡¯re busy.¡± Watching Chase leave, Jason suddenly grabbed Grace¡¯s chin with his fingers and half-forced her to face him straight. ¡°I don¡¯t like you seeing other men like this. He doesn¡¯t look trustworthy.¡± Grace burst outughing. ¡°What are you thinking? I don¡¯t have any intentions towards him.¡± ¡°Does that mean he doesn¡¯t have those kinds of feelings towards you?¡± he asked back. She was at a loss for words. ¡°Is he the colleague who likes you?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already asked my friend ire to help discourage him. He¡¯s a nice guy, and he means well. I¡¯m just not looking to get into a rtionship. I didn¡¯t expect him to approach me today.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like him, you should refuse him directly,¡± Jason said. ¡°He¡¯s not worthy of you.¡± Graceughed. ¡°You probably think too much of me. It is me that¡¯s not good enough for him. He has a house, a car, and a steady job. In our workce, many girls like him.¡± ¡°You are worth much more than that,¡± he said quietly. In his tone, there was a desire for possession that he had not even noticed. the After Grace cleaned the road and was preparing to pack up tools to return to the Sanitation Service Center, Mia suddenly rushed up from the side of the building and said to Grace, ¡°Can you please forgive me? I really can¡¯t lose this current job. This job is very important to me! I beg you, tell our director that you forgive me and ask him to cancel the order for dismissal, okay?¡± After thinking about it for a while, Mia still felt that Grace was most likely the one that she had offended. Grace shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I have no power here. I¡¯m not sure what you did or why N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. you¡¯re being let go, but it has nothing to do with me. I have no connections with your director either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Mia said anxiously. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve ever offended. Could it be that Sean saw you like that and couldn¡¯t bear it, and so he avenged you? Is that why I was condemned?¡± Thinking it over, there was only this possibility. Only now did Grace finally understand the reason for Miaing to her and begging her for forgiveness. ¡°Mia, you¡¯re chasing shadows. Sean ¡­ he has no regard for me. He has not forgiven me, and I can assure you, he¡¯d not exert his influence to lift a finger for me!¡± ¡°You need to fix this,¡± Mia argued. Really? Grace was the victim of this bitch¡¯s machinations, but somehow Mia felt like she owed her something!? That was rich. ¡°Look. I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re talking about. And if you think Sean is to me, then you should take it up with him,¡± Grace said coldly, then she pulled Jason¡¯s hand and went around Mia. Mia still wanted to chase after her. However, when Jason turned around and gave her a light nce, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. That line of sight suddenly caused her to feel a sense of fear. It was like if she continued to chase Grace and pester her, then her fate might end up even worse than it was now. What¡­ what was going on? The man¡¯s face was mostly covered by too-long hair, so she couldn¡¯t really see his appearance. However, the eyes of this man scared her to the extreme. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 On the way back with Jason, Grace suddenly said, ¡°Jay, do you know Sean?¡± ¡°The president of the Stevens Group?¡± he asked. ¡°You know him too then. Yes, he¡¯s the guy who¡¯s been in the news recently. Well, I suppose it¡¯s more Page Six gossip than anything really newsworthy. He¡¯s the groom in the marriage. between the Stevens family and Atkinson family, and¡­ he¡¯s also¡­¡± she paused and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°my ex-boyfriend.¡± Jason also stopped walking and stood quietly by Grace¡¯s side, looking at her. Perhaps some words or some emotions had been bottled up in her heart for too long, so she could not help but want to spit them out. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is incredible that someone like me was once that person¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Sheughed bitterly. ¡°At that time, I was still a newwyer who had just graduated, and I thought that he and I would get married. But then there was the ident. I swear to God, I wasn¡¯t drinking. I rarely drink and when I do, I never drive! Then they charged me with vehicr manughter. Sean broke up with me. I got sentenced to three years, I supposed I was fortunate to get out in three years for good behavior¡­¡± ¡°What was it like being in jail?¡± She paused for a while and did not continue to talk about the nightmare-like situation in the prison. She shook her head. ¡°I ¡­ can¡¯t.¡± Jason regretted asking. He watched her flex and curl her fingers, and knowing what had happened all those years ago, he could see the scars. The bones that broke that hadn¡¯t been set correctly. Her joints were swollen. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± She tried to smile for him and failed miserably Jason pursed his lips. She hadn¡¯t told him what transpired while she¡¯d been incarcerated, but the information on her that Terrence unearthed had made everything clear. When he was looking at those documents, he had not felt anything. He¡¯d read and processed the ounts as if he were looking at data on a quarterly ounting statement. But to hear her talk about it-or more appropriately, be incapable of talking about it, of dredging up those memories¡­ it had something tightening in his chest. Did he feel sorry about what she had experienced? When had he, Jason, ever been sad about a woman? She took a deep breath and continued, ¡°From then on, I told myself not to trust the so-called love between a man and a woman. A person can love you one day, but tomorrow, you can be thrown away like garbage.¡± She punctuated the sentence by kicking a pebble into the street. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t throw you away,¡± he suddenly said. She unexpectedly smiled. ¡°I know, Jay.¡± She paused and continued more cheerfully. ¡°So now I don¡¯t think about dating, and I don¡¯t think about who I¡¯m going to marry or have children with. For me, these are unattainable things. So why waste time dwelling on them?¡± He frowned as if he did not like her words. ¡°It¡¯s just like looking at that advertisement.¡± She pointed to a big projection ad not far away. ¡°This ad was put up by Sean for Lily. It¡¯s great PR, right? The charming couple, the perfect quote about foregoing ny-nine lives to wait for one lifetime together. It¡¯s very romantic, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jason made a nomittal sound. ¡°But it¡¯s nonsense. No one really means those things.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I wonder how Lily would feel if she knew that Sean had said those same words to me. So you see, whether to love someone or change a lover, that¡¯s also very easy.¡± Jason studied the ad. It was a striking picture and a total publicity campaign by both families to drive up their stock values. Jason looked at the slender woman in front of him. On her face, there was a kind of calm resignation T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. that came from a withered heart. It was as if she had already seen through everything, and there was nothing else that could stir her heart now. His chest tightened. What about him? He raised his hand and covered her eyes, which were fixed on the billboard. ¡°Sister, if you don¡¯t like this ad, how about getting it removed tomorrow?¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 When she heard this, she just took it as a joke. This had been specially made by the Stevens family and the Atkinsons for the express purpose of announcing their marriage alliance. Who would dare to take it down? It was dark in front of her eyes. His hand touched her skin, and heat radiated from his touch. After a while, she pulled his hand down and looked up at him. ¡°Jay, thank you.¡± She thought that he was trying tofort her by saying these things. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go home for dinner.¡± As she spoke, she held his hand and walked in the direction of their residence. He nced at the big projection ad and then followed her steps to leave. Back at the apartment, Grace went to the security office in themunity to retrieve an express delivery. It was the sweater she had bought for Jay. She opened the package, took out the sweater, and touched the material. It wasn¡¯t bad. She¡¯d been worried. For that price, the quality was quite good. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Jay,e and see if this sweater suits you,¡± she said. The sweater had a blend of blues and greens. When Jason put it on, Grace¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, you look so good!¡± Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she said, ¡°Jay, bend down a little.¡± Jason did as she asked and leaned down. Grace held ab and pulled his hair back. Whoa. She had always known that he was good-looking, but now that she could really take in all of his features, he was ridiculously handsome. Far too good-looking for someone like her. ¡°My brother is really attractive.¡± Her word ¡°my¡± seemed to please him. She could not help but sigh. ¡°If you were to tie your hair back like this when you¡¯re handing out flyers, you¡¯ll have scores of girls chasing to snatch them from you.¡± Heughed. ¡°How about we go to the hair salon to tidy up your hairter? It¡¯s a pity that your beautiful eyes are always covered by it,¡± she muttered. ¡°What¡¯s there to feel sorry for? My current state will only be avable for you,¡± Jason said. ¡°We are family, after all.¡± Grace burst outughing. ¡°You can wear this sweater tomorrow. Get changed and I¡¯ll wash it for you.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he asserted. She took out her phone and took a picture of him in the sweater, then moved her finger and updated her Facebook. Speaking of which, there were almost no friends in her socials. There were actually only two people. One was Lina, and the other was Jay. ¡°Let Lina look, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be so jealous that I have such a handsome younger brother,¡± Grace said. Sure enough, after a while, Lina ¡°liked¡± the post and followed up with a sentence: ¡°Nice sweater. Send me the link, I¡¯ll buy one for my dad.¡± Then: ¡°By the way, your new younger brother is just like a clothes rack. He should try to be a model. There aren¡¯t any real requirements besides being hot. And he checks that box.¡± Grace thought about it and agreed. She then asked Jay, ¡°What do you think about being a clothes model?¡± ¡°Not much,¡± he said. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°Models make a good living.¡± He stared at her. ¡°Sister, do you think I make too little money?¡± ¡°Ah, no!¡± she said quickly. ¡°I just want you to have a better life.¡± Perhaps this was all there was to her life, but she wanted something better for him. ¡°I will have a better life. When the timees, I can give you whatever kind of life you want,¡± he told her seriously. This was just a game for him, but at this moment, he really wanted to give her a better life in the future. For him, it would take nothing more than a snap of his fingers. If he said it, it¡¯d be done. Graceughed. She did not think he could give her the life she wanted. However, she did not want to hurt his feelings, so she said, ¡°Okay, okay, then I¡¯ll wait until you earn a lot of money- and then you can T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. take care of me. That way, I¡¯ll be able to livefortably as someone who knows nothing except for relying on you.¡± He snorted at her sarcasm. ¡°Great. d we¡¯re agreed.¡± The next day, when Terrence went to the break room, he heard some colleagues talking. ¡°Have you seen Mr. Reed¡¯s sweater today?¡± ¡°No, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It seems to be one of Amazon¡¯s items.¡± ¡°Are you sure? How is it possible for Boss Reed to be wearing such mainstream clothes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible either. Could it be some branded clothes that were imitated? ¡°Nheless, it looks different when it¡¯s worn by Mr. Reed. Seems like I should buy it for my husband too.¡± ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you send me the link for the sweaterter?¡± Terrence¡¯s body trembled and he silently exited the coffee room. He did not have the nerve to tell the two colleagues that Mr. Reed¡¯s sweater today was really a cheap sale item. He had even seen someone in thepany wearing the same one as Mr. Reed. Mr. Reed had not said anything, just nced at the colleague calmly. As for that colleague, he looked shocked. It seemed that he could not believe that his big boss was wearing things like him. Terrence returned to the president¡¯s office and looked at his superior, who had taken off his suit jacket and was reading some documents in front of his desk. With his hair tied back as he normally wore it, the sweater actually made him look more schrly and less ruthless. This piece of clothing was most likely bought by Grace. Normally, before Mr. ReedMr. Reed got to the were dry-cleaned and prepared for him so he could change back into them when he left for the day. Today, however, he had not taken off his sweater. What does this mean? Also, how much longer would Mr. Reed continue going back and forth to this woman¡¯s home? However, naturally, Terrence did not dare to ask these questions. ¡°Mr. Reed, this is the purchase proposal you wanted.¡± Terrence set the file he was holding on the desk. When he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. ¡°Do you know that Sean hasmissioned a publicity campaign with engagement photos throughout the city? Terrence was flustered. He had never thought his superior would suddenly ask such a question. ¡°Yes, sir. I know. I¡¯ve seen them.¡± ¡°How many of those ads are running in the city?¡± Jason asked. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°There should be ny-nine,¡± Terrence said. He remembered that there had been media interviews in which Mr. Stevens had said that there would be a total of ny-nine projection ads, representing the love of ny-nine lifetimes. ¡°It¡¯s been quite the campaign, sir. And it has certainly elevated Ms. Atkinson. She¡¯s a popr actress, but it¡¯s been reported that she¡¯ll have several leading roles in the next year.¡± Remove all of them,¡± Jason said. ¡°All of the ads?¡± Terrence was surprised. ¡°All of them,¡± Jason repeated with certainty. ¡°Okay, sir. I will do it.¡± Mr. ReedMr. Reed suddenly wanted to withdraw the ads of the Stevens family. Had Sean or maybe Lily offended Jason in some way? Terrence thought hard about what might prompt this. When Jason had been engaged to Jennifer, it had marked a strong political marriage, with the promise of incredible financial gains for both. Of course, the Stevens had far more to gain. Reed Corporation didn¡¯t need them or their assets. But Mr. Reed had made noments about the Stevens/ Atkinson wedding, he had even epted the engagement invitation from Sean¡¯s family. Terrence was puzzled. Suddenly, he shivered and thought of a striking possibility. Could it be that Mr. Reed wants to withdraw the engagement ads because¡­ of Grace?¡± Terrence was shocked by his own idea. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Would Mr. Reed do that for a woman? Not even for the sake of Jennifer, who was going to be Mr. Reed¡¯s wife, had Jason ever offended anyone in the business world. What did this woman, Grace, mean to his boss? Gracehad driven the car that ended Jennifer¡¯s life. Terrence could not understand. Evelyn stood in the corridor of the hotel and looked at the man wearing a suit and leather shoes. He looked handsome and had the air of a schr. ¡°Sean¡­ I know. You and my sister¡¯s story is already history.¡± The Stevens Group was going to shoot arge-scale film. After Evelyn learned of it, she eventually managed to find out that Sean was going to have a meal in this hotel, and from there it was a matter of prudent nning and plotting to find the opportunity to meet Sean. Since Grace was still unwilling to go and beg Sean, she had toe on her own! When Sean heard the word ¡°sister¡± he was slightly stunned. The scene involving Grace in the club a few days ago came to his mind. Although that woman had once been the woman he loved, it was also because of her that the Stevens family had nearly been destroyed. If it were not for the fact that he had broken up with her in time, and that the Atkinson family had helped the Stevens family, perhaps the Stevens Group would have be a third-rate He recalled seeing her at the country club-they¡¯d dined there many times when they dated-and when she stood there in her ugly navy blue uniform, with stains on the ankles and her hair in some sloppy ponytail, all he could think was ¡®my, how she¡¯d fallen.¡¯ He hated Greg, but not enough to champion his ex-girlfriend. Grace had been brilliant and hardworking. She was on the fast track to bing a senator. She had the brains and the looks for it. Until¡­ Seeing her at the bottom rung of society, literally learning garbage and sweeping streets, He could hardly believe it. Thinking of this, the scene of her climbing desperately towards him with her nails being pulled out shed through his mind. She kept saying that she had been wronged! He almost believed her, but there were both witnesses and material evidence. How could she have been wrongly used? This woman, in the end, still refused to admit her guilt! And he hated her for it. She deserved every bit of evil that came her way. ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand,¡± Sean said coldly. Evelyn continued, ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m now the only one in our family that can be counted on. I hope that I can be responsible for some important roles and earn more money to support my family, but it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have any background, and my sister has been in prison. It will be difficult for me to get a good role.¡± Evelyn tried her best to frame the current situation in a miserable way, hoping to garner sympathy. However, Sean¡¯s expression was still frosty. Evelyn kept trying and said, ¡°After all, my sister once enjoyed living a good life. I can¡¯t bear to see her being too down and out. I hope I can make more money and give her a better life now. I don¡¯t know if you¡­¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡°Nerve you saying that!¡± A voice suddenly rang out. A beautiful and fashionable woman dressed in a brown coat approached them. Sheughed coldly when she noticed Evelyn. ¡°I was wondering who this is, but I recall you now. Turns out, you¡¯re that murderer¡¯s little sister.¡± Evelyn¡¯s expression immediately turned unpleasant. She recognized that the woman standing before her was Lily, Sean¡¯s current fianc¨¦e. Lily approached Evelyn with a disdainful gaze. ¡°I remember you¡¯re just some B-list actress. So, you¡¯ve you no dignity?¡± Evelyn was extremely embarrassed by the scolding. It just so happened that other people wereing and going along. the corridor at that moment, staring at them as if they were watching a y. Evelyn could only curse Grace internally. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t killed someone while driving, I would already have gracefully be a popr celebrity and not have to suffer this punishment.¡± Evelyn hadpletely forgotten that the several good roles she had first gotten were by virtue of Grace¡¯s rtionships. ¡°What? Are you still not leaving?¡± Lily asked, displeased. Evelyn could only smile as she looked at Sean. ¡°If I just left now, wouldn¡¯t I have wasted a trip today?¡± ¡°You have wasted a trip. And you should leave. Your sister and I have nothing to do with each other anymore,¡± Sean said. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°But¡­¡± Evelyn still had more to say. Lily huffed coldly and said to Evelyn, ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯ll ask security to kick you out!¡± Evelyn bit her lip. She had no choice but to leave and nned to find more opportunities in the future. Lily looked at Sean. ¡°You can¡¯t still be thinking about Grace, right? Just now, Evelyn kept chirping. Aren¡¯t you afraid of Jason getting word of it? Don¡¯t forget, your sister almost married him once.¡± The statement sounded like a warning. Sean¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°How could I possibly forget? The name ¡®Jason¡¯ is like a sword hanging over the head of the Stevens family. For three years, the Stevens family has not had a peaceful day.¡± ¡°Exactly! And the initiator of all of this is Grace! The meeting with Jason which we put so much effort into nning was also shattered because of her.¡± ¡°Grace served only a three-year sentence. She got off easily.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me started.¡± Sean shoved his te away, his appetite gone. ¡°Be careful, future husband,¡± Lily warned. ¡°Give me a break. All right. I understand. I won¡¯t pay any attention to Evelyn, she was just trying to pull strings. I also told her that Grace and I have nothing to do with each other!¡± Sean pulled Lily toward him and kissed her hard. ¡°A few days ago, when Grace was harassed by Gregory Anders, did I lift a finger? No. Of course not.¡± Lily shrugged. ¡°That was quite the spectacle.¡± Grace had nearly been raped in front of a roomful of people. ¡®Spectacle¡¯ was putting it mildly. Then¡­ that whole debacle with Gregory. The man was a Grade A Asshole, but even still, seeing him humiliated like that, and in one of his own clubs, no less. It left an uneasy feeling in Sean¡¯s stomach. ¡°Come,¡± Lily said. ¡°Our friends are waiting for us.¡± She shed him a practiced smile. Sean nodded. Only then did Lily¡¯s mood improve slightly. She guided Sean back to a private room where their friends were waiting. He¡¯d been too preupied to wait to eat, so he¡¯d dined alone, but now he¡¯d have to sit through several courses and who knew how many drinks. He steeled himself for a long night. ¡°This is for us,¡± Lily reminded him. ¡°A pre-engagement party before our actual engagement party.¡± She nudged his shoulder. ¡°Try and smile.¡± Sean grinned and slid into business mode. These people were in his same social circle and some of the guys were from upstart techpanies. He knew to y his cards right. Any one of these young men might someday be chairman of billion-dor industries. He made small talk and like a good host, he made sure each guest felt engaged. Suddenly, someone mentioned the 99 three-dimensional Projection Ads Sean hadmissioned throughout the city. Lily basked in the attention. Guys ribbed him for setting the bar too high for any of them topare, while Lily smiled like such a vow of love was her due. ¡°Hey,¡± Annabelle Sanchez said, drawing their party¡¯s attention. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± What? Sean didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. The young actress pped her hands and ran over to the windows. Chapt ¡°Come!¡± she said, snapping her fingers at the waiters waiting in the corners of the room. ¡°Open these curtains,¡± she told them. ¡°The art gallery is opposite this hotel¡­ and it has a massive billboard 3-D projector¡­ We can enjoy the show right now, right here.¡± She lifted her ss. ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Here! Here!¡± sses were raised all around as the curtains were drawn open. Lily stood at the head of the table, glowing and giggling.¡±Oh, you guys¡­¡± However, after the curtains opened, moments passed and there was no appearance of the ad. The wall opposite the hotel was lit only by ordinary lights. ¡°What happened? Could the Projection Ad be broken?¡± Annabelle asked in astonishment. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Lily frowned and nced at Sean. After all, the ad was being projected by the Stevens family. Sean stayed calm, ¡°Let me ask about the situation¡­¡± He had barely finished speaking when his phone rang suddenly. He strolled out of the dining area and picked up the call, his expression abruptly turned unpleasant. ¡°What? What do you mean, taken down? They were all taken down? Aren¡¯t they afraid of paying the penalty fees?¡± ¡°The order stated that even if they have to pay the penalty fees in full, the ads must be removed. ¡°Who the hell authorized this? Fine. Rece the ad agency, and get them back up. Immediately.¡± The manager in charge cried as he reported through the phone. ¡°President Stevens, we rushed to contact otherpanies but none of them were willing to project these ads.¡± ¡°Who is it that¡¯s trying to go against the Stevens family?¡± Sean asked, his face ghastly pale. He was flooded with equal parts of rage and fear. ¡°It¡¯s the Reed family,¡± the manager replied. ¡°This issue was personally handled by the Reed Group¡¯s secretary Terrence Klein.¡± Sean was stunned. Terrence ¡­ That¡¯s Jason¡¯s personal secretary! Does that mean, this was done by Jason? Was it Jason who wanted to take down these projection ads? What does that mean? Did Jason object to the Stevens and Atkinson wedding? And how far would he go to stop it? As he thought of that, Sean broke out in a cold sweat. *** The projection ads ced by the Stevens family in ny-nine spots around the city had been taken down in a single day, generating heated discussions within the city. There were plenty of people debating online about whether the rtionship between Sean and Lily had changed. It was a bad omen, others said. One gossip column ran with the rumor that Lily had called off the engagement. That night, Sean and Lily made a joint statement affirming the solidity of their rtionship. The projection ads had been taken down due to the time limit, but their love would never expire. This statement was upheld by Lily¡¯s many fans. Back at the apartment, Grace scrolled through the webpage and All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. came across this news. She could not help being taken aback. She had just mentioned the projection ads to Jay yesterday and they had all been unexpectedly taken down today. ¡°The ads have been taken down. Sister, are you happy?¡± Jay¡¯s voice suddenly rang through the room. She snapped out of her trance. She didn¡¯t know when he had walked over to stand by her side and it seemed as if he had noticed the article on her phone. He looked at her, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. For a split second, she had a wild idea that this incident was rted to him as if he was the one who had taken down the ads. But that was ludicrous. Sheughed out loud. ¡°Well, it was a bit of a surprise to see their publicity campaign end so abruptly.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But¡­?¡± he pressed. She shrugged again. ¡°There isn¡¯t actually anything to be happy or sad about. What happened between Sean and me is in the past. I have no feelings for him anymore, so whoever he marries or loves has nothing to do with me,¡± Grace replied. ¡°Really, sister, you don¡¯t care about him at all?¡± He stared at her with a burning gaze, as if those beautiful eyes of his were trying to see through her. ¡°Would you care about a person who abandoned you?¡± she retorted. Another female figure suddenly appeared in his mind. That woman I call mother, did she not also abandon me? She abandoned me without reservations. Even when I knelt down and begged her, she never once looked back. The smile around the corner of his lips deepened. ¡°You¡¯re right, that was a dumb question. Who would care about a person who abandoned them?¡± She stared at him, beginning to better understand his moods and feelings. If she¡¯d not spent so much time with him,ughed with him over a cup of coffee in the morning, listened to him talk about his day, and then tucked into bed with him sleeping beside her¡­she might have missed it. But she saw it, the flicker in his gaze. He¡¯d been hurt. Abandoned. She recalled him saying he had no family. She caught the barest glimpse of his pain and realized it was always with him. He was just really good at hiding it. As she thought of that, she raised an arm and wrapped it around his neck, pulling him towards her. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Jason¡¯s body tensed slightly but he did not resist. Hey his head on her shoulder and felt her smell enveloping him. Her scent with its faint fragrance inexplicably gave him a feeling of contentment. It was as if being by her side allowed him to rxpletely. ¡°Jay, didn¡¯t you say that you would never abandon me? I vow the same, I will never abandon you. No matter what happens in the future, I will stay by your side.¡± Her voice was a whisper in his ear. ¡°Would you really stay by my side no matter what happened?¡± he mumbled. ¡°Of course,¡± she replied matter-of-factly. ¡°Won¡¯t you be scared of me?¡± he asked. She chuckled lightly. ¡°Why would I be scared of you? My Jay¡­¡± She leaned back to smile at him. My Jay¡­ there she went again with that wording. Like he belonged to her. Oh, he wasn¡¯t averse to hearing it. He might even be happy about it. But right now he was thinking too much and when he raised his head suddenly their faces were only inches apart. The tips of their noses were almost touching. And he stopped thinking entirely. Her face flushed red, and when she instinctively backed up, he looped his arm around her waist, stopping her from moving away. Grace froze. It felt like all the blood in her body was rushing to her head. When Jay was this close to her, she felt lightheaded. The arm wrapped around her was strong. She could feel the thick muscles that he held in check. His eyes were nearly ck, the pupils were blown out making her wonder what could affect a man like this. Surely not her, with her scars, baggage, and worthlessness. But in his arms, she didn¡¯t feel so insignificant. She felt seen. As something more than an ex-con. As a human. As a ¡­ woman. She stayed there, suspended in his arms as her gaze darted between his eyes and mouth. ¡°Still see me as your brother?¡± Jay whispered. No. There was nothing brotherly about him at all. His big body was strong and he cradled her like she was something precious. And his face. When his dark eyes crinkled at the corners and his mouth turned up in a knowing grin, she realized that he saw straight through her. She was attracted to him. The way a woman wanted a man. And he saw it. Jason¡¯s phone rang and the moment was shattered. Or maybe she¡¯d been saved by the bell, so to speak. Grace wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about the whole ¡®near kiss¡¯ moment with him. Part of her thought she¡¯d cooked up the intimate embrace and that she was reading too much into it. The other half of her felt¡­ alive. Like her mind and body wereing back to life after years of being dormant. It was probably just his good looks. He was so attractive that she¡¯d have to be dead to not respond to him in some way. ¡°Grace, please sweep the rubbish next to the garbage can. The garbage truck ising in a while,¡± ire said. And just like that, she was jolted from the memory. ¡°All right,¡± Grace said. She caught a glimpse of Chaseing into the center and she shot a quick nce at her friend. Nice of ire to take her out of Chase¡¯s path. For a while, she wasn¡¯t sure if ire was going to respect her decision or if she was going to keep trying to convince Grace to give Chase a chance. He was a nice enough man. But¡­ he deserved better than her! So did Jay for that matter. Grace frowned. She cherished his friendship. She tried to imagine her apartment without him in it. If she came home one day and he wasn¡¯t there. It sent a pang through her chest. More of her coworkers were gossiping about the Stevens ad drama. She meant what she¡¯d said to Jay, she didn¡¯t care one way or the other about him. If she still had feelings for Sean maybe she would¡¯ve enjoyed seeing him embarrassed. It was nice, don¡¯t get her wrong, it made her believe that maybe karma did work. But if she subscribed to all of that then she¡¯d have to think that she¡¯d done something to earn all the turmoil and pain she¡¯d experienced. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. Today is a new day. She walked to the garbage can and started to sweep the surrounding area. Suddenly, a pair of Dior high heels came into Grace¡¯s view. She had once seen plenty of luxury brands and was aware that these particr shoes cost more than All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. she¡¯d make in several months. She then lifted her head and Lily¡¯s beautiful face came into sight. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Grace had not been expecting toe across Lily again so quickly. Lily looked the same as when Grace had met her for the first time all those years ago. She was tall and thin in the way only actresses could be. Her skin had a perfect glow. Meticulously applied makeup, haute couture clothes, expensive designer handbag¡­ She looked every bit the actress and fiancee to one of the richest men in the city. ww If not for either of those things, she was still the only daughter of the Atkinson family and a socialite in her own right. Even then, when Lily permitted others to rip out her nails, she was still dressed exquisitely. Her expensive and branded clothes stood out in the dark prison. She looked so radiant and morous, then. And now. It was also this city socialite, highly esteemed by everyone else, who¡¯d made it her goal to see Grace tortured and abused. There was a moment when Grace understood Lily¡¯s plight. Jennifer, Lily¡¯s sister, had died. But it was an ident! Lily hadn¡¯t even been close to Jennifer. They were rted, but for Lily to be so vengeful, so focused on hating Grace at every turn, even yearster, it made no sense. Maybe if Grace had been unrepentant. But that wasn¡¯t the case. She deeply regretted the ident. Annabelle, who was apanying Lily, also noticed Grace and immediately sneered. ¡°I was wondering who this is. Isn¡¯t she the perpetrator who killed Jennifer? This sure is karma. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s now here working as a sanitation worker.¡± Grace¡¯splexion paled and she remained silent. She lowered her head and continued to sweep up the rubbish that had fallen around the dumpster. ¡°She sure is thick-skinned,¡± Annabelle said. ¡°If it were me who had killed someone¡¯s sister, I¡¯m afraid I would cry bitterly as I knelt down and begged for forgiveness. I can¡¯t believe that some people would see it as not a big deal,¡± Annabelle taunted further. Grace took a deep breath and slowly raised her head. She looked at the two of them and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already paid the price.¡± She held the broom in front of her, a physical barrier to encourage these two women to keep their distance. There were surveince cameras all around the building¡ª it was a government building-bul government officials could be bought, as she¡¯d learned in the course of her trial and when she¡¯d been tricked into delivering the papers to Mia. ¡°I was incarcerated for three years over an unwarranted usation and mywyer license was suspended. I suffered through all sorts of hardships in jail and could only be a sanitation worker after being released.¡± ¡°Oh, poor you,¡± Annabelle mocked. ¡°You have a shit job. Big deal. You¡¯re alive, aren¡¯t you? While Jennifer is dead!¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ve paid the price? It was only three years in prison and you think that¡¯s the price?¡± Lily asked coldly. ¡°It should¡¯ve been a life for a life.¡± ¡°What do you want now?¡± Grace retorted calmly. ¡°I¡¯m already living the worst life possible. I have no family. No friendships. Everything I¡¯ve worked for was taken from me. Did youe here to gloat? I can now say that I have nothing to my name, and therefore I have nothing to lose.¡± Lily stared at her, making a sweep from the top of Grace¡¯s messy head to the bottom cuffs of her neon orange sanitation worker uniform. In three years¡¯ time, the woman¡¯s originally dark and long hair had withered and yellowed. Lily could still recall the first time she had met Grace and had been surprised by her hands. They were smooth and fair, and the nails were meticulously manicured. They had seemed even prettier when holding a pen. However, this pair of hands were currently not holding a high-quality fountain pen but a rough and dirty broom. ¡°It seems like your hands have not beenpletely crippled!¡± Lily said, huffing coldly. ¡°We were too gentle with youst time.¡± Grace tensed, her hands clutching the broom and tightening. ¡°Grace, you have nothing to do with Sean anymore. Do you understand me? Don¡¯t let your younger sister make a fool of herself by trying to get close to him again. If she does, you¡¯ll both pay the price for it. And next time, I¡¯ll see that you don¡¯t even have hands to hold. it happens again, don¡¯t think of holding anything with your hands ever again!¡± Lily thought of the projection ads that depicted Sean¡¯s proposal being taken down, and she resented Grace with all her heart. When they had found out that the person behind the ads being taken down was Jason, the Stevens family had been like birds startled by the mere twang of a bow-string. They were unsure if Jason had done it because of Jennifer¡¯s death and was still taking his anger out on them. They had originally thought that when Jason had agreed to attend the two families¡¯ engagement dinner, he had not minded All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. the marriage between them, but now they were not so sure¡­ 5 Write yourment Gifts B Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Grace found the statementughable. ¡°Then you can say those words to my younger sister but not to me. I still need to work, so if you could excuse me.¡± Annabelle replied angrily, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, why would the projection ads of Sean proposing to Lily have been taken down? You killed Jason¡¯s fianc¨¦e and he¡¯s taking it out on Sean and Lily¡¯s families, and yet you¡¯re just fine, casually sweeping the streels here.¡± Grace was stunned. The thought had not urred to her that it had been done by Mr. Reed. Mr. Reed¡­as a matter of fact, it was also because of him that she was able to escape from Greg the The Reed family was the most powerful and the wealthiest in all of the city. Mr. Reed controlled the huge Reed Corporation, and that meant that he could have whatever he wanted. Grace had found that out the hard way. In the beginning, when Sean was rushing to break up with her, not a singlewyer in the city was willing to handle her case. Wasn¡¯t that also because of Jason Reed? All the pain she suffered in prison was ignored by the prison. guards, wasn¡¯t that also because of him? Because the person she killed was Mr. Reed¡¯s fianc¨¦e. There was even a time during her imprisonment when she¡¯d nearly been drowned in the bathroom sink. She could still recall almost suffocating and the fear of death enveloping her-much as it did with Gregory at that awful reunion party. And the reason behind her treatment in jail was just because someone had heard that the Reed family had given orders to punish her there. Those who wanted to curry favor with the Reed family had hastened to stomp on her several more times, torturing her. Grace continued to sweep, ignoring Annabelle¡¯s scolding. Annabelle was angry beyond belief and rushed forward to p Grace but was stopped by Lily. ¡°Lily! Grace has no respect for anyone, I want to teach her a lesson!¡± Annabelle jerked her hand free. ¡°Why bother?¡± One corner of Lily¡¯s lips suddenly tugged up. ¡°One of my rings has gone missing. I¡¯m not sure if it fell around here and then got swept up like rubbish. It seems like I¡¯ll have to trouble the employees of the Sanitation Service Center to help me look for it.¡± Annabelle was stunned but she immediately snapped out of it. She also smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, they do need to look for it properly. Your ring isn¡¯t cheap. They will have to go through all of the garbage in this dumpster lest they miss it.¡± As Annabelle spoke, she turned toward Grace and continued, ¡°Since you were sweeping here just now, you must know where it is. You¡¯ve probably already swept the ring into the garbage. bin, so hurry now and look through the bin to find it.¡± Grace stopped what she was doing and stared at her coldly. ¡°What are you looking at? Go and find it! If you can¡¯t find it, it means that you must have stolen it!¡± Annabelle responded maliciously. ire, who was sweeping across the street, noticed themotion and walked over to ask what had happened. It was at that moment that Grace noticed Lily dialing a number. Sure enough, it was not long before ire received a call from the director, stating that they had to find the ring Lily had lost, no matter what. Grace pursed her lips tightly. She was aware that today¡¯s incident was just Lily deliberately making things difficult for her, and now she had no choice but to find this non-existent ring. A few momentster, their group leader also rushed over. When he heard that Lily¡¯s ring was worth hundreds of thousands of dors, he immediately turned to ire and Grace. ¡°Hurry and look for it in all of the ces that got swept just now and in the garbage bins that were just filled. You must find the ring!¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, thank you, Director.¡± Lily held a hand to her heart. ¡°I would be gutted if we didn¡¯t find it!¡± It was a pathetic performance. Grace¡¯s boss assured her it would be found. Lily nodded appreciatively. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait in the car. If you find the ring, inform us,¡± Lily ordered gracefully and turned to leave. 6 Write yourment Gifts Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡°Ah? In the car?¡± The group leader was clearly stunned. He was surprised that a ring worth hundreds of thousands of dors had been lost and that the two women had decided not to supervise the search. ¡°After all, our Lily is a popr celebrity. If she were to stand here and watch you searching for the ring, it would probably only be moments before she got surrounded by movie fans,¡± Annabelle said. The group leader thought so too. And probably didn¡¯t want any bad press for the Sanitation Center. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re right. Please about your day. We¡¯ll contact you the moment we find something.¡± go Lily¡¯s car was parked nearby. Even if she sat in the car, she could still easily see Grace, digging through the garbage, looking dejected and insignificant. ¡°She¡¯s only qualified to go through rubbish,¡± Annabelle said cruelly with a smile. ¡°Despite how she was so smug moments ago, she still has to wade through a garbage dump now.¡± Lily calmly replied, ¡°Let¡¯s leave after a bit.¡± Grace¡¯s current appearance was making her seem not as threatening. Even though this woman was once loved by Sean, in the end, she was also abandoned by him. And yet, back in the prison, even when all ten of Grace¡¯s fingertips had been bleeding, all fingernails ripped out and all of the bones in her fingers had been broken, she still insisted that she was framed and that she was innocent! Why did that woman suffer through such pain and still insist that she was innocent? Did she actually think that if she persisted in proiming her innocence that she would not really be guilty? Or that they¡¯d somehow believe her and go easy? Jennifer was dead! Thew looked at the evidence! ¡°Oh right, best tomemorate it,¡± Annabelle said and took out her phone to take a picture of Grace inside the huge dumpster, hefting broken bags and sifting through all kinds of refuse and rotting food. Annabelle shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m d we¡¯re in the car and going to leave. Can you imagine that stench?¡± Grace did not know when this farce would end but it was clear that it would be impossible to get off work at her usual time. She had also gotten ire and several other coworkers in trouble by making them stay behind with her to look for a non-existent ring. Grace removed the stic gloves she was wearing and reached for her phone to dial a number. ¡°Jay, it¡¯s me, today I¡¯m¡­ there. are some issues at the center, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll not be back until veryte. Make a little something for yourself for dinner, you don¡¯t have to wait for me.¡± A strong male voice rang out from the other end of the phone. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Just hearing his voice brightened her spirits. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ uh, some work-rted issues. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to wait for me,¡± she replied. She saw that the group leader was ring at her and she hurriedly ended the call. She put on her gloves again and continued to look through the trash. In the president¡¯s office of the Reed Group¡­ Jason gave an order to his secretary. ¡°Terrence, go and look into what¡¯s happened to Grace at the Sanitation Service Center.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Terrence agreed dutifully and left the president¡¯s office. Contemtion shed through Jason¡¯s eyes. In the call just now, he could clearly sense that she was hiding something, but¡­ what was she hiding?¡± Terrence was able to uncover the incident with minimal effort. ¡°Lily is alleging that she has lost a ring worth hundreds of thousands. She called the director of the Sanitation Service Center, and he ordered Miss Cummins to go through the rubbish then and there to look for the ring.¡± Terrence called Lily by her full name but addressed Grace respectfully, which proved both of their statuses within Jason¡¯s heart. Jason¡¯s eyes narrowed immediately. ¡°Go through the rubbish?¡± The iciness of his tone made Terrence freeze. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is it worth going through rubbish for one stupid ring?¡± Jasonughed coldly. He muttered to himself momentarily before continuing. ¡°Since Lily likes searching for rings so much, then let her look for it properly until she¡¯s had enough of it!¡± Terrence had been at Jason¡¯s side for many years and was aware that his employer had lost his temper. This was so rare. Throughout these years, there have only been a few incidents that have angered Mr. ReedMr. Reed. And at this moment, he¡¯d never seen his boss more furious. 8 Write yourment Gifts Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Lily and Annabelle seemed as if they had had enough of looking at Grace¡¯s dejected form searching through the rubbish and decided to drive away. Annabelle asked, ¡°How long are you going to let her look for it?¡± Lily replied casually, ¡°Let her look for it tillte at night, just before I go to bed. Then, I¡¯ll call the director and tell them that it¡¯s fine if they can¡¯t find the ring. I¡¯ll just acknowledge my misfortunes.¡± ¡°Heh, you let her off easily,¡± Annabelle said. ¡°If Sean saw her now, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯d vomit. Grace is not worthy of people like Sean. Only a socialite such as you can match him.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as the red Maserati started its engine, several police cars suddenly drove toward them. In the blink of an eye, the Maserati was surrounded by the police. A policeman stepped out of one of the cars and knocked on Maserati¡¯s ss window. Lily lowered the window and heard the policeman say, ¡°We received a report that a ring worth hundreds of thousands was lost here. We¡¯re going to lodge a report now to investigate if the ring was lost or stolen.¡± ¡°Lodge a report?¡± Lily and Annabelle were both stunned. Chapter 35 2/4 ¡°But we didn¡¯t call the police!¡± Annabelle shouted noisily. However, the policeman paid them no mind and continued, ¡°Anything worth over a hundred thousand dors is considered a major case. We would appreciate your cooperation and we also hope to help the two of you recover the ring.¡± But the problem is¡­ no ring was lost! The two of them exchanged looks. Lily spoke through clenched teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t want to investigate the missing ring further. It¡¯s fine if it can¡¯t be found.¡± ¡°If this is a theft, then the value of the item qualifies it as a criminal case and we have to lodge a report to conduct an investigation. If you could please get out of the car and confirm the general area where you realized the ring was lost.¡± The officer handling this case wasn¡¯t taking any chances. ¡°We¡¯re going to do this by the book, ma¡¯am.¡± He opened the car door for Lily. ¡°Now, if you¡¯d please step out of the car. We¡¯ll take a statement from each of you, separately¡­¡± personnel who was handling the case said insistently. Lily and Annabelle exited the warm car and were weed by a cold st of air. They walked to the spot where they had been speaking to Grace just then. However, the ce was now covered with piles of rubbish. Arge mass of rubbish that had originally been in the bins had now been poured out. The piles had been ced out in the open to facilitate the search for the ring. The stench of the rubbish drifted over ceaselessly. Lily and Annabelle were both dressed shily and stood out even more in the midst of the piles of rubbish. And yet, the personnel handling the case was not willing to let them leave, insisting that they stand still as they recounted their experience. Their recounting was an ordeal. After they finished, they thought they would be able to leave but the personnel said, ¡°Since we¡¯re already looking for the ring, then would the two of you just stand here and wait a moment? If the ring is found, you¡¯ll be able to immediately confirm if it¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°Stand here?¡± Annabelle asked with surprise. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so dirty and smelly here¡­¡± Just then, an rming voice suddenly rang out nearby, ¡°Oh my god, that must be Lily! I¡¯m actually getting to see a huge celebrity!¡± Immediately after, arge crowd of people gathered around them. ¡°Why is she standing in the middle of a rubbish pile?¡± ¡®Are those police standing next to them? Are they filming a movie now?¡± The surrounding crowd erupted in wild discussions. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if I leave now. I will let my assistant andwyer assist the police regarding this matter,¡± Lily said, mentally wishing to leave the ce as soon as possible. ¡°Miss Atkinson, I know you¡¯re a celebrity, but the sanitation workers are currently working hard to find the ring for you. You¡¯re the party concerned and your role is to just stand aside and wait, can¡¯t you even do that? Or do you think you¡¯re better than everyone else?¡± the policeman retorted righteously. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Even if Lily really thought she was indeed better than everyone else, she was unable to say it out loud as the crowd gathered around her had gotten bigger. Lily grew even angrier, especially when she saw that some of the gathered people had taken out their phones to record them. And yet, on the surface, she still had to maintain herposure. It was not long before more Sanitation Service Center workers, along with people sent by the police, arrived to help look for the ring. This was ridiculous! It was freezing cold and she and Annabelle were surrounded by onlookers as they were interrogated by the police, all while standing next to piles of garbage and breathing in waves of noxious fumes. Needless to say, the ring was ultimately not found. When the police finally allowed Lily and Annabelle to leave, the two of them were close to vomiting from the stench. ¡°Lily, what do we do? This incident has been blown way out of proportion. They¡¯re deeming it a criminal case,¡± Annabelle said nervously when they were back in the car. She didn¡¯t mind the asional prank or joke, but having the police involved was never a good thing. ¡°Who on earth reported the case? Even the ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. It¡¯s not like the case can be resolved,¡± Lily said, her face grim. Lily was less worried about the criminal case and more concerned about her self-image. She was a celebrity who was often photographed in high-ss venues and she¡¯d spent thest hours beside piles of garbage. Between the fans, workers, and police, there were plenty of people at the scene recording her and she was afraid it would turn into a trending topic. That was all she needed Ugh! She hurriedly N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. called her agent and publicist to suppress all rted news. Grace¡¯s body was engulfed in the stench of the garbage. Although she¡¯d worn gloves and had washed her hands multiple times, a faint odor still lingered on them. As for her body, even after changing out of her uniform into her day clothes and jacket, the smell still clung to her skin. ¡°These rich people are too much. They just lose a ring and suddenly, we¡¯re the ones tortured for it!? If it¡¯s such an expensive ring, why didn¡¯t they look after it more closely themselves?¡± ire grumbled. Grace gave her a few words offort, then took her bag and left. After Lily¡¯s farce, she went back hometer than usual. The streetmps had already been lit. The Cold wind blew at her face and pricked her. Today, she once again sensed the difference between her past and her present. When Lily had asked for the ring to be searched for, she had not even an ounce of strength with which to fight back. Because she needed this terrible job. No one else would hire her. Her past self could have given up on this kind of job and still have found plenty of other opportunities, but it was extremely hard for her present self to find even this one posting. If she wanted to survive, stay warm, and eat well, she could only continue on. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and stared dazedly at the nearby figure standing by the gate of the apartmentplex. Jason! He waited for her toe back! The light from the streetmp shone on him and his handsome face was the balm she needed. My present self is different from my past self, at least. I¡¯m no longer alone. ¡°Jay.¡± Grace quickly ran toward him but right before she reached him she hurriedly halted her footsteps. He lifted his pretty eyes to stare at her confusedly. ¡°Sister?¡± ¡°I¡­ There¡¯s a strong stench on me now, so don¡¯te too close to me,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s been a hell of a day,¡± she said and managed tough about it now. ¡°I stink. Let¡¯s go in. It¡¯s cold out here.¡± As she spoke, she started toward the building, thinking if she got there quickly enough, she could jump into the shower and wash her clothes before she stunk up the room. But a pair of arms looped around her from behind and in the next moment, she was pulled into a tight embrace. ¡°Jay!¡± she cried out faintly. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Jason hugged her. He lowered his head and gently ced his cheek against her neck. She wasn¡¯t kidding about the smell, but beneath the sharp. garbage scent, her skin smelled like her. Lily had intentionally made things difficult for her today and he¡¯d hated that she was not only upset by Lily¡¯s antics but also forced tobor so terribly. She leaned against him, tired and weak. And he hated that too. ¡°Sister, no matter what odor you have on your body, you don¡¯t have to stay away from me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Grace squirmed with embarrassment and Jay didn¡¯t know if it was because of the way she smelled or his hug. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already promised to depend on each other, then what is there to avoid? Does it mean that one day if I smell or sweat, you will deliberately stay away from me?¡± he retorted. Grace remained silent for a while. She then took a deep breath and said, ¡°All right, I understand. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± He nodded victoriously. ¡°Come, it¡¯s cold.¡± He held her hand and return to the cramped apartment. ¡°You go shower and change, I will make dinner.¡± She tilted her head at him, no doubt wondering if he could cook. And she wasn¡¯t wrong, he had virtually no experience in the kitchen, but cooking was based on measurements and cooking times. He was an engineer by nature, he understood numbers. ¡°Go,¡± he insisted, pushing her forward. Grace went into the bathroom and closed the door. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work. She stayed in their close to an hour. And though he¡¯d done a decent job of cooking the meat and rice, by the time she came out and sat across from him, the food had cooled. Grace didn¡¯t seem to notice and she ate with relish. ¡°What happened today?¡± Jason asked. Grace hesitated and she chewed slowly before setting her fork down. ¡°It¡¯s silly, really. And today¡¯s event has been blown out of proportion. But given all the people and all the workers and police involved, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t hear about it already on social media.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about it online, I want to hear about it from you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Grace said and then she recounted the whole story for him. Jason listened to her in silence. Once she was done narrating, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± She chuckled at the question. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be angry about.¡± ¡°She hadn¡¯t really lost a ring, she was just making trouble, wasn¡¯t she? Why aren¡¯t you angry?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s no point in getting angry,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you know Jason Reed?¡± she asked suddenly. His expression was a little stunned and his eyes shed as they studied her. He shifted and his hair covered his face ¡°He¡¯s pretty much the most powerful person in this city. Of course, he¡¯s rich. A billionaire or something, and either for his money or influence, people want to curry favor with him,¡± she said. ¡°What about him?¡± Jason said neutrally. ¡°When I was still incarcerated, because I was charged as the driver who caused his wife¡¯s death, there were plenty of people who ingratiated themselves to him by hurting me in prison. If I got angry over everything, then, other than ultimately angering myself to death, there would be no other benefit from it.¡± She said this offhand while scooping more rice into her bowl. It might have been said dismissively, but his heart suddenly started to twinge. Even if she didn¡¯t spell it out explicitly, he could guess what she went through in prison. Just as she said, there were too many people trying to curry his favor. There were even some who¡¯d actually mentioned to him how they had ¡°taught her a lesson¡± in prison. How did he respond? He probably dismissed them with augh. After all, this was a very trivial issue for him. And yet now, he was suddenly feeling somewhat regretful. If he had known then that she was this kind of woman if he had known he would have crossed paths with her, and maybe even gotten along with her like this, would he have let anyoney a finger upon her in prison? No. Absolutely not. He might even¡­ not have let her be imprisoned at all! ¡°Are you okay?¡± It was as if he had stared at her until he was entranced. She raised a hand and waved it before his eyes. He abruptly grabbed her hand and felt the rough callouses on her palm. ¡°Did you suffer in prison, Grace?¡± She swallowed hard and looked away. She shuddered and her hand trembled in his as she recalled those horrors. When she turned back to him, her expression was clear. Grace smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡± And yet the more indifferent she acted, the more his heart ached. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 What kind of suffering did she endure to be so dismissive when recounting these experiences? ¡°In the future, if anyone hurts you, I won¡¯t let them get away,¡± he said as if he was making an oath. She rubbed his head of ck hair. Treating him very much like the younger brother she professed him to be. But he knew better. He¡¯d gotten close to her and saw how she responded to him. She might try to keep him at arm¡¯s length, but they were far past that. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m a big girl, and I can take care of myself. Don¡¯t keep saying stuff like that.¡± She smothered a yawn. ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡± As she spoke, she lowered her head and continued eating. the food before her. A spark shed through his eyes as if he was thinking of something. The incident had indeed been blown out of proportion and yet it did not ur to Lily that herpany would be unable to suppress this top search. There were simply too many sites and too many people talking about the event. And while her people could bribe some news outlets, there were simply too many and the scene of her standing at the roadway while an entire dumpster of garbage was opened and sorted¡­ that was sweeping the world and trending. Damn it! Between the missing ring and spection of what it cost and looked like, and the sanitation workers going through the trash looking for it, there was more than enough fodder to keep people talking. The corresponding images were especially publicized. In it, she was dressed shily as she stood beside the rubbish piles, and next to her were several sanitation workers bent over the trash looking for the ring. Such a contrast immediately generated the ire of many. They all used her of being morally wed and putting on airs. The ¡®rich bitch¡¯ who watched while othersbored. There were even some online who stated, ¡°She lost her own ring and still wanted the sanitation workers to find it. They have already been working hard sweeping the roads for the entire day. Why didn¡¯t she look through the rubbish herself?¡± ¡°So she¡¯s better than everyone just because she¡¯s a celebrity?¡± ¡°Who is she to hog the city¡¯s resources? She doesn¡¯t pay the sanitation workers¡¯ sries. Why does she need so many people to help her look for a ring?¡± Even if Lily¡¯s fans worked hard to clear their idol¡¯s name, they were unable to curb those negative incident and uploaded them online. It was a PR nightmare! ¡°Why can¡¯t the top search be taken down?¡± Lily saw that the negativements online had increased and she was no longer able to sit still. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with these key influencers. We¡¯re reaching out and asking them to stop posting. We¡¯re offering topensate them. But they just aren¡¯t willing to take down all of the rted content.¡± ¡°This is absurd!¡± Lily shouted. ¡°Offer them more money!¡± ¡°We have,¡± her manager said. ¡°And we have to be careful not to push too hard because that could blow T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. up in our faces. We don¡¯t want them to start saying that we¡¯re trying to buy them. or silence them. Free speech and all that.¡± There was some rustling on the other end of the phone as if he was covering the mouthpiece. ¡°Not for nothing, but if you¡¯d called me immediately, instead of just your agent and publicist, I would¡¯ve told you to keep your money and tovish it on the workers. Or to forget about the ring and go buy a new one-it would¡¯ve cost a fraction of what we¡¯re spending now on damage control. Damn it, Lily, you could¡¯ve spun this way better, if you¡¯d rewarded those poor people or if you¡¯d actually gotten your hands dirty yourself.¡± Lily sucked in a breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend you didn¡¯t just run your mouth at me,¡± she said icily. But his words struck a chord with her. She could¡¯ve handled this better. Better if she hadn¡¯t started this farce in the first ce. The manager relented. ¡°Sure. Fine. Hopefully, we won¡¯t run into a situation like this again.¡± He was quiet for a moment. Then: ¡°Lily, did you offend someone, I mean not the public or those workers today? I mean someone big¡­¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Because money cures most everything, and this situation¡­we aren¡¯t able to pay to sweep it away. So I¡¯ll ask again, who did d you piss off?¡± ¡°Who could I have offended?¡± She pondered over it. ¡°I¡¯m an Atkinson, and I¡¯m engaged to Sean. Everybody else should be afraid of offending me, unless¡­¡± Lily froze. Could it be Jason Reed? There were very few people more powerful than her family or the Stevens-family. And it would take a lot of power and money for her to be refused. The ones who were capable of hiding the truth from the masses and who would be able to influence those key opinion leaders and the media¡­were few, and Jason was one of them. ¡°Could it really be that because of Jennifer¡¯s death, he was taking out his anger on her and Sean? There had been no change, and their businesses had continued as usual with Reed Group. Jason had epted their wedding invitation. And yet, as Lily thought of the previously taken-down projection ads, she was suddenly not so sure. ¡°Oh no,¡± her manager whispered. ¡°What!? What is it?¡± ¡°Turn on your television.¡± Lily flipped on the tv. It showed aerial footage of the Sanitation Center and people sweeping the street and spraying it down where they¡¯d emptied the dumpster to sort through the garbage. Then the scene cut to security footage photos of her, with closeups of her hand. ¡°Police in the cityunched this investigation in a matter of hours. And they made a shocking discovery¡­¡¯ the reporter said. 6/6 ¡®Aposite of a series of security camera footage to prove that Lily had not lost a ring.¡¯ The reporter shook her head at the camera. ¡®It¡¯s clear from the photos that she wasn¡¯t wearing it. The cameras show that she had only been wearing a pinkie ring. Other than that, there had been no other ring.¡¯ The reporter shrugged. ¡°The ring in question was purported to be worth hundreds of thousands of dors. She frowned. ¡®Perhaps Miss Atkinson just misced it.¡¯ At that line, the co-anchor arched a brow. ¡°Oh, yes, Joann. I can see how hard it must be to keep track of millions of dors of jewelry.¡± The sarcasm was brutally effective. In the blink of an eye, Lily was utterly hated on the inte. The fans who had originally defended her were powerless against such circumstances. What else could they say? The police had already issued a detailed investigation report. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 There was even arge number of fans dering online that they were going to leave the fandom, and swore to hate Lily forever. Meanwhile, several of Lily¡¯s loyal fans expressed their disbelief and suspected that there had been a mistake made during one of the investigative stages. Simrly, Lily was also skeptical. The police had actually issued an investigative report, and yel she had found out about it at the same time as the other online users. A shiver ran through Lily¡¯s body. How could this be?! Did it mean that the public image she had built up these past few years and the career she fought so hard for would be ruined in a day? And yet, the worst had yet toe¡­ At the Reed Group, Jason¡¯s personal secretary, Terrence directly called both the Atkinson and Stevens families to inform them of his employer¡¯s non-attendance at their engagement dinner. Everyone naturally associated it with Lily¡¯s current negative press. When Grace saw the police-issued investigation report, she was somewhat surprised. She had not been expecting it to be released so quickly and that both Sean and Lily had been unable to brush this under the table. ¡°That Lily sure is detestable. That day, she wanted so many of us to look for the ring, and ultimately, she hadn¡¯t really lost anything!?¡± In the Sanitation Service Center, everyone was wildlymenting on the incident. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder this is going viral-she¡¯s heinous.¡± ¡°But this really doesn¡¯t make any sense. I mean, she¡¯s such a huge celebrity, why would she im that she lost a ring and want us to look for it?¡± Someone asked confusedly. ¡°She has nothing better to do.¡± ire pulled Grace aside and asked, ¡°That day¡­ I noticed Lily speaking with you for quite some time. Do you know her?¡± Farah Steele, who happened to be walking past at that moment, heard the question and mockingly replied, ¡°ire, are you joking? Grace might know Lily, but how would Lily know Grace? She¡¯s a socialite from a respected family.¡± ¡°But I saw Lily and Grace talking the day of the incident.¡± ¡°Maybe Grace offended Lily. That¡¯s why such a huge celebrity would intentionally im that she lost a T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ring,¡± Farah replied. Then, she continued as if she had captured the culprit, ¡°Well done, Grace. It turns out that you were the one who dragged everyone into looking through the rubbish with you.¡± Farah persisted in finding fault with Grace because Chase had a crush on her. ¡°That¡¯s not true nor is it fair,¡± ire said. ¡°Why would you me this incident on Grace?¡± Grace¡¯s cold gaze swept across Farah. ¡°So if someone is being deceitful, you don¡¯t shame that person but me someone else for hurting that deceitful person? Your perception of right and wrong sure is interesting.¡± Farah¡¯s face turned red and she had no way of refuting. She could only re at Grace with hatred before stomping away. In the Atkinson family mansion, Lily and her father stood with bated breath in therge hall as they waited for Jason. ¡°You immature girl, how could you have stirred up such trouble? Grace is currently just a sanitation worker. There¡¯s such a huge difference in both of your social standings. What is there topare?¡± Harold med his daughter. ¡°Why did she have to murder my sister? If it weren¡¯t for her, Jason wouldn¡¯t have taken his anger out on the Stevens family. It¡¯s all her fault! And what about the projection ads that Seanmissioned -did you forget about those? Jason Reed had all of those taken down too!¡± Lily shouted. Harold¡¯s expression shifted. His lips moved slightly but he ultimately remained silent. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¡°Dad, you must really miss Jennifer too,¡± Lily said. ¡°It¡¯s reallyughable how when I saw Grace that day, she had no hint of remorse for Jennifer¡¯s death.¡± ¡°All right, don¡¯t speak of that woman,¡± Harold replied. As they spoke, they could hear footsteps from the stairs. The father and daughter duo raised their heads to see Jasoning down the stairs. ¡°Did youe to see me for something?¡± Jason asked calmly as his gaze swept across the two people before him. As Jason¡¯s cold eyes took in Lily, she could feel her body tensing slightly. There was a time when her sister had been madly in love with this man! Lily still remembered her sister talking to her with a dreamy expression on her face. ¡°I once thought that I could never get a man like Jason in this life. He¡¯s too cold, too logical, and even if you hug him, it¡¯s as if you can¡¯t feel any of his warmth. We can be together in a room, and he¡¯s still a hundred miles away. He¡¯s just like exquisite and beautiful porcin. You can see his surface but you can never see what¡¯s beneath.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lily thought so too. Every time she saw Jason, she was unable to see the man clearly. In hindsight, her sister¡¯s choice of a husband may not have been the best one. Oh, for political and financial reasons, Jennifer couldn¡¯t have done better, but there was something cial about Jason. Something cold and callous. It¡¯s why Lily had never tried to make a go of things with Jason, neither before nor after the ident. Even though Jason was very good-looking and backed by therge Reed Group, capable of doing anything within the city, the man was too scary and too cold. 1 Her sister may have been head-over-heels in love with Jason and had finally gotten his consent to marry, but Lily doubted the feeling was reciprocal. She didn¡¯t think Jason had ever loved Jennifer. Not because Jennifer wasn¡¯t wonderful in every way. But because this man was incapable of love. At her sister¡¯s funeral, Jason did not shed a single tear. ¡°Jason, My daughter made a grave mistake, Lily is an impetuous child, who caused an incident that impacted us negatively. I¡¯ve already scolded her. We hope that you can still attend Lily¡¯s and Sean¡¯s engagement dinner. Lily is Jennifer¡¯s only sibling, and I¡¯m sure Jennifer would wish that you could attend Lily¡¯s engagement dinner,¡± Harold said with a sincere expression. Jason looked at Harold with a forced smile. Harold felt as if his throat was turning dry and he could not finish what he wanted to say. Harold had-mingled in the business sector for many years and yet now it was as if his entire person was being stifled by someone who was almost his son-inw. He felt as if Jason could see through his every thought. ¡°She really is quite indignant. And petty, I think. I was quite surprised that she would cause so much trouble. Lying about jewelry and then forcing minimum wage workers to search for some imaginary ring.¡± Jason shook his head. ¡°I mean, even if she had lost such a ring, so what?¡± Harold nodded. ¡°Yes, Jason. This was handled very poorly.¡± ¡°Harold, you raised quite a daughter,¡± Jason said with a faint smile. ¡°Children should be blessings, not N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. burdens.¡± Harold smiled embarrassedly. Lily flushed repeatedly. She was the darling daughter of the Atkinson family and also a celebrity. People chased after her the world over. When had she ever had to suffer such mockery? Jason¡¯s dark eyes cut to her. He knew what she was thinking. He smirked. Then he nced back at Harold, all but dismissing Lily. ¡°If you want me to attend the engagement dinner, it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Jason said. ¡°Since your darling daughter is so fond of looking for things, then there¡¯s no harm in her helping me look for something.¡± What does that mean? Harold and Lily looked at him and then at each other, clearly confused. They watched as Jason walked to the other end of the hall to open a sliding ss door. Outside the door was an artificial pond. It wasrge and deep, with algae-covered rocks and an assortment of koi. Jason threw the ring in his hand straight into the pond, then spoke to Harold, ¡°Once your darling daughter finds the ring, I¡¯ll attend the engagement dinner.¡± Harold¡¯s mouth opened but no words came out. Lily looked dazed. He wanted her to¡­ find a small ring in this pond?! Is he kidding? Jason ordered a nearby servant, Keep an eye on them. Miss Atkinson has to find it herself. The moment the ring is found, then that¡¯s when they can leave. Of course, if they have to leave no matter what¡­¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 He paused for a while before ncing at the two people, who T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. were still dumbstruck. ¡°Then don¡¯t let them step into this house again.¡± Harold rocked back on his heels in shock and Lily immediately shivered. Jason¡¯s words were undoubtedly telling these two that if they left without finding the ring, it would mean severing all ties with the Reed family. Seeing that Jason had left, Harold and Lily looked at each other in dismay. Although the pool in front of them was not too deep, it was still about 100 square meters. Even worse, the bottom of the pool was covered with mud and algae, so it would not be easy to find a small ring. Lily was about to cry. ¡°Dad, what should I do? Do I really have to go down and look for the ring? Can¡¯t we call someone or try and reason with Jason? This is ridiculous!¡± ¡°The man doesn¡¯t give a shit about your excuses, Lily. Whatever trouble you¡¯ve caused, you have to solve it yourself. If the Reed Group really breaks ties with our family, you no doubt know what will happen to us in the future!¡± Since it was rted to the future of his family, even though it was his daughter, Harold could not tolerate any resistance. Lily was silent. Of course, she knew that many of the big businesses in her family¡¯s holdings relied on the Reed Group. If Jason turned hostile, it would be a devastating blow to her family. Lily felt helpless and could only walk into the pool step by step. It was so cold and the water smelled like a swamp. She began to look for the small ring, bending down and feeling along the bottom. She winced and screamed several times. When she scraped against rocks and god-knew-what. What if there were turtles? She could lose a finger. She had not expected Jason to take revenge for Grace. And now that he had, she wondered what else he might do to her next. When Jason returned to the apartment, he saw Grace washing clothes. Her hands were soaked in ice-cold water and they had already turned red from the cold. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use hot water?¡± he asked with a frown. ¡°Hot water needs to be boiled, which will use a lot of electricity. Besides, if you wash with cold water for a while, your hands will start to heat up.¡± Grace said. She soaked the clothes again and wrung them out to dry. He took her hands in his. They were so, so cold. ¡°Next time, use hot water when you wash clothes. Just use the electricity, and I will earn the money,¡± he said. She could not helpughing. She raised her hand and patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I should save money whenever I can. There¡¯ll be many ces to spend money in the future. How was dinner with your colleagues tonight, was it enjoyable?¡± 4 ¡°Not bad,¡± Jason replied. Dinner with his colleagues had been his excuse tonight. If he had guessed correctly, then Lily would still be looking for the ring in the Reed family¡¯s pond. He wondered how long Lily would spend. ¡°It seems to have grown a little longer,¡± Grace muttered, bringing Jason back to reality. He saw the person before him raising her hand to gently press his hair back. ¡°Jay, why don¡¯t I trim your hair for you? When it¡¯s long like this, it¡¯s got to be annoying, getting in your face and whatnot.¡± Heughed. His hair was tied back during the day, and he only left it down around her and while in her environment so people wouldn¡¯t recognize him. She ran her hands through his hair again. ¡°I think it will look so good,¡± she said as if already envisioning it. He stared at her with a bright glint in his eyes. Momentster, he slowly said, ¡°Alright.¡± Grace only had simple tools-ab and a pair of scissors. Then, she took a piece of cloth and wrapped it around Jason¡¯s neck. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Shebed his bangs gently with ab, then began to trim the hairs on his forehead bit by bit. All of her attention was concentrated on the task at hand. Jason watched her. The way she studied him, so focused on her task. That singr focus had served her well in her life-first with her education and graduating top of her ss at University andter at Law School. And then in surviving prison. Guilt stabbed at him. He saw how she¡¯d been abused in the time that he knew her. What must her life be like behind bars, with no one to champion or protect her, and countless criminals She sucked in a breath and he hung on to that little sound. Her mouth was pretty. Full lips, a bright smile. She didn¡¯t smile enough, he realized. Her skin was still red, likely from the wind and cold, and though it pinkened her cheeks and nose, it only enhanced her beauty. If he looked hard enough, he could see that she¡¯d been beautiful once. Her features carried symmetry and character. But it wasn¡¯t the outward appearance that drew him, but rather what came from within. This woman¡­ she¡¯d been the one to fight for him. To sacrifice so that he could have a roof over his head, warm clothes, and something good to eat. She¡¯d asked for nothing in return. And knowing that she appreciated him for him¡­ awakened something inside him. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± After an unknown amount of time, her voice suddenly sounded in his ear. ¡°Oh, already?¡± he asked. It was as if time spent with her passed extremely quickly. ¡°Mmm.¡± She smiled, took two steps back, and carefully looked at him for a while. ¡°My skill isn¡¯t too bad. In fact, it¡¯s rather good, and we¡¯ve saved twenty dors.¡± She smiled as she spoke. Then, she took out a dry towel and flicked off the fine strands of hair that were stuck to his face, neck, and on his clothes. ¡°Alright, go take a shower,¡± Grace said. Jason took the change of clothes and walked into the narrow bathroom. Knowing that she wanted to conserve energy and keep their bills low, he didn¡¯t set the shower to hot as he normally would. Warm water rushed over his body as he stepped in and lowered his head to rinse away any shorn hairs. As he nced down, he saw the scar on his chest. With time, this scar had grown very shallow. However, every time he saw it, he would think of that woman. The woman who had abandoned him and his father. Perhaps this wound was the only thing he had left of her. He recalled her pushing him away as he knelt and begged her not to leave, and not to abandon him and his father. The woman had shaken her head and pried his hands free. When she shoved him aside so she could leave, he¡¯d fallen on a bit of rebar. Jason¡¯s memories didn¡¯t remember the construction or the details of the day, aside from what she wore, how her beautiful smile had transformed into a snarl, and how he¡¯d been unable to breathe when the metal he fell on pierced his chest. The doctors had said that the metal had gotten very close to his heart. He was lucky, a centimeter to the left and they would not have been able to save his life at all. At that time, he had told himself that that woman was no longer his mother. He walled himself off. After his father¡¯s death, he stopped having expectations of anyone. As long as he did not have expectations, he would never be disappointed. It was just that¡­ Jason turned off the tap, wiped his body dry with a towel, and put on his clothes. When he walked out of the bathroom, his eyes fell on Grace. She was sitting at the table and seemed to be looking at something. Since when had he started having expectations of her? He was looking forward to seeing her smile, looking forward to her happiness. He lived for those moments when she looked at him with gentle eyes and smiled. Her smile lit up the whole room. ¡°Jay¡±. Even the sound of his name on her lips brought him joy. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re done washing up? I¡¯ll help you blow dry your hair,¡± she said as she stood up to get the hairdryer. He walked to the side of the table and saw some documents ced on the table by her side. They were¡­ copies of the record of her original case. His eyes shed. ¡°What are you looking at, Sister?¡± he asked, even though he already knew the answer. ¡°Some of the rted information from my case back then,¡± she said. ¡°Lina helped me collect them.¡± ¡°Why are you reading this again?¡± he asked. Yes, why? Grace had asked herself the same question. It had been three years, and she could not reverse the verdict. She did not even know where the witnesses from that year were now. What else could she do just based on her status as a sanitation worker? But could she really give up and ept her false conviction? She knew what the evidence said, but she also knew it wasn¡¯t true. She had not been drinking. So there must be some kind of mistake. It simply wasn¡¯t possible for her tests to have shown a high level of alcohol in her system. Because she hadn¡¯t consumed a drop. Chapter 42 ¡°Perhaps¡­ this case, there are still some things that I don¡¯t understand,¡± Grace mumbled. And she was determined to get to the bottom of them¡­ She also did not understand why Jennifer¡¯s car had been rushing toward her. What made her even more confused was why those witness statements were all targeted at her. She could not exin. All the witnesses and evidence at that time had proven that she was the perpetrator. Admittedly, the ident had been traumatic and some of the details surrounding the investigation that followed were still murky. She¡¯d been in shock. But she couldn¡¯t for the life of her understand how there was so much security or camera footage. Almost every street in the city had some kind of traffic camera. And the people who¡¯d been witnesses, they¡¯d all had the exact same version of events. But as an attorney, she knew that rarely happened either. People always had different perceptions, based on their physical position in rtion to a crime, their age, sex, and perspective. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Even something as simple as running a traffic light could be interpreted in different ways, depending on who you asked. Could it have been something else entirely? Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Jennifer had been about to marry Jason Reed, President of the Reed Group. She had been in the prime of her life and there had been no reason for her to want tomit suicide by crashing into a car. ¡°Grace, do you want to appeal the case?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think that will do me much good.¡± Grace it go.¡± Jason grunted. ¡°Besides,¡± Grace said, closing the folder. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to overturn a case. I¡¯m out now. I should be thankful for that and just look forward. No one ever said life would be fair, right? Well, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I¡¯ll blow dry your hair.¡± As she spoke, she put away the documents and then used a hairdryer to help him dry his head of wet All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. hair. Jason¡¯s eyes gradually deepened¡­and a n took form. The next day, Terrence saw the dramatic change to Mr. Reed¡¯s hairstyle. Gone was the drawn-back ponytail, and in its ce wereyers that while still maintaining some length, were short enough to frame his face. He didn¡¯t remember scheduling an appointment with a hairstylist, and he knew Mr. Reed¡¯s schedule inside and out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Perhaps it was because he had been staring at him for a long time that Jason asked. Terrence tilted his head. ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t had a haircut for a long time. Do you want me to arrange an appointment with the stylist?¡± Terrence asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Grace helped me trim my hairst night.¡± So it had been Grace! However, what surprised Terrence, even more, was that Mr. ReedMr. Reed had actually¡­ allowed Grace to cut his hair. Mr. Reed wasn¡¯t vain but he did insist on the highest quality products for everything in his life, and that included having his hair maintained by a top-tier hairstylist. Grace was¡­ Now she was just a street sweeper, but even in the past, Grace had been awyer, not a hairdresser. ¡°The trim isn¡¯t too bad, huh?¡± Jason fiddled with his bangs, seeming quite satisfied. The corner of Terrence¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I like it.¡± Mr. Reed had always been very picky. If the top-tier hairstylists that had been specially chosen by him found out that they could notpare to the skills of a street sweeper, what would they think? At noon, Lina took time off to meet up with Grace. The two of them found a small restaurant near the Sanitation Service Center to eat at. ¡°Lily made things difficult for you that day and asked you to go through the garbage for a long time. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Linained. As a good friend, she had only found out about this matter through the news. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Grace said with a faint smile. Looking at such a good friend, for some reason, Lina¡¯s heart ached. ¡°It is. It¡¯s not fair to you, Grace. You¡¯ve been through enough!¡± Back in the earlier days of their friendship, Grace seemed to have been blessed by luck. She had made great strides in her studies and had always been the top student in school. Once out in society, she had gotten into the bestw firm in the City and even began a rtionship with Sean-the most eligible bachelor around. Almost everyone envied her. If she was being honest, even Lina had her days of envy. She was always happy for her friend, but admittedly, sometimes she¡¯d wanted some of that good fortune for herself. After everything that happened to Grace, she felt extra guilty about that now. They would never have expected that one day, Grace would be falsely convicted, subjected to all kinds of horrors in prison, and left to take the only job she could find as a street sweeper. Thest insult from Lily¡­ having to dig through garbage for hours, it was too much! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Grace could not help but sigh as Lina shook her head and frowned. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m fine. Really. It¡¯s just some garbage.¡± A small smile yed on Grace¡¯s lips. ¡°Besides, if the social media sites are anything to go by, Lily is the one to pay the price for it. People hate her for what she¡¯s done. It¡¯s an affront onmon people, it seems.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough, Grace. Lily has gone overboard. It is one thing for her family to find someone to deal with you in prison. However, they continue to create such difficulties even after you¡¯ve been released.¡± Lina huffed indignantly. Grace remained silent. Back then, she had suffered a lot in prison. Part of it hade from those who wanted to please Reed Corporation, and the rest hade from those who had been bribed by the Atkinson family. She bore scars from their efforts. Some of those scars would never heal¡­ My Gorgeous Wife is an Ex-Convict! Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°In the Atkinson family¡¯s opinion, I was the one who caused Jennifer¡¯s death,¡± Grace said after a long time. She¡¯d expected them to resent her. It was a tragedy. 1/6 It was just that before Lily had given the order to pull out her nails in prison, she had never known that people could be so vicious! ¡°In my opinion,pared to her sister¡¯s death, she would probably have been happier if you had been the one to pass away.¡± Lina¡¯s furious expression had yet to fade. ¡°When you were sentenced back then, it wasn¡¯t even a month before Lily and Sean got together. With that speed, I don¡¯t believe that Lily didn¡¯t have any feelings for Sean in the past.¡± ¡°This shows that the rtionship between Sean and me in the past was insignificant. I know that now. And so does the whole world. When I needed him most, he abandoned me and sided with the people trying to persecute me.¡± ¡°It was an ident!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Grace allowed. ¡°But you were there in the courtroom. The evidence. The way they painted me. It didn¡¯t matter that what they said wasn¡¯t true. In reality, Lily did me a favor.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Lina was incredulous. ¡°By showing me who my true friends really are.¡± Lina¡¯s eyes were misted with tears. Grace sped her hand and squeezed. ¡°You¡¯ve been a good friend to me. I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you.¡± ¡°Stop! You¡¯re going to make me cry! It¡¯s what any person would¡¯ve done.¡± Graceughed bitterly. ¡°Any person, like say, my parents and half-sister? Or my other friends and work colleagues? Or, I know, what about Sean? The man who¡¯d vowed to love me forever.¡± Lina whistled. ¡°Wow. Okay, when you put it like that¡­I am a superior human being.¡± They bothughed. ¡°Soo,¡± Lina allowed. ¡°We¡¯ve established the shitty people in your life. Let¡¯s talk about the good ones.¡± She steepled her hands and rested her chin on them. ¡°How are you getting along with that new younger brother? Do you really intend to live with him like this forever?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Grace said, nodding. ¡°If Jay is willing to stay with me, I would be very content with the arrangement.¡± ¡°If it were someone who didn¡¯t know, they would think that you two were dating and living together.¡± Lina asked worriedly, ¡°What about him? He doesn¡¯t have any improper intentions toward you, does he?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said. However, for some reason, when she thought of his dark eyes and strong body, her heart seemed to beat faster once more. ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± Lina looked at the red flush on her good friend¡¯s face and said in surprise, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re interested in him!¡± ¡°No,¡± Grace denied. ¡°Lina, you know, I¡¯ve experienced so many things. Even when I was in prison, I¡­ I don¡¯t intend to be interested in anyone. Those things aren¡¯t in the cards for me.¡± When the matter of prison was brought up, Lina¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hey, maybe we can consult a doctor again, maybe-¡± ¡°No, since I don¡¯t intend to get married, there¡¯s no point in consulting one,¡± she said. While she was in prison, she had been beaten up so brutally, that she suffered internal hemorrhaging. Her uterus was damaged. Although she had recovered after surgery, if she were to get pregnant in the future, she would be facing much higher risks than an ordinary person would. If she could conceive at all. Even the doctor had once advised her not to get pregnant in the future. Theplications could prove fatal for both her and her baby. But Grace had no intention of bringing a baby into this world. What kind of life could she provide for her child? A simple existence in a shitty little apartment? And what of the stigma her baby would bear as the child of ¡®an ex-convict¡¯? She knew how cruel people could be and she would never do that to an innocent baby. Lina¡¯s heart ached for her good friend, but she did not know how tofort her. She could only change the topic and say, ¡°By the way, that younger brother of yours after all, he was a stranger before. And I¡¯m not saying this to take away from your happiness -you deserve only the best things!-but when you talk about Sean and your dad and our friends¡­ they all knew you. This guy is a total stranger. Who¡¯s to say he won¡¯t someday change? Just be careful. ok?¡± ¡°I will,¡± Grace said. ¡°However, even if I don¡¯t know much about Jay, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m certain of. No matter what, he will not harm me.¡± Lina was d to see the smile on Grace¡¯s face, but inside, Lina was panicked. Grace had walled herself off from everyone, except for this young man who was now living with her. She cared about him, deeply. It¡¯s like she took all the emotion and affection she couldn¡¯t give to anyone else andvished it on him. If Jay were to hurt her¡­ Lina wasn¡¯t sure Grace would survive it. Lily had been wading through the pool of the Reed family for All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. almost a whole night before she finally found Jason¡¯s ring. She was on the verge of copse and hypothermia when she was taken to the hospital. She even had to get an IV drip. Of course, when she got hooked up to the drip in the hospital, she did not forget to let her agent take photos and post them on the Inte to gain sympathy. After what happened, Lily held a press conference with a sickly appearance. At the press conference, she apologized in public and said that because the ring was given to her by her boyfriend Sean, she cherished it very much. On that day, she had thought that had been the ring she was wearing when she went out. When she was outside, a friend had alerted her that the ring was not on her hand, so she thought that it had fallen off. Therefore, in a moment of anxiety, the situation of her asking people to help her find the ring emerged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was because of my carelessness that so many sanitation workers had to help me find the ring. I, on the other hand, stood to the side and did not look for the ring together with them. I sincerely acknowledge my mistake.¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Lily apologized with a sincere expression. She looked as if she was on the verge of copse and gained a lot of sympathies. After a pause, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Sanitation Service Center to express my sincere gratitude to the sanitation workers who helped me. I¡¯ll also donate all of my ie from this year¡¯s work and use it Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. to set up a breakfast stall. The sanitation workers can get a free breakfast every day with their work pass.¡± Once the video of the press conference was uploaded on the Inte, many people felt that Lily¡¯s crisis had been handled well. Even the fans kept posting endlessly to help Lily regain her previous ¡®darling¡¯ image. As a result, many people felt that this had indeed just been a misunderstanding. Lily¡¯s gratitude towards the Sanitation Service Center was also very impressive and even attracted many reporters. The director of the Sanitation Service Center arranged for the sanitation workers who had looked for the ring that day to shake hands with Lily one by one and to receive gifts that she had provisioned for each of them. Each worker had to line up for a press release in which they¡¯d ept Lily¡¯s gift of gratitude. ire took the gift and was very happy. This gift, in addition to the check for ten thousand dors, hade with a down jacket. Looking at thebel, she saw that it was a designer brand. She contemted whether she¡¯d keep it or sell it online for more money. ire came back into the center and was surprised to see Grace. ¡°Hey, I was wondering where you were. Hurry and go outside. Everyone is lined up from the third shift. Lily is handing out gifts and cash anyone. Go get what¡¯s due to you.¡± ire nudged Grace, who was sitting alone on the chair. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Grace smiled. ¡°This down jacket costs more than a thousand dors. And the check is for 10k. Are you crazy?!? Why don¡¯t you want them?¡± ire couldn¡¯t mask her disbelief. Grace shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re thinking right now. Just take the things and leave, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± ire said. She directly pulled Grace up and walked towards the door. ¡°There¡¯s no need, ire. There¡¯s really no need,¡± Grace said. However, before she could release herself from ire¡¯s grasp, her entire person had already been pulled outside. ¡°There¡¯s still one left who didn¡¯t receive the gift!¡± ire called out. All of a sudden, the cameras and the reporters were aimed at Grace. Grace automatically used her hands to block them. Those cameras made her think of the time when she had been outside the court being swarmed and photographed by the media. The reporters had all been holding microphones and persistently wanting to interview her. And Sean at that time¡­ Grace¡¯s eyes spotted Sean standing outside the frame of the cameras. Three years ago, in prison, that man had stood there coldly. When Lily had said that she was going to impair her hand, he had looked down at her fingers, which were already stained with spots of blood, and said ¡°good¡± in a frosty tone. Three yearster at the country club, when his bastard friend Gregory had osted her, he¡¯d also stood by. There were some things that, even after three years, remained the same. Grace put down her hand and her heart seemed to calm down a little. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay. She breathed deeply. Lily was the one in the crossfire today, not her. This media circus wasn¡¯t out to condemn Grace. Sean stepped into her line of vision. He wouldn¡¯t break her gaze. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Although Grace looked the same as before, she seemed to have weathered many storms. She was no longer wearing high-end fashion but a fluorescent uniform. Sean was in a daze. The scene of her crawling to him in prison, begging him to believe her appeared before his eyes again. Back then, her gaze had been eager, hopeful, and pleading¡­ However, she looked calm at the moment. Like she didn¡¯t need him. Or anyone in this world. Her strength was a force all its own. Lily sensed it too and her smile slipped. She was terrified, he realized. With the cameras and press closing in and snapping photos, what if Grace were to start railing about how they¡¯d treated her and abused her? What if she attacked them for this ridiculous stunt with the ring? The press would devour such a story and no one would believe that this ring episode that happened at the exact ce where Jennifer Steven¡¯s murderer worked was a coincidence. As it was, it was a stretch for Lily to be anywhere near this neighborhood. Sean held his breath, waiting to see what Grace would do next. Lily nced at him from the corner of her eyes, and he knew that she was thinking the same things as him. She smiled amicably as she handed the gift box to Grace and said, ¡°This is for you. I¡¯m sorry for making you search for my ring the other day.¡± Her behavior was entirely different from how vicious she had been previously! Grace quietly took the gift box without saying a word and turned to leave. After Grace got back into the center, she handed the box to ire, saying, ¡°Here, you take it.¡± ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t you want to keep the clothing?¡± ire asked in amazement. ¡°I have enough clothes,¡± Grace replied. ¡°The check¡¯s still in here¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± Grace said. She looked at the clock and saw that the lunch break was about to end. After picking up the tools, she headed toward the section of a highway that she had been assigned to sweep. Grace heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that the reporters who hade for the event had left. However, when she stepped out of the Sanitation Service Center, she saw Sean walking toward her. Fear trickled up her spine and she hated herself for that momentary reaction. ¡°How¡­ have you been?¡± Sean asked. He had used to hate this woman. He hated her for causing Jennifer¡¯s death and for all the drama that followed. She had caused him to be reprimanded by his family, and his family had almost been destroyed by her. No one wronged the Reed Group. No one. Because of Grace, he¡¯d had to pay the price for it. However, when he saw her wearing the sanitation worker¡¯s uniform, he frowned. After all, he had once loved this woman. She shook her head. ¡°I believe that it is none of Mr. Steven¡¯s business whether I¡¯m doing fine,¡± Grace replied tly as she tried to walk away from him. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ¡°Grace, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Sean said as he blocked her way. ¡°Do I not know what¡¯s good for me?¡± Grace sneered. She looked at Sean directly and asked, ¡°Do you intend to get Lily-your fiancee to pull out my fingernails and break my fingers again? Will it make you happy if I be unable to even hold a broom in the future? It had been three years, Sean. I still have pain!¡± She shuttered down immediately, likely resenting that she said that much. Sean rubbed his chin. He did what he¡¯d had to do back then. And she had brought it upon herself. Graceughed harshly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re even here right now. Back then, when I had needed you the most, you treated me like some stranger on the street. You let me suffer, you encouraged people to torture me. And now you¡¯re standing here, asking if I¡¯m doing fine! What a joke!¡± Sean frowned. What she said was true. ¡°You have to bear the consequences of your actions, Grace. You deserved to be punished. You caused the death of Lily¡¯s sister, and she was within her right to seek revenge. You can¡¯tin about what she did to you!¡± Grace¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Actually, I can. We havews, Sean. And while we both know that no one will care about the usations of some lowly sanitation worker, the fact remains that you and Lily broke thew. You abused your power. What you did was criminal, and someday that truth mighte out What then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to debate with you,¡± Sean said. ¡°You killed an innocent woman. And not even your own family sympathized!¡± Sean snapped. Then he calmed down. ¡°Look. The past is behind us.¡± After letting out a sigh, he said, ¡°When I¡¯m back in the office, I¡¯ll inform the manager in my Human Resource Department to get you a clerical job in one of thepanies under the Stevens Group. It will be better than sweeping the streets every day.¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Grace pursed her lips, finding Sean¡¯s offer to be absurd. He¡­what exactly? Wanted to assuage his guilt by getting her a job? It was his fault she¡¯d been unemployable everywhere else in the city. She started to walk away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t walk away from me,¡± Sean said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m still talking to you. Seriously, Grace. I¡¯m already taking a risk by offering to help you!¡± ¡°Did anyone ever ask you to take that risk?¡± Grace asked tly. ¡°Did you ever hear of too little, toote, Sean? When I needed you most, you abandoned me.¡± She shook her head.¡±There is no need for this. Moreover, aren¡¯t you afraid that your fiancee will hear?¡± ¡°Hear about what?¡± a sharp voice asked. Sean¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re keeping from me?¡± Sean froze. He released his grip on Grace¡¯s arm immediately and turned to look at Lily, who was walking toward him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said quietly. Lily arched a brow. ¡°Hmm.¡± She swept up to Sean and looped her arm through his. ¡°Sean, darling, why did you stop to talk to this kind of person? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Jason Reed will hear about it? You know my sister is the only woman Jason ever loved. Although my sister has been dead for three years, he has never had another woman¡­¡± Although Lily did notplete her sentence, everyone knew what she meant. Sean¡¯s face paled when he remembered the Projection Ads that had been taken down and Jason Reed¡¯s refusal to attend their engagement banquet. There were far-reaching effects of angering Mr. Reed. Effects neither he nor Stevens Corporation could afford. His family reckoned that it was because of Grace that Jason had refused to meet them. But now, he didn¡¯t know what to think. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re only fit to be a sanitation worker.¡± Lily smiled cruelly. ¡°And you¡¯re so good at it!¡± Grace¡¯s eyes narrowed. She was furious. Lily¡¯s recent actions weren¡¯t helping, and for once, Sean wished she would just shut up instead of being so spiteful. ¡°Do you think Mr. Reed knows that you¡¯re already out of prison?¡± She tapped her chin with her free hand. ¡°He made your life a living hell in there, didn¡¯t he?¡±. Grace shuddered. ¡°Funny, if he doesn¡¯t know it already, he just might recognize you on the news from our interviews today. Maybe you should think about relocating. I believe that before long, you will no longer be able to survive in this city,¡± Lily said. With that, she walked away with Sean, holding him by the arm. Grace watched them leave. She took her tools and headed toward a section of the highway, riding on the bicycle provided by the Sanitation Service Center. Grace had already buried the feelings that she had had for Sean. Any emotions she had for him, had died long ago. Seeing him. again, while a bit of a surprise, didn¡¯t stir anything in her heart. It didn¡¯t even raise much amity. He was just¡­dead to her. She didn¡¯t feel anything for him. And seeing Sean and Lily holding each other intimately, bah. They deserved each other. Grace left and went about her work, oblivious to a figure who was standing in one corner, witnessing the scene. In the news agency, reporter Brian was watching the news about Lily¡¯s visit to the Sanitation Service Center to offer her apologies to the sanitation workers. It wasn¡¯t the kind of fluff piece he wanted to cover, but she¡¯d been the city¡¯s darling, and his boss had set him on the story so he covered it. When he saw a dark-haired woman appearing on the screen, he started to frown. He found this woman familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen her. ¡°Who is this woman? Why does she look so familiar?¡± Brian watched the news footage over and over again, and then he finally noticed that some other details popped out to him. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. First, Lily¡¯s hands clenched the gift box and her smile turned brittle when this woman exited the center and approached the press conferencie. Second, the woman bore none of the excitement that her coworkers had. On the contrary, she looked positively resentful to be there. Which was odd, considering every employee that participated in the Atkinson Dumpster Fire heughed at his own pun for Lily¡¯s social media debacle had been thrilled to receive thepensation check and luxury apparel. Not this woman though. Then he noticed that in the background, Sean had visibly paled and began to look very uneasy the minute this woman appeared. ¡°Sean ¡­..¡± Brian seemed to have thought of something and he started to search through the inte. After a while, he found a piece of news that had been reported three years ago. A picture of the woman who had received the gift from Lily. Only she looked beautiful, vibrant in a way that he was shocked it was the same woman. ¡°This is too much of a coincidence!¡± Brian eximed. Three years ago, that woman had been Sean¡¯s girlfriend. Fast forward to today, and the sessful attorney was sweeping the streets? That was a hell of a tumble. And this woman just so happened to be receiving a gift from Sean¡¯s current girlfriend as an apology? ¡± Brian rubbed his hands together. If he¡¯d had a mustache, he would¡¯ve given it a twirl. Heughed to himself as his excitement grew. There was a story here. A juicy one. Where others had missed this one integral detail, he¡¯d seen it. And he was going toast on it. He dug into forming his story and drafting it. Although there were more scious ways to capitalize on the direction of his thoughts, he kept to the facts. With a story like this¡­ it wouldn¡¯t matter. He was fine to let the public specte. That would just encourage more people to read. When he handed his work to the editor, the editor rejected it and told him to rewrite it. ¡°Why must I re-write it?¡± Brian asked unhappily. To be frank, he was offended. He¡¯d done a damn good job catching this anomaly and building out the story around it. ¡°Seriously, why do you want it rewritten? This is a m dunk. You have to see that this is headline-worthy.¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°The management has passed down instructions that we¡¯re not to approve any write-up about Grace Cummins,¡± the editor replied. Brian asked in amazement, ¡°Is the Stevens or Atkinson family behind this?¡± It didn¡¯t make any sense to him. When he had written about Lily earlier on, the editor had approved his news. However, he was not allowed to write anything about Grace! ¡°It¡¯s not them. That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t ask any more questions. In any case, if this piece of news gets released, not only will you lose your job as a reporter, but I will be sacked as well!¡± the editor said. Brian rubbed his eyes. To say he was shocked was an understatement. What the editor had said¡­ seemed too much of an exaggeration. ¡°Grace¡­ is merely a sanitation worker. Who would want to protect her?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too young. In this world, there are many things beyond your imagination,¡± the editor replied with a sigh. He was also puzzled about why Mr. ReedMr. Reed was out to protect Grace. Meanwhile, as Jason watched Grace putting away the utensils, he said, ¡°I heard that the woman who told you to search for her ring has gone to the Sanitation Service Center to offer her apologies.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Grace replied, ¡°but I have given her gift to ire.¡± ¡°Did you see Sean? I saw from the news that he showed up with his fiancee, Lily.¡± As he talked, he watched Grace carefully for her reaction. ¡°Yes, I saw him,¡± Grace replied. She looked calm, as though she was talking about someone who was of no concern to her. Jason crossed the room toward her. ¡°How do you feel? Did seeing Sean again make you sad?¡± When Grace heard the question, she lifted her head to look at him. ¡°I think I know what you¡¯re getting at.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°Jay, are you worried about me? Don¡¯t worry. Please. I promise you, I would not grieve over such a man.¡± ¡°Worried?¡± Jason¡¯s gaze deepened. Other than being worried about her, there was something else¡­ Grace lifted her hand to stroke his head. Recently, she had been doing this more frequently. It was a tender gesture, and he¡¯d be lying if he didn¡¯t say that he liked the feel of her hands on him. Even if it was a touch so innocent as tucking his hair back. ¡°Jay, Sean is nothing to me. I will not be sad over someone who doesn¡¯t love me. If I were sad, it would mean I still loved him.¡± Jason searched her eyes for any tell that she was just saying what he wanted to hear. ¡°Truly,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m d I no longer feel anything at all when I saw him. And I¡¯m even more d that I didn¡¯t marry Sean back then.¡± ¡°Oh? Wouldn¡¯t your life have been much easier if he¡¯d supported you? You might be married to him right now and not have to work a day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a benchmark for happiness,¡± she said. ¡°And I don¡¯t mind work. What I meant was,¡± Grace said, ¡°if my emotions could fade, then they were not that strong to begin with.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Her statement rang true to him. And hearing her assert that her emotions had not been strong for Sean, filled him with a sense of relief. ¡°The ident and everything that transpired¡­it revealed Sean¡¯s true nature. And for that, I am grateful. It was a blessing to know that he was not the man for me.¡± Jason reflected on her words for a moment. Conflict, hardships, loss¡­they were what defined us. Grace had been dealt a terrible hand, but she¡¯d risen above it. Maybe not financially, as she was strapped to a low-ie job and living in a low-ie apartment, but she was determined to be positive. And happy. That was more than he could say for most of the people who ran in his circles. They had money and opportunity. Most of them squandered it with selfish decisions or idiocy. Still, something of what she¡¯d said had him wondering¡­ ¡°Sister, will you feel sad for me one day?¡± It wasn¡¯t fair he realized, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He wanted to possess her attention-even her negative emotions. Grace was shocked by the question and she was at a loss for words. ¡°Will you?¡± he asked as he bent down, moving closer to her. As he crowded her, he watched her pupils dte and the way her pulse skittered at the base of her neck. She sucked a tiny breath. When her gaze fixed on his, he could see her attraction-and her uncertainty. ¡°I¡­ what I meant earlier was, if I loved a person, I would be sad. However, Jay, you¡¯re my brother¡­¡± Grace replied, her mouth dry. ¡°Can¡¯t you love your brother?¡± Jason asked. ¡°We are, after all, family¡­¡± He used his knuckles to lift up her chin, and he angled closer to her so she¡¯d have no doubt of his intentions¡­ Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Grace shook her head to clear it. This was her ¡®brother¡¯ and he likely didn¡¯t mean what he¡¯d said the way she was taking it. It was an innocent question. She shouldn¡¯t read too much into it. This attraction she felt¡­was one-sided and couldn¡¯t go anywhere. If she crossed that line, she¡¯d only stand to lose him. He deserved better than that. They both did. She swallowed hard and averted her gaze. ¡°Of course, I would be sad over you. I care for you deeply.¡± ¡°As you did for Sean before you learned the truth about him?¡± Actually, she felt more for Jay. But she couldn¡¯t tell him that. If he misinterpreted her meaning, there would be no putting the genie back in the bottle. And thest thing she wanted was any awkwardness or distance between them. She valued his friendship too fiercely. Grace cleared her throat and said, ¡°I can love my younger brother but that isn¡¯t the same kind of love.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jason wasn¡¯t letting her off the hook, and the whole conversation was making her want to cringe. ¡°It¡¯s two different feelings. I thought loving someone was forever and irreceable. I even¡­ thought that lovers could live and die together.¡± What a romantic notion, Jason thought. Surely, this was the stuff of fairytales, 3D projector billboards, and living happily ever after. He had no experience with such things. His parents certainly were no example. Nor any of his colleagues or associates. That kind of love¡­ to live or die together. It seemed all-epassing. All empowering. Why did he suddenly want to experience such a thing? And with Grace. What did this mean for him?? Had he fallen in love with her? No. Of course not. He didn¡¯t believe in that kind of love, and he challenged anyone who did to prove that it was honest and true, andsting. But he did admit, that he had feelings for her. There was a ¡­ sentimental attachment, yes. That was it. And physical attraction. He studied her and realized that he also had be reliant- obsessed?- with the feeling of being next to her. He wanted to know her whereabouts, to be there when she came home, and to ensure her safety. He acknowledged that he liked being near her, and he was okay with it. Why else would he have yed this game for so long? There was nothing wrong with enjoying someone else¡¯spany. If he was really honest with himself, he was falling into deeper emotional territory. But to fall in love¡­ he couldn¡¯t have done that. He¡¯d made a promise to himself long ago to never fall in love with any woman! ¡°And Jay would never make me sad, right?¡± The gentle tone of her voice resounded in his ear. He chuckled lowly as he studied her blushing cheeks and a faint smile. He¡¯d give her the out, for now, and fall back into theirfortable position of brother/sister and this little insr world they¡¯d created. ¡°Your brother will never make you sad,¡± he said. Because that was the answer she wanted to hear. And he meant it. Protecting her for life was as easy as lifting a finger for him. Hell, his ountants could probably find some tax write-off for it. When she stared at him, her eyes so earnest and hopeful, he felt a pang of unease. He¡¯d promised not to make her sad, yet¡­ when she one day discovered that he was not Jay Smith, some vagrant worker, and was actually Jason Reed, President of Reed Corporation, how would she react to the lie he¡¯d been living? Sad was likely an understatement. This woman had built up walls all around her and he¡¯d been let in. It wasn¡¯t really a question of if he would hurt her, but when. Grace went to work the next day. After she finished sweeping the streets with ire, they returned to the Sanitation Center for their lunch break. However, she noticed that her colleagues were giving her sidelong nces one at a time. Some nces were looks of curiosity, while others were filled with disdain, mockery, and pity. And many of them were pointing at her as they whispered amongst themselves. Grace found it weird and noticed ire walking toward her from the supply closet, who then pulled her aside and quietly asked, ¡°Grace, were you in jail?¡± Grace was shaken and her face instantly paled. It was as if all of All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. her previous doubts had suddenly been rified. She¡¯d never lied on her application and she was forthright with her incarceration and hermitment to being a productive member of society again But that information should have been private. Although¡­ she¡¯d already mentally prepared herself for this, knowing that every secret had its way of surfacing. This one, about her past, was inevitable. She supposed she was lucky to have made it this. And yet, when surrounded by people who were gazing at her with varying degrees of shock and disgust and disdain as they casually discussed her past as if they had any right to judge her, she still felt like she was standing naked in a frozen tundra. Her coworkers stared and pointed. The secret was officially out. They all knew about her imprisonment. ¡°Hmm,¡± she hummed in agreement. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re such a good kid, why were you in jail? What did you do?¡± ire asked. She had rushed over for confirmation after someone else had told her about it. So apparently the gossip mill hadn¡¯t filled her in yet on the specifics. ¡°Manughter caused by drunk driving,¡± Grace said. ¡°In most cases of drunk driving, even if it causes death, the punishment is usually imprisonment with a suspension of sentence as well as having to providepensation, but the Atkinson family was adamant about not taking a single penny from me. They just wanted me to be in jail.¡± She swallowed hard and waited for ire to rebuff her. ¡°I spent three years in prison before being released.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ you¡­¡± ire sighed. ¡°I heard you were awyer back then but now you¡¯ve fallen so low that you sweep the streets with me, which is very sad indeed. You should never drink and drive.¡± ire chattered on but did not use a critical gaze to study Grace, which filled her heart with relief. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Just then, Farah Steele walked over, nced briefly at Grace with unmasked contempt, and said, ¡°Honestly, ire, why are you talking to her?¡± Before ire could reply, she went on, ¡°This woman has been to jail! She¡¯s taken a woman¡¯s life!¡± ¡°Farah, we¡¯re all colleagues. And there are privacy issues to consider-¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t ¡®private¡¯ if it¡¯s all over the inte.¡± She had a point. ¡°Why are you defending her, ire? Grace went to jail for drunken, reckless driving. She killed someone!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Farrah. People make mistakes, idents happen ire had barely started speaking when Farah interrupted her again. ¡°But the person she killed was Jennifer Atkinson. Do you know who Jennifer Atkinson is? She¡¯s Lily Atkinson¡¯s sister! It was no coincidence that Lily was here. I was wondering why Lily wanted so many of our colleagues to look for a non-existent ring. But it¡¯s all clear now! It was because she was targeting Grace and we all got dragged into it.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°But didn¡¯t she also apologize andpensate us?¡± ire asked. ¡°Farrah, thatpensation is half of what many of us make in a year.¡± Farah sputtered. Her mouth turned down and her eyes narrowed. She was clearly not pleased with ire standing up for Grace. ¡°I knew you would take her side,¡± she said. ¡°When I told the others¡­¡± So it was obvious who had been the one to leak the news of Grace¡¯s imprisonment. No surprise there. Farrah had never made any false show of being friendly with Grace. ¡°¡­I knew it¡­when I saw her on the roadside talking to Sean and then Lily. I was like, wait for a second, this isn¡¯t right!? I knew things were not as they seemed.¡± She stared at Grace. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you live with yourself. You should¡¯ve stayed in prison. It¡¯s what you deserve.¡± ¡°Now, hold up,¡± ire argued. ¡°That¡¯s enough of that talk. This is none of your business, Farrah. You can¡¯t go harassing another employee-¡± ¡°Harassing!?! She is a killer. Honestly, ire, what, did your receive a bribe from Grace or something? Why are you standing up for her?¡± Farah mocked her, but ire also took a step back. She had, indeed, epted the jacket and payment Grace received from Lily. Grace opened her mouth, ready to defend herself, but someone beat her to it. ¡°All right, what else is there to say?¡± A man¡¯s voice interrupted. ¡°The car crash was an ident. Grace didn¡¯t intend to do it.¡± Grace saw that it was Chase defending her. However, that only angered Farah more. Farrah was interested in Chase, but he wouldn¡¯t give her the time of day. The fact that he was defending Grace instead of taking Farah¡¯s side, was only instigating the situation. Farrah¡¯s expression turned uglier. ¡°Chase, what¡¯s the point of standing up for Grace? Do you think she¡¯ll like you? Do you know that her ex-boyfriend is Sean Stevens? He¡¯s the heir to the Stevens Corporation!¡± Chase¡¯s face abruptly flushed red. Farah continued her vicious assault. ¡°But when Sean saw Grace as a sanitation worker that day, it probably spoiled his appetite.¡± She clicked her tongue and continued, ¡°You know, I¡¯m thinking he¡¯ll probably vomit in disgust when he thinks about dating Grace in the past.¡± Grace looked at Farah coldly. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± ¡°What? Are you trying to deny the fact that you were in jail or are you saying that you aren¡¯t Sean¡¯s ex- girlfriend?¡± Farah retorted proudly. ¡°Why are you pretending to be so innocent when you¡¯ve been to jail?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pretending about anything. So what if I¡¯ve been to jail? I¡¯ve paid my taxes and I¡¯ve served my time. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any of your business who I dated before. Furthermore, I may be a sanitation worker now but does that mean I can¡¯t have dated anyone before? Or is the role of a sanitation worker only to make someone throw up their dinner? Just what are you saying about sanitation workers?¡± Farrah recoiled and eyed the room warily. She¡¯d offended many of the people here by bringing the sanitation aspect into things. Grace spat out a session of questions. ¡°Farah Steele, just because you¡¯re an established employee in a management position, that does not mean you can look down on my profession.¡± Farah¡¯s words stuck in her throat as some of the other workers nodded in solidarity. There were so many sanitation workers in the center and now they all looked angry. ¡°I get it,¡± Grace said. ¡°You have a slightly exalted position and you want to abuse that power and look down on everybody beneath you. Whatever. It¡¯s fine for you to insult me, but take a good look at the people in this room, Farrah. They¡¯re honest and hardworking and they do what they do to support their families. Why don¡¯t you think about that before insulting them or their professions?¡± A smattering of agreement sounded behind her and Grace smirked. ¡°You bullies, you¡¯re all the same¡­¡± Farah red at her hatefully. ¡°Grace, you¡­ wait and see!¡± Grace just nodded. ¡°Yeah. Uh-huh. I¡¯ll be here. You know where to find me.¡± Grace exhaled a deep breath and turned to leave, but Chase + shouted after her, ¡°Wait¡­ Grace, I¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the person Farah says you are.¡± She stopped walking for a moment but she did not respond to him. and resumed walking away. She was very grateful that Chase was willing to stand up for her just now, but that didn¡¯t mean anything. He knew who she was and what shadows were in her past. Even if he¡¯d liked her before, those feelings would change now. They always did. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Grace was lost in her thoughts that night when she returned to the apartment. Just as she was having dinner with Jay, someone knocked at the door. & Grace was startled because she doesn¡¯t usually have visitors. ¡°Could it be your family?¡± Grace wasn¡¯t up to another visit from her dad or stepmom, and it would be a long time before she¡¯d forgive Evelyn for her treachery. But when she opened the door, she was surprised to see Chase standing outside. Chase was wearing a ck cotton shirt and his face was slightly red. He looked at Grace and spoke rather uneasily, ¡°I¡­¡± He had barely opened his mouth when he noticed Jason, who had walked over to stand behind Grace, and he stopped suddenly as if he was hesitating. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jason asked. ¡°Are you looking for my sister?¡± Jason asked. ¡°I¡­ I have some business to discuss with Grace privately,¡± Chase said with a flushed face, then he nced at Grace and asked, ¡°Is that okay with you, Grace?¡± Jason frowned. Grace opened her mouth to reply, but Jay interrupted her and said, ¡°Is it something you can¡¯t discuss here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Chase hesitated. Grace said, ¡°If there¡¯s something you need to say, there¡¯s no harm in speaking frankly, and in front of Jay.¡± Chase started to wring his hands. ¡°I¡­ I wanted to say that I don¡¯t mind that you¡¯ve been in jail. I really like you and I hope that you can be my girlfriend. I¡­ I can wait. As long as you¡¯re not interested in anyone else, I can wait,¡± he blurted out in a single breath as if he had had to muster all of his courage to say those words. Grace was stunned. ¡°I, uh, Chase, I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Chaset kept talking. ¡°I know I¡¯m still just a small-time driver but I will work hard to earn money to support a family, I¡­ I just hope I can give you happiness.¡± As soon as Chase was done talking, he nodded in Jason¡¯s direction, bowed toward Grace, and hurried away. ¡°Just consider it,¡± he said as his parting words. Grace stared numbly at his back. Chase really liked her? Only when a hand looped around her waist to pull her into the room and the door mmed shut did she snap out of her trance. ¡°What are you¡­?¡± She had barely finished speaking when Jay trapped her against the door. He leaned forward and stared at her fixedly with his dark eyes. ¡°What are you thinking about, Sister?¡± But there was a bite to his words, and the way he normally called her sister felt more like a promise-or a threat. ¡°Nothing,¡± she replied. He closed the space between them until she couldn¡¯t draw a breath without breathing him in. ¡°Let me All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. go, Jay.¡± And yet, it was as if he did not hear her. He pressed his face closer to her instead and his lips lightly grazed her ear. She sucked in a breath. ¡°Sister, were you touched by what that man said just now?¡± ¡°Touched?¡± Herugh was sad. ¡°That I don¡¯t know, but I am surprised. I¡¯m a convict, Jay. used of taking a human life. What man would want to be with me?¡± ¡°Did you invite him here?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°And I truly didn¡¯t expect Chase to just show up and say those things.¡± He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t trust him.¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¡°Sister, do you like that man because he said those things?¡± Jason asked. His dark eyes continued to bore into hers. The unsettling feeling tickled up her spine. It felt a lot like¡­ attraction or anticipation. But this was her ¡®brother¡¯ and she needed to push those thoughts from her mind. Grace cleared her throat. ¡°No, I don¡¯t like Chase.¡± He tilted his head and a lock of his thick hair shadowed one eye. Jay was a handsome man, and that boyish tilt of his head only amplified his good looks. Grace sucked in a breath. But it carried more of his scent and had her wanting to lean close. To see if that smooth bit of skin along his neck tasted as good as it smelled. She searched his eyes. Swallowed hard as his gaze dipped to her mouth then back to her eyes again. Did he want to kiss her?!? ¡°Oh God, what am I thinking?!¡± Graceughed at herself at the idea that had just crossed her mind. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he pressed her. What was he asking about? Her mind was on kissing. Chase. Right. ¡°No. I don¡¯t like Chase,¡± she replied. ¡°I can only apologize to him for his feelings for me.¡± Her reply seemed to please him. His lips curved. He was likely trying to protect her, as any brother would. She would be smart not to think about having a normal future. Even if a man proimed that her ¡®past¡¯ didn¡¯t bother him, she knew, over time, it would. Jason stared at her and asked once more, ¡°Sister, do you really not like that man?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± she retorted. ¡°Ever since I got out of jail, I¡¯ve never even considered the idea of falling in love with someone. I did that once. I put all of my emotions into someone else, and when I was abandoned, I was struck by a devastating blow. I don¡¯t wish to go through that again.¡± There was a touch of joy in his eyes. ¡°Then you have to remember to reject him. If not, a man like him will probably wait for you forever.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reject him,¡± she said. And she would. Chase deserved better. ¡°Since I don¡¯t reciprocate his feelings, I won¡¯t string him along. Chase is a good man. He should have a rtionship with someone who truly belongs to him and not waste time on me.¡± Jay¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°How does he know that you have been to jail?¡± he asked suddenly. Grace¡¯s face darkened as she said, ¡°A colleague found out about the news of my car ident all those years ago, so now the entire Sanitation Service Center knows about my imprisonment.¡± As she said it, Grace was ovee with shame. She wouldn¡¯t forget their using stares, the whispering. The sidelong looks. ¡°All right, let go of me, I still have to tidy up the room.¡± Jason let her go. This woman¡¯s moods affected his own. Her bits of joy buoyed him. Her sadness N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. transferred until he wanted to right the wrongs of the world just to see her smile. For a man like him, such feelings were not eptable. This was a game. A diversion. He¡¯d wanted a glimpse behind her facade because he¡¯d harbored many doubts about Grace Cummins. But every day spent with her was like peeling back anotheryer, and what he saw didn¡¯t match what he¡¯d thought of her originally. He was¡­growing attached. Even this pitiful apartment was a delight he looked forward to, only because Grace was in it. He didn¡¯t know how long they could y this game or live in this insted bubble. But as he thought it, his subconscious chimed that he could do this¡­for the rest of his life. For the next few days, Grace¡¯s colleagues continued to whisper and gossip about her at the Sanitation Service Center, and plenty of them were intentionally distancing themselves from her. She had already mentally prepared herself for this. She could not change the fact that she had been in jail, after all. But somehow knowing what would transpire and actually experiencing it were two different things. The callous and cruel gossip hurt. However, ire treated Grace as usual, taking care of her when they were doing their regr jobs, which she was grateful for. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re a university graduate, why did you find a job like this? Do you really want to sweep roads for the rest of your life?¡± ire chatted with Grace during their lunch break. ¡°I have a criminal record and it isn¡¯t that easy to look for a job,¡± Grace said frankly. ¡°Many employers asked about the incident when they found out that I had a criminal record. When they realized that I was the perpetrator who killed Mr. Reed¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Jennifer Atkinson, they all rejected me without any exception.¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡°Even in the past, it was already such a difficult task being able to find a job to provide for me.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t waste your years doing this job. How can you find a good husband like this?!¡± Grace smiled at ire. She meant well. Truly. The biggest concern for people like ire was marriage. ¡°Chase doesn¡¯t seem to mind your past,¡± ire went on. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to consider it? Honest men like Chase are rare nowadays.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible for me and him,¡± Grace replied. She wouldn¡¯t give ire any hope, lest she tries to interfere. That would just end badly¡­for all of them. ire hesitated before asking, ¡°Grace, do you think of Chase as a lower ss because he¡¯s just a driver? After all, your ex-boyfriend was- ¡± ¡°ire!¡± Grace interrupted her and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve been through so much, I¡¯m not wanting to get into a rtionship.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, you child!¡± ire sighed. ¡°You should know that if you really don¡¯t marry and stay by yourself, you might not feel it that much now, but when you¡¯re old with no children around you¡­ it¡¯s going to be a kind of loneliness that no one can endure.¡± ¡°Children¡­¡± Grace smiled wryly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s wishful thinking for me.¡± It wasn¡¯t just issues of conception, she was not some wealthy or powerful person who could ensure that her children would be protected. Would she subject them to ridicule or bullying? Kids were mean. And she suspected that if schoolmates learned of Grace¡¯s past, they might pick on her children. No. She would not allow that. After a day¡¯s worth of work, Grace and ire packed up their tools and returned to the Sanitation Service Center. When Grace was returning the tools, she did note across Farah Steele, who had been constantly targeting her. However, just as she was preparing to wash her hands, she saw Farah and Chase standing by the sink. ¡°Grace has been to prison, Chase. Why are you still waiting for her? Does that mean I¡¯m not as good as a person who¡¯s been in jail?¡± Farah asked indignantly. Chase replied unhappily, ¡°Can you not talk about her being in prison every time you open your mouth? Grace was driving carelessly, she didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone!¡± ¡°She was driving under the influence! How is that unintentional?!¡± Farah retorted. ¡°She¡¯s a f*cking witch. And you¡¯re some fool who¡¯s fallen under her spell!¡± ¡°I would be willing to be under her spell!¡± Chase answered. Grace heard the details of their conversation were still rted to her and subconsciously wanted to avoid them. However, just as she wanted to leave, Farah noticed her and immediately shouted, ¡°Grace, you¡¯re so shameless that you¡¯re eavesdropping!¡± Grace sighed and stopped in her tracks. ¡°This is a ce in the Sanitation Service Center that everyone can visit. I came here to wash my hands, how is that eavesdropping? If you¡¯re afraid that someone else will hear you, then you should look for a room and talk behind closed doors,¡± Grace said. ¡°You¡­¡± Farah red at Grace angrily, then made a nasty remark before leaving: ¡°You wait and see!¡± Grace smiled faintly. ¡°I heard that so many times when I was in jail.¡± Chase nced at Grace uneasily and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take what she said just now to heart.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Grace said. Maybe it was a blessing that she shoulde upon Chase like this. ¡°This is my life, Chase. The ridicule, the gossip. It isn¡¯t fun and it isn¡¯t pretty.¡± ¡°I would defend you,¡± he vowed. And his eyes were so earnest, she wished she was a different person and that she could be the kind of woman that Chase needed. ¡°I know you would. You¡¯re a good man.¡± ¡°Seriously, Grace. Give me a chance.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to waste time on me. It¡¯s like what she said. I¡¯ve been to jail and am not suitable for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind that,¡± he hurriedly replied. When his eyes met her confused gaze, he exined, ¡°I¡­ I know you¡¯re a good woman, so I really don¡¯t mind if you¡¯ve been to jail.¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chase recalled the first time he¡¯d encountered Grace. Back then, he had just gotten off work and had noticed her squatting by the roadside. She had been continuouslyforting a young girl who was bawling. She had sung and jumped, making all sorts of funny poses as if she did not care at all about the strange ncesing from the surrounding crowd. Ultimately, she had seeded and the little girl had stopped crying. Then, she bought a bun for the little girl to eat on the spot. She called the police and waited there, intending to see if the little girl¡¯s family woulde looking for her. In the end, the police and the little girl¡¯s family did arrive. The child had wandered off and gotten really lost, walking the city alone for hours. The parents were a trainwreck, crying and offering Grace their life savings for protecting and finding their daughter. Grace had onlyughed and refused to ept a penny from them. When the parents had left with the little girl in their arms, she had stood studying the backs of the family with a content smile. At that time, Chase felt as if his heart had been stolen straight out of his chest. It wasn¡¯t just Grace¡¯s beauty. But her kindness. Her gentility. The quiet way she made the world a little bit better. He did not know if it was love at first sight but he knew that it was the first time in his life that he had ever had such feelings for a woman. ¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t mind, what about your parents?¡± Grace asked, drawing him back to the present. ¡°Would they also not mind you marrying a woman who¡¯s been in prison?¡± Grace asked. Chase¡¯s body froze and his stomach dropped. ¡°Marriage is not only an affair between two people. It¡¯s also a matter between two families. You don¡¯t know how my family is like either,¡± Grace said. ¡°Please, don¡¯t seek to do something that will bring shame upon you or your family, Chase.¡± Sheughed but it was without humor. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think you really want to get involved with my family.¡± She walked past him to the sink to wash her hands. She kept her back to him. ¡°I don¡¯t have the feelings for you that you seek. Please¡­ don¡¯t waste your time on me.¡± Chase stood aside in a daze as if he had been pped by her words just now. Just as Grace finished washing her hands and wanted to leave, Chase suddenly said, ¡°What if I can persuade my parents¡­¡± She halted her footsteps and nced at him. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. If I really liked you, I would still be willing to stay by your side even if your parents disagreed and I would be with you till your parents gave us their blessing. However, I only see you as a friend and feel no love toward you.¡± Her words could be considered ruthless. Surely, it felt like she cut him with each word she said. Chase¡¯s stomach sank lower. When Grace got off work and walked to the entrance of the Sanitation Service Center, she was surprised to see a familiar figure standing not far away, as if he had intentionally been waiting for her. ¡°Jay,¡± she called out in surprise and ran toward him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I got off work early today, so I came to pick you up,¡± he replied, reaching for her hand. He threaded their fingers together. Just then, Chase walked out of the Sanitation Service Center. When he saw Grace and Jason, he nodded his head awkwardly and walked toward the parking lot. ¡°Did you reject him properly?¡± Jason asked nonchntly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve made it clear I do not want him and that there is no future for us,¡± Grace said. ¡°Those words might have been hurtful to Chase, but a temporary pain is better than a longer one.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She nced away. ¡°But I don¡¯t think he will suffer long or waste too much time on me. He can find a better woman,¡± she said. ¡°I admit that I¡¯m not a great beauty. Furthermore, my current job is¡­ not one that most would aspire to. And I have a criminal record. I really don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so determined to be with me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the one who isn¡¯t worthy of you. Sister, you can find a better man,¡± Jason replied. Grace smiled, making light of his words. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¡°So, you were holding onto Chase while getting it on with another man!¡± Farah¡¯s voice suddenly sounded out. Grace felt a headacheing on. The world seemed never tock people like Farah Steele. Grace would¡¯ve said something snarky to that effect, and that maybe Farrah should spend some time in jail -it was filled with nasty people just like her. But she didn¡¯t bother engaging. Jason turned around and looked coldly at the woman behind them. There was a sh of surprise in Farah¡¯s eyes when she saw Jason. This man was even more handsome than the male leads in the TV series. His hair was a mess. Too long and unkempt, but if the bangs were cut shorter and if he were to wear some decent clothes, he could definitely push the male stars out of their spots on the ranking TV series. Farah was immediately jealous. Why does Grace deserve all of this? Not only is she liked by Chase, but she also has such a handsome man apanying her! It was bullshit. She raised the corners of her mouth and shed a vicious smile. ¡°Are you Grace¡¯s friend? You probably don¡¯t know that she has been in prison. Back then, she hit someone while drunk driving. It was the same as murder!¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. However, to her disappointment, the man¡¯s face did not show a look of surprise, disbelief, or indeed any sign of caring about what she had said. Instead, he still looked calm. And that cold, calm had her taking a step back. His gaze on her grew even colder after hearing what she said. ¡°Looks like you were the person who was spreading rumors about this matter,¡± Jason said quietly as if Farrah had just confirmed what he¡¯d suspected. Fear rose in Farah¡¯s heart. She felt that if she admitted to it then and there, she would end up suffering serious consequences. But why should she bear the brunt of anything?! She wasn¡¯t a murderer, Grace was! She bit her lip and then said, ¡°So what if I was? I did this for everyone¡¯s sake. We all have the right to know if the people around us havemitted a crime. If she is afraid that others will find out about it, then she shouldn¡¯t have done it in the first ce!¡± Jason let out a softugh. ¡°It¡¯s good that you admitted to it.¡± After that, he no longer paid attention to Farah. He turned to Grace and said, ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to bother with this woman anymore.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Grace ignored her as if Farrah was trash to be swept off the street. The couple turned and walked away. Farah stared at the two people¡¯s retreating backs. ¡°Sister?¡± Was this man Grace¡¯s younger brother? But they didn¡¯t look alike. Not only that, Grace and the man seemed to be about the same age! The man shed one icy re over his shoulder. Farrah felt that look all the way to her bones. Grace was still holding onto Jason, but she did not start walking home. Instead, she pulled him in another direction. ¡°I got my paycheck today. Let¡¯s go shopping and have a good meal,¡± she said. ¡°Speaking of which, Jay, we haven¡¯t had a good meal out since we met.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go and have a good meal,¡± Jason said. ¡°But I¡¯ll treat you. After all, I¡¯ve been earning money too, and you¡¯ve been taking care of me all this while.¡± For some reason, Grace felt as if her own child had grown up. ¡°Then let¡¯s have you treat me,¡± Grace smiled and said. She didn¡¯t linger on her encounter with Chase or on the mean things that Farrah said. Jason was with her, and he epted her for who she was. The two of them walked to a mall in the center of the city. In the mall, Grace picked a popr restaurant for them to eat at. ¡°The dishes in this restaurant are not bad, and their prices are affordable. I used to eat here with my colleagues before¡­¡± She paused halfway through her sentence. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 In the past, she and herw firm colleagues had oftene here to have a meal after work. For her at that time, eating here was like having a work meal. But now, it had be a luxurious event that could only be enjoyed every once in a while. She tried not to dwell on that too much. She¡¯d taken many things for granted in her ¡®prior¡¯ life. If she was smart, she would appreciate every little thing. Life was too fickle for anything less. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m d that we¡¯re eating at a ce you¡¯re familiar with. You can do the ordering then.¡± Jason cleanly interrupted her thoughts. Grace ordered all the cheaper dishes, with the most expensive one being a shrimp dish. Although it wasn¡¯t a lot of money, it was already the most expensive meal Grace had had for a while. That was despite the fact that Jason kept trying to persuade her to order a little more. ¡°I have money.¡± However, Grace still said, ¡°This is enough. Even if it¡¯s for a good meal, there¡¯s no need to order too much.¡± After a while, the waiter served the dishes, and they started to eat. The dishes here were naturally much better than the simple ones they usually ate at the apartment. When they started to eat the shrimp, Jason peeled them for Grace, and then put all of the shelled shrimp into her bowl. She stared at them in a daze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± he asked. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about how you¡¯re very good at taking care of people. Anyone who gets the chance to date you in the future will be very lucky.¡± As she said this, she lifted a shrimp into her mouth. She still remembered the times when she used to watch TV series. Once, when she had seen the male lead peeling shrimp for the female lead, she had felt very warm inside. It was a romantic gesture. The kind of small and thoughtful act that came from someone who cared about their partner. Although this was a very small act, it still gave people a feeling of being cherished, even loved. Looking back, Sean had never peeled a shrimp for her. He¡¯d never filled her dish with the choicest pieces of food. He only pulled her chair out for her if they were at a corporate event and other people were expecting it. In fact, in hindsight, when they were dating in the past, it was obvious that although Sean said that he loved her, the feelings he had for her had not been very deep. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Of course, they weren¡¯t deep, she chided herself. That was why he had been able to distance himself from her so quickly after the ident! Jason thought about Grace¡¯s words. She amused him. Thinking that he would date someone and participate in some quaint little rtionship. Dating¡­ to him, that sounded like something children did. In this life, he would probably never fall in love with any woman. Even marriage would just be a means of furthering his business. When the two of them had finished eating, Jason got up to pay the bill. Grace was about to get up as well. However, her gaze passed through the restaurant¡¯s window and she suddenly saw a few familiar figures walking toward the restaurant. She turned around subconsciously as if she didn¡¯t want the people to see her. Then, the people really walked into the restaurant. They were led by a waiter as they walked in her direction. Jason watched her as he returned to the table. Her eyes darted about nervously. ¡°Sis, what¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked her. Grace met his gaze for a brief second and then barreled into his body. He didn¡¯t think twice and just wrapped his arms around her as she slung her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. Jason was slightly stunned. However, he did not say anything. Instead, he allowed her to hug him like that. After a long while, he asked again, ¡°Grace?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Grace raised her head slightly and looked to her side. Then, she heaved a sigh of relief. She looked up at Jason and said, ¡°Have you paid the bill?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I have.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± she said, picking up her bag and walking out of the restaurant with him as if she was running away from something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hiding from something?¡± he asked. Her footsteps paused, and an obscure look shed across her face. ¡°My former colleagues came here to eat too, I¡­ I don¡¯t want them to see me.¡± She said with a self-deprecating smile, ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous, isn¡¯t it? In fact, they all know what I¡¯ve been through and they probably can guess how miserable I must be right now, but I still don¡¯t want to see them face to face.¡± She didn¡¯t want to see the sympathy in their eyes. She didn¡¯t want to see their pity. Or their disgust. She¡¯d embarrassed her firm too when everything transpired in the wake of the ident. The news had been quick to report not just her name, but thew firm she worked for too. It was a juicy bit of news to say that the ¡®top attorney now needed one of her own.¡¯ In the past, being awyer was something she had wanted to devote her entire life to. But now, although her colleagues were still doing that job, it was no longer a profession she could ever hope to practice again. Her self-deprecating look at the moment made a sudden pain shoot through his heart. He held her hand tighter and said in a low voice, ¡°Then let¡¯s avoid them. One day in the future, you will shine more beautifully than anyone else.¡± Shine¡­ She gave a bitter smile. Now, she didn¡¯t want to think about any of that. Just living on was difficult enough. ¡°I heard from Lily that you wanted to help Grace Cummins find a job. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t get yourself involved in that woman¡¯s affairs again, Back then, she killed Lily¡¯s sister, who was also Jason¡¯s fianc¨¦e! Our Stevens Family cannot afford to offend Jason!¡± His father¡¯s warning came from the other end of the phone, and Sean frowned slightly and replied, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Our family cannot afford to offend Jason Reed,¡± his father emphasized again. It all came down to money and business with his dad. To hell with anyone¡¯s happiness. Sean had heard these words too many times. Back then, everyone had been asking him why he would date someone like Grace in the first ce. Fortunately,ter, after breaking up with her, he started going out with Lily. His family was naturally satisfied with this development. The Atkinson family and the Stevens Family were well-matched. Way back then, the Atkinson family and the Reed Family had almost been tied together through marriage, and although it hadn¡¯t worked out in the end, they still had dealings with each other. The Stevens Family also hoped that if something were to happen, the Atkinson family would be able to speak up for them in front of Jason Reed. Family dynamics and honor were vital in their world. Businesses thrived or were decimated based on the rtionships they maintained with the other wealthy families in the region. After the call, Sean looked at the red light at the intersection in front of him and slowly stepped on the brake. Grace¡¯s face shed in his mind. It was undeniable that the current Grace was very different from the woman he¡¯d known in the past. Although her face was still the same, her temperament had changed. In particr, when he saw her wearing the clothes of a sanitation worker, it made him feel like the breakup was apletely correct decision. Grace was¡­ poor, and broken. An embarrassment to herself. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Lily was the woman who was the most suitable for him. As for Grace, she was just a memory. If she was mentioned by others in the future, he supposed she might even be a stain in his past. However, he felt a little guilty about how things had ended up. After all, when she hoped that he could help collect evidence for her that year, he had refused and had even broken up with her. Some might see it as heartless. He¡¯d had a few pangs of guilt over it. But really, who had told her to crash into Jennifer Atkinson, of all people? She had managed to offend both the Atkinson family and the Reed Family at the same time. It had been impossible for him to help her! As he was thinking about it, Sean¡¯s eyes looked through the windshield and he saw a slender figure across the intersection. That was¡­ Grace! Sean was stunned. At this moment, there was another man standing by Grace¡¯s side. The two of them seemed to be talking about something. Then, Grace slightly raised her chin while the man¡¯s head lowered and approached her face. The two of them looked like they were about to kiss. Sean couldn¡¯t help feeling angry. He hadn¡¯t been expecting Grace to find a man so soon after being released from prison. He felt like his reaching out to help her was all in vain. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 The red light turned green. Sean was about to start the car again, but his body suddenly stiffened. ¡°His figure¡­¡± The figure of the man who was called the most important person in the City appeared in his mind. This man¡¯s figure looked very much like Jason Reed! However, that was impossible. How could Jason possibly be by Grace¡¯s side? What a joke! The driver in the car behind Sean¡¯s honked his horn at him, and Sean started his car quickly. But at this All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. moment, the man standing beside Grace looked up in the direction of his vehicle. When the man turned his head and looked over, Sean felt all the blood in his body freeze. ¡°Jason?!¡± Was it really Jason? Even if his current outfit and hairstyle were different from Sean¡¯s impression of him, that face looked really like Jason Reed¡¯s! Sean¡¯s body stiffened as he drove through the light, he debated pulling over or turning around. Every cell in his body wanted him to whip a U-turn and go back for a second look. He rubbed his eyes, thinking that everything had be surreal. Meanwhile, at the intersection, Grace was rubbing her eyes. Finally, it seemed that whatever was tickling her vision-an eysh or bit of dust maybe was gone. Jason¡¯s blowing had been quite effective. She nced at him and blinked a few times. ¡°That¡¯s good, thank you-¡± but Jason¡¯s attention was elsewhere. He was staring angrily at the other side of the intersection. ¡°Jay, what are you looking at?¡± Grace asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that¡­ I seemed to have seen a familiar face just now,¡± Jason said faintly. ¡°Was he your friend?¡± ¡°No, he and I aren¡¯t friends,¡± he said, and that angry look shed across his eyes. Again. Sean didn¡¯t sleep well all night as the scene he saw at the intersection the day before kept reying in his mind. Surely, he had been mistaken, or perhaps the person standing beside Grace was someone who looked simr to Jason. Of course, that was it. Wasn¡¯t it said that everyone had a doppelganger out there somewhere? After all, how could a man like Jason, who was so high and mighty, be with Grace? Furthermore, Grace was the person who had killed Jason¡¯s fiancee. So in what world would Jason Reed ever find himself with the woman who murdered his true love? No one would have believed him even if he were to say this out loud. However, there was still uneasiness in his heart. What if it was true? What if that man really was Jason¡­ He didn¡¯t even dare to continue imagining. The next day, Sean came to the street, which Grace was cleaning. He parked his car. Got out and approached her. He had to know for sure. ¡°Are you¡­ with any man right now?¡± Sean asked politely. Well, his tone was polite, but his question was quite pointed. Grace was stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected Sean to appear in front of her early in the morning and ask her such a question. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with you, Mr. Stevens,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m working right now, please get out of the way.¡± She continued to clean the road as if he was invisible. Sean¡¯s expression turned cold. Who did she think she was, to ignore him!? He grabbed Grace¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you. Who was the man with you yesterday?¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Grace frowned. Was Sean asking about¡­ Jay? Regardless of why or how he¡¯d seen her, she didn¡¯t owe this man an answer. She didn¡¯t owe him anything. ¡°Mr. Stevens, why are you meddling with other people¡¯s business? Do I have to report to you whenever I am with my little brother?¡± ¡°Little brother? Since when do you have a little brother?¡± Sean asked. He only knew that she had a younger sister. Grace didn¡¯t intend to reveal too much. But she knew Sean. He was like a lion with its prey. He wouldn¡¯t relent. ¡°I took him in as my younger brother, can¡¯t I do that?¡± she asked. Sean stared at Grace as if he wanted to check whether she was lying from her expression. At this moment, ire, who was sweeping the floor on the other side of the road, saw themotion and ran over. ¡°Mr. Stevens, please calm down. Don¡¯t use violence.¡± ire recognized that Sean was the person who had apanied Lily when she had apologized at the Sanitation Service Center. ording to the workers there, Sean was Grace¡¯s ex-boyfriend. ¡°Mister Stevens, if you don¡¯t let go, aren¡¯t you afraid that someone will take a photo of you? If that happens, you will have to exin yourself to Miss Atkinson,¡± Grace said. Sean¡¯s face changed. In the end, he let go of her hand and left. ire looked at Grace worriedly and said, ¡°Why did that person ¡°Who knows what he was going to do? I¡¯m alright!¡± Grace said. She didn¡¯t think that the reason Sean had asked which man she was with was that he still had feelings for her. However, it was indeed very abnormal. God knows what Sean was thinking! Goodness, couldn¡¯t she be left alone!? She realized she might need to leave this city-the country¡ª entirely if she wanted any rest. ¡°By the way,¡± ire said, she nced away as though not wanting to look Grace in the eyes for what she had to say next, ¡°¡­ you should go to the director and ask for mercy when you take a break at noon. I heard that Farah Steele has been collecting signatures to make the director fire you.¡± ire winced as she ryed the bad news she had heard. Grace frowned. It seemed that Farah was sparing no efforts to punish her, but¡­ ¡°If the director really wants to dismiss me, asking him will be useless. If things don¡¯t work out in the end, then I will find another job.¡± What other choice did she have? Maybe it would be better, anyway. Then Chase would have peace and she could do something else. But she felt helpless when she said that. After all, she had been working so hard at this job, and it would not be easy for her to find another. ire also sighed. Between the two of them, they knew if Farrah made a big deal of things, there would be no helping Grace. Farrah was in management. Grace was only an hourly employee and one that could be hired or fired without any consequence. It was easy to know what the director would choose. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. After they finished their work, they met Farah at the Sanitation Service Center. Farah looked at Grace with a smug face. ¡°I think you¡¯d better get ready to leave soon. We don¡¯t want to work with a criminal.¡± Grace looked calm, not showing the fear that Farah wanted to see. Chapter 59 Farah was unhappy with Grace¡¯sck of reaction and said, ¡°Act tough all you want. The director will call you into the officeter!¡± She snorted coldly. It had not been easy for her to collect the signatures in the office. When she gave the signatures to the director, it seemed that he would probably fire Grace. However, a momentter, a staff member from human resources called, ¡°Farrah, the director wants you to see him in his office.¡± ¡°He¡¯s asking for me?¡± Farah was a little surprised. She¡¯d been very explicit in her presentation, even going so far as to dig up the trial information on the inte and the scious news articles that pointed to Grace driving while under the influence. Farah went to the director¡¯s office. ire¡¯s face reflected her worry. ¡°Okay, when you meet the directorter, tell him about your difficult position. Maybe the director will sympathize with you and won¡¯t fire you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Grace replied. Some of her colleagues looked at her with sympathy, others with disgust¡­ there were all kinds of gazes. However, no one had expected that when Farah came out of the director¡¯s office, she would be looking like she had lost her soul and all of her previous satisfaction. ¡°Farrah, why did the director ask for you?¡± The colleagues gathered around Farah Steele and asked. Farah wanted to cry, but she had no tears at this moment. She felt like she was in a dream. How was this possible? She had been fired. Why her? Wasn¡¯t Grace supposed to be the one getting fired? However, what the director had said after calling her into the office was still ringing in her ears. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¡°Farah Steele, I don¡¯t want anyone to be hostile to my colleagues like this. And what you¡¯ve done by rallying other coworkers to iste and bully another employee¡­it is harassment.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Grace indeed served time in jail, but she has paid her price to society, as deemed by our judicial system and the judges and juries upholding it. You do not have the right to continue to judge her or to invade her privacy by airing her past for others, with the expressed intent of it causing unrest in the workce.¡± Farrah paled. ¡°Furthermore,¡± the director said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that we should look at her with different eyes and not give her a chance to live. Since you feel that you can¡¯t work with Grace Cummins, I think you should quit your job now.¡± She¡­ she was an established member of the staff! She was being dismissed just like that?! Farah couldn¡¯t believe it. She¡¯d done nothing wrong! She¡¯d told the truth! ¡°Farrah, say something,¡± the voice next to her urged. Farah looked around. When she saw Grace, she suddenly felt a rush of resentment. She stepped forward and said to Grace, ¡°It¡¯s you. It¡¯s all your fault. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been dismissed by the director! You should be the one who is made to leave!¡± Everyone was shocked. The person who was being dismissed was¡­ Farah?! ¡°Farrah, are you kidding?¡± ¡°How is this possible!¡± Farah red at Grace, making no effort to hide her resentment. She drew back her hand to p Grace and her arm was caught. Grace ducked instinctively. She was no stranger to violence. But that didn¡¯t mean she had to stand there and absorb it. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Just stop already. The director wants you to go. What does it have to do with Grace? Can Grace control the director¡¯s decision?¡± Grace raised her head and saw that it was Chase. When the other people in the fleet saw this, they also went forward and shook their heads at Farah or dispersed so as not to get caught up in the drama surrounding her. The farce ended just like that. Farrah stalked off. Grace stared at her as she left. ¡°Thank you,¡± Grace said to Chase. ¡°It was nothing. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have been targeted by Farah in the first ce,¡± Chase said with embarrassment. Just as Grace was about to turn around and leave, Chase suddenly said, ¡°Is your younger brother really your blood-rted brother?¡± Grace looked at him in surprise. Chase hesitated and said, ¡°I just don¡¯t think¡­ you¡¯re not like siblings.¡± When he saw her standing with his brother, he felt like they were a couple. ¡°He¡¯s not my sibling, but to me, he is my family,¡± Grace said. Family? Chase didn¡¯t quite believe it. Even if she was treating that man as family, was that man¡­ merely treating her as a family as well? When that man looked at Grace, his gaze looked as if she belonged to him. That was not how one looked at one¡¯s siblings! ¡°Babe, are you listening to me?¡± Lily raised her voice and asked. Sean had beenpletely distracted the entire day. She must have asked him the same question three times now, but he had acted as though he had not heard her at all. ¡°Ah!¡± Sean suddenly came to his senses. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Lily asked in annoyance. ¡°If you¡¯re going to apany me to try on my gown tomorrow in this state, I might as well find someone else to apany me!¡± ¡°Lily, I¡¯m so sorry. My mind¡¯s on work, and I just remembered that I still have something to do!¡± Sean said. He suddenly stood up and rushed out of the private room. Lily couldn¡¯t ask anything before it was toote. She was left alone in the spacious private room with a big table full of dishes in front of her. Lily frowned. What the hell was so urgent that he needed to leave her alone like this? That it couldn¡¯t wait an hour until they finished dinner? He was totally different from his usual attentive self! Sean drove the car and called his secretary. ¡°Go to the Sanitation Service Center and check the address of Grace¡¯s ce!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the secretary to send the address to Sean¡¯s mobile phone. Sean drove the car toward Grace¡¯s residence. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Although Grace said that he was her ¡°little brother¡± in the morning, he felt that he had to see it for himself before he could rest assured. The car arrived at the gate of amunity of apartment buildings. Thendscaping was sparse and while the buildings appeared clean and well-maintained, there was no defeating that the residences were old. Sean parked, got out of the car, etilered through the footpath for visitors, and warched the spende wouts. After some effort, he finally stopped in front of a narrow door Was Grace really living here? The unit was so small, he wondered if it was attting more that a since nom, and the paint was chippity from the door atro peeling trom the window shutters. Sean was about to knock on the door when be heard helsteps. Subconscioush he had in the shadow Youte sade and hooked in the direction which the hotsteps were It turned out that there was a tall figureing toward him As the figure got closer and doser Seat is man grew wadem vted widet. The asional spection that be that there was impossible had final? be a possibilm Chapter 61 It was¡­ Jason! It was really Jason! There was no way it was just a resemnce. It was absolutely impossible for them to look this simr. At this moment, Jason¡¯s clothes were still the same as the ones he had seen yesterday. Why¡­ Why is Jason here?! Sean felt a chill rising from the soles of his feet, and his body was getting colder and colder. Finally, Jason stood in front of the narrow door that Sean hade to and raised his hand to gently knock. A momentter, someone opened the door and said, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± The soft voice and sweet smile belonged to Grace. His Grace. Sean only felt a breath get stuck in his throat and he stood there, not breathing and motionless. After a minute, he rubbed his eyes and sucked a deep breath. Why? How? Even seeing it with his own eyes, he could still scarcely believe it. The person who opened the door was Grace. Chapter 61 Grace is actually living together with Jason? What is going on? And why is Jason dressed like a homeless person? Too many questions shed through his mind. Then, he heard Jason say, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Sean had heard Jason¡¯s voice before, and the voice was the same as the one in his memory. At this point in time, Sean had no doubt that the man he¡¯d seen with Grace-that he was seeing with her now-was Jason Reed. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Just as Jason was about to enter the room, his steps suddenly paused. He looked towards the dark corner where Sean was hiding. In an instant, Sean felt that all the blood in his body had stopped flowing, and he froze like an animal in the sight of a muchrger predator. ¡°Jay, what are you looking at?¡± Grace¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jason¡¯s lips curled slightly into a smile. Then, he walked into the apartment. With a bang, the door was closed. Sean took a deep breath. His palms and back were already covered with cold sweat. He felt as if he had just escaped death. What was going on? Why was Jason together with Grace? Sean walked out of the apartmentplex with no strength in his legs and returned to his car. However, when he wanted to start driving, he found that his hands were shaking violently. Looking at how Grace has been getting along with Jason, it seemed like they were already very familiar with each other. Furthermore, Grace had called Jason ¡°Jay.¡± In all the years of doing business together, Sean still referred to him as Mr. Reed. He had never heard anyone call him so intimate. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Sean continued to repeat in his mind the scene he¡¯d encountered at the apartment. Jason¡¯s attitude toward Grace¡­ could only be described as ¡°gentle¡±. But that didn¡¯t make sense. Mr. Reed was not¡­ gentle. The man was all ice. Jason Reed had never been gentle to a woman. Not even Jennifer Atkinson, his fiancee, had been treated with such reverence. Sean recalled the cold interactions between the couple, and even Lily mentioned that their marriage was one of convenience, and for business. Suddenly, the matter of the engagement advertisement being taken down shed across Sean¡¯s mind. Previously, they had always thought that it was because of Grace. They thought that Jason hated the Stevens Family because of her and did not like seeing the Stevens Family proposing in such a high- profile way. But thinking about it, it was indeed because of Grace. However, the motive behind the action was In the apartment, Grace was having a meal with Jason. It was the quiet time of the day that they looked forward to. The point where they ate and chatted and spent time together before they would go to sleep. Grace also told him about what had happened at the Sanitation Service Center. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the director actually fired Farah for picking on me. I thought I would be the one getting dismissed.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Jason asked. Grace said with some hesitation, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m okay with it since I¡¯ve not been fired, but I don¡¯t know if Farah will take revenge on me.¡± After all, Farrah had been about to hit her, before Chase interceded. ¡°She can¡¯t do anything,¡± Jason said. As for Farah Steele, he would naturally help Grace solve any lurking issues. The thing on his mind was that someone was hiding in the dark outside. Although he had not seen the person¡¯s appearance clearly, if he had guessed correctly, it was probably Sean. Last night at the intersection, Sean must have seen that he was with Grace, so he hade to seek confirmation. ¡°Do you like living with me like this?¡± Jason asked. Grace did not hesitate as she replied, ¡°Of course I do.¡± ¡°Then even if I were to change my identity in the future, would you still be willing to live with me?¡± he asked, staring at her with his deep eyes. She blinked in confusion. To change his identity¡­was he referring to someone other than a homeless person? Her friend Lina had always said that she knew too little about him and was afraid that she would be taken advantage of. As for her, she had never asked him about his identity. In fact, she only knew the name ¡®Jay¡¯. Other than that, she only knew that he did not have any family members. Lina said that he didn¡¯t seem like a homeless man. Sometimes, Grace also felt the same way. But if he didn¡¯t want to tell her, she wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to ask. After all, every one had his or her own secrets. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to,¡± she said gently. ¡°No matter what kind of status I have, will you be willing to ept me?¡± he asked again. Jason¡¯s gaze was intense. He had supported her, protected her, defended her. Even knowing about her past. Would she judge him or ept him? There was no question for her. ¡°Yes, no matter what, okay?¡± She smiled and said, ¡°Eat quickly or else the food will go cold.¡± He also smiled, his lips rising in a crooked smile that was a little smug. She was in a trance and felt that his smile was too beautiful and that no other smile could beat it. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She turned back to her food and pushed the thoughts away. Her ¡®brother¡¯ might be hot, but as his ¡®sister,¡¯ she¡¯d be wise not to think of him in that way. ¡°Babe, what do you think?¡± In the dress store, Lily was wearing a high-end gown tailor-made for her. This gown had been specially made for the engagement banquet and it had cost half a million. Could he see the point in spending so much on a few bits of cloth and beads? No. But she could and her family did, and like everything that marked the start of their rtionship, it was about appearances. And sparing no expense illustrated howmitted the Atkinsons were to this engagement. Sean looked at the noble and beautiful woman in front of him. Everyone envied him for having such a girlfriend. She was a popr television star and the daughter of the Atkinson family. After the death of Jennifer Atkinson, Lily had be the only heir. Marrying Lily was equivalent to getting into the Atkinson family. ¡°You look beautiful, Lily,¡± Sean told her. He was very satisfied with himself, and he even looked forward to the engagement party. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 But at this moment, when he looked at his girlfriend wearing such a gorgeous dress, what Sean was thinking about in his mind was the scene fromst night and Jason and Grace¡¯s faces. Had Jason seen him? There had been a second where Jason stared knowingly into the darkness. Had all of that really happened?! Even at this moment, Sean felt that everything he had seenst night was like a dream. Could it really be that the most powerful and influential and wealthy man in the entire city was slumming it with his ex- fiancee who¡¯d murdered Jason Reed¡¯s first love, and got convicted for it!? Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. In what world was this even possible?? Looking at her fianc¨¦¡¯s absent-minded expression, Lily frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You have been zoning out a lot in thest two days. If you don¡¯t want to get engaged to me, just say it.¡± Sean sighed and then quickly smiled and said, ¡°Of course not. Why wouldn¡¯t I want to get engaged to you? You know that my heart is only for you.¡± ¡°Only for me?¡± Lily raised an eyebrow. ¡°You really have no more feelings for Grace?¡± N Sean¡¯s body stiffened slightly. Lily was sharp. And she could be cruel. He said ufortably, ¡°Why did you mention her again? I broke up with her years ago. How could I still have feelings for her?¡± ¡°Well then why did you want to help her find a job before?¡± she asked. ¡°I just pity her,¡± Sean replied. ¡°What is there to pity about her? You should pity my sister. Because of Grace, she lost her life,¡± Lily snorted coldly. ¡°If you dare to ¡®pity¡¯ her again when Jason Reed looks for you in the future, you¡¯d better not me our family for not supporting you.¡± Sean¡¯s reaction was a bit dyed as he thought through all the possible scenarios for his ex-and her new¡­ acquaintance. Before, he wouldn¡¯t have thought that there was anything wrong with his current girlfriend¡¯s words. But now¡­ the existence of Grace might not be all it seemed. After hesitating for a while, he said tentatively, ¡°Lily, do you know if Jason has gotten involved with a new woman recently?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Lily immediately denied. ¡°Jason is notorious for keeping his distance from women. He¡¯s as cold as ice and it was a miracle that Jennifer thawed his cold heart-and that she presented the only suitable partner for marriage.¡± From the way she said it, it was obvious that Lily too saw the former engagement to her sister as nothing more than a strategic alliance between two wealthy families. ¡°Jason Reed has not had any other women for the past three years!¡± It was for this reason that the outside world thought that Jason loved her sister deeply, but only the Atkinson family knew that it was not the case. But the Atkinson family would not take the initiative to expose that kind of misunderstanding. On the contrary, they even hoped that others would misunderstand more. It upped their value. Under the umbre of the Reed Family, the Atkinson family could get more benefits from them all. Sean heard Lily¡¯s words and said nothing more. When the two of them had finished trying on their clothes and walked out of the dress shop, a car drove up in front of the two. Sean and Lily both knew the person who got it. It was Jason¡¯s personal secretary, Terrence Klein. ¡°Secretary Klein, why are you here?¡± Lily asked curiously. But Sean was stiff, and there was a hunch in his heart. Terrence smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯m here to invite Mr. Stevens to a meeting.¡± Then, his eyes turned to Sean. ¡°Mr. Stevens, Mr. Reed wants to see you.¡± His hunch was correct! Sean exhaled a long breath. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go see Mr. Reed with you.¡± He didn¡¯t reflect on how Terrence knew exactly where they were or how he¡¯d timed it perfectly to intercept them as they left the store. ¡°Babe, what¡¯s going on?¡± Lily demanded. Sean started toward the car. ¡°We will discuss it, if it pertains to you when Ie back.¡± After he¡¯d finished speaking, he got into the car with Terrence. Lily sputtered, but what could she say? The invitation had been clear and extended only to him. Sean settled into the car and did not look back. As Terrence pulled into traffic, Sean asked haltingly, ¡°Secretary Klein, do you know why Mr. Reed wants to meet me?¡± Terrence met his gaze in the rearview mirror. ¡°You¡¯re about to find out¡­¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Sean cleared his throat. ¡°What manner of business is this pertaining to?¡± Sean tried again. Terrence said with a faint smile, ¡°You will know when you meet Mr. Reed.¡± Sean undid the top button of his shirt. He was warm and getting more and more anxious. The car stopped at the door of the Reed Residence. Sean followed Terrence into the house and saw Jason sitting on the sofa, ying with an invitation card in his hand. When Sean approached, he saw that the invitation was for the engagement banquet that he and Lily had invited Jason to. ¡°We meet again,¡± Jason said faintly. Sean was stunned. At this moment, Jason was wearing an elegant grey-blue suit. His hair wasbed and tied back, showing his smooth forehead. The man had strong, even features, and while Sean wasn¡¯t one to normally pay too much attention to another man¡¯s good looks, it was impossible not to see Jason Reed and think that he was exceptional. And it wasn¡¯t just the bone structure or the expression, Jason Reed radiated power. The kind of quiet, absolute confidence that told anyone in the room with him that he held all the cards and called all the shots. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. His smile now, waszy, but every bit arrogant. It was no surprise that he attracted the attention of so many women. In the upper circles, many young appearance. However¡­ When Jason¡¯s dark eyes took in Sean, Sean had the distinct sensation of being stared at by a wild beast. His blood seemed to have frozen again, and even his breathing became ragged. It was just like¡­ the feeling of being stared at by that personst night. But yesterday, he had been in the dark while Jason had been out in the open. At that time, he had been able to see Jason, but Jason Reed should not have been able to see him clearly. But now, he waspletely exposed to Jason¡¯s line of sight. Sean smiled dryly. ¡°Yes.¡± He was trying to guess if Jason¡¯s ¡°again¡± was actually referring tost night, but then Jason Reed went and answered the question for him: ¡°Did you mention what happenedst night to someone else?¡± Jason asked in a careless manner. A careless manner that was anything but. Sean felt the threat as if it had been thrown out by the lip of a sword. His hands trembled and his heart pounded. Sean was frightened! Sure enough¡­this visit was because of what happenedst night! Although Sean already had a hunch, when he heard Jason ask in person, some of his doubts finally came to an end. He realized abruptly, that Jason Reed was indeed the man he¡¯d seen holding Grace at the intersection. He was the man visiting. Grace at her low-ie housing. He was the man in ragged clothes with unkempt hair. And he was the same man, standing before him now. So in the end, Jason and Grace were indeed together! ¡°I asked you a question,¡± Jason reminded him quietly. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mention it to anyone,¡± Sean said. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Jason said. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to know about this.¡± Sean swallowed past the lump in his throat. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He didn¡¯t know what Jason Reed wanted. But if Jason wanted his arrangement-whatever it was, with Grace- kept a secret, then the fact that Sean knew of it¡­ would not bode well for him. He felt that his whole body was being crushed by the pressure in the room. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t wish to see you there again. I don¡¯t care why you were there or what you were doing. But since you chose to break up with Grace back then, don¡¯te and look for her anymore. Is that clear?¡± Jason asked. Sean was rendered speechless with shock. Jason¡¯s tone sounded threatening, but what was more confusing was the hint of possessiveness wrapped up in the words. Like Jason Reed wanted Grace¡­ all to himself. Could it be that Jason actually has feelings for Grace¡­? Sean couldn¡¯t believe it. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, just thinking about it. ¡°I understand,¡± Sean said with some difficulty. ¡°Alright, then you can go. Terrence, send Mr. Stevens back,¡± Jason ordered. Terrence gave an affirmative nod. When Sean was about to leave, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Reed, what is it between Grace and you¡­¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 The cold glint in Jason¡¯s dark eyes sent shivers down Sean¡¯s spine. ¡°What gave you the impression you were permitted to ask questions?¡± Terrence remarked. ¡°When you shouldn¡¯t ask something, don¡¯t.¡± Terrence shoulder-nudged Sean toward the door. Beneath his breath, he muttered, ¡°How can you not understand this, Mr. Stevens?¡± Sean¡¯s face went pale and he left feeling embarrassed. That one question could¡¯ve been a serious misstep on his behalf. Sweat beaded on his brown as Terrence opened his car door. Jason leaned against the back of the sofa and took out a cheap mobile phone. There was only one number in the contacts list. He pressed that number. After a while, a gentle female voice sounded from the other end of the phone. ¡°Sister,¡± he said slowly. ¡°What do you want to eat for dinner? I¡¯ll bring it back for you,¡± he said softly. The coldness in his eyes was reced with tenderness. At night, Grace was wiping the photo frame that held her mother¡¯s photo with a paper towel. She had gone to buy a small desk just to house this photo and she made it a point to dust it every few days. All of her mother¡¯s belongings had been left with the CumminsFamily. This photo was the only item she had left with which to reminisce about her mother. As she wiped the photo frame, Jason sat to one side, looking at her quietly. ¡°Oh, right. Jay, it¡¯s almost Thanksgiving. Do you have a¡­ uh, a bus ticket?¡± Grace asked. In the past two days, many of her colleagues from the Sanitation Service Center had been struggling to get tickets for the journey back home to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a ticket.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Grace said. She nodded once. ¡°I can pick one up for you tomorrow.¡± Jason¡¯s brows drew together as he suddenly realized what she was trying to ask. ¡°I don¡¯t need to buy any tickets.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go home?¡± she asked in surprise. ¡°Aside from here, I don¡¯t have a home.¡± Even though he had stayed in the Reed Residence for so many years, he had never felt at home there. She then remembered how he had said that he had no family, but¡­ didn¡¯t people normally have rtives or something? People would usually go visit their rtives during the holidays. When she voiced her doubts, he smiled faintly and said, ¡°I do All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. have some rtives, but I don¡¯t need to go around visiting them.¡± As for the old head of the Reed family, although they were grandfather and grandson, family affection was something that didn¡¯t exist in the Reed Family. The only thing that his grandfather was interested in was an heir. As long as he was good enough and powerful enough, grandfather wouldn¡¯t care about anything else. But if he ever disappointed the family, even if he was grandfather¡¯s grandson, he would still be kicked out. What¡¯s more, half of the blood in his body came from that woman¡¯s. It could be said grandfather even felt disgust for him because of it. He remembered how when he was a child, grandfather had looked at him in disgust several times and said with a ferocious. expression, ¡°Why do you have that woman¡¯s blood in your body? You shouldn¡¯t exist at all!¡± At that time, Jason had been beaten by his grandfather many times already. The infractions ranged from a less than perfect score on a school test to speaking out of turn. It was only after he had grown up and begun to show his capabilities in the boardroom that grandfather¡¯s attitude towards him had slowly changed. However, the fact that he had that woman¡¯s blood in him was a fact that could not be changed. Grace hesitated for a moment and could not help but ask, ¡°What about your¡­ parents? They are¡­¡± Jason¡¯s face changed slightly. He looked at her with his extremely beautiful eyes. It seemed that his eyes were covered with ayer of silk, making no one able to see what he was thinking at the moment. Grace bit her lip. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, just pretend that I didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Would you really like to know?¡± he countered, his voice carrying a hint of unintended coldness. Grace twisted her hands together. It was one of her tells, when she was nervous. Her fingers pained her a lot he knew, so when she did that, she was usually feeling especially anxious. ¡°Why do you ask, Grace?¡± Her big, pretty eyes batted up to his. ¡°I just wanted to know more about you. However, if you don¡¯t want to talk about these things, then let¡¯s not talk about them. In any case, the past isn¡¯t important. We just need to look ahead, right?¡± He appreciated her giving him an out. But that was Grace, wasn¡¯t it? Always thinking of others before herself. ¡°My father died. The day you met me was my father¡¯s death anniversary. On that day, he died in the spot where I was sitting by the road.¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Grace was stunned. She had not been expecting the ce where she met Jay to be the ce where her father had passed away. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said. ¡°He only had himself to me for dying.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Sister, there is no need for you to apologize,¡± Jason said in a low voice. She suspected the story was not so simple as Jay depicted it. ¡®He only had himself to me?¡¯ that sounded ominous. Grace was surprised. She hadn¡¯t been expecting him to describe his father¡¯s death that way. ¡°Jay, I¡¯m not sure what you man by ming him, perhaps it was some ident-¡± ¡°Was it? I don¡¯t think so. He fell in love with someone he shouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with, then when she discovered that he was useless, he was cast aside. It didn¡¯t matter even if he kneeled down and begged. No,¡± Jason¡¯s eyes darkened into an abyss. ¡°No, that¡¯s not entirely true. The more he groveled and begged, the more she despised him.¡± He shook his head as if clearing the thoughts. ¡°In the end, he died in despair and had frozen to death in the snow.¡± Jason¡¯s expression was as indifferent as if he was just talking about something as ordinary as the weather-not a man sumbing to hypothermia and dying in it. Even his voice was as calm as usual. But¡­ this was his father! Grace felt as if he had returned to the first time she had seen him. He¡¯d been distant then too. And¡­ detached. ¡°Jay,¡± she called out to him. He looked up, and her face was reflected in his dark pupils. ¡°Tell me,¡± he goaded her. ¡°Did he not bring Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. it upon himself?¡± She felt her throat dry up as she tried to respond. After a long while, she finally murmured, ¡°Is that woman your mother?¡± He was silent. There was no expression on his face, but there was a sh of pain in his eyes. And so she knew the answer. She didn¡¯t know how tofort him, feeling that at this moment any words she could provide would be useless. There were some wounds in the world that only people who had actually experienced them could understand the pain. She stood up and hugged him as he stayed atop the chair. His head was leaning against her chest, his nose was inhaling her breath, and her warmth was being transmitted onto his checks. All of a sudden, the sound of her heartbeat came into his ears through her clothes. This made him feel like¡­ staying in this position forever¡­. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t go¡­¡± The thin and short figure was kneeling down on the ground, hoping that the woman, who had already packed up her luggage, would not leave. But it was useless. The woman still insisted on leaving and did not even look back at him. Seeing that his mother was about to leave, the boy wanted to reach out and grab her. But in the next moment, his tiny hand was swung away, and he felt a heart-wrenching pain in his chest¡­ It was so painful¡­ so painful! No one could save him from such pain, and no one could stop his pain! It was so painful that he felt like he was going to suffocate, as if he was going to die¡­ ¡°Jay! Jay!¡± A voice was calling out to him! Who was it? Who was calling out to him? ¡°Jay, don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t hurt anymore. I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t worry, Jay¡­¡± The gentle voice was filled with anxiety and worry. Under this sound, the feelings of suffocation and pain within him faded away like a falling tide. He struggled to open his eyes and looked at the delicate woman in front of him¡­ Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Grace breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯ve finally woken up.¡± Woken up? When had he fallen asleep? One moment he¡¯d been in Grace¡¯s arms. Soaking up her strength and scent. The next, he must¡¯ve N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. drifted off to sleep and the memories seized him. Wait, no. That wasn¡¯t entirely right. They¡¯d chatted more after dinner. Then each taken time to wash up and change for bed. He¡¯dy down on the cot and counted her breaths until she fell asleep. Jason rubbed his eyes, the events of the eveninging back to him in short order. He¡¯d not had a nightmare like this in a long time. In his dream, he had knelt down in front of the woman and begged her¡­ Was it because he had talked about that woman tonight that he had had such a dream? Jason raked a hand through his hair. He exhaled a long breath and lowered his head only to find that the button of his pajamas had been unbuttoned, revealing his chest. ¡°My clothes are¡­¡± Grace saw the direction of his gaze and she pursed her lips as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Because¡­ you were shouting that it hurts so much. I was afraid that something was wrong with your body¡­ So, uh, I just went ahead and unbuttoned your shirt to see if anything was wrong.¡± He stared at her, and her face slowly grew redder. ¡°But I can assure you, I¡­ I didn¡¯t even have the time to look before you woke up, so actually, I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± she hurriedly exined, but the more she exined, the odder she sounded. And the brighter her cheeks glowed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you see. You can look at my body,¡± Jason said. She was blushing so hard, and it was quite adorable, actually. ¡°Your body¡­ does it h-hurt anymore?¡± It took her a long time to stutter out this sentence. ¡°Mhm, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± He lowered his head and began to button up his pajamas. She tried her best to keep her gaze above his neck, but she identally caught a glimpse of his chest, and then suddenly pulled down his pajama top again. ¡°Hey-you are hurt!¡¯ She stared at his chest. There was a scar right above his heart. Although the scar was already faint, Grace could still tell that the wound had definitely not been a minor injury back when he had received it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you here¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury,¡± he said in an indifferent manner. She bit her lower lip with her teeth and raised her hand to touch. the scar gently. While he had been sleeping, he had been crying out in pain, and her hand had identally touched this area. Was he in pain because of this injury? How bad was he hurt back then? Grace felt as if her own heart was being wrenched. ¡°How did you get hurt like this? When did it happen?¡± she murmured. His body stiffened slightly. It had been many years since he had been injured, and other than the doctors, no one else had touched his wounds. She was the only one¡­ It was as if all the blood in his body was pumping into the area near his heart. Beneath her touch, his heart was beating faster than usual. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. It¡¯s no longer painful,¡± he said. She was slightly relieved, and only then did she suddenly notice their current positions seemed to be a little inappropriate. ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s good. Hurry up and button up or you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± With a blush on her face, she quickly moved her hand away. All of a sudden, the temperature in his chest seemed to fall, and he suddenly felt empty in his heart. He buttoned up his pajamas slowly. ¡°By the way, when I was dreaming, what else did I say besides crying out?¡± She hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Just¡­ you kept shouting ¡°Mom, don¡¯t go.¡± His body stiffened; his hands gradually clenched into fists, and his nails dug into his palms. She looked at him and couldn¡¯t help reaching out her hand to touch his cheek. The coldness from his face seeped into her fingertips. ¡°Jay,¡± she called out in a low voice. He slowly raised his head. His eyes looked as empty as they had been when he had spoken to her about his parents. Some wounds never healed. They only festered with time. This man, for as stoic and resolute as he imed to be, he was still suffering. And it tore at her heart. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 ¡°Jay.¡± She called out to him, but this time more loudly. ¡°Stay with me.¡± Grace held his face and stared deep into his eyes. The memories were like a wave, sweeping him up and dragging him miles out to sea. He wasn¡¯t trying to ignore her, but once he went down this particr path of memories, it was hard to shake all the details and feelings that came rushing in. Because it wasn¡¯t just his mother. It was the death of his father. The abuses of his grandfather. The absence of any family or familiarity. Was it any wonder he turned out the way he did? His past had sharpened him into this present man. One who could lie effortlessly and move people around as if life was some chessboard. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Nothing anyone could do or change. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°The way you looked just now was like¡­¡± She thought for a while and came up with a description. ¡°It was like a piece of ss that was about to break. You scared me for a moment.¡± ¡°ss?¡± He chuckled and a dark and hostile glint shed in his eyes, but it disappeared in an instant and his gaze returned to normal. ¡°Sister, in this world, no one can break me.¡± Grace dropped her hands from his face. She looked¡­unsteady. As if she was seeing him, but only really seeing him for the first time. Was she finally sensing that he was not some misshapen man in need of saving? Was she finally seeing that he had appointed himself her protector and he¡¯d destroy anyone that came between them? Why? He didn¡¯t even have that answer. And he asked himself the question frequently. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay,¡± she whispered. And there it was¡­ the absolute trust. Grace was too smart and too perceptive to think that everything was as simple as it was presented. But she didn¡¯t pry. She didn¡¯t force him to be anything other than what he imed to be. Would anyone else have indulged him with his secrets? He didn¡¯t think so. He stared at her and asked, ¡°Sister, you¡¯ll never leave me, right?¡± She smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree before? You won¡¯t leave me, and nor will I leave you. ¡°Yes, I just forgot about it,¡± he murmured. He stretched out hist arms and held her in his embrace, appreciating her physical existence. Of all the souls on this earth, he was most content with the one beside him right now. She said that she would not leave him, but why did he feel uneasy? Was he afraid that one day when she discovered his true identity, she would desert him? ¡®Brother¡¯ Jay could stay by her side, but what about Jason Reed? Could he as well? In the living room of the Stevens Family, Mr. Stevens asked his son, ¡°Sean, Lily said that Jason had his secretary pick you up to meet him. Why did he suddenly want to meet you in private?¡± When he started talking about Jason, Mr. Stevens had a hint of concern in his words. Sean recognized the tone. It was one his father seldom used, and he knew the reason for it. After all, the Stevens Family was dealing with the Reed Family. Their business was getting worse by the day, and their soon-to-be marriage connection with the Atkinson family would be their ticket back to sess. Sean¡¯s father was afraid that Jason was prejudiced against the Stevens Family, and that this would interfere with the marriage. ¡°What did he say?¡± Mr. Stevens pressed again. ¡°Nothing much,¡± Sean said. ¡°Nothing much because you say so, or because there actually isn¡¯t much to tell? I can¡¯t believe that, Sean. Why would Jason have his secretary pick you up for no reason?¡± Mr. Stevens asked angrily. ¡°That¡¯s right, Sean,¡± his mother said as she entered the room. ¡°Lily isn¡¯t wrong to contact us-we should¡¯ve heard about Mr. Reed¡¯s visit directly from you.¡± Sheposed herself. ¡°If anything did happen, you can just be honest with us,¡± his mother said persuasively. Sean took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s really nothing.¡± His father crossed his arms. ¡°It had to be something. Quit ying games.¡± Sean could not say it. If Jason Reed were to learn that Sean had told anyone of his ¡®rtionship¡¯ with Grace Cummins, Sean had no doubt the retribution would be swift and harsh. Jason Reed did not make idle threats. The old patriarch of the Reed family had been rumored to be a severe man, but Sean felt the true menace was Jason. Jason showed no fear of anyone or anything. And he was so powerful, his reach of influence seemed boundless. Does Jason still have a grudge against the Stevens Family? Does he want to take action against us?¡± Mr. Stevens asked. ¡°It has nothing to do with the Stevens Family,¡± Sean lied. ¡°The day Mr. Reed met me, he just talked about my engagement.¡± It was the only excuse he coulde up with. ¡°He wished us much happiness and sess.¡± His parents finally breathed a sigh of relief and their expressions looked better when they heard that. On the other hand, Sean¡¯s sister, Zoe, said indignantly, ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all because of Grace. If it weren¡¯t for her, why would our family be so nervous about this marriage?¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Upon saying Grace¡¯s name, Zoe felt a belly full of anger. When Grace had caused that car ident back then, she had often heard people in high-end parties talking about how the Stevens Family was doomed, and it had caused her much embarrassment. It was not until her brother had started going out with Lily that they had finally stopped talking about it. It took years. She hated Grace for it. ¡°Grace is really a Jayx on our family. Fortunately, you broke up with her when he did. Can you imagine what would have befallen us if you¡¯d stayed with that trash?¡± Sean sighed. ¡°I heard she¡¯s a sanitation worker now. Fitting. How could the judge only sentence her to three years in prison? In my opinion, she should¡¯ve been sentenced to at least ten or twenty!¡± Zoe kept talking about Grace with a disgusted look, but the more she spoke, the more her brother seemed to recoil. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Zoe, don¡¯t talk about her anymore. When you see Grace, you¡¯d better behave yourself,¡± Sean said. ¡°Better yet, stay away from her entirely.¡± ¡°Sean, what¡¯s wrong with you? I used to talk about her all the time, but you never said anything. Why are you protecting her now?¡± His parents chose that moment toe back into the room. His mom nced nervously between him and Zoe. ¡°Sean, don¡¯t tell me that you still have feelings for her?¡± When Mr. Stevens heard this, he immediately frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Grace Cummins is a blight on our name. She shouldn¡¯t even think about stepping through the door of this house!¡± ¡°I have no feelings for Grace, but she¡¯s someone we can¡¯t afford to offend! That¡¯s all I can say!¡± Sean gritted his teeth. ¡°Can¡¯t afford to offend?¡± Zoe scoffed at his words. ¡°Sean, what are you talking about? Grace is a sanitation worker. She¡¯s a low-life. Totally insignificant. Why can¡¯t we afford to offend her?¡± ¡°Just listen to me. Don¡¯t harm the entire Stevens Familyter because you¡¯re too stupid to listen to me now!¡± Sean warned sternly. Mr. Stevens was no fool. He sensed that Sean was choosing his words very carefully. And certainly, his son wasn¡¯t acting this way casually. ¡°Sean, what exactly is Grace-¡± ¡°Dad, there are some things that I can¡¯t say. You¡¯d beller all be a bit more careful. At least¡­ at this stage, you should give Grace Cummins more respect,¡± Sean said. Sean didn¡¯t know why or how Grace could have inserted herself into Jason Reed¡¯s life. And as the killer of Jason¡¯s former fiancee, it made absolutely no sense. But, at least for the moment, Jason still seemed to consider Grace to be of extraordinary importance. Sean¡¯s visit to the Reed Family home had proven that. The threat still weighed heavily on him. Mr. Stevens was deep in thought, and Sean¡¯s mom wasn¡¯t saying anything. Only Zoe curled her lips as if she didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°This is bullshit, brother. I don¡¯t owe that heinous bitch an ounce of respect. She nearly destroyed this family-and you. Do you have feelings for her still? Is that what this is about? Sean, don¡¯t be so foolish- ¡°Zoe! That is enough!¡± Sean punched his fist through the wall. Jason¡¯s gaze fixed on the box of stomachache medicine on his desk. This was the medicine that Grace had left for him when he felt sickst time. He was fully recovered, and, had she not been so distraught, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the prescription in the first ce, but he hadn¡¯t thrown the medicine away. Instead, he had continued to leave it on the desk. ¡°Terrence, what do you think Grace will do if she finds out about my true identity?¡± Terrence froze. He¡¯d been in the process of collecting the contracts and budgetary reports that Jason had approved. He paused and said nothing. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Jason asked. Terrence nodded. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Is it very difficult to answer this question?¡± Jason raised his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, sir. But I don¡¯t know if my boss would be willing to ept my answer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to ept or reject what you say. I simply asked you a question. Terrence nodded. ¡°Very well. I think that Miss Cummins will feel deceived.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Terrence took it a step further. ¡°She has been subjected to much and is ¡­vulnerable. She does not trust most people, and such a betrayal would cut her deeply.¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 ¡°Do you think she would still be willing to stay by my side?¡± Jason asked. Terrence was slightly surprised. ¡°Do you want Miss Cummins to continue to apany you?¡± Since this was only a game, didn¡¯t it mean that the game woulde to an end once Mr. Reed told Grace of his true identity? Or could it be that Mr. Reed¡¯s feelings for her¡­ had grown? Thinking of this, Terrence clutched the papers he held. ¡°Mr. Reed, you¡­¡± He opened his mouth in the middle of the sentence, but his words suddenly stuck at the back of his throat. ¡°What do you want to say? Speak!¡± Jason ordered. Terrence frowned. ¡°Mr. Reed, have you fallen in love with Miss Cummins?¡± Terrence asked. So, that was why Mr. Reed had always been keen on this game and had secretly done so many things for this woman. It may have begun as a game, but it had morphed into something more. And if Mr. Reed was worrying about the future and whether or not Grace would be with him in it¡­ then his feelings were strong. Jason drew in a deep breath. He had fallen in love? How could that be possible? No. That was not right. And Terrence was a fool for even suggesting it. How could he have fallen in love with any woman? Was it not enough to have his father as an example? He would never be so weak or desperate, so pathetic as to be at the mercy of some other person. At most, he liked Grace¡¯spany. She was kind and uplicated. She kept her questions to herself and didn¡¯t desire hispany for what she could gain. The woman was selfless and patient. Her presence gave him a sense offort. That¡¯s all it was. ¡°Don¡¯t say this kind of thing in the future,¡± Jason said coldly. Terrence shivered and immediately replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Without another word, he bowed and left the office. The lights were intoxicating. Patrick Weiss looked curiously at Jason, who was sittingzily on the sofa. Jason had never liked to participate in these gatherings, but today, he had made an exception. He leaned over and asked, ¡°Why did you want toe here?¡± He and Jason could be considered childhood ymates. They had been ssmates throughout middle school and high school. Of course, he knew that this good friend of his had always liked to keep quiet and did not particrly care for social events. In all fairness, most of the time Jason would be bombarded by businessmen seeking hispany or women vying for his attention with dor-signs in their eyes. Jason wasn¡¯t a partier. He didn¡¯t drink to excess. He wasn¡¯t someone who cared about being seen at all the new, cool ces. ¡°Seriously, bro. I invited you only out of habit. I didn¡¯t think for a second that you¡¯d actually show. What gives?¡± Jason sipped his drink. ¡°Do I need a special reason toe out? Don¡¯t you guys ask me all the time to join you?¡± Jason asked. Fair enough. But that was the point, really. They did ask Jason to hang out all the time, and he very seldom said yes. What changed his mind tonight? Jason¡¯s answer made sense, but Patrick still felt it was a little strange. At this moment, a gorgeously dressed woman with exquisite makeup walked up to Jason and tried to start up a conversation with him. Patrick thought his good friend would definitely reject her, so it was very unexpected when Jason actually let the woman sit by his side. Patrick¡¯s eyes almost popped out of his eye sockets, when Jason ordered her a drink. Why was he willing to let a woman get so close to him today? Had the sun¡­ risen from the west this morning?! Patrick sensibly stepped away and turned to look at his other friend, Brian Hart. Brian was of a simr height but bulkier, and while Patrick was light-hearted, Brian gave Jason a run for the money in the serious department. Well, not with women. When it came to girls, Brian was never seen with the same one twice. Brian stood beside the bar, ying with a silver bracelet on his wrist. ¡°Are you seeing this too?¡± Brianughed. ¡°It appears our boy Jason is in quite a mood this evening.¡± That was one way to put it. ¡°You think he¡¯s turning a corner?¡± Patrick shrugged. This wasn¡¯t typical behavior for Jason. On the contrary, if anyone was going to go home with random women, that¡¯d be Brian. Brian¡¯s dark eyes glittered as if he was d to see someone behaving the way he normally did. Brian spun the bracelet on his wrist. Once. Twice. Again. ¡°What is with you and always wearing that silver bracelet?¡± As he spoke, Patrick reached out and tried to grab the silver band. Brian jerked his wrist away, avoiding Patrick¡¯s hand. His eyes darkened as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡± Patrick titled his head and looked at the person in front of him. If Jason was cold, then Brian was pure ice. For as much as Brian partied and had flings with different women, he was detached. Sometimes, even when they were talking, it seemed like Brian wasn¡¯t even in the conversation. Patrick had never seen a woman who could truly upy his heart. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Patrick and his group of friends would often bet on whether Brian¡¯s new girlfriend would be the one to end his single life, but anyone who took that bet was destined to lose. The man was living the single life-and loving it. Brian was the sort of person who appeared to be courteous to others on the surface, but in reality, he never warmed up to anyone. Patrick had known him long enough to know that Brian didn¡¯t even like most people. Sure, Brian yed the part and his impable mannerspelled him to make small talk and be seen with all the right people, but Patrick knew that Brian didn¡¯t give two shits for the social scene. For Brian, it was all just a means to an end. Emily, Brian¡¯stest girlfriend, who was also a rising star in the entertainment industry, approached them. She was stunning -but that was to be expected-and popr, both within their circles and the Of course, this was all thanks to Brian. Brian was the heir to thergest entertainmentpany in the country, and it was very easy for him to make anyone a star. He¡¯d done it several times. Come to think of il, maybe that was why he had so many girlfriends. Why settle down with one when there was an endless stream of young women seeking fortune and fame? Was it because of that dynamic that Brian didn¡¯t take any single one of these women seriously? Patrick didn¡¯t know. He did know that Brian had doted on every single one of his girlfriends, but when he stopped caring for them, there was noing back from the breakup. And the countless magazines and gossip columns in the city were quick to point that out too. Maybe it was the challenge that kept thediesing. Patrick shrugged and sipped his drink. he would not leave them any room topromise. ¡°Brian! I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte,¡± Emily said gently. When she caught a glimpse of the bracelet in Brian¡¯s hand, she visibly paled. It was almostical how she fixated on that thin, silver bracelet that he was now ying with in his hand, instead of the diamond bracelet and ruby ne that Patrick saw her wearing-jewelry that Brian had purchased for the young starlet. The jewels she wore were worth close to ten million. But that small silver bracelet¡­ for some reason this silver bracelet was taboo. He wouldn¡¯t even allow her to touch it. Once, when she had tried to examine it, he had stared at her coldly and said, ¡°Believe it or not, but if you dare, you won¡¯t be able to use your hands anymore.¡± At that moment, his sharp eyes had been filled with ruthlessness. Patrick recalled the event¡­ it had been painfully awkward. Emily had been so scared that she became rooted on the spot. Brian had ordered them another round of drinks and doted on her as usual, as if he hadn¡¯t just threatened her with bodily harm. It was one of the more entertaining nights Patrick had experienced in a long while. Maybe tonight would prove exceptional too. But as he thought it, Brian was tucking the small bracelet back into his pocket. What did this silver bracelet mean to him anyway? It was small, basically the size of a child¡¯s wrist. Patrick had known Brian for fifteen years, and he still didn¡¯t know the significance of it. After Emily sat down, her gazended on Jason, who was not far away. She was taken aback. ¡°That is¡­ Mr. Reed, right? Mr. Reed?¡± She had only seen him once from afar, so she wasn¡¯t cein. Moreover, Jason seemed to be acting very intimate with another woman. Wasn¡¯t it said that Mr. Reed Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. was very cold to women? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Jason,¡± Patrick answered her. He smiled and then said to Brian. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet and see if Jason will leave with this womanter. What do you think?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to make a bet,¡± Brian said. ¡°Why not?¡± Brian did not answer, but his gaze remained fixed in the direction of Jason. When Patrick turned his head, he realized that Jason had already moved away from that woman without him noticing. That woman seemed to want to get closer, but she did not dare approach again after Jason seemed to have said something. Then, Patrick saw Jason leave without saying another word. Outside the club, Terrence looked at Jason and immediately said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Reed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jason got in the car. Did hee here today to prove something? Jason wasn¡¯t sure. He had spent a little time with old friends and business associates. He chatted with several women, and fended off the advances of several more. It had been made clear before that he wouldn¡¯t ept just any woman. When he had held the striking woman who went up to talk to him today and smelled her perfume, he had been taken aback. Yes, she was beautiful. Wealthy. Cultured. But she hadn¡¯t stood a chance. When she came close, he had actually been thinking about the faint soapy fragrance of another woman. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 He even had a sense of disgust when the woman got closer to him. It wasn¡¯t so bad that he would¡¯ve shoved her away or made a scene. But he distinctly did not like her nearness. Indeed, holding another woman in his arms was very different. from the feeling of holding ¡°her.¡± When he arrived in front of the rental apartment, he squatted down and took out the spare key under the mat in front of the door. He knew that she always liked to put the spare key there, saying that it was in case she forgot to take her key when she left for work. He¡¯d have to break her of that habit. It was dangerous. Whilst he slept in the apartment, it was not a concern, but when she was alone¡­ still on, He pushed open the door. The lights in the room were and her slender figure was sitting next to the table. Half of her upper body was lying on the table, and her head was tilted to the side as she slept. He looked at her sleeping face under the light. Her skin was smooth and her expression serene. She looked so peaceful that his heart seemed to slow the moment he saw her. He raised his hand and gently fiddled with the strands of hair lying over her cheeks, brushing them back and letting his fingers just barely touch her skin. Her skin was so soft. There were women who were more beautiful. Hell, the women at the club he¡¯d just left were actresses and daughters of the most wealthy families in the city. They were perfect. But not a single one of them struck him as Grace did. It seemed that he would not get tired of looking at her even if it was for the rest of his life. And that was one hell of a sobering. thought. A momentter, he bent down and carefully lifted her from the chair. Even though he deliberately tried to be as gentle as possible, she still woke up. ¡°Jay¡­¡± She opened her eyes in a daze. Her hazy almond eyes crinkled as she smiled at him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to bed and you can keep sleeping.¡± As he spoke, he held her in his arms and walked toward the bed. Her head rested in his arms, half-asleep and half-awake, and she snuggled closer. ¡°You smell¡­ nice¡­ it¡¯s perfume, right¡­? Where have you been?¡± ¡°Something happened today, so I went to the bar. I probably got the smell from there.¡± Heid her down on the bed. ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll go wash the smell off.¡± Her eyelids began to close again. He appreciated that about her too. No recriminations. Not argument. She trusted him. After covering her with a nket, he took out a clean set of clothes and went to the bathroom. He showered, washed his hair and considered the woman asleep in the other room. He had no doubt that she¡¯d fallen asleep at that table waiting up for him. He¡¯d probably made her worry. When he dried off and dressed he opened the door to the main room. The light from behind him bathed Grace so he could see the curve of her face and the delicate shape of her lips. He stayed there for a few minutes, watching her sleep. Then he walked out into the room and bent down slightly, the tip of his nose getting closer to her, and he breathed in her scent. ¡°Grace, tell me, when should I let you know of my identity? Or should I let you keep relying on me until you can¡¯t leave me anymore?¡± But she did turn toward the sound of his voice, instinctively Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. seeking him, even in her sleep. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 It had been a long time since Grace got two days in a row off, and on a weekend, no less. Normally, she was working overtime and taking whichever shifts she was assigned. Since Grace finally got some rare time off, Lina took her shopping. The two of them had not gone shopping for a long time. Grace because shecked the time and the money, and Lina because Grace¡¯s erratic schedule made nning a shopping trip almost impossible. When they strolled around the mall, Grace felt as if she had momentarily returned to the past when, before the ident, she had been carefree. She¡¯d taken so many things for granted. Money, time. Friendships. Her freedom. Now, she appreciated each moment. Her life might not be so beautiful or easy or morous, but she was appreciative of every minute. Even in her best days before, when she¡¯d graduated at the top of her ss,nded Sean and her future had seemed so bright¡­ she had not been so mindful of those things. Lina elbowed her side. ¡°All right, this has been going on for months now. Spill. What¡¯s the deal with Jay? How much do you know about him now?¡± Before Grace could even answer, Lina was talking¡­ ¡°Where is he from, where¡¯s his hometown? What kind of people are in his family? You know a lot of N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. people can seem nice before they swindle someone.¡± Right. This could be one big cat fishing trick. ¡°Lina, if Jay was looking for someone to scam, he could find someone who actually had something to take. I¡¯m poor. I have a dead end job. I¡¯ve neither money nor much going on with my career.¡± Lina waved that away. ¡°Tell me about his family.¡± Grace considered saying that she didn¡¯t know anything, but that would just make her friend pry more. ¡°I only know that his father has already passed away, and his mother seems to have left him. He didn¡¯t tell me anything else, and I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Grace shrugged. ¡°Are you dumb? That¡¯s all you know? You should at least know what he used to do!¡± Lina said. Grace smiled faintly. ¡°Why would I need to find out what he used to do? In the past, I thought I knew everything about Sean ¨C everything from his family background to the schools he attended. I even remembered his license te and ID numbers very clearly. But in the end, what did it matter? I still couldn¡¯t see him for who he really was.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± Lina bit her lip. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry about?¡± Graceughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing for you to fuss about, anyway. I know you¡¯re worried about me, but I really don¡¯t care about any of that anymore. Besides, if he doesn¡¯t want to tell me and I persist in asking, he may just make up some stories to conceal the truth, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, so what¡¯s the point of asking?¡± That was one truth that Grace didn¡¯t really want to dwell on. She might put forth a good front for Lina, and even for Jay. But she knew he had his secrets. She knew he had a whole life before she entered it. Did it hurt that he didn¡¯t want to share things with her? It did. But she understood him, and she recognized a kindred soul that was suffering. Who was she to force him to share his pain? ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Come, let¡¯s go and get some new clothes.¡± Grace didn¡¯t actually intend to buy anything, but it seemed a good enough excuse to get Lina to change the subject. ¡°The boss of our design research institute has asked me to wear formal clothes when I meet clients,¡± Linained as she pulled Grace into a big designer store. Grace paused. She couldn¡¯t afford the clothes in here and she didn¡¯t want Lina to try and purchase something for her. ¡°Oh, just rx already. I won¡¯t force you to buy anything. And I promise not to buy it for you if you¡¯re going to have a freakout.¡± Grace arched her brow. ¡°I do not freak out.¡± Lina pointed at her. ¡°Tell that to your face. You already have that one eyebrow arching up.¡± Lina Grace chuckled and gave in. Besides, it didn¡¯t cost anything to try some clothes on. She could pretend and then im they didn¡¯t fit and put them back on the racks. The two women briefly parted as Lina made her way to the formal section of the store. Grace stayed by the entry. She could feel that thedy in the store was looking at her. The cheap clothes on her body looked That familiar sense of shame came back. She told herself to not think like this. To not feel like this. She¡¯d done nothing wrong and she had every bit as much right to look around a store as anyone else. ¡°Hey, look who it is! Why would someone like youe here? It¡¯s simply lowering the grade of this entire establishment!¡± A voice sounded out from the inside of the store. Grace looked up and saw two familiar figures. One of them was Lily, and the other one was Zoe Stevens, Sean¡¯s little sister. The two women wore expensive luxury brand clothes and carried famous high-end handbags. There was no mistaking their looks of contempt. In particr, Zoe¡¯s nose went up in the air and her lips curled in an ugly snarl. There had been a time when she would¡¯ve said that she¡¯d like Zoe Stevens. But to see her now, it was as if the young woman wished her dead. When the staff at the counter saw Zoe and Lily, they immediately greeted them enthusiastically. ¡°Miss Atkinson, Miss Stevens, a new batch of clothes has recently arrived! Come, let us bring the Fall lines out for you.¡± The manager, a man in his thirties, snapped his fingers. ¡°Champagne for thedies! Please take a look to see if there are any clothes that you like. Some of them came straight from the Mn Fashion Show.¡± ¡°Sure, why not,¡± Zoe said before smiling at Grace with malice. She epted a flute of Champagne. ¡°Grace, do you want to try on clothes as well? Oh, wait, I think with your current sry, even if you were to save up for a year, you wouldn¡¯t be able to afford the things here. How could a mere sanitation worker dare to enter here?¡± When the other staff members heard the words ¡°sanitation worker,¡± they all looked at Grace in surprise, and their gazes also started to fill with contempt. Grace¡¯s face heated with embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with sanitation workers?¡± Lina asked. She had been checking out the clothes on the shelves at the other end of the store. When she noticed themotion, she rushed to Zoe and said, ¡°Whichw states that sanitation workers are not allowed to enter this shop to look at clothes?¡± ¡°But can she even afford them?¡± Zoe said disdainfully, ¡°Grace is just a street cleaner, but you want to As she spoke, she looked at the staff next to her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t those who deliberately make trouble in the store be ¡®asked¡¯ to leave?¡± Zoe was a frequent visitor here. The staff usually fawned on this youngdy of the Stevens Family, so the supervisor immediately walked over to Grace and Lina and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not nning on buying anything, then you need to leave. Now.¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡°Who says we can¡¯t afford to buy something? I can¡­¡± Lina was about to bite the bullet and just buy an outfit to vent her anger and make the staff stop looking down upon them. Grace held her back in time and said to the senior staff, ¡°Can¡¯t we just have a look in the store?¡± ¡°You two havee to a store which is far out of your ie. range. You might be here to make trouble, and it is my job to protect the rights of the other guests in the store.¡± The supervisor acted as if he was being reasonable. Grace responded directly, ¡°But you don¡¯t have any evidence against us. In fact, you are clearly discriminating against us. for no good reason. By the way, what you just said?¡± She held her phone and waved it for good measure. ¡°I have already recorded it. I think this should work as a good piece of All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. evidence for me to hand over to the management of the mall.¡± up ¡°You¡­¡± The supervisor¡¯s face immediately turned red. He had never thought that the other party would record his words. ¡°Grace, that¡¯s enough,¡± Zoe scolded. ¡°You are someone who sweeps the streets. Why would youe here to shop? Do you still miss the days when you got to wear this kind of thing?¡± Zoe said mockingly, ¡°If you really want these clothes, then I can take pity on you and buy something for you.¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t a sanitation workere here to look around and shop for clothes? Or does the Stevens Family think that sanitation workers are inferior to others? If the public knows. that the Stevens Family looks at sanitation workers in this way, I¡¯m not sure how they will feel about it.¡± Grace said her words in a neutral tone. She wasn¡¯t making a threat so much as stating a fact. Zoe¡¯s personal behavior was a reflection on the Stevens Family. Zoe sputtered but she didn¡¯t go so far as to refute what Grace said-probably because she knew Grace was right and she didn¡¯t have any argument. Zoe held her tongue. Only because if it really did leak, what she¡¯d said, and somehow it flowed out onto social media that she¡¯d said that sanitation workers were inferior, then she would probably get med to death on the inte before the end of tomorrow. And it wouldn¡¯t just be her, but the whole family too. ¡°Why do you have to be so serious?¡± Lily, who had been silent throughout, suddenly said. Grace barely masked her surprise. Lily was thest person she¡¯d expect toe to her defense. Lily smiled coldly and went on. ¡°Sanitation workers can certainly buy clothes here, but as with any store, if one isn¡¯t actually making purchases, they shouldn¡¯t loiter. That¡¯s an impediment to store owners. If you aren¡¯t going to buy anything, then don¡¯t interfere with other people¡¯s business.¡± From the sparkle in her eye, Lily thought she¡¯d scored thest word, and, already she could see the store manager perking up like that bit about loitering was the key to proving his innocence. But Grace wasn¡¯t ready to be thrown out just yet. ¡°This one is fine.¡± Grace directly pointed at a dress with a price. tag of four million dors. It was a one- of-kind couture gown and the designer¡¯s name was valued around the world. It was at true showpiece. ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Stevens just say that she wanted to buy a dress for me? Then let¡¯s just get this one.¡± Zoe almost spat blood. She despised Grace Cummins. And she might have been being catty to say that she¡¯d buy Grace something. But she didn¡¯t mean it!!! ¡°Miss Stevens, you¡¯re not going to go back on your words, are you?¡± Lina asked. She smiled and stepped closer to Grace. Zoe¡¯s face turned even redder. Lily said disdainfully, ¡°It¡¯s not that Zoe can¡¯t afford to pay for the gown. It¡¯s just that buying something like this for a murderer is not worth it.¡± Grace¡¯s face went as white as a sheet of paper. Lina stepped in front of her. ¡°Who are you calling a murderer?¡± Lina snarled. ¡°Why? Does she not even dare to admit that she killed my sister?¡± Lily stared straight at Grace. Grace pressed her lips together tightly. The scene of the car ident shed across her mind again. If she had been a step slower at that time, she might have died in the explosion of the car crash as well! ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± She met the other person¡¯s gaze and spat out these two words. ¡°Liar!¡± Lily sneered. ¡°The verdict has already been passed. Weren¡¯t you talking all high and mighty about some evidence just now? You have to realize that all the evidence back then pointed at you.¡± Grace¡¯s eyes watered. It was true. No matter how hard she tried to defend herself, all the evidence really did point at her. It was obvious that she had been framed, but no one believed her except Lina. ¡°Lina, let¡¯s go,¡± Grace said. She grabbed her friend and spun to walk them out of the store. And she mmed directly into Sean who was on his way 1. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Sean was stunned. ¡°Grace!¡± When Zoe saw her brother, she immediately went forward andined, ¡°Brother, you have no idea how shameless this bitch was just now! She asked me to buy her a dress worth millions! She doesn¡¯t realize that she isn¡¯t even fit to wear such a dress!¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Sean scolded her on the spot, and his expression turned ugly. Was his sister not afraid of anything? The person backing Grace was none other than Jason Reed. The man was a billionaire. Forget about a dress that cost millions. There wasn¡¯t an object in this world that Jason Reed couldn¡¯t afford. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you raising your voice at me? I¡¯m talking about Grace,¡± Zoe argued. ¡°She¡¯s a friggin¡¯ convict!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to say?¡± Sean said grumpily. He couldn¡¯t reveal the truths that he knew about Grace¡¯s true patron. And he couldn¡¯t afford to humiliate her and chance it getting back to Jason Reed. Sean turned to the clerk next to him and said, ¡°Pack up that dress.¡± His sudden words shocked everyone in the store. ¡°Sean, what are you doing? Are you going to give the dress to Grace?¡± Zoe asked in disbelief. ¡°Seriously!?!¡± As for Lily, her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes narrowed in unmasked anger. On the other hand, the salesgirl looked pleasantly surprised. She could earn a lot ofmission if this sale went through. ¡°Grace, I¡¯m sorry. Zoe¡¯s words were a bit rude, but she didn¡¯t mean any harm. Please don¡¯t hold a grudge against her. This dress¡­ here ¨C just take it as an apology.¡± Sean¡¯s tone was extremely humble. Zoe looked at her brother in disbelief. ¡°Brother, what gives her the right to make you gift her a dress? And we¡¯re even apologizing to her now? Who does she think she is?¡± The more Zoe spoke, the more Sean worried. Damn it, his sister needed to shut up! She had no idea of the consequences¡­ T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. If Grace said something in front of Jason Reed¡­he could obliterate all of the Stevens Family holdings. ¡°Enough, Zoe,¡± He turned to his ex.¡±Grace, you won¡¯t take offense to what Zoe¡¯s saying, right?¡± Sean raked a hand through his hair. This whole situation was embarrassing and that didn¡¯t even begin to describe the daggers that Lily was all but shooting at him. He made it a point not to look at her. Grace¡¯s brows drew together. She wasn¡¯t a stupid woman, and she had to be wondering why he¡¯d go out of his way to defend her or to make his own sister apologize. Grace¡¯s eyes lit up and Sean could pinpoint the moment when she realized she had the upper hand. Grace pursed her lips and said, ¡°You know, you¡¯re right, I don¡¯t need that dress.¡± Zoe all but crowed as if by rejecting the dress, Grace was proving all the other things Zoe¡¯d said were right. Grace tapped her lips. ¡°You don¡¯t need to give me the dress. Just give me cash. Mr. Stevens, you should have a checkbook on you, right?¡± She knew that Sean had the habit of bringing a checkbook along with him. Sean was obviously stunned for a moment, but even though he recovered fairly quickly, he didn¡¯t react in time to control his sister. ¡°You bitch!¡± Zoe red at Grace with hatred. ¡°How dare you ask for money!¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? Miss Stevens, didn¡¯t you say that you would buy me something from the store? I¡¯m just exchanging it for cash. Nothing more,¡± Grace said. Grace had been ying a bluff with every intention of letting Sean beg off and drag his deplorable sister and fiancee out of the store with him. ¡°You¡¯re crazy for money, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zoe shook her head with disgust, ¡°Don¡¯t think my brother will¡­¡± However, by this time, Sean had already taken out the checkbook, filled out the amount, and handed it directly to Grace. ¡°Brother!¡± Zoe shouted. ¡°Enough! You already promised earlier, it¡¯s only natural that you keep your word! I¡¯m helping you fulfill the promise!¡± Sean turned to Grace and forced a smile. ¡°Here, this check is for you.¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Grace took the check and left the store with Lina. There was cursing and muttering and she could only imagine how the store personnel would gossip- and she didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d meant to get under their skin. It was petty and unnecessary and she¡¯d only wanted Sean to feel shameful for a few brief seconds. But he¡¯d called her bluff and carried through with it. And Sean wasn¡¯t a wealthy man by ident. He was very stingy-when he wasn¡¯t trying to outdo himself for appearances. ¡°Grace, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little weird?¡± As soon as they walked out of the store, Lina said, ¡°Sean wrote you a huge check and gave it to you without hesitation. Lily was present too! Isn¡¯t he afraid his ¡®fiancee¡¯ will lose her shit?¡± ¡°It is quite strange,¡± Grace said neutrally. ¡°Uh, does Sean still like you?¡± Lina ventured. Grace shrugged. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Grace, he just spent an obscene amount of money on you.¡± ¡°True. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s affection that prompted it. I don¡¯t even think it¡¯s ego. Sean¡¯s too cheap for that. I think it¡¯s fear. It seems that he is afraid that I will get mad at Zoe and then do harm to the Stevens Family,¡± Grace voiced her intuitive spections. Hearing this, Lina thought it was a bit ridiculous. ¡°Isn¡¯t he thinking too much into it?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Grace shrugged and raised her hand to look at the check she was holding. ¡°What are you going to do with that anyway? Are you going to tear it up?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d love to see you spend it on yourself. It¡¯s the least that piece of shit can do, after how he and that trash Lily treated you. But something tells me you won¡¯t be taking that to the bank.¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t.¡± Lina shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re just going to tear it up?¡± She was incredulous. ¡°No. Why tear it up? I¡¯ll just donate it to someone who needs it,¡± Grace answered and carefully put the check into her bag. Lina beamed. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Then she sighed. ¡°That prick will probably use it as a tax write-off.¡± Both womenughed, and just like that, the painfulness of that encounter was forgotten. They had a meal after walking around for a while, and shared several small dishes in the mall food court. It was so much like old times! Grace could almost imagine that thest few years hadn¡¯t happened, and it was just the two of them catching up after a long week of corporate work. But there was no undoing the past. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org And seeing how she wouldn¡¯t be who she was now, stronger and more self-aware, she didn¡¯t resent it. If not for everything in the past, she wouldn¡¯t havee to know Jay. Today. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± Grace said. She had saved half her food and the full bava dessert for Jay. She was eager to take it home to him. When they were about to enter the esctor to the underground parking lot, they saw Sean, Zoe, and Lily again. Ugh, these people were like a bad rash that just wouldn¡¯t go away! The trio looked miserable-various expressions of anger, disbelief and good old-fashioned hatred. They all stopped talking when they saw Grace and Lina approaching the esctor. Grace had a moment¡¯s pause where she almost held Lina back and suggested that they walk around the long way, but she didn¡¯t want to appear weak. She followed Lina¡¯s lead, lifting her head and keeping her eyes straight ahead. Zoe red and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, sister,¡± Sean warned. ¡°If you so much as say another word to her again, I¡¯ll have you sent abroad.¡± Zoe couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You¡¯d punish me!? For this murderous bitch!?¡± As Grace walked quicker toward the esctor and was about to pass by them, Zoe suddenly stretched out her foot right in Grace¡¯s path. Grace was caught off guard and tripped. She pitched forward, and the moving steps caused her to tumble and fall. Lina screamed in shock and quickly ran to the side of the esctor to press the emergency stop button. Even so, it was already toote. Grace had rolled down a lot of steps. Lina raced down the stairs. ¡°Are you okay? Can you move? Tell me what hurts?¡± Before Grace could reply, Lina was screaming up to the top floor at Zoe. ¡°Do you know that you could¡¯ve killed her?¡± Zoe put a hand to her chest as if she couldn¡¯t believe that someone would say such a thing. ¡°She walked without looking where she was going and insisted on hitting my foot. It¡¯s all her fault that she fell!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me,¡± Lina screamed. ¡°We¡¯ll find out the moment we take a look at the security camera recording!¡± Lina said angrily. ¡°And I swear to God if she¡¯s hurt, I¡¯m pressing charges!¡± She then looked nervously at Grace and said, ¡°Grace, are you okay?¡± ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Grace gasped from the pain. She was in shock and her heart was pounding. Every bone seemed to ache and she worried that she might have broken something. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right now,¡± Lina said hurriedly. ¡°You just fell down some steps and you are going to go to the hospital!? You¡¯re really making a big deal out of nothing. Are you going to ask me for medical reimbursement next?¡± Zoe said sarcastically. But no one had expected that in the next moment Zoe¡¯s face would be pped so viciously that she would almost fall from the esctor step herself. ¡°Brother!¡± Zoe held her face with her hands and looked at Sean in disbelief. Sean¡¯s face was merciless. ¡°Apologize! Apologize to Grace right now!¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 ¡°Why should I apologize?¡± Zoe said angrily. She rubbed her face and stepped near her brother as if intending to shove him down the esctor next. At this moment, people came over one after another. One of them recognized Lily. After all, she was a popr star. Although she was wearing sunsses and a hat that covered most of her face, she was still spotted. A crowd began to form. ¡°It¡¯s Lily. Is that her fianc¨¦ next to her?¡± ¡°What are they doing here?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the esctor? Did something happen just now?¡± Voices sounded around them. Lina helped Grace walk down the esctor. Seeing this, Sean hurriedly caught up with them. 7994 Lily¡¯s eyes shed with surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected Sean to leave her behind and run after Grace! And the people around her began to spread gossip. ¡®Lily¡¯s fianc¨¦ went to chase after another woman.¡± ¡°Oh my god, is this a bloody love triangle?¡± Lily¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She watched Sean reach Grace and Lina at the bottom of the esctor and she weighed whether to follow. Grace Cummins had killed her sister. No, she would not be checking to ensure that Grace was okay. ¡°Lily,¡± Zoe whispered. ¡°We should go.¡± Dozens of people had their phones out and were closing in on them. Lily managed a coy smile as she and Zoe held onto each other and hurried away. She covered her face with her hands and tried her best to avoid the cameras on the phones as they cut through the crowd. Sean caught up to Grace. ¡°H-how much were your medical expenses? I¡¯ll cover it. Zoe didn¡¯t mean it. Let¡¯s just keep this between ourselves. We can talk-¡± ¡°Talk about what?¡± Lina asked indignantly. ¡°Sean, how dare you say that your sister didn¡¯t do it on purpose? You Stevens Family people are truly one of a kind.¡± As she spoke, she opened the door, let her friend sit in the front passenger seat, and then sat in the driver¡¯s seat herself. Sean had still been knocking on the door, and his face was pale. When he spoke, his voice was trembling. At this time, even Lina could feel that Sean was scared. However, what was he afraid of? Was he afraid that Grace would sue Zoe? Even if they were to take the case to court, Zoe would only have to pay somepensation. The Stevens Family wouldn¡¯t care about much money. When Lina drove away with Grace, Sean stood rooted to the spot with only the words ¡°I¡¯m done for¡± repeating over and over in his mind. No matter what the rtionship between Jason and Grace was, at least for the moment, Jason seemed to have a special connection to Grace. Since Grace had been injured, and it was because of Zoe, then the Stevens Family was responsible And Jason Reed had the power, wealth and connections to bury them. Damn it! Zoe couldn¡¯t refrain from being a bitch for a few minutes?! Was it really that hard to take the high road? Sean calcted scenarios. How far would Jason Reed go? Would he really extend himself in such a way? Sean didn¡¯t know. And he didn¡¯t want to find out¡­ Lina drove Grace to the hospital, registered at the front desk, and then waited in line. Although Grace didn¡¯t say anything, Lina could tell from her expression that she was in great pain. However, she didn¡¯t know when her good friend had stopped crying out in pain in front of others. Was it because of those days in prison? Had she already suffered so much that she would no longer cry out in pain? Thinking of the strange ident, Lina felt that things were not so simple, but she had no evidence to C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org support her posttion. Seeing her good friend take out her phone, Lina asked, ¡°Who are you calling?¡± Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Grace found the name ¡®Jay¡¯ in her contact list on her phone and called his number. After a while, the call connected and Jay¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I have something to do. I¡¯m afraid that I will be backte today. You¡­ you can prepare dinner for yourself,¡± Grace said. ¡°What do you mean ¡®you have something to do¡¯?¡± ¡°Just tell him that you¡¯re in the hospital right now,¡± Lina interrupted. ¡°What does she mean you are in the hospital right now?¡± There was a pronounced change in Jay¡¯s tone. ¡°I took a fall, and now I¡¯m waiting for X-rays.¡± ¡°In the hospital?¡± Jay said as if confirming. ¡°Yes.¡± Grace sighed. ¡°Which hospital?¡± Jay asked. ¡°I¡¯ming now.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have toe. Lina is here with me. Just wait for me at home,¡± she said in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can.¡± The other end of the phone was silent. After a long minute, Jason repeated his previous question, ¡°Which hospital?¡± Grace bit her lip and replied, ¡°First City.¡± Chills wracked her body and her stomach dipped at the thought of inconveniencing him. She had lost her mother when she was a child and her family had kept her at arm¡¯s length for most of her adolescence. Prison, that had shown her that she was truly on her own. Grace really didn¡¯t feelfortable troubling others for anything. No one owed her anything. And she was capable of handling life¡¯s issues on her own. Well, mostly. If it weren¡¯t for Lina, she would havee to the hospital alone without saying a word to anyone. It wasn¡¯t that she thought she¡¯d broken any bones, but she¡¯d hit her head really hard. Everything ached and she was terrified that she was internally bleeding. ¡°I¡¯ming now,¡± Jason said. Jason hung up the phone and immediately dialed his secretary Terrence. ¡°Investigate what happened to Grace today.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. As you wish,¡± lerrence said. ¡°Also, check who the most skilled orthopedic doctor is at First City Hospital. Make sure he is on call and have him check on Grace¡¯s condition,¡± Jason said. ¡°I expect a report before I arrive there.¡± ¡°Understood sir,¡± Terrence answered again. After this call, Terrence looked at his mobile phone in a daze. Mr. Reed¡¯s feelings for this woman were escting. His instructions were precise and he knew Mr. Reed¡¯s moods. and tone well enough to interpret that Jason was deadly serious. There would be hell to pay if his instructions were not followed to the T. Terrence thought of the way Mr. Reed had initially reacted to Grace Cummins. He¡¯d helped her-much as he would any stranger on the street. Then he¡¯d epted her kindness, and spent the night with her. He gradually spent more time at that apartment until he¡¯d virtually moved into that economy rental. Where first, when Grace had been hit by an electric bike, Jason had been slightly shaken, now, he was calling in every favor and demanding to know every detail of her ident and her treatment. And that wasn¡¯t counting the slights against her that Mr. Reed had retaliated on her behalf. Indeed, he was waging an all-out war with anyone who dared to hurt this young woman. The same woman who¡¯d killed his fiancee. It was¡­ unsettling. Mr. Reed was calcting. Cold. He didn¡¯t exhibit any strong emotions for anyone or anything. Not his former future wife, not even his family. His behavior now¡­ was most interesting. Just as Grace was waiting for the results of an X-ray scan, a nurse suddenly came over and wheeled her out of the shared space in the ER and to a private wing of the hospital. The rooms were single bed, spacious and the entire look of the area reflected a higher quality. Grace asked, ¡°Why have you brought me here? Dr. Haan was already treating me.¡± The nurse just shrugged. ¡°I was told to bring you to Dr. Craigge.¡± The young man smiled. ¡°He¡¯s the best there is, so I wouldn¡¯tin. You¡¯re lucky. He¡¯s usually off today.¡± Grace was rolled into a nice room with a big window. Everything was white and bright and looked very modern and clean. Arge television was up on one wall and two couches on the opposite side of the room. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. The hospital bed had scarcely stopped rolling before a middle-aged man entered the room and grabbed Grace¡¯s chart off the rack at the foot of the bed. ¡°Hello,¡± he said, although he was looking at the chart, not at Grace. ¡°Hello Doctor,¡± Grace said carefully. The nurse smiled and left the room. Dr. Craigge had been awakened by the hospital director and ordered to return to the hospital immediately. He was the senior attending physician and he knew that such a call would not have been made lightly. There were plenty of other top orthopedic surgeons-he should know, he¡¯d interviewed and hired them. While under the guise of reading the chart, Dr. Craigge took stock of his patient. Her clothes were simple. Cheap even. They¡¯d removed her top and put her in a hospital gown, but her pants and shoes were worn. Not dirty, just showing signs of use. The fabric faded. The woman herself was of average weight and height. Her eyes were clear and her hair clean, if not simply styled. She wore no makeup. No jewelry. Her chart revealed disturbing things. Hmm. Interesting. ¡®Don¡¯t make any mistakes,¡¯ the hospital director had said. As if, Dr. Craigge would. He didn¡¯t need a threat to inspire him to bring his A game. He¡¯d been called in like this a few times before, for politicians and business chairmen. The girl didn¡¯t appear to be anyone of consequence. Not that it mattered. She was his patient now. As a doctor, he did not care about whether the patient was important or not. Wealthy or not. There was an injured human in front of him, and he¡¯d do Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Apany Me Sophie returned to the restaurant and turned on theptop in the establishment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you doing?¡± Ysabelle asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just received an urgent email that I need to reply to. Wait for me for a moment.¡± The She swiftly typed a string of code on the keyboard before she found the surveince footage of the corridor. Seems like the footage captured was in HD vision. It even has audio recording, too. After downloading the footage, she sent it to her email and wiped off any trace of her using theptop. Once their meal was over, Sophie and Ysabelle went shopping in Monarch Mall. Ysabelle was trying out clothes inside when Wilma called. ¡°Ms. Sophie, we arrived at the same time Rachel and the others did. However, they chose Rachel.¡± Wilma sounded sad. ¡°No need to worry, though. I¡¯ll continue to work hard. I¡¯ll definitely find a suitable ambassador!¡± ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already found a suitable candidate to be our brand ambassador,¡± Sophie replied. ¡°What? You already found one? Who is it?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Wilma didn¡¯t believe Sophie, it was just that no one else was willing to be their ambassador so far. ¡°Cecelia Lance.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Cecelia Lance.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that wrong, right, Ms. Sophie? Cecelia is the newly crowned queen of movies! Her future is very promising! Will she really agree?¡± Wilma and her team had been looking for newbies to be their ambassador and even they had refused. It was why she doubted Cecelia would agree. ¡°She¡¯ll agree. Just take care of the matters I told you to handle,¡± Sophie assured. ¡°Okay.¡± Even though Wilma was still doubtful, she knew Sophie¡¯s temperament, so she didn¡¯t dare to ask any more questions. Rachel still didn¡¯t want to leave after exiting Lorelei¡¯s house because she was waiting tough at Wilma. I¡¯ve been overshadowed by her for a long time in Transfix Cosmetics. It¡¯s finally my turn to shine. ¡°No need to feel that bad, Wilma! It¡¯s actually good that you didn¡¯t manage to invite Lorelei to be your spokesperson. Nowadays, no one is using Transfix Cosmetics¡¯ products. You can¡¯t even pay your employees their wages, much less spend an enormous amount of money hiring someone as famous as Lorelei!¡± Rachel mocked. ¡°That¡¯s right! Transfix Cosmetics is over! I think you lot should quickly find a new job! If you can¡¯t work in the same industry anymore, I suggest washing dishes at a hotel!¡± one of Rachel¡¯spanions mocked. Wilma¡¯s face darkened. D*mn you, Rachel! ¡°Look at you, Rachel, acting all smug. You made your choice, and we¡¯re fine with that. There¡¯s no need to kick us when we¡¯re down. Besides, it¡¯s not over and the winner has yet to emerge!¡± she retorted. Rachel sneered, ¡°You¡¯re as stubborn as a mule, Wilma. Even at its best, Transfix Cosmetics couldn¡¯t win against Dream. Now that yourpany has fallen to its current state, there¡¯s no way it¡¯ll even catch up to Dream now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s all thanks to Ms. Summers that we have an opportunity to be part of Dream!¡± ¡°Give up, Wilma! You¡¯ll never make aeback!¡± ¡°Thanks for your concern.¡± Wilma opted to ignore them. I¡¯ll never give up until the end! ¡°Have any of you invited a director to shoot the advertisement?¡± Wilma asked as she left with her team. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s the shooting day, but we don¡¯t have an ambassador or a director! What do we do, Ms. Lineker?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Dream is deliberatelyunching a new product on the same day as us! Why do they have to do it on the same day¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re clearly bullying us!¡± ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s pointless talking about that. Right now, we just need to focus on our tasks. I believe Transfix Cosmetics will make aeback.¡± Wilma attempted to boost their morale. No matter what happens, I need to keep their spirits up. ¡°Yeah! With Ms. Lineker around, Transfix Cosmetics won¡¯t fall!¡± That night, at Cecelia¡¯s mansion. Cecelia actually returned to the country in secret. No one knew she was already back at that moment. When she saw thenguid young woman sitting on the couch ying games, she spoke resignedly. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you, Sophie? I just returned to the country, you know? Can¡¯t you at least spare me a nce?¡± Is this how you¡¯re supposed to treat the youngest person crowned the queen of movies? Sophie finally raised her head and shifted her line of sight from her phone to Cecelia. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you to cast in an advertisement for Transfix Cosmetics.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Cecelia pouted. I refused to be ordered around! I¡¯m not going to star in an advertisement just because you said so! ¡°Be good, okay?¡± Sophie coaxed. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph! You didn¡¯t contact me for a long time, and the moment Ie back, you want me to star in an advertisement for your sake. Am I all that¡¯s left to you?¡± ¡°You should be d that you¡¯re useful to me at all.¡± Sophie didn¡¯t mince her word. ¡°You!¡± Cecelia pouted again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone you¡¯re going to be involved in Transfix Cosmetics¡¯ advertisement yet.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Sophie, do you know how popr I am? I¡¯m the queen of movies now, you know. All the advertisements I starred in will basically lead to the products selling out!¡± Cecelia was confident in herself. ¡°Be good, okay?¡± Sophie furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that I¡¯m two years older than you, Sophie.¡± Cecelia was displeased with Sophie¡¯s attitude. Sometimes, the aura a person exuded had nothing to do with their age. ¡°Keep mepany tonight, will you?¡± Cecelia stared at Sophie pitifully. ¡°I have things to do,¡± Sophie rejected. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Sophie. If you don¡¯t go to bed with me tonight, I won¡¯t star in your advertisement.¡± ¡°Go to bed with you? Do you think you¡¯re still in a movie, Ms. Lance?¡± Sophie narrowed her eyes slightly. Even if we are to go to bed together, I should be the one making that demand! Still, she originally had no intention of leaving, since they hadn¡¯t met each other for a long time. ¡°This Lorelei, she¡¯s¡­¡± Cecelia was utterly speechless. ¡°So what if she got to star in Dream¡¯s advertisement? The reason she got it in the first ce is that I rejected it.¡± She swiped open Twitter and saw the trending topic about Lorelei¡¯s coboration with Dream. ¡°Why do you care about her? You should go and sleep now. You have an advertisement to shoot tomorrow.¡± ¡°I want to apany you a little longer. It¡¯s been a while since west met.¡± Cecelia didn¡¯t want to sleep yet. ¡°Go to sleep so tomorrow¡¯s advertisement won¡¯t suck.¡± ¡°Fine! Then will you be apanying me to the shoot?¡± Even the location of the shoot for Transfix Cosmetics and Dream was held at the same venue. Since Cecelia promised Sophie she would keep the job a secret, she arrived at the venue in secret. When Wilma saw Cecelia in the dressing room, her jaw almost dropped. ¡°She¡¯s Ms. Lineker from Transfix Cosmetics,¡± Cecelia¡¯s assistant introduced. Cecelia stood and stretched her hand out. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Cecelia Lance, Sophie¡¯s best friend.¡± ¡°Do you understand Transfix Cosmetics¡¯ current situation, Ms. Lance?¡± Even though Cecelia was very popr, she had been staying overseas for a long while. It was why Wilma was worried if Cecelia knew what was really going on in the country. ¡°What do you mean? Do you think I¡¯m not good enough to shoot for Transfix Cosmetics?¡± Cecelia furrowed her eyebrows. Wilma shook her head immediately. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear. In any case, you may not trust Sophie enough, but I do.¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 When she said his name Jason¡¯s whole body stiffened. ¡°Do you hate Jason Reed?¡± he murmured. She sighed and said, ¡°Everyone in this City knows him. When I had the car ident, Jennifer Atkinson was Jason¡¯s fianc¨¦e. So, of course, I was not going to get out of it easily. How many people want to curry favor with him? How many people think that by hurting me it¡¯ll gain them favor with him?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes took on a faraway look. ¡°Who knows¡­ maybe if that ident had involved someone else. Someone other than Jennifer Atkinson, I could have won thewsuit. Would I have been spared from being in jail for three years and experienced all those things? Maybe.¡± Her eyes were so earnest when they met his. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink and drive, Jay. I wouldn¡¯t do that. I still can¡¯t understand how the evidence could corroborate that sort of thing.¡± Jason knew the ins and outs of the case intimately. She was not angry or sad, but the faint self-degradation she showed made him feel very guilty. Perhaps half of her pain was because of him. He squatted in front of her, staring at her bent hands. ¡°It I had known that you would suffer so much, I would have protected you three years ago.¡± This sentence had nothing to do with the game but was something that hade from the bottom of his heart. He hated thinking that this woman had suffered because of him. He was cold, yes, but he also considered himself C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org fair. He wasn¡¯t cruel. And Grace had been tortured for no other reason than that he might bestow some favors on her tormentors. The thought sickened him. Back then, he hadn¡¯t cared one way or the other. But now that he knew her. That he believed her when she said it was all an ident¡­ it opened something in his chest that made him ache with regret. ¡°I know that you would have defended me,¡± Grace said. She patted his hand. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Grace smiled again and lifted her hand to rub his dark hair. It seemed that she had been doing this more and more frequently recently. Lina entered the hallway and paused beside them, she shifted her feet awkwardly. ¡°I, uh, got the medicine,¡± she said to the two of them. ¡°And Dr. Craigge included two other prescriptions which we can fill once we get you home.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lina,¡± Grace said. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the car from the underground parking lot. Jay, help Grace to the entrance and wait for me.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Jason agreed. He slid his arms beneath her legs. ¡°J-Jay, what are you doing?¡± ¡°It should be obvious, no?¡± ¡°They have wheelchairs, you don¡¯t need to carry me.¡± ¡°The walking boot they give you won¡¯t suffice. You should probably have crutches.¡± He hefted her into his arms and moved like he intended to carry her back into the hospital room to argue for said crutches from the doctor. ¡°No, no,¡± Grace said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need some rest.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Jason agreed. ¡°That means rest from walking,¡± he said simply, as if it exined everything. ¡°I¡¯m too heavy for you to carry me like this!¡± Jasonughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd. You hardly weigh anything.¡± It¡¯s true. He noticed that the other night too, when he lifted her from the table and moved her to the bed. She tensed in his arms. ¡°Rx, Grace,¡± he whispered. ¡°I won¡¯t drop you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said. Then she rested her head against his chest. Jason felt his heart beat pick up. Her scent. Her nearness. Knowing she was all right when he¡¯d been left thinking the worst¡­ it all sent the blood in his body rushing to his head. Jason¡¯s eyes were filled with a tenderness that he didn¡¯t even know was there. Grace lifted one hand around his neck and clung to him. He lifted her higher. Held her closer. His lips brushed the top of her head. ¡°Thank you foring for me, Jay.¡± He made some nomittal sound and then walked out of the emergency room and headed for the hospital entrance. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 ¡°You need to eat more, Sister.¡± Grace made a strangled sound. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Jason said. She was too light in his arms. And while most men would¡¯ve probably found that satisfying, for him, it just reinforced her frailty. How easily she could be hurt or taken from him. That fall¡­ it could¡¯ve killed her. The night he met her¡­ those men could have killed her. That asshole at his country club could have drowned her. The electric bike could¡¯ve run her down. And¡­ he shuddered¡­ just how many times did she face death while in prison?!? Her face pressed against him and she nestled closer as if seeking his warmth. ¡°I can¡¯t remember thest time someone carried me. In my memory, when I was a child, Mom was the only one who ever did this for me.¡± Her voice was wistful. ¡°My memories of those times are too vague.¡± He made a soothing sound. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re so nice,¡± she murmured. She could all but feel him smiling. When she nced up, his mouth remained in a straight line, but his eyes glowed mischievously. ¡°Are you going to say that I¡¯m a nice person again, sister?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. I want to say that you¡¯re a good brother. I¡¯m very lucky to have a brother like you,¡± she replied. ¡°Brother¡­¡± He shook his head. Jason carried Grace to the entrance of the hospital and Lina¡¯s car appeared not long after. After the two of them had gotten into the car, Linaunched into a tirade. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare even interrupt me, Grace, because this shit has gone on long enough!¡± With barely taking a second to draw a breath, Linaryed the events that had transpired that day. Although Jason had already heard the rough ount of the incident from Terrence, his expression darkened dramatically at hearing Lina¡¯s telling of it. ¡°That Zoe went too far! Not only did she have the malicious intention of having the store attendant kick us out, but she also intentionally tripped Grace! Can you believe that!?! Grace could¡¯ve been seriously injured. She could¡¯ve died. This wasn¡¯t just a minor fall. That bitch tripped her down an esctor!!!¡± ¡°Let it go,¡± Grace said tiredly. ¡°Are you insane? Grace, what part of ¡®you-could-have-died¡¯ did you not hear!?¡± Lina mmed on the brakes at an intersection and Jason threw out his arm to halt Grace¡¯s forward momentum. His hand caught her shoulder and he gently guided her back against the seat. Seeing as how Lina was driving aggressively, no doubt a reflection of her mood, Jason slung his arm around Grace¡¯s shoulder to cushion her back and better hold her against the seat. ¡°It¡¯s all because Zoe is a Stevens¡­¡± Lina seethed. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Jason asked carefully. ¡°Surely, you¡¯ve heard of the Stevens Family. They own a good portion of this city. Real estate, businesses,merce. It¡¯s like they have their greedy hands in everything. And Zoe¡­ she¡¯s the worst! Acting like she¡¯s so entitled and as if everyone else is dirt beneath her feet.¡± Lina pped the steering wheel. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Grace¡¯s good luck, she might have been seriously injured!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lina,¡± Grace said. ¡°Your foot is broken! You have bruises all over.¡± She eyed Jason in the rearview mirror. ¡°Is she crazy?¡± Lina turned back to the road ahead. Lina gnashed her teeth with hatred. ¡°Zoe relies on the Stevens Family which allows her to act so brazenly!¡± ¡°The Stevens Family¡­¡± Jason mumbled softly with a hint of mockery in his tone. ¡°So what if she¡¯s from the Stevens Family?¡± ¡°Oh, Jay, you really shouldn¡¯t look down on the Stevens Group.¡± Her voice was tired. ¡°Look, I can they¡¯re one of the ruling families in this city.¡± ¡°Ruling family?¡± Jason scoffed. ¡°Money buys a lot of things,¡± Grace said quietly. ¡°Exactly,¡± Lina agreed. ¡°And given their reach and influence, if this were to go to court, who do you think would win?¡± She shook her head and hit the brakes hard at a yellow light. If not for her injured passenger, she probably would¡¯ve floored it through. ¡°You weren¡¯t there¡­ before,¡± Grace said softly. ¡°When the ident happened, it brought in the Reed Family. The Atkinson Family.¡± Her dark eyes drifted to his. ¡°I was an attorney, Jay, and I swear I was not under the influence. It made no difference.¡± ¡°So you think the court case was¡­altered by these families?¡± he asked carefully. Grace nced away and stared out the window. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. What¡¯s done is done. I can¡¯t get back my life. And neither can Jennifer Atkinson.¡± ¡°Grace, that doesn¡¯t give Zoe the right to harm you,¡± Lina argued. ¡°Taking her to court¡­what difference would it make? Even with the mall surveince video, what would happen? She¡¯d pay a small fine?¡± Grace shrugged. ¡°It isn¡¯t worth the effort.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s not go to court,¡± Jason said. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t Grace be at a disadvantage?¡± Lina¡¯s voice was outraged. ¡°No, they have topensate her for all the medical fees and her lost ie. Even though these fees won¡¯t mean much to them, we still can¡¯t be on the losing end,¡± Lina exined. Jason¡¯s hand unconsciously tightened on Grace¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your suffering will not be in vain, sister. Whoever hurts you will have to pay for it,¡± Jason replied coldly. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. In an instant, rage bloomed within his eyes. Grace gasped. There was fear in her eyes as she stared at him, almost as if she was seeing him clearly for the first time. She had the abrupt sensation that the Jay sitting before her was a stranger. A dangerous stranger. And yet, in the next moment, the rage in his eyes disappeared and they returned to their usual calmness. His lips opened and closed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Noth-nothing.¡± She shook her head and told herself that she was imagining things. When they arrived at Grace¡¯s apartment, Jason carried her once again. She cherished the way he held her, but part of her wondered what sort of violence those same hands were capable of. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Jason carefully ced Grace in the chair and propped a storage box beneath the kitchen table so she could elevate her foot. ¡°You need to eat,¡± he said. Then he busied himself in the kitchen reheating the food she¡¯d prepared earlier. ¡°You know,¡± Lina said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t too keen on this whole arrangement. You kind of came out of nowhere and basically moved in.¡± Linaughed softly as she took in the small changes around the apartment. ¡°I definitely wasn¡¯t buying all that sister/brother stuff.¡± Sheughed again. Jason arched a brow at her. ¡°But now,¡± Lina went on, ¡°It¡¯s clear you¡¯re good for my friend. Thank you for helping her.¡± Jason turned back to ting up food for Grace. ¡°There is no reason to thank me. Grace would do the same for me.¡± As he said it, he realized that was true. She¡¯d be there for him. No questions asked. No stiptions or expectations of something in return. And she wouldn¡¯t leave his side. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Could he say that of anyone else in his life? Anyone who wasn¡¯t on his payroll, that is. Or who wasn¡¯t out to gain something from him? Lina yawned. ¡°You should go home and rest,¡± Grace said. ¡°This has been¡­ a stressful day. I¡¯m sorry you got dragged into this drama.¡± Lina gave Grace a hug. ¡°The other people brought the drama when they tried to bully you.¡± Grace just shrugged. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have engaged. I know better¡­ ¡°That¡¯s nonsense,¡± Lina argued. ¡°They had no right to target you.¡± Grace¡¯s lips tightened like she wanted to reply but decided not 1. Lina kissed Grace on top of her head. ¡°Can I do anything else -do you need anything else?¡± ¡°No,¡± Grace said. ¡°Go home. I¡¯ll call you if I need anything.¡± Jason walked Lina to the door and closed and locked it behind her. Then he fed Grace her dinner. She protested at first, but Jason was insistent. After the first few bites, she leaned back in the chair feeling so tired and weary. Her ankle ached. Most of her body did. But mostly, she just felt beaten down. Like she was fighting some battle and there was no way to win. What was worse, even if she did somehow prevail, none of it mattered anyway. ¡°I don¡¯t like that look,¡± Jason said quietly. Grace looked away. ¡°I need to clean up.¡± But Jason was already moving. He brought the dishes to the sink and washed them. Grace sat there, a bit dazed, watching. Given all that she had experienced, she seldom allowed herself to wallow or to feel sorry for herself. What point would that serve? But just now, she felt a bit hopeless. When Jason was done tidying up, he asked, ¡°Sister, do you need to go to the bathroom?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Yes or no?¡± he asked as if it was an extremely normal question. Grace blushed to the roots of her hair. She made to stand by herself and wobbled on her feet. She sat back down. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again,¡± Jason said. ¡°Sister, do you need to go to the bathroom?¡± Her expression was awkward but she ultimately said ¡°yes.¡± Jason swept her up and carried her into the bathroom. He left her standing, and waited to make sure she was steady. Then he backed out and closed the door behind him. ¡°Call me when you¡¯re done,¡± he said. Her face grew even redder. It urred to her, that by him asking, he had been paying attention to how frequently she relieved herself. On the one hand, it was a basic biological process, on the other she felt shy that he should notice such things. When she hobbled out of the bathroom, Jason was there. He swept her up and carried her to the chair once again. ¡°Jay, I can walk. There¡¯s a slight bone fracture in only one of my feet but the other is fine.¡± ¡°The doctor said you should move as little as possible,¡± he said. ¡°Or do you not like me taking care of you like this?¡± ¡°No¡­ no.¡± She shook her head. He smiled faintly and reached out to lightly stroke her flushed face. ¡°Although I don¡¯t like you getting hurt, Sister, I do like how you¡¯re depending on me.¡± ¡°Depending on you?¡± She was a little puzzled. ¡°Yes, depending on me. If you want to walk, I¡¯ll have to carry you. If you want to eat, I¡¯ll feed you. When you¡¯re thirsty, I¡¯ll be the one to bring you something to drink. I like you relying on me.¡± Grace swallowed hard. This seemed more personal, more¡­ intimate than a brother helping his sister. ¡°I like caring for you,¡± he said. His body slowly drew nearer to hers. His lips pated and his dark eyes were so focused on her, it was like she finally understood what people meant when they talked about drowning in someone¡¯s eyes. Jason wasn¡¯t just attractive. He was devastating so. The kind of man whose strength drew her in and whose face held her spellbound. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not used to relying on someone.¡± Grace whispered. ¡°You can get used to it in the future,¡± he mumbled. If it wasn¡¯t for the constant pain, she would think herself dreaming. At night, before going to bed, Jason prepared a tub of warm water. He took a soft washcloth and gently washed Grace¡¯s face and neck. He rinsed each of her hands and her forearms. When he bent to wash her feet, Grace stopped him, ¡°You don¡¯t have to-¡± ¡°I heard what the doctor said. I won¡¯t get your injured foot wet. Just rx. Please.¡± His voice was so earnest and she didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she liked his touch. The gentle way he held her and massaged each limb. It was soothing and exciting all at once. And his hands¡­ he had such great hands. Strong with long fingers. ¡°You need to request a leave of absence.¡± ¡°From work?¡± Grace shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You were told to rest.¡± ¡°If I request time off, there is a very good chance that I won¡¯t have a job to go back to.¡± She tensed. ¡°It was very hard for me tond this job. I went on countless interviews and was always told no. The moment people learn I¡¯m a convicted felon¡­ no one wants a criminal working for them, Jay.¡± He was not deterred. ¡°Your health is most important. You need to heal. Even if you lose this job, you must focus on your health. Without it, what would you even be working for?¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¡°If I¡¯m dismissed, I don¡¯t have anything to fall back on. The ident¡­ all of my savings were cleared out with court fees and fines. I need this job. It pays the rent and buys our food¡­¡± ¡°You still have me!¡± he shouted. Grace gasped. Jay never yelled. He was always calm. Even in horrible situations-violent situations-he was not so vtile. ¡°I¡¯ll earn money to take care of you,¡± he said more quietly. As if the outburst never happened. ¡°Don¡¯t give it another thought.¡± Grace stared dazedly at the man before her. She believed him. Even though he didn¡¯t have a steady job and no home of his own, she trusted his word. Indeed, his words had given her an unprecedented sense of security. Maybe she didn¡¯t have to go it alone. Maybe she did have someone she could rely on. ¡°Make the call.¡± He brought the phone before her. She hesitated for a few seconds, then took the phone and called her manager on-call at the Sanitation Center. As the phone rang and she waited to be connected to her manager, she felt her blood pressure rise. She didn¡¯t love this job, but she really didn¡¯t want to lose it. She trusted that Jay could provide for them, but she didn¡¯t want that responsibility to fall to him. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Jacobson,¡± she said politely when her boss answered. Then she gave a summary of the ident, leaving out the whole ¡°I was pushed by Zoe Stevens and bullied by my ex-fiancee¡¯s new fiancee Lily Atkinson.¡± She thought Mrs. Jacobson would tell her no. Or that she¡¯d have to apply with the county or request additional approvals, but there were no extra hurdles. To her total surprise, Mrs. Jacobson inquired about her health and suggested she take longer than a week if she needed to. Furthermore, she would still be paid the minimum wage and her sry would not be affected. Grace couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What happened?¡± Jason asked. ¡°She said yes.¡± He continued to wash her foot, and his hand slipped around to massage her ankle. Then her calf. She sucked in a breath. His dark gaze cut to hers. ¡°She, uh, told me to take more time.¡± Grace could feel her face heating. ¡°That particr manager has never been very warm toward me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. You¡¯re injured. It¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± His fingers gently along her ankle again and she felt tingles of goodness from her foot to the top of her head. Had anyone ever washed or massaged her like this? Sean never did. Even in their most intimate times, he wasn¡¯t one for much forey. As those tingles continued to race from the sole of her foot, up her leg to all those other ces, Grace felt her face grow redder. She could imagine his strong hands, those long fingers, tracing higher up her legs, to where they v-ed. And once her thoughts took that turn, she couldn¡¯t look at him without imagining the things he could do to her. ¡°All¡­ all right.Thank you. I¡¯m, uh, all clean,!¡± she hurriedly said. Ankles¡­ who knew she had such sensitive ankles!?! And yet his fingers were still gripping her leg. ¡°Let me dry you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not that wet.¡± At least her legs and feet weren¡¯t¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t move, Sister,¡± he ordered. She felt awkward and frozen. Her senses were heightened with anticipation. Maybe it was the meds from the hospital. Maybe it was his touch, scent, his vow to take care of her. Whatever the reason¡­ She wanted him. Jason unhurriedly picked up the towel next to him and carefully dried her. Then he swept her into his arms again, only this time, as he cradled her, she angled her head. His neck craned instantly toward hers. His eyelids lowered. When his lips were inches from hers, she sputtered, ¡°J-Jay?¡± His body froze slightly, then he lifted his head with his usual expression as he asked, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± She bit her lip. Oh my god, had she imagined that moment? Was she so starved for intimacy that his kindness made her leap to the wrong conclusions? He ced her on the bed. ¡°You should sleep early today.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she mumbled in agreement. He turned to go into the bathroom and closed the door. Jason stared at his reflection and wondered how he¡¯de to be standing here. In a matchbox of a bathroom, in a studio t in a shit section of town, with the woman who¡¯d killed his fiancee sleeping not five feet away from him. It wasn¡¯t just being in this physical space¡­ it was the emotional side of it. Touching Grace, feeling the flex of muscle beneath his fingertips, the smooth softness of her skin, just seeing the way she blushed and how her pupils dted at his simplest touch¡­ He was drawn to this woman. He parceled each element away. Attraction. Respect. Trust. Desire. So long as she didn¡¯t desire his emotions, they¡¯d be okay. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 That night, Jason was awakened by Grace¡¯s muffled scream. She tossed and turned and mumbled in her sleep. He couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying but her pained whimpers and trembling made him think she was in fear or pain. ¡°Sister,¡± he called to her. But she didn¡¯t respond. When he touched her head, he frowned. Her head was hot, and her slight body was slicked with sweat. Jason hurriedly wrung a towel soaked in cool water and wiped Grace¡¯s forehead. But her eyes remained shut and she was still muttering something. No matter how he called her, she wouldn¡¯t wake up. A sh of panic crept over him. He didn¡¯t know what to do-and he hated feeling inept. He hated it almost as much as realizing how worried he was about her. Which meant he was in way over his head. No. This was just a reaction given her medical history and their circumstances. Nothing more. Nothing less. He took out his phone and immediately dialed Terrence. ¡°Get me a doctor. And send them to the apartment.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Terrence asked. ¡°Yes, now,¡± Jason ordered. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± There was a pause. ¡°What is it?¡± Jason asked irritably. ¡°What is the severity of the situation, sir? Should I instead call an ambnce?¡± It was an intelligent question and it lessened Jason¡¯s annoyance slightly. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°No ambnce.¡± Then: ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on this now, sir.¡± But where Jason normally would¡¯ve hung up, he spared a second to offer some exnation because no doubt any doctor they called would want to know more details of the situation too. ¡°She has a fever. It¡¯s high.¡± ¡°I have a doctor on the other line,¡± Terrence said. ¡°I¡¯ll ry today¡¯s events and the medical data from her earlier hospital visit.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Jason smoothed Grace¡¯s brow and wrung out the washcloth to cool down her face and neck again. ¡°Do you want me to stay on the line, sir?¡± Jason was too busy with Grace to realize he hadn¡¯t hung up the phone. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ok, sir. See you soon.¡± Terrence had noticed many changes in his boss in the time since Mr. Reed saved Miss Cummins. Mr. Reed was engaging in a way that suggested more than work or business obligation. And given this woman¡¯s background and what had transpired surrounding Mr. Reed¡¯s fiancee¡¯s death, it was rather incredible. If asked to predict these events, Terrence would¡¯ve said, ¡®No. Not in a million years would Mr. Reed act like this. But here he was. In a shanty of an apartment, with a woman who¡¯d killed his former lover. And Jason wasn¡¯t just here¡­ he was present. But that realization was one he would keep to himself. It was not his ce to question or inform Mr. Reed of his emotional attachments-orck thereof. Terrence used the Reed Group name to enlist the services of one of the best physicians in the city. Then he woke the doctor up and collected him from his house. Terrence was especially careful when knocking on the door. After all, his employer did not want Grace to discover his true identity. Terrence kept to the side in case he should retreat without being seen. But when the door was opened, Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Jason immediately stepped aside and gestured him into the small room. ¡°Come in,¡± he said, ushering the doctor into the house. Terrence took a quick survey of the room. He¡¯d known these studio apartments were small. But this was a fraction of the size of Mr. Reed¡¯s office. The kitchte was perhaps ten feet long with enough room for the sink, stove, refrigerator. A small dte table for two was at the center. One armoire. A single bed. A pile of pillows and nkets on the floor. One door, presumably to a bathroom. No windows save the one over the sink. Terrence tried hard to mask his shock. ¡°Take a look at her,¡± Jason said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? I kept calling her just now but I couldn¡¯t wake her up.¡± Jason stood beside the bed. Terrence sensed his employer had lost his usual calmness. Jason¡¯s expression was anxious and his posture was tense. The doctor nced at Terrence briefly as if for confirmation. Terrence nodded. Dr. Raunfield immediately went to work, checking Grace¡¯s vitals, all while Jason stood by, looking on the verge of something dangerous. ¡°Sir,¡± Terrence said gently. ¡°Dr. Raunfield is one of the best general practitioners in the city. And we can have Miss Cummins airlifted at any time, if the doctor deems it necessary.¡± Jason nodded, but his eyes still had the wild look of a man about toe unglued. ¡°I was told she suffered a fall earlier today,¡± the doctor said as he took her pulse and then listened to her heart. ¡°That¡¯s correct. Down an esctor.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He probed around Grace¡¯s abdomen and lifted her shirt to check her ribs.. Terrence made certain to avert his attention, spinning to face the opposite side of the room. ¡°Her breathing is steady. And I don¡¯t see any signs of swelling in her spleen or anything to suggest internal hemorrhaging.¡± After a long while, he concluded, ¡°There¡¯s no major issue. It¡¯s possible that due to the injury today, the inmmation caused a fever. It¡¯s not unusual for a patient to run a fever or to lose body temperature if they¡¯re going into shock.¡± ¡°What do you prescribe?¡± Jason asked. ¡°Aspirin to lower the fever. If the fever still persists tomorrow, take her to a hospital for further examination.¡± The doctor looked at Jason then Terrence sharply. ¡°I was told she was already treated in a hospital today. Did they run blood work?¡± ¡°Full panels,¡± Jason said. ¡°Hmm. And you don¡¯t want to bring her back to the hospital now?¡± Jason frowned. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°Then give it a little more time. If her blood work came back okay, then this is likely a reaction to the severity of the trauma.¡± Jason nodded. Dr. Raunfield wrote some notes down. ¡°This is my cell phone, and Terrence knows how to reach me. If her condition doesn¡¯t improve in the next few hours, call.¡± Once the doctor was done, Terrence walked him outside. Jason remained in the apartment and poured a ss of water for Grace to drink with the medicine. She was unconscious, but he propped her up, whispering words of encouragement to try and get her to take a sip. Watching this, Terrence was speechless. Jason had never been so caring with any other person. And his expression, his features etched in concern and affection. Mr. Reed might not realize it, but he was clearly attached to this woman. And Terrence would go so far as to say his boss. was deeply in love. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Jason studied Grace who was still in a deep slumber. He felt marginally better having had the doctor examine her. But seeing her so still and lifeless, it was like the vice around his chest wouldn¡¯t loosen. ¡°Grace, wake up.¡± She didn¡¯t move. ¡°Sister, you have a fever and you need to take this medicine.¡± Still nothing. He set the ss of water on the table and grabbed the pill. Problem was, he didn¡¯t have enough hands to hold her up, hold the ss and insert the pill into her (m outh). He tried to coax her once more. ¡°Sister, open your (m outh).¡± He ced the medicine in his hand by her rather dry lips. ¡°Be good and take the medicine.¡± However, she subconsciously pursed her lips tighter. He could not even get the pill in, let alone have her swallow it. Jason muttered a curse. Her body was hot to the touch and she¡¯d continue to dehydrate if he couldn¡¯t bring her fever down. Maybe he should just call an EMT and get her back. into a hospital ward, at least they¡¯d be able to run an IV and administer more drugs intravenously. But even as he thought it, he knew she hated being in the hospital and that such ces brought bad memories for her. It wasn¡¯t so different for him. ¡°Come now, Sister, help me.¡± He made sure his voice was soft. Without any of themand or desperation he was feeling. When she seemed to rx, he adjusted his hold and put the pill into his own (m outh) with a sip of water. Then he lifted her up and tilted her head. Holding her gently, he coaxed her (m outh) open with his own lips. He used the tip of his tongue to press the pill inside then he allowed the water into her (m outh). He angled her head back. ¡°That¡¯s it, swallow for me.¡± When her throat moved, he took another sip of water and repeated his efforts. The press of her soft lips against his, the feel of her tongue, it brought to life everything inside him. She curled into his embrace and he held her close. He wanted more. Of course he wanted more. But given the circumstances, that was just a reminder of how mindless this woman made him. She was scarcely conscious, burning up with fever, and still he craved her like a drug. His lips pressed into a straight line. ¡°Grace¡­¡± he mumbled softly, calling her name. Suddenly, she seemed to sense him and gradually opened her eyes. Her misty gazended on him. He was slightly stunned and felt an unexpected wave of anxiety at that moment. Would she resent that he had kissed her? His heart sank. Had he taken advantage of her in some way? He then saw her open her (m outh) and give him a s illy smile. ¡°M om, I¡¯ll be good. I want M om to sleep with me.¡± He was speechless and could not helpughing. ¡°Grace, it¡¯s Jay. I¡¯m not your mother.¡± She smiled bigger and her big eyes were ssy. She was delirious. The fever confused her enough to have her think she was seeing her mother. While at first he was ¡­ not offended, just feeling, awkward at her mistake, it dawned on him, that in fact, it was an honor. Grace¡¯s mother had passed away early. It wasn¡¯t ¡®him¡¯ that was like her mother, but the same sense of security and care. The corners of Jason¡¯s lips subconsciously rose. ¡°One of us lost a father whilst another lost a mother when we were young. We¡¯re truly quite simr.¡± ¡°M om, won¡¯t you stay with me? I¡¯ll be good. Very, very good¡­¡± Her eyelids were half-open, her cheeks were flushed red from the fever. His heart broke a bit for the child she had been, alone, and so eager for affection. He knew full well how her father and step-family had treated her. They¡¯d made their position very public that they denounced her. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me,¡± she whimpered. ¡°All right.¡± He could not refrain from answering her. He opened his palm to hold her hand and ced it next to his cheek. He gently rubbed his cheek against her palm and softly said, ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± The irony wasn¡¯t lost on him that he¡¯d spent hours trying to get her to wake, and now he was telling her not to. Only then did she close her eyes and fall asleep once again. Her slumber was not as uneasy as before and so long as he touched her and held her hand, she seemed to be at peace. Jason silently studied her. Grace was¡­ beautiful. The longer he was in her presence, the more her Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. steely strength and gentle nature endeared him. The flush on her face only ented the shape of brows and (m outh). He caught himself staring at that (m outh), thinking about the softness of her lips, and the way that barest kiss had made him want more. His feelings for her were growing. The more time he spent with her, the more he could not imagine his life without her in it. He didn¡¯t know what that meant for his future. And he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Dad! M om!¡± Zoe hastily went toin to her parents the next day. ¡°Yesterday, Brother hit me because of Grace! He took her side over mine-and Lily was there too. How could he embarrass us like that?!? And you have to know that Lily was furious. It was like he was picking that piece of trash ex over Lily!¡± Sean¡¯s expression was grave as he sat in the Stevens. residence¡¯s living room. He paid no mind to his sister¡¯sints as his mind was full of the actions Jason would be taking to retaliate for Grace¡¯s injury. ¡°You came across Grace yesterday?¡± their father asked. ¡°Yes, we did,¡± Zoe replied indignantly. ¡°She¡¯s just a road sweeper but she shopped at the mall and even entered a luxury store! And Sean had the nerve to try and buy her off! He wrote a huge check-¡± ¡°That is enough!¡± Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 But Zoe didn¡¯t stop. Their parents watched her as sheunched into a rant about how cheap Grace was, how shameless she was to set foot in the designer store, and a litany of other grievances that sounded hollow at best. And of course shetched onto him writing Grace a check for millions. He hoped she cashed it. It was a sizable chunk of money and it could get her back on her feet. And it was probably the only gesture standing between him and Jason Reed breaking down the door to their house right now. ¡°Mom!!!¡± Zoe railed. ¡°He pped me! In public!¡± Sean knew the real root of the problem was that Zoe had taken a hit socially when Grace hadthe ident-they all did. And him hitting her¡­ if that went viral, he¡¯d all but kill his sister¡¯s social life again. ¡°I warned you,¡± Sean began, But Zoe went apeshit as soon as he said it, and he opted not to bother trying to reason with her. She was unreasonable even on her best days. Would Grace ept the money? he wondered again. That check was enough that it could be considered Not all of her injuries¡­ That niggling voice came from the back of his psyche. Where at the oddest times he recalled the prison and everything that had befallen Grace. Punishments he himself had seen to. He didn¡¯t feel guilty about things per say, but he did think that he could have left things alone, not encouraged Lily so much nor tried so hard to stay in the Reed Family¡¯s good graces. But that was all in the past. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Not after today¡­ ¡°¡­it might not be a lot of money to us,¡± Zoe went on. ¡°But that golddiggin bitch doesn¡¯t deserve a penny!¡± ¡°Sean, surely Zoe is mistaken. You wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake,¡± Mrs. Stevens stared at her son anxiously. ¡°You should ask Zoe what she did,¡± Sean replied instead. ¡°She told Grace to choose a dress from the shop to buy for her and Grace chose a couture dress. I was just cleaning up Zoe¡¯s mess.¡± ¡°Just because she chose it, you had to give it to her?!¡± Zoe retorted insolently. ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t you say that you still have feelings for Grace?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saving your life!¡± Sean shouted. He was itching to p his sister again. ¡°Oh please.¡± Zoe¡¯s hands shot to her hips. ¡°What is Grace, the sanitation worker, going to do to me? Do you even hear yourself right now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Sean, you¡¯ve gone too far, hitting your sister because of Grace. That woman is a curse. If it weren¡¯t for her, would our family have to be so wary of the Reed Family and afraid of offending them?¡± Of course his mom defended his sister. She always was her favorite. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not what you think it is¡­¡± ¡°Then what else could it be?¡± his mom replied. ¡°That Grace is still unwilling to give up. You¡¯re already getting married and she¡¯s still inserting herself in your life? Trying to take your money!? How dare she!¡± His mom¡¯s eyes were glowing with rage and he watched as she worked herself into a full-blown meltdown. Sean stood up abruptly. ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you ask what Zoe did to Graceter? She intentionally tripped Grace and caused her to fall down the esctor!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Madam Stevens said dismissively. ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could¡¯ve happened? She got hurt? Big deal. The Stevens Family canpensate for any amount of medical fees. Did you really have to hit your sister over something like this?¡± Sean took a deep breath. He reminded himself that he had information that his family did not. If Grace wasn¡¯t supported by Jason Reed, would he be agonizing over these things and going out of his way to help Grace? Probably not. But he couldn¡¯t tell his family the truth, not without risking Jason Reed¡¯s wrath-the one thing all of his efforts were intended to avoid. ¡°We are better than this,¡± Sean said neutrally. ¡°Should a video surface of Zoe intentionally tripping a woman down a flight of stairs, we will create a PR nightmare for Stevens Corporation!¡± ¡°Oh, please. Do you think I¡¯m stupid? I already paid to have the mall surveince deleted.¡± Zoe huffed. ¡°And what about the situation you¡¯re creating with Lily?¡± Zoe shot back. A fair point. ¡°You just let me worry about my fiancee.¡± Sean turned back to his parents. ¡°Anyway, Mom, Dad, look after Zoe. Don¡¯t let her create any trouble¡­¡± Just then, his father¡¯s phone rang suddenly. Dad answered the call and after listening for a few moments, his face immediately turned pale. ¡°Dad, what happened?¡± Sean asked quietly. ¡°The bank has suddenly closed on our loans,¡± his father said in a shaky voice. ¡°How could this be? Didn¡¯t the bank say that there wasn¡¯t a problem before? Why don¡¯t you call Bank Manager Chasetao?¡± his mom hastily suggested. ¡°It¡¯s no use. Bank Manager Chasetao was the one who called me,¡± his father replied. Sean took a deep breath. He needed to think. This situation called for damage control. He¡¯d already tried to make good on his sister¡¯s actions, but clearly it was not perceived that way. Maybe the slight would¡¯ve gone unchecked but tripping her down the esctor¡­ Zoe had gone too far. And, really, was his sister-and mother-so stupid to think that Grace couldn¡¯t have died? She could have broken her neck or bled internally. Sean¡¯s whole body broke into a cold sweat. Stopping the loans would impact the operating revenue and diminish the flow of funds for Stevens Group. Was this the bacsh? Or was Jason just beginning? Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Sean wanted to repent before Jason had a chance to do anything more damaging to the Stevens family. But he didn¡¯t get the opportunity to meet him. He ced multiple calls to Jason Reed¡¯s assistant, Terrence. But that went nowhere. It didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Jason Reed was dodging him. But Sean couldn¡¯t let it go. He had to protect his family. In a bold move that he acknowledged could blow up in his face, he went to Grace¡¯s apartment, and stood by the entrance. When Sean noticed a Bentley parked not far away from the property and a figure getting out of the car, he hurriedly got out of his Ferrari to approach the man. ¡°Mr. Reed, the incident that happened before was because my sister did not have any sense of propriety. But I have reparations. Please show your moral superiority by being merciful and letting the Stevens Family be,¡± Sean pleaded. ¡°Let the Stevens Family be?¡± Jason snorted lightly. ¡°If you have any conditions, please list them. I will ept any request that I am capable of fulfilling.¡± Jason¡¯s dark eyes were cold and there was none of the mercy that Sean had called upon. Sean¡¯s blood seemed to congeal in his veins. ¡°Come to think of it, I owe you a favor,¡± Jason said suddenly. ¡°A favor?¡± Sean was stunned. And wary. ¡°When would you, Mr. Reed, have a need for a favor?¡± He ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll let the Stevens Family off the hook, as long as Zoe does not attend your engagement dinner,¡± Jason said calmly. Sean waited a few seconds to see what else Jason Reed would require. ¡°Is that all?¡± Jason only stared at him. Sean let out a sigh of relief. Keeping Zoe away? That wasn¡¯t such a big deal. Sure, there would be a lot of ruffled feathers both with his parents and sister, but ultimately, even if Zoe wasn¡¯t there, they could all save face. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Reed,¡± Sean said hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. I should be the one thanking you instead.¡± Jason ced a hand on Sean¡¯s shoulder, slowly tilting his body to be within earshot and speaking in a low voice that only the two of them could hear. ¡°I should thank you for breaking up with Grace so thoroughly back then. If you hadn¡¯t broken up with her, I¡¯m afraid I would have had to put more effort into it now.¡± Jason¡¯s statement was ryed gently, as if he was taking part in an appreciative chat between friends. Jason Reed strolled away after that. His hands in his pockets and nary a care in the world. Sean stood rooted to the spot. What had just happened? And what did Jason mean? If I hadn¡¯t broken up with Grace in the first ce, then would! have been Jason¡¯s current target? What Jason had said sounded less like something to be thankful for and more like a threat. Meanwhile, Zoe was in a high-end club waiting for her friends toe and distract her from her boredom. She still couldn¡¯t believe her brother could be such an asshole as to pin the bank rejecting the loans on her. As if offending Grace Cummins meant anything? Grace had no contacts. No friends of prestige. Hell, her own family had nothing to do with her, if the gossip was to be believed. How could it be possible that that road sweeper Grace would have any connections with the bank and be able to persuade them not to loan money to the Stevens Family? That was ridiculous! Just as she was pondering it, the private room door was pushed open. However, the people who entered were not the friends that she had been waiting for but a group of strange men. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Zoe asked carefully. They closed the door behind them, and one of therge men blocked it. She felt a trickle of terror and she reached for her phone, intending to call someone, maybe the police. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Actually things were happening so quickly, she wasn¡¯t really thinking so clearly. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked, keeping the panic at bay. Maybe these were new bouncers. The leader walked toward Zoe and calmly said, ¡°Miss Stevens, begging your pardon. Can you please confirm that the person in the video is you?¡± As he spoke, he yed a video on his phone. It was the surveince video of Zoe intentionally extending her leg to trip Grace. Zoe was suddenly taken aback. She¡¯d paid an obscene amount of money to get those surveince tapes wiped clean. How the hell did these people get a hold of them? ¡°What¡­what do you want? Are you trying to ckmail me with this? Let me tell you something, I¡¯m Zoe Annabelle Stevens! If you dare to ckmail me, the Stevens Family will not let your get away with it! You¡¯d better delete the video now¡­¡± The man smiled wickedly. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as confirmation. Thank you¡­¡± Then he stepped toward her. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Zoe had barely finished her threats when the stranger grabbed her arm. He held her in ce and with his other hand with the phone, he snapped a photo of her. ¡°Delete that, this instant!¡± Zoe screamed. But the big man ignored her. He turned to the men behind him. ¡°Break her right leg. In the video, she stuck out her right leg.¡± ¡°What¡­ what does that mean?!¡± Zoe was frightened. She looked for a way out, but there was none, and the men were closing in. A momentter, an anguished wail rang out in the private room¡­ When Grace woke up the next day, her fever had gone down. Jason said, ¡°Ah, there you are. Luckily the fever has settled. If not, I¡¯d have to carry youdown to the hospital today.¡± ¡°I¡­ had a feverst night?¡± Grace mumbled. ¡°Yes, you had a fever and you said plenty of things in your fevered state,¡± he replied. Oh, that didn¡¯t sound good. She felt a flush creeping up her face that had nothing to do with being ill. ¡°What¡­ what did I say?¡± She really hoped she didn¡¯t say anything inappropriate or anything that she shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°You said that you¡¯d be more obedient, be a good baby, and that you wanted me to stay by your side,¡± he said with a rare hint of yfulness in his gaze. It took her a second to process what he¡¯d said, and then sheughed. She¡¯d obviously been delirious. ¡°However, Sister, don¡¯t worry. Even if you aren¡¯t a good baby, I¡¯ll still stay with you,¡± Jason replied unhurriedly. Grace¡¯s face was still red but she stared at Jason in astonishment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re¡­joking with me.¡± She smiled thoughtfully. ¡°I keep feeling that you¡¯re¡­ uh, slightly different from before. And when I get to see this lighter side of you, I know something¡¯s different.¡± He was stunned, as if he had also just been made aware of his transformation. ¡°You have changed me,¡± he said softly. He stared fixedly at her and then suddenly leaned forward, his lips inches away from hers. ¡°Ah!¡± she shrieked. She subconsciously wanted to take a step back but had forgotten that she was having difficulty moving. His hand caught her waist in time and he pulled her even deeper into his embrace. She dazedly studied him. With his face so close to hers, she could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes and the perfect lines of his brows and lips. His eyes really were breathtakingly beautiful, even his attention to that part of his face. She was so close she could see herself reflected in his pupils. ¡°Sister, do you like my past self or my current self?¡± Only when his voice suddenly rang out by her ear did she abruptly snap out of her trance. At that moment, both of their faces were very close, and the tips of their noses were almost touching each other. If they were any closer, their lips¡­ would touch. His breath fanned against her mouth and his arms tightened around her. It ¡­ it was as if they were about to kiss! Grace opened her eyes wide and felt as if her brain was short-circuiting. ¡°Sister?¡± His voice resounded once again. ¡°Ah, of course your current self¡­ is slightly better. It feels as if we¡¯re closer,¡± Grace hurriedly exined. ¡°Uh¡­ Jay, please let go of me, I won¡¯t fall down. We¡¯re a little too close right now.¡± She could almost hear her heart beating wildly. His lips curved seductively. ¡°Is it bad to be close?¡± he retorted as he drew closer still. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Grace tried so hard to control the direction of her thoughts. She had been the one to call him brother, to relegate him to such a role. Why would she think he would want to kiss her? Why would someone so handsome and so valiant want her in such a way? ¡°Do you want me to move?¡± he asked with his lips a hair¡¯s breadth away from hers. Was he asking her to move toward her or away? And what if this wasn¡¯t what he wanted? Would that ruin everything between them? ¡°Hmm,¡± he murmured and it was as if the vibration crossed the short distance between them. She felt it. And her whole body hummed with it. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you want.¡± He shrugged and stepped away. Sensing she¡¯d offended him in some way, she tried to exin, ¡°It, uh, feels weird standing too close,¡± Grace said. And it was true. After thest few years, she had not been intimate with anyone. She¡¯d kept everyone at a distance. Having him so close to her¡­ it unnerved her. ¡°All right then,¡± Jason said easily and removed his hand. He took a step back and tidied up the things on the table. She let out a sigh of relief and stroked her own cheeks, which felt warm. ¡°By the way, Sister, just now when we were standing that close, did you want to kiss me?¡± he asked unexpectedly, stunning her. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Grace blinked owlishly and blushed. Had he read her mind? Was he gauging her reaction because he¡¯d felt it too? ¡°Uh,¡± she sputtered. ¡°Is it a very hard question to answer?¡± he asked with a slightly arched brow. ¡°I¡­ I, of course¡­¡± ¡°If it were you, I would allow it,¡± he replied, cutting off her sentence. ¡°I don¡¯t like other women kissing me, but if it were you, it would be okay.¡± Sunlight shone into the room through the narrow ss window andnded on him. This man was everything she¡¯d ever wanted or needed. And she longed for him. And was he admitting that he wanted her too? At least for a kiss? Her hand went to her mouth, and touching her lips, they felt swollen, overly sensitive. As if just thinking about his mouth on hers had made her body physically anticipate it. She knew she should tell him no, that they were as brother and sister, and that what they had was good. She shouldn¡¯t risk their rtionship by talking about kisses. But the words stuck in her throat and as she continued to stare at him, she caught herself nodding at what he¡¯d said instead. In the afternoon, Grace had nothing to do and swiped through her phone,ing across news rting to Zoe. The news stated that Zoe had been brought to the hospitaltest night. She had allegedly offended someone who had ordered one of her legs to be fractured. Once it healed, there was no guarantee that there would be no residual effects. Therefore, it appeared as if Zoe would be absent from the engagement dinner between the Stevens and Atkinson families, which was to be held in several days¡¯ time. The paparazzi who had published the news had not discovered who Zoe had offended. However, the Stevens Family¡¯s position on the attack was vague and they refused to not reported the incident to the police, which some spected to mean that they epted this event. Then the reporter took it one step further, suggesting that the person who Zoe had offended was from a more influential background than the Stevens Family. Which was really saying something, because everyone knew the Stevens Family was not shy about airing their grievances. Grace skimmed through the news feed, seeing the articles running on multiple sites. Then she unconsciously raised her head to nce at Jay. When she was injured, he¡¯d said that Zoe should pay the price. But she couldn¡¯t believe that Zoe would actually face any consequences. And yet she did. Her right leg was broken. And someone had leaked the photos from her ride in the ambnce with her leg elevated on a splint. Was this a coincidence? Or perhaps¡­ ¡°Sister, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Jason asked as he suddenly lifted his gaze to look at Grace. She shook her head. ¡°Zoe is injured and hospitalized.¡± Grace ryed the details of the news to Jay. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± he retorted. ¡°I just feel that everything you say is urate,¡± she said. ¡°Like when you said that the projection ads of Sean proposing to Lily would be taken down, they really were removed. This time you said that Zoe would pay the price for tripping me down the esctor and she really had an ident. Well, I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d call it an ident, since someone physically broke her leg.¡± She thought about it and said, ¡°I feel as if whatever you say wille true.¡± Jason¡¯s face was smooth as ake for many seconds, then his lips curved into a crooked smile. His expression somehow exasperated and amused. ¡°Sometimes, I don¡¯t know whether tough or cry with you,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Huh?¡± He smiled fully. ¡°Then if whatever I say wille true, do you have a wish that you would like toe true?¡± ¡°Me?¡± She shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have dreams I wish toe true.¡± She thought to herself, Because I clearly understand that those dreams are beyond my grasp. ¡°Do you not want to find a benefactor?¡± he asked. ¡°If you did that, no one would bully you, and everything you wish for could be easily attained.¡± She chuckled lightly. A benefactor? That was such an antiquated term. The most a girl could hope for these days was for some sugar daddy to pay her rent, and Grace had no desire to be anyone¡¯s mistress. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think there will be any benefactors in my future,¡± she said lightly. ¡°What if there could be, what would you need?¡± She shrugged. ¡°If I can make sure I have enough to eat, a ce to sleep and clothes to wear, that would already be great. But, brother,¡± she said gently, ¡°These ¡®benefactors¡¯ you speak of, they want young, pretty things to keep under lock and key. And have you forgotten that I¡¯m a street cleaner? What man would ever take a liking to me?¡± ¡°What if a man really did take a liking to you?¡± he asked. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She bit her lip lightly. ¡°Relying on someone else is not as good as relying on yourself. Only when you rely on yourself can you not be disappointed.¡± Jason nodded as if understanding. ¡°Ah, I see what you think. And bigger expectations lead to bigger disappointments.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She had learned that lesson well after the ident, when she lost her family, boyfriend, job, and all the friendships she¡¯d had previously. ¡°But I really want to be your benefactor, sister,¡± he told her. ¡°What should I do?¡± He arched his brow slightly and studied her calmly. ¡°If it¡¯s Jay¡­¡± She smiled and continued, ¡°Then, all right. I¡¯ll wait for Jay to be my benefactor.¡± ¡°Why would you be willing?¡± he asked, trying to peel back theyers of what she was thinking and feeling. ¡°Because Jay would never disappoint me. Because¡­¡± She paused and continued, ¡°No matter what, you would never abandon me, right?¡± He responded with a low chuckle to her question. ¡°You¡¯re right. I would never abandon you, Sister.¡± *** At night, only when Jason saw that Grace was deeply asleep did he step out of the rental unit. He walked toward a house not far from Grace¡¯s apartment. However, unlike Grace¡¯s cramped rental, this suite was wider, brighter, and much bigger. The decor was rather exquisitely done as well. Terrence Klein was waiting for Jason in the room. When he heard knocks at the door, he immediately opened it to wee his boss. Terrence had not expected his boss, who usually paid no mind to anyone, let alone lowering himself to look after someone, would buy a house in the housing estate to look after Grace. Terrence knew his boss did this to manage his workload. This house was essentially a mobile office, allowing Mr. Reed to facilitate handling his business affairs while Grace slept. Terrence gave an ount of the day¡¯spany matters. As he rattled off the events of the day and went through his agenda, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why his boss hadn¡¯t brought Grace back to the hospital if nothing more than to gain a few hours away from her. Jason listened to the briefing while quickly giving out instructions. He then ordered Terrence to contact the high-level management of their overseas branches for a web conference. Therefore, after just a moment¡¯s time, the high-level management of their overseas branchpanies appeared on-screen one at a time and they began their meeting. However, it seemed as if the high-level management were very curious about the backdrop of Jason¡¯s current location. After all, despite the exquisite decoration of the room, it was still rtive to an ordinary citizen. Compared to Jason¡¯s usual location, one could describe the room he was currently in as ¡°substandard¡± ¨C and one of the executives even said so. ¡°Sir, where are you right now? The background¡­looks like a¡­ unexpected hotel.¡± That was a diplomatic way of saying it. Terrence nced sharply at his boss, wondering how he would handle the inquiry. Jason simply replied, ¡°Don¡¯t ask such unnecessary questions. Continue with the meeting.¡± Terrence could only chuckle drily. He knew the reason why his employer was holding an international meeting in such a ce, but what could he say? That it was because a woman had rented an apartment in this small housing estate, so the boss had temporarily moved his entire working location here? As for the decor that made the room look like a moderately-priced hotel¡­ Terrence internally shrugged. He¡¯d spent an entire day looking for this house in this small housing estate. Then, he¡¯d offered a price twice its market value to force the owner to sell it andpleted all the formalities at the fastest speed possible. It was a bloody miracle he¡¯d closed on the location, vacated it, cleaned, painted and managed to get any furniture into the space. Let alone handling decorations. Halfway through the meeting, Jason¡¯s phone suddenly rang. However, the phone that rang was not the one he usually used but the one Grace had bought for him. Therefore, the foreign high-level management saw the man, who was surrounded with such mystery and affluence, suddenly answering a call on an old-fashioned and cheap phone. It appeared as if even the tone of his voice had be gentler. Of course, the high level management team couldn¡¯t actually hear what Jason said because he¡¯d muted. The high-level management could only privately discuss Mr. Reed¡¯s purpose in using such a phone and wonder about who he was talking 1. Terrence even received private messages from some of the high-level management staff, who were clearly fishing for gossip. Terrence wanted to tell them that the existence of the phone was already widely known within thepany¡¯s headquarters in Emerald City. The high-level management at the headquarters had seen Mr. Reed Mr. Reed answer calls on that phone more than once. Regarding questions rted to Mr. Reed¡¯s usage of such a phone or the person behind the calls, Terrence dared not share his secrets. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Jason ended the call and said to Terrence, ¡°For the rest of today¡¯s meeting, finish it up for me and give Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. me the conference record minutes tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then what about you, Mr. Reed?¡± ¡°Grace suddenly woke up and asked me where I went. I¡¯m going back now,¡± Jason replied. ¡°The general direction of the meeting has been set anyway. What¡¯s left are only some small details.¡± After saying that, he walked out of the room. A lot of the senior overseas executives who were sitting there started talking about what had happened as soon as they saw their boss leave. Terrence faced an onught of questions. ¡°Secretary Klein, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why did Mr. Reed leave?¡± ¡°Who called him just now?¡± ¡°Oh, I can tell from Mr. Reed¡¯s expression just now that he must be in love.¡± Romanticists from overseas usually told this kind of story. No one here would dare make such statements. Terrence could only smile awkwardly. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s continue with the meeting.¡± Love? He, too, had thought such things, but he would never give voice to them aloud. His boss was a private man, and very guarded with his feelings. For a while, Terrence was a little uncertain. Like the overseas execs, he also thought Jason¡¯s behavior was very unexpected. And they didn¡¯t know half of it. He was the only one who knew the true scope of the amodations Mr. Reed was making for this young woman. However, if Mr. Reed really fell in love with Grace in the future, this news would probably shock the entire city! In the rental room, Grace looked at Jay, who had just walked in. She asked in confusion, ¡°It¡¯s already there had been an ident. ¡°I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so I went out for a walk,¡± Jason said. He then directly picked up Grace, who had just left the bed, and carefully ced her back down on it. ¡°Alright, sis, go back to sleep. I won¡¯t leave anymore.¡± ¡°If you are going out for a walk next time when I¡¯m sleeping, leave me a note,¡± she said. ¡°Okay,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°By the way, I have something to do tomorrow night, so I have to go out.¡± ¡°Is it rted to your work?¡± she asked. ¡°Kind of,¡± he replied, ¡°but it¡¯s not that important. It won¡¯t be a problem if I don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I have no problem staying at home. by myself. Actually, I haven¡¯t hurt as much these past two days, and I can move around more easily.¡± He smirked. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day, Grace. You aren¡¯t healed yet. You need to rest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overreacting. I¡¯m feeling better already. You don¡¯t have to keep carrying me around.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be back early tomorrow,¡± he said, all but dismissing her refusals. The next day, Jason prepared dinner for Grace before leaving. Before going out, he also told her not to wait for him and to go to bed if she got sleepy. Leaving the rental apartment, he headed to the house next door. At this moment, Terrence was waiting inside. Tonight, Terrence had already prepared the clothes that he wanted to wear. Jason changed into a suit andbed his hair back. The outlines of his facial features suddenly became a lot sharper, especially his ice-cold eyes, which were beautiful but extremely chilling. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 It seemed that there was no emotion in them at all. However, Terrence had seen his boss look like this before. When Jason had been talking to Grace over the phone, his eyes had been softened with a touch of tenderness. Now, there was not a flicker of emotion to be found. ¡°Mr. Reed, the car is already waiting outside,¡± Terrence said. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Jason said tly. Originally, he had not been in the mood to go to the engagement banquet of the Stevens and Atkinson families, but now things were a little different. Sean, the man who had been together with Grace, was no longer in her heart. Even if these two people wanted to get back together, it would be almost impossible. But¡­what he wanted was a wless n. He didn¡¯t want her to have any chance of having a rtionship with Sean, and this was the day to achieve that. How could this not be interesting? Grace had finished dinner in the apartment. She hadn¡¯t had anything to do, so she picked up her phone and browsed the web. Today on the Inte, whether it was in the news or the trending searches, everyone was talking about the marriage between the Stevens and Atkinson families. Although it was only an engagement party tonight, everyone knew that such an engagement was equivalent to a marriage merger for two of the richest and most powerful families in the region. Was a party really necessary to announce this? Did either the bride-to-be or groom actually need any gifts? No and no. This was all a show. A demonstration of their wealth and influence that would probably bolster stocks, because people still liked to believe in fairytales, and Lily was every bit a celebrity princess. Most likely, after the engagement banquet was over, the two families would immediately begin preparing for the wedding. Which, no doubt, would be an even bigger and more ostentatious show than this. Grace looked at the pictures apanying the news that had been posted. Those pictures were the engagement photos of Sean and Lily as released by their families. Lily, who was wearing a white dress, was standing together with Sean, who was also wearing a white suit. In the eyes of outsiders, they were a perfect pair. Thements below were all envious. ¡°Wow. Rich, handsome, and beautiful. This is a real marriage of powerful families!¡± ¡°Feels like the two of them are made for each other.¡± There were a lot of fans of Lily trying their best to promote the engagement party. They directly said that this was the engagement of the century! It was too romantic! It was said that Sean had booked the most luxurious hotel in Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Emerald City tonight-the entire hotel! On top of that, Sean had ordered 990,000 white roses for Lily. She liked white roses, and he said that, in his heart, Lily was pure and wless like the white roses she enjoyed so much. It was said that Sean had given Lily a vi, which was worth 100 million and made countless women scream enviously all over the Inte. But it wasn¡¯t the money or their rtionship that she envied. It had only been three years since she had broken up with Chapter 92 Sean, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. Indeed, in thesest three years, she had been reincarnated to a new life. Jason asked her if she wanted to find someone for her to rely on. She¡¯d told him no. That she didn¡¯t want to be disappointed. And that was true. But she didn¡¯t want to be alone either. Her heart had been open once, with Sean. She¡¯d relied on him, thought she could depend on him. But she¡¯d been wrong. But that didn¡¯t mean she had to live in fear. If she was so afraid of being disappointed, she¡¯d only end up that way anyway. And alone. If she wanted her own happily-ever-after, she¡¯d have to be open to love again, and willing to take the risk. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Ever since she was a child, in order to earn the praise of her father and make her step-mother not hate her, Grace had tried hard to cater to everyone. To please everyone. Although she had won a lot of honors, she lived a tiring life. Sean had taught her that there was no one she could rely on. However¡­ Jay had said that he wanted to be her support. A smile surfaced on Grace¡¯s face when she thought of Jay. After she was released from prison, perhaps the luckiest thing that had happened to her was meeting him. As she thought about it, she scrolled through the web page. Suddenly, there was a post reporting the scene at the front of the hotel. Jason Reed, the head of Reed Group, had alsoe to attend the engagement ceremony. However, Jason was surrounded by bodyguards and had not allowed anyone to take a photo of him. Even the reporters were not able to take a photo. Anyone who filmed it would be made to delete all of the content on the spot. Although Mr. Reed was too domineering, he had the capital to behave in such a way. However, the person who had posted this said that he had risked his life to capture the back of Jason. Jason had always refused to take interviews from the reporters, and even though there would be reporters wherever he went, it could be said that he was very mysterious to the public. Even for Grace, who had been used of murdering Jason¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Jennifer Atkinson, she had never seen Jason Reed. In court that year, Jason had never attended from the beginning to the end. Not once. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Lina once said that she ran to the Reed Group and attempted to meet with Mr. Reed. She¡¯d hoped Jason Reed would understand that Jennifer Atkinson¡¯s death was caused by something else. That Grace had never been drinking nor had she set out to harm that woman. However, she had been directly thrown out without even getting to see Mr. Reed¡¯s face. Sometimes Grace found it a little funny. She and Jason had never met before, but it was as if her life was closely tied to this person. While she had been imprisoned, no one in the city had dared to help her with thewsuit, and the torment she endured in the prison seemed to have had some rtion to Jason Reed. Grace was drawn to the bottom of a post and saw the photo. Surrounded by a group of bodyguards, the figure was still very eye-catching. Wide shoulders, trim waist, long legs. With such proportions, he could almost bepared to a model. Among Grace¡¯s acquaintances, only Jay had such proportions. Jay¡­ The figure shed through Grace¡¯s mind. She seemed to feel that Jay¡¯s back was actually very much simr to that of Jason Reed. ¡°God, what am I thinking!¡± Grace shook her head. They were twopletely different people, and Jay never wore formal suits. However, if Jay were to wear a suit, he would definitely look good. Staring at the picture of the figure, Grace could not help but fall into deep thought¡­ Jason Reed attended the wedding of the Stevens and Atkinson families, she imagined that this pleased Sean very much. Both families likely were very relieved to have the proverbial ¡®blessing¡¯ of the king of the city. ¡°Your Highness, can I have a word?¡± Jason snorted and ignored his friend. He kept himself to a corner of the room, and while countless business executives and associates had attempted to make their way to his table, Terrence was stationed several feet in front of him and elbow-to-elbow with several bodyguards, ensuring that no one made it through. ¡°Brian, how did you even get over here?¡± Brian chuckled. ¡°It was nice of you to show,¡± Brian said. ¡°You must know that the Stevens and Atkinsons were sweating it.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°And look at this line of people wanting to strike up a business rtionship with you. Come now, why don¡¯t you brighten some lucky fool¡¯s future.¡± Jason smirked sardonically. ¡°I¡¯m toozy to deal with these people,¡± Jason said. ¡°Your man, Terrence, seems to be doing a good job.¡± Jason¡¯s lips twitched again. Poor Terrence. He really needed to give the man a raise. ¡°I heard that you seem to be very busy recently. It¡¯s very difficult for others to even ask you out.¡± Brian said more quietly. Jason looked more closely at Brian then. Brian might appear detached and cold, but there were many women who loved this man like crazy. ¡°What about you? I heard that you seem to have changed your ways recently?¡± ¡°Mm. Yes,¡± Brian Hart said faintly. It was as if this was an ordinary matter for him. ¡°Patrick even made a bet with someone saying that your ex can end your single life,¡± Jason said. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¡°Then I guess he is going to lose all his money,¡± Brian said. From the corner of his eyes, he caught a Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. glimpse of a figure who was looking around the banquet hall. ¡°She¡¯s here. Should I introduce you to her?¡± Jason¡¯s eyes turned in the direction of Brian Hart¡¯s gaze, and the corners of his mouth suddenly lifted. ¡°Evelyn?¡± ¡°Do you know her?¡± Brian was a little surprised. After all, Evelyn and Jason seemed to have nothing to do with each other. ¡°Sort of,¡± Jason said in a meaningful tone. ¡°If you care about this new girlfriend of yours, then don¡¯t let her make trouble. If she does, even you won¡¯t be able to protect her.¡± ¡°Did she offend you?¡± Brian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes rose slightly as he looked at Jason. ¡°Do you think that she would still be able to stand there if she did?¡± Jason replied. After this, Jason turned and left. At this moment, Evelyn happened to see Brian and quickly walked over. ¡°Brian!¡± she called out his name. When she first entered the banquet hall, she saw a lot of public figures that she was used to only seeing on TV. There were even some A-list stars in the entertainment industry. For a small third-rate actor like her, this was something she could have barely dreamed of. She knew that all of this was because of Brian Hart. ¡°You could have called me when you arrived. I¡¯d pick you up at the entrance,¡± Brian said. He raised his hand and helped Evelyn to tidy the strands of hair from her cheeks which were slightly messy. Evelyn could only feel that all this was like a dream. Who would have thought that she could be with this big shot in the entertainment industry? It was said that Brian was simply the Crown Prince of the entertainment industry. He could make anyone a star with a snap of his fingers. As for her, just as the production crew was in a state of dejection, she suddenly turned the tide because of Brian. Just because Brian Hart had taken a liking to her, almost everyone in the production crew treated her with respect. No one would dare to offend her again. Even the leading actor, director, and production staff had a very respectful attitude towards her. Chapter 94 This was a kind of feeling she had never felt before. Women in their industry were rarely treated equally as men. It was very much an old boy¡¯s club. So this sense of power and acknowledgment was heady. ¡°Didn¡¯t Ie and find you by myself?¡± Evelyn smiled sweetly and held Brian¡¯s arm. ¡°By the way, I saw a lot of first-rate celebrities today. I am so lucky. I¡¯ve never had the chance to see so many big stars before. I don¡¯t know when I will be like them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. Later, I¡¯ll ask someone to arrange a TV series for you, and then I¡¯ll put you in several variety shows. At that point, you¡¯ll be able to pick any script you like,¡± Brian said casually as if it was just a small matter. But Evelyn was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She had expended a lot of effort before, but she hadn¡¯t been able to get into a single variety show, let alone several! ¡°Then what¡¯s¡­ my role?¡± she asked in bewilderment. ¡°Of course you¡¯d be the leading actress. You don¡¯t like that?¡± ¡°No, I¡­ I like it very much.¡± Evelyn felt as if a wonderful opportunity had just fallen right into herp. She was almost speechless. ¡°Brian, why¡­why are you so good to me?¡± Evelyn whispered. Brian smiled faintly, his fingers gently caressing Evelyn¡¯s lips. Evelyn¡¯s face suddenly flushed. Good heavens, there were still many people around! But at this moment, she was reluctant to push his hand away. Indeed, she knew if she were to do such a thing, to publicly embarrass this man in such a way, she could kiss all of her future opportunities goodbye. ¡°Why am I so good to you? Because your lips are very beautiful, and I like them very much,¡± he mumbled. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Evelyn was a little confused. She hadn¡¯t expected that Brian would take a fancy to her lips. But no matter what, this was her luck. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She had to seize hold of Brian Hart and be the most popr actress. She could even¡­ marry into a wealthy family and live apletely different life! At this moment, Evelyn seemed to have foreseen a good life in the future. However, she had not noticed that although the person in front of her was smiling, the smile was not genuine. ¡°By the way, do you know Jason Reed?¡± Brian suddenly asked. Evelyn shook her head. How would she have ever gotten a chance to know someone like Jason? Brian pursed his lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself into any trouble in the future. If you really offend him, I may not be able to protect you.¡± Of course, the more important thing was whether or not he still wanted to protect her. If it was just for the sake of a substitute, there would be no need for him to go against Jason Reed. A substitute¡­ Brian¡¯s eyes seemed to be covered in ayer of mist. After searching for so many years, just how many substitutes would he have to go through to suppress the desire in his body?! Before the engagement ceremony, Sean specifically sought out Jason and said, ¡°Mr. Reed, it¡¯s a great honor to have you attend our humble event.¡± ¡°I will naturallye to your engagement party.¡± Jason seemed to be hinting at something else as he said, ¡°Speaking of which, it was not bad for you to break up with Grace before. This way, she has given up on you. If you had not given up on Grace at that time, perhaps today she still wouldn¡¯t have let you go.¡± Sean looked embarrassed. He didn¡¯t know whether he should respond to this or not. ¡°Oh yes, how long will your sister be staying in the hospital this time?¡± Jason asked in a casual manner. ¡°One month.¡± Sean felt a chill in his heart and quickly added, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid it will take half a year for the wound to heal He certainly knew how his sister had sustained this injury. But at this time, even if he knew, he had to pretend that he didn¡¯t. ¡°Then don¡¯t let her go out for the next half a year and make her stay at home to recuperate,¡± Jason said faintly. ¡°Okay,¡± Sean quickly replied. ¡°I will make sure that my parents take good care of Zoe and let her stay at home to take care of herself.¡± Being able to read the situation was one of Sean¡¯s strongest characteristics. That was why he had broken up with Grace as soon as something bad happened to her. That was why he didn¡¯t dare to ask more about his sister¡¯s situation. ¡°Alright, when your engagement ceremony is over, I¡¯ll leave. Grace is still waiting for me to return,¡± Jason said. At this moment, Sean no longer felt that it was because of his rtionship with the Atkinson family that Jason hade to attend the engagement ceremony. He felt as if Jason was afraid¡­ That he and Grace would have a chance in the future, so he had toe to watch the engagement ceremony personally. To ensure that Sean would be off the market, so to speak. Did Jason even consider Jennifer Atkinson to be as important as she had been back then? It could mean only one thing-that Grace was of great importance to Jason Reed. Sean still could not believe it. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Sean left as if he was treading on air. Once the engagement ceremony started, Jason watched the exchange of the engagement rings on the stage and listened to the engagement speeches between Sean and Lily. A smile shed across his face. It was estimated that tomorrow, the photos of Sean and Lily¡¯s engagement party woulde out. Then C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org it would be impossible for Grace and Sean to be together. He didn¡¯t really think that Grace would ever wee back Sean after what he¡¯d done or how he¡¯d deserted her, but he wasn¡¯t taking any chances. After the engagement ceremony ended, the hall was filled with people congratting the glowing couple. However, Jason left the scene and walked out by himself. A silver Bentley waited outside. Terrence opened the door respectfully, and Jason hopped in. ¡°Mr. Reed, will you be going back to the rental apartment now?¡± Terrence asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jason leaned against the back of the seat. Then, he slowly closed his eyes. Today, Brian Hart¡¯s presence surprised him. He hadn¡¯t thought that the woman that Brian had taken a fancy to would actually be Evelyn Cummins, Grace¡¯s half-sister. In his opinion, there was nothing worthwhile about that woman at all. He really didn¡¯t know why Brian had taken a fancy to her. However, this was someone else¡¯s business. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t care too much about it, as long as Evelyn didn¡¯t try to cause trouble for Grace in the future. Otherwise¡­ he would naturally make Evelyn suffer tens of thousands of times more. ¡°Mr. Reed, Director Atkinson called to ask why you left in advance. I think he is worried about whether you are annoyed or not,¡± Terrence Klein said. ¡°Just call him back and tell him that I am very happy tonight, but I am a little tired, so I have to go back early,¡± Jason replied. The car drove to the entrance of themunity. Jason got out of the car, walked to the narrow door, took out the key, and opened the door. In the room, dim light was pouring down. Grace was knitting under the light. When she saw himing back, she looked up at him with a sweet smile. ¡°You¡¯re back. It¡¯s pretty cold outside, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said, looking at the wool in her hand. ¡°Where did you get the wool?¡± ¡°I took apart some old sweaters to make a scarf and gloves for you. I have nothing to do at home these days, so I might as well find something to do.¡± It was only then that he noticed that there were still a few it? Why would you tear apart your clothes? Isn¡¯t it better for you to wear them?¡± He picked up thebel and waved it. Grace said, ¡°They aren¡¯t cheap, but the style of these sweaters is a little bit over the top. They are not suitable for me to wear now, so it¡¯s better to put them to good use.¡± That sweater was originally simr to the raincoat. Paired with narrow leggings, boots, and makeup, it would look very elegant. But now, she had no asion to wear this kind of clothes, nor did she have a pair of narrow leggings and boots that could match her. There was no chance to wear it at all. ¡°I think this wool should be enough to make a scarf and gloves. Do you like the color?¡± she asked. The color of the wool was oat, which was neutral and suitable for both men and women. Jason stared at the woman before him, and he marveled at her. Where everyone around him was consumed with taking, with what they could get out of him, all she did was give. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 ¡°I like it.¡± Jason smiled slightly and put down the tag in his hand. ¡°Sister, I will buy you a thousand or ten thousand sweaters in the future. You will wear them as much as you like.¡± ¡°A thousand or ten thousand? How would I even have a chance to wear them all?¡± Grace couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°I don¡¯t need such things. Come here. Please. Let me measure the size of your hand.¡± As she spoke, she took a leather ruler and took his hand to make some measurements. He frowned. He could feel that her hand was very cold when their skin touched. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t knit, your hands are too cold,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Hey, stay still. If you keep moving your hand, the measurements will be no good,¡± she All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. muttered before taking his hand and once again adjusting the positions of his fingers. ¡°We¡¯re in the roomright now, so it can¡¯t get that cold. If it was in the early morning outside or when I was sweeping the road at night, now that¡¯s cold. Even if I wore gloves during those times, my hands would get so cold that I could barely feel them.¡± Jason¡¯s eyes seemed to be covered by a thinyer of fog, which covered up the guilt in his eyes. Actually¡­ he could have easily made her stay away from this kind of life and prevented her from doing this kind of hard work. Perhaps in the beginning, he only felt that it was interesting, so he stayed by her side and called her ¡°sister.¡± But now, ever since he started to have different feelings for her and nned to bring her under his wing, there was no need for her to do this hard work again. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± she proimed. After finishing the measurements on his hand, she lowered her head and started knitting again. However, because her fingers had been injured in the past, her movements were not as agile as they could be. The knitting speed was also slower as a result. It¡­ hurt him to see her so injured. Injuries that on some level were due to him. ¡°Sister, today is the day of Sean¡¯s engagement to Lily.¡± He suddenly said, ¡°On the way back, I saw that the street where their engagement party¡¯s venue was at was still blocked. Many people ran over to see.¡± ¡°I know. I saw it on the Inte. There were so many people there earlier that no one could squeeze in even if they wanted to,¡± she said. There was not a trace of oddness in her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel disappointed?¡± He watched her closely and observed her reaction. ¡°Disappointed?¡± Her hands paused and she seemed a little surprised. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t broken up with Sean, the grand asion today might have been yours,¡± he said. ¡°Even if nothing happened to me back then and we didn¡¯t break up, all of this would not be mine. The Stevens Family had never epted me. Even if nothing happened, I would have broken up with Sean sooner orter.¡± Grace looked calm. Back then, every time she went to the Stevens Family, she would make great efforts to get on the Stevens parents¡¯ good side, hoping to be epted into the family. But, the result was nothing more than a joke. Once, at a gathering, she was mocked by Sean¡¯s mother on the spot, who called her a sparrow that wanted to be a phoenix and said that she would never seed. However, at that time, she had to smile obsequiously and ease the atmosphere after being insulted. Thinking about it, she really didn¡¯t need to make herself go through all that. No, she would never subject herself to such treatment again. The car ident simply made her see reality more clearly. Jason smiled slightly as if he was quite satisfied with Grace¡¯s words. ¡°My sister deserves better! Sean is really nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If Lily likes such a man, then she can go ahead and have him,¡± Grace smiled. ¡°Did you see any other interesting news?¡± he asked casually. ¡°Yes, I did. I saw Jason Reed¡¯s back,¡± Grace said. ¡°Speaking of which, he is quite mysterious. There are no pictures of him on the Inte. Someone posted a photo showing his back today, and it didn¡¯t take long before the post was deleted.¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 When she said this, she didn¡¯t notice that her Jay had frozen. for a moment. ¡°Would you like to see Jason?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why.¡± She shook her head as if struggling to find the right words. ¡°That¡¯s really nothing for me to think about. He and I are people from twopletely different worlds.¡± She said, ¡°However, his back figure in a suit is a little bit simr to you. You¡¯re both tall and strong. I think if you put on a suit, you would look even better!¡± Jason pressed his lips together, not saying a word. She added, ¡°Let¡¯s save up some money. Next spring, I¡¯ll buy you a suit. You can wear the same suit if you need a formal suit for an interview.¡± ¡°What would you say if you were to meet Jason Reed one day?¡± he asked suddenly. Grace suddenly fell into silence. After a long time, she said with a self-deprecating smile, ¡°I would beg him to let me go.¡± He was a little surprised. ¡°Just that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to tell him that you were wronged back then? Don¡¯t you want him to reverse the verdict for you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s useless. Back then, for me, Lina ran to his office building and begged on the ground for him to see her. But, he never showed up. When I was in prison, I never stopped writing letters to beg him for mercy, I also mentioned several times that the death of his fiancee had nothing to do with me. I begged him to stop the others from hurting me. But was all useless. My letters and requests for mercy were never answered,¡± she said with a bitter smile. These events were painful for her. His face was gloomy, and even his eyes became dark and deep. Grace patted his hand. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about these things. It¡¯s all in the past. At least after I got out of prison, Jason did not seem to want to take revenge against me. And I¡¯m grateful for that. Otherwise, I may not even be able to stay at the Sanitation Service Center,¡± she said. He suddenly picked up her hands, which were covered with calluses, and put them in his palms, rubbing them a little bit to keep her warm. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn¡¯t have turned a blind eye to her all those years ago. He wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to be thrown into jail, and he wouldn¡¯t have allowed those people who tried to please him toy their hands on her in prison. However, if in the future, when his identity was exposed in front of her, he would not be able to agree to her request. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he muttered. ¡°What?¡± She was puzzled. ¡°That your hands feel so cold because you¡¯re trying to knit me a scarf and gloves.¡± He then whispered to himself, ¡°Also¡­ I won¡¯t let you go for the rest of my life.¡± He would make it up to her. He would give her the best of everything. He would make her the most enviable woman in the City and wash away all the dirt on her body. But he would never let her go! Over the next few days, Grace lived a somewhat leisurely life. She knitted and browsed the web all day long, which gave her a long-lost feeling of being rxed and having nothing to do. The wounds and bruising were also getting better day by day. Every day, Jay would carry her to the small park in the neighborhood to bask in the sun for a while. And every time, when some old people in theirmunity saw them, they would look at them with eyes filled with tenderness. She supposed that it did all look quite romantic. Here she was being carried around by a tall, strapping, handsome man. ¡°Your boyfriend taking you out for a walk again?¡± tssked an olddy who liked chatting with them in the park. But the woman smiled so mischievously as she said it. And Grace couldn¡¯t help but giggle too. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. He sure did.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for all your love on Grace and Jason and I had read all yourments. I Know I made some mistakes throughout it. I am so so so so sorry about the names and they are going back now. Justment and ask. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Grace did not know how many times she had told the nice old woman from their neighborhood that Jay was not her boyfriend, but her ¡°brother.¡± However, when the olddy found out that there was no blood rtionship between the two of them, she was still dead-set on treating them as a couple. The old woman all but cackled at the absurdity. She said with a smile at that time, ¡°Maybe not now. But, you will be in the future. What brother and sister? It¡¯s just a figure of speech. Your friendship now will be the basis of your rtionship to grow from.¡± That sounded pretty profound. But Grace couldn¡¯t allow herself to hope for such things. She stood to lose too much. She could only hope that things would stay as they were with Jay. If they did, she would count herself lucky indeed. As for Jay, when the olddy called him her ¡°boyfriend,¡± he never protested or tried to argue that they were siblings, he would even respond with a smile. Jason put Grace down on a stone bench in the small park, and then said, ¡°It¡¯s colder today. I¡¯ll go get you more clothes to help youyer up.¡± ¡°Mm. Okay,¡± she agreed. When he came back with more clothes, he saw that the aunties in themunity seemed to be surrounding her and talking to her. She then blushed and waved her hands repeatedly as if denying something. Jason¡¯s footsteps could not help slowing down. He only felt that the blush on her cheeks was so cute, and it made her look adorable. When the aunties saw him, they immediately left with grins on their faces. Before leaving, they even winked at Grace, which made her face even redder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jason walked up and wrapped anotheryer of clothing around her. Her almond-shaped, jet-ck eyes looked a little embarrassed and she bit her lower lip as she nced Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. up at him. He¡¯d thought her adorable and she was, undeniably so, but she was beautiful too. Radiant, even. With something in her that just seemed to glow. The olddies had recognized it. Maybe on some instinctual level, he had too, when he first saw her that night on the street. Grace was¡­ good. Her soul was kind and giving. She was strong. But not so strong as to be inflexible. He marveled at her resilience and her ability to give. Despite everything that was taken from her, she continued to be generous to others. And that was quite incredible, in his humble opinion. Her face flushed bright red as he continued to stare at her, until her cheeks looked like the skin of an apple. One couldn¡¯t help wanting to take a bite. All of a sudden, a burst of lust sprang up in Jason¡¯s body. He calmly suppressed the physical reaction, but he had a strange feeling in his heart. It seemed that her influence on him was¡­growing. Even just the blush on her face made him¡­ want her. ¡°They¡­ they thought you were my boyfriend,¡± she whispered. ¡°Isn¡¯t this something that they¡¯ve known for a while?¡± he asked. ¡°Then they said that you were too beautiful.¡± She was even more embarrassed now. ¡°And then?¡± he asked. ¡°After that, they started teaching me some husband-taming moves.¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell him the details. ¡°Well then, in the future, you can use them on me to see if there¡¯s any effect,¡± Jason said. ¡°Why, you too¡­¡± Grace bit down on her lower lip in embarrassment. His throat could not help tightening up at this sight. At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and answered. Her face immediately changed, and she responded in a low voice. After finishing the call, she looked at him and said, ¡°I will go back to my mother¡¯s hometown during Thanksgiving this year. Just now, a call came from my mother¡¯s side saying that my grandma wants to see me.¡± When her father married her stepmother, he first threw her back to her mother¡¯s hometown. During that time, it was her grandmother who had taken care of her, until she couldn¡¯t any longer, due to her poor health. Grace¡¯s dear paternal grandfather then stepped in and took over. After that, Grace could onlye back during the winter and summer holidays. After she graduated from high school, she would sometimes save enough money to buy a bus ticket, and she would go back to see her grandmother-until the disaster that happened to her three years ago¡­ At that time, her grandmother was already in worse health and often needed to rest in bed, and other rtives were busy trying to distance themselves from Grace. Even when she gave them a call, she would always be heartlessly hung up on. This time, it could be said that it was the first time her mother¡¯s side had called her in three years. ¡°Jay, my family on that side has avoided me since the ident. It¡¯s¡­ why would they call me home to her now?¡± Jason could imagine. And it filled his heart with dread. Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for all your love on Grace and Jason and I had read all yourments. I know I made some mistakes throughout it. I am so so so so sorry about the names and they are going back now. Justment and ask. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 ¡°Will you be going?¡± Jason asked. Grace nodded. ¡°But you¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment. ¡°Do you want to go with me?¡± He was quiet for a moment then said, ¡°I have to work overtime the night before. The boss said that I will get triple the rate if I do. How about you give me the address? I will go find you the next day.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Grace said. However, she then bit her lips and said hesitantly, ¡°But when you show up with me over there, some of my rtives might give you a hard time. When that happens, don¡¯t mind them.¡±¡± Jay gave her a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t pay any attention to it.¡± At this moment, she was the only person he cared about. The closer it got to Thanksgiving, the fewer people would be seen on the road. Many people had already returned to their hometowns. Her mother¡¯s hometown was a small town on the outskirts of Emerald City. It was not far away, and it would only take about an hour and a half to get there by bus. Therefore, rtively speaking, she would have topete for a bus ticket home with many other people who were also looking to get out of the city for the holiday. While Grace was still booking the tickets, she asked Jason, ¡°Jay, do you have your ID card? I¡¯ll book a ticket for you.¡± As a matter of fact, she had never seen his ID card. ¡°I have already booked a ticket,¡± Jason said. Grace did not say anything else after hearing that. Instead, she took out the scarf that she had been hiding in the past few days and helped Jason put it on. ¡°Is it too short?¡± she studied the scarf and asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s just right,¡± he said. Her scent seemed to be on the scarf, which made him feel as though he was being surrounded by her scent as well. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go ahead and finish up knitting the ends of it so that you can wear it for the holidays. But it will take some more time before the gloves are ready,¡± she said. He sped her hands as she fiddled with the scarf. Grace¡¯s dark eyes lifted to his. Goodness, he was so perfect. ¡°Grace,¡± he said, his thumbs tracing tiny circles on her hands. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Only he wasn¡¯t staring at the scarf, he was looking at her. Suddenly, all those whisperings from the olddies rushed to the forefront of her mind. Maybe they could be something more. Maybe this friendship could be something bigger. As if with a will of its own, her body leaned toward his. He smiled faintly, his gaze dropping to her lips. Grace sucked in a breath. This man¡­ he was more to her than anyone else in her life had been. And she wanted him. More than she could even admit to herself. He angled his head and leaned closer. Grace¡¯s eyes fluttered closed. Then her phone started ringing. Loudly. And just like that, the moment was shattered. If it had even been there in the first ce. Perhaps she¡¯d imagined it. Grace hobbled over to the countertop and grabbed her phone. ¡°Hello Lina.¡± Lina had nned to hang out in her apartment during the holidays, but when she heard that Grace was going to visit her mother¡¯s hometown, she couldn¡¯t help worrying. ¡°Are you going alone?¡± Lina asked. No small talk. No skirting around the subject. It was no secret that Lina didn¡¯t want her to go back home. Grace nced at Jay. ¡°Actually, no. I won¡¯t be alone. Jay will go over to apany me,¡± Grace said. ¡°But, the rtives from your mother¡¯s hometown are¡­¡± Lina paused mid-sentence. She knew how heartless those people were when her friend got into trouble back then. They¡¯d not been kind to Grace in the years since. ¡°I don¡¯t like them, Grace. No offense. They were all fine to ride off your sess and take money when you were working, but the moment you fell on hard times, they abandoned you.¡± Grace didn¡¯t argue the point. It was true what Lina said. Every bit of it. ¡°I want to see my grandmother, Lina. I haven¡¯t seen her since I was released from prison. I don¡¯t know how she is now,¡± Grace said. ¡°She¡¯s the only one of them who¡¯s been good to me, Lina. And she¡¯s been getting on in years. I¡¯m not sure how much time she has left.¡± ¡°If anything happens, just call me. I wille get you. I¡¯m just going to be at home during the holidays,¡± Lina said. ¡°What can happen?¡± Graceughed. ¡°I¡¯m only going back to my hometown. I¡¯m not going to fight someone. You make it sound so dramatic. This is a short visit, nothing more or less.¡± ¡°With your family, one can never know,¡± Lina said. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it to be mean. Just so you¡¯re prepared. I hate thinking of you defenseless.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t going to hurt me.¡± Grace argued. And she watched as Jay tensed. His whole body changed from lighthearted to violent in the space of a heartbeat. She sucked in a breath. ¡°I, uh, I mean, let¡¯s not overy this,¡± she said as much to Lina as Jay. ¡°These are my family members. They won¡¯t physically harm me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the physical harm I was worried about,¡± Lina muttered. Jason¡¯s eyes narrowed as if he heard Lina¡¯s words and was also concerned about Grace¡¯s emotional All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. duress. ¡°Rx,¡± Grace said to the both of them. ¡°I am only going to visit my grandmother. I will be back in two days.¡± Grace set off early in the morning. Before she set off, she hurriedly brushed a kiss against Jay¡¯s cheek. ¡°Take care, Jay. Mind your safety.¡± He smiled crookedly. One hand lifted to his face where her lips. had been. ¡°For you, sister, I can do anything.¡± Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for all your love on Grace and Jason and I had read all yourments. I Know I made some mistakes throughout it. I am so so so so sorry about the names and they are going back now. Justment and ask. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 After Grace left, Jason looked around the small rental apartment and felt empty inside. He picked up the scarf she had ced on the table and wrapped it around his neck. The corner of his lips curled into a slight smile. When Jason walked out of the rental apartment, Terrence had already been waiting outside for a long time. When he saw his boss, he was stunned. The president had never liked wearing a in scarf, but then¡­ he was wearing one. And when Jason walked closer to him, Terrence studied the threads on the scarf and the knitting method. He was almost sure that it was a hand-made scarf. There seemed to be only one answer to Mr. Reed¡¯s hand-woven scarf. This scarf was probably knitted by Grace! ¡°Mr. Reed, we¡¯re going to¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital. Today, I probably should have dinner with the Old Master.¡± Jason ordered. ¡°Okay,¡± Terrence responded. He started the car and headed for the hospital. The bus stopped at a ce not far from the southern entrance of the town where Grace got off. It had already been three years, and this town seemed to have changed a lot. Some of the muddy roads had been rebuilt with cement. On the way, she met some of the neighbors who used to live close to her grandmother¡¯s house. They all pointed at her and whispered to each other. Grace was already used to this. Ever since she was released from prison, those who knew her in the past could not help but talk about her when they saw her. When she arrived at her grandmother¡¯s house, she found it to be crowded with her rtives. Seeing her, her second uncle forced a smile and said, ¡°Grace! Come on in and have a seat. We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Grace was a little surprised. After all, after what had happened to her, her second uncle had even sent someone to tell her to not implicate them at the courthouse. ¡°Come,e, sit down!¡± Her third aunt walked over with a warm expression and pulled Grace down to the chair. Then, her uncle-inw, aunt-inw, second uncle-inw, and third uncle¡­ All these rtives surrounded her and asked her about her well-being. Grace had a sh of doubt in her eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s grandma?¡± she asked. ¡°Grandma is taking a nap right now. You can go see her when she wakes up,¡± her third aunt said. Her uncle then said, ¡°Grace, now that you are out of prison, you have to be a decent person. You¡¯re not with anyone now, right? Women should always find a man to rely on. I will introduce you to a good partnerter.¡± ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t want to find anyone to get together with right now.¡± Grace refused. ¡°Sigh, child, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡± Her uncle seemed to want to say something else, but her third Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. aunt winked at him, and he didn¡¯t say anything more. At this moment, Grace¡¯s grandmother, Susie, was in an intense argument with her husband. ¡°I disagree. I absolutely don¡¯t agree to marry her off to that fool. She¡¯s going to ruin her whole life!¡± Susie shouted. Mr. Kelleigh snorted and said, ¡°She has already been ruined for a lifetime. What do you think Grace can do now that she is out of prison? I have asked around about it. She¡¯s a street cleaner now. It¡¯s better for her to get married while she is still young. The Miller family said that as long as Grace gives birth to a baby for the Miller family, they will support her for a lifetime. I am doing this for her sake.¡±¡± ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re doing it for her sake? You are simply greedy for the Miller family¡¯s money!¡± Susie said with hatred, ¡°You are selling Grace off!¡± ¡°Mom, what do you mean we are selling her off?¡± The third aunt came over and said, ¡°Dad is doing this for our whole family. My nephews are going to get married soon. Now, with the 300,000 dors of the Miller family, they can at least get a down payment if they buy a house in the town. Mom, you can¡¯t let your grandson fail to get a wife.¡± Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for all your love on Grace and Jason and I had read all yourments. I Know I made some mistakes throughout it. I am so so so so sorry about the names and they are going back now. Justment and ask. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 The third aunt tried her best to persuade Susie. After all, her father and two elder brothers had promised her that they would give her 300,000 dors when the time came. 300,000 dors was equivalent to her yearly sry! However, no matter what her daughter or her husband said, Susie refused to cooperate. In the end, the third aunt simply said, ¡°Mom, Big Brother and Second Brother said that if your mess this up and our nephews can¡¯t afford a house and a wife, they will me you for the rest of their lives!¡± Susie felt angry and anxious when she heard that. ¡°Do you¡­ do you still have any conscience? Have you forgotten how Grace used to take care of us?¡± The third aunt smiled and said, ¡°Mom, the past is the past, and the present is the present. You can¡¯t ruin our family and the future of our younger generation just because of her. Besides, my nephew and second nephew not being able to marry also has something to do with her. Why would any daughter of a decent family still want to marry them if they heard that one of our family members was in prison? Not to mention if we don¡¯t even have a house prepared for the brides-to-be.¡± After a while, Susie gritted her teeth and looked at her third daughter with tears in her eyes. ¡°How¡­ how can you be worthy of your sister?¡± The third aunt didn¡¯t take it seriously. Her fourth sister had been dead for so many years. Even if she was indeed close with her before, how could thatpare to the money she could get now? Grace was still surrounded by her cousins out in the front. Her cousin, Ste, was chewing on some crackers as she said with a faint smile, ¡°I heard Grandpa said that he had asked your father about you. Your father said that you¡¯re a street sweeper now. Is that true?¡± Ste was one year older than Grace, but she had been on the losing end since they were young. Grace had been a straight-A student in school, but Ste couldn¡¯t even manage to enter a university. After graduating from high school, she went to take on part-time jobs. Later, she ended up marrying a metal smith in the neighboring town. At that time, Grace was dating Sean, the son of a rich and powerful family. When Ste thought of the person that Grace had managed to hook up with and thought about her own partner again, she felt inferior and ashamed. Now that Grace had fallen so low, she would naturally want to step all over her in return. ¡°That¡¯s right, I sweep the streets,¡± Grace said in neither a shameful nor arrogant tone. ¡°Sigh, what¡¯s even the point of you attending university? In the end, you still ended up sweeping the road. But,ter¡­ Hehe, you won¡¯t have to anymore¡­¡± Before Ste finished her words, Grace¡¯s first cousin, Hogan, gave her a look. Only then did Ste pause in the middle of her sentence. She then looked at Grace with an expression as if she was watching a show unfold. ¡°Hmph, what does it matter how good she was at studying? She¡¯s still going to end up marrying a fool.¡± She was curious to see how Grace would look like when she got married to that fool. In the evening, when the family was having their dinner, Grace finally saw Susie. When she saw Grace, ayer of tears welled up in her eyes, and she hugged Grace for a long while. ¡°Child, you must have suffered quite a bit. It¡¯s all because of my old and weak body. I couldn¡¯t help you at all back then,¡± Susie said in the midst of choking up while trying to speak. Before Grace could answer, Ste said, ¡°Grandma, Grace being in jail is what we call getting punished byw. She deserved it!¡± Susie red at Ste. Only then did she resentfully shut her All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. mouth. Grace shook her head and looked at Susie. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I didn¡¯t suffer much. Besides, haven¡¯t I already been released? I¡¯lle back more often in the future and be filial to you and Grandfather.¡± Hearing this, Susie felt even sadder. Mr. Kelleigh and the rest were afraid that Susie would expose them, so they quickly had them sit down to start eating dinner together. During the meal, the eldest uncle, second uncle, and third aunt kept urging Grace to have more wine. ¡°It¡¯s a rare asion, so it¡¯s not a bad thing to drink a bit more. Grace, you need to make sure toe back more often and see your grandma and grandpa in the future,¡± the third aunt said with a smile. Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for all your love on Grace and Jason and I had read all yourments. I know I made some mistakes throughout it. I am so so so so sorry about the names and they are going back now. Justment and ask. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Grace maintained the smile and said, ¡°Third Aunt, I quit drinking already. You know that I had a car ident because I was drunk. How could I dare to drink again?¡± Upon hearing Grace¡¯s words, the third aunt stopped and could onlyugh dryly. Her uncle said, ¡°Nevertheless, it is Thanksgiving. Just drink a few sses. You are not driving now anyways.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t drink, you are not giving us elders any respect!¡± Her second uncle followed suit. ¡°Enough!¡± Grandma suddenly shouted, ¡°Your consciences have been eaten by dogs. Are you really going to push Grace into the pit of fire?¡± All of a sudden, no one at the table spoke, but Grace looked at her grandmother in surprise. Susie said to Grace, ¡°Grace, your uncle and others are up to no good. They want to marry you to the Miller family¡¯s fool son in exchange for 300,000 dors. They¡­¡± Mr. Kelleigh interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. ¡°So what if Grace marries into the Miller family? Are we mistreating her? The Miller family epted her, even though she had been in jail. Do you think she can marry into a good family now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. 300,000 dors from the Miller family is just enough to buy houses for First Cousin and Second Cousin. Grace, you owe them this. If you hadn¡¯t been in prison in the first ce, they would have already found a good partner.¡±¡± Ste added fuel to the fire. ¡°I won¡¯t marry anyone!¡± Grace stood up and coldly looked at the rtives around her. ¡°Even if I were to owe anyone, it would not be you!¡± She said to Susie, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯lle to see you next time.¡± After that, she intended to leave, but she was stopped by her uncles. ¡°Why do you want to leave? It¡¯s not up to you to decide who you marry!¡± her uncle said ruthlessly. Grace looked at her cousins, who were not far away. She remembered that they had yed together when they were children and they had had a good rtionship with each other. ¡°You also want me to marry a fool?¡± Elder Cousin Hogan said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fortunate enough that the Miller family is willing to marry you now. Otherwise, do you think you can find a good family to marry into?¡± On the other hand, her second cousin Marcus shrank a little and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡­ I am getting married. At least I need to have a house. I¡­ I don¡¯t have any other choice.¡± Graceughed at herself. In fact, she shouldn¡¯t have expected anything from her cousins; she just made herself disappointed again. ¡°I won¡¯t get married!¡± She took a deep breath and shouted at everyone. ¡°p!¡± The next moment, Mr. Kelleigh pped her in the face. ¡°How dare you not listen to us? There¡¯s no room for you to haggle over this matter!¡± In the VIP ward of the hospital, there was a round table full of exquisite dishes, but only two people were eating them. Jason ate in a slow and orderly manner. Old Mr. Reed, who was sitting opposite him, was eating food with the help of a nurse. Author¡¯s Note: Thank you for all your love on Grace and Jason and I had read all yourments. I Know I made some mistakes throughout it. I am so so so so sorry about the names and they are going back now. Justment and ask. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 In the ward, it was almost silent except for the sound of chewing. Neither the grandfather nor the grandson had said. anything to each other. Although the nurse who picked up the food for the Old Master was curious, she didn¡¯t dare to ask. After all, these two were the most powerful people in Emerald City. Finally, after Old Mr. Reed was almost full, he said, ¡°I heard that you haven¡¯t stayed in the house for the past few days?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jason replied indifferently. He was not surprised that Old Master knew about this. After all, Old Master had his informants everywhere, even in his house. ¡°Where are you staying?¡± ¡°Outside,¡± Jason replied. ¡°Why do you want to stay outside?¡± Old Mr. Reed asked. ¡°It¡¯s too quiet in the house.¡± He pretended to be casual as he picked up a shrimp and slowly peeled off the shell. ¡°Speaking of which, you should have a girlfriend at your age. I will ask my secretary to sort out information about the famous youngdies in the city. You can pick one.¡± Old Mr. Reed¡¯s tone sounded as if it was as simple as picking out clothes. Jason¡¯s fingers, which were holding on to the shrimp, paused slightly. Then he replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Old Mr. Reed narrowed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s only to find a woman to give birth to a child, then I can choose my own candidate,¡± he said. In the past, he felt that if he was destined to have a child who would inherit the Reed family in the future, then it didn¡¯t matter which woman gave birth to the child. But now, he felt that if he needed a child, he hoped that the C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org child¡¯s mother could be Grace. It seemed not bad for the child to inherit his and her blood and genes. ¡°A candidate?¡± Old Mr. Reed was shocked. ¡°Could it be that you¡­¡± At this moment, Jason¡¯s mobile phone suddenly rang. He was slightly startled and took out a cheap mobile phone from his pocket. Looking at the caller ID on it, he immediately stood up and answered the call. However, when he heard the voice on the other end of the phone, his face suddenly changed. ¡°Jay¡­ save¡­ save me¡­¡± Even though her voice was hoarse and shattered, he could still immediately tell that this was Grace. However, before he could ask, the call was hung up. Then, he dialed again, but the voice message informed him that he could not get through. ¡°Did something happen to Grace?¡± Even he himself didn¡¯t know that at this moment, his face was deathly pale under the light. He then said to Old Mr. Reed, ¡°Grandfather, I still have some matters to attend to. I have to leave now.¡± After that, he rushed out of the ward. A hint of haze appears on Old Mr. Reed¡¯s face. The expression on his grandson¡¯s face made him feel as if he had seen his son¡¯s appearance over that woman back then. For that woman, his son did not hesitate to betray his family and abandon his glory and wealth. But in the end, what had happened to him? If a man loves a woman too much, it¡¯s destined to end in tragedy. And now, what kind of woman would make Jason lose his Grace had not expected these rtives to drug her. Although she did not drink wine at dinner, she drank some soft drinks. Now she was weak and had no strength at all. Grandma wanted to stop them, but she was stopped by the third aunt, while the uncles carried her to see the Miller family. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 She was locked up in a room by the Miller family, and there was a stranger in the room. He was¡­ the fool of the Miller family. Grace tried her best to remain clear-headed. She had to escape, no matter what! But now that she was in such a state, it was difficult for her to stand up. How could she escape? When she was carried over by her uncles, she secretly tried to call someone for help, but her phone was taken away. Whatever chance she had to escape was all gone! Why? Why did she call Jay first? Obviously, Jason was in Emerald City and could not help her at all. Furthermore, what could Jay do? Perhaps she should have called Lina since she could be a little more useful, or call the police directly¡­ It was as if she had started to rely on Jay without realizing. Her vision had be blurred. The strange man smirked and rushed over to her. She could only try her best to dodge away. but she couldn¡¯t avoid that figure. Outside the room, the Miller and Kelleigh families were happily calcting the ounts for a while. Grace¡¯s uncle said, ¡°Mr. Miller, we have brought her for you. 300 grand, you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± ¡°Oh, good, good. As long as they finish up, I will give you 300,000 dors,¡± Jeremy said. In order to let his son get married and nt a seed for the Miller family, he was willing to go all out this time. Jeremy¡¯s wife said worriedly, ¡°What if this youngdy still ns. to run afterward?¡± ¡°You can take some pictures of her to use them to ckmail her. Then we¡¯ll lock her up for a while. When the child is born, how can she run away? She will stay here and be your daughter-inw,¡± her Property ? N?velDrama.Org. uncle said. He didn¡¯t have any pity for Grace. He only had money on his mind. ¡°That¡¯s right. If a woman gives birth to a child, she won¡¯t think about running away anymore. You are also a woman, so you should understand,¡± her second uncle said hurriedly. Jeremy¡¯s wife thought about it and agreed. However, she was still a little worried. ¡°Will¡­ will he be able to achieve anything in the room? If she resists, our son¡­¡± ¡°How can she still have the strength to resist?¡± her second uncle said in a hurry. Jeremy also said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I taught my sonst night. No matter how stupid he is, he knows what to do!¡± Jeremy¡¯s wife finally felt relieved. The four people were eating and drinking in the yard. Suddenly, the sound of a car came from outside. ¡°Whose car is it now that it¡¯ste?¡± Jeremy mumbled as he stood up. He was half-drunk as he walked to the entrance and opened the door. Just as he was about to say something, he was stunned on the spot. On the other side of the door, there were police cars surrounding the whole building. Jeremy suddenly sobered up. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Then, the policemen got out of the cars and surrounded the courtyard. Seeing that the policemen had surrounded them, Grace¡¯s uncles and Jeremy¡¯s wife were so scared that they didn¡¯t dare to utter a word. They didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°Where is the woman you brought back here?¡± asked one of the officers, who looked like he was in charge. The four people looked at each other. Jeremy struggled to say, ¡°What¡­ woman? We don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± The policeman did not bother to talk nonsense with him. He said, ¡°Search!¡± Suddenly, the police began to search all the rooms. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Jeremy, his wife, and Grace¡¯s uncles suddenly became flustered. Seeing that the police were about to enter the room where ¡°business¡± had been conducted, Jeremy shouted immediately, ¡°Why are you barging into my ce? Are the¡­ are the police allowed to break into my house?¡± He and his wife wanted to rush forward, but they were stopped by someone. At this time, some people found that the door of that room was locked. At the same time, another car arrived at the door of Jeremy¡¯s house. A tall figure got out of the vehicle and walked into the yard. A policeman swiftly went to the man¡¯s side and briefed him on the situation. ¡°One of the doors is locked. It¡¯s possible that someone is inside.¡± As he spoke, the policeman led the man to the locked door. Jeremy and his wife, as well as Grace¡¯s uncles, were looking desperately for any kind of excuse to not open the door. Jason stared at the door and said coldly, ¡°Break it open.¡± Immediately, someone took an axe and directly chopped the door down. ¡°You can¡¯t enter! You are trespassing in this house! I will sue you!¡± However, no matter how loud Jeremy shouted, it was of no use. The moment the door opened, Jason rushed into the room. Just as the others were about to rush in, a roar suddenly came from inside. ¡°No one cane in!¡± Suddenly, the footsteps of the people who had been about to rush in stopped in an instant. Jason¡¯s eyes were blood-red as he stared at the scene in front of him. The clothes on Grace¡¯s body had been torn off. She Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. was cowering in a corner, being beaten and kicked by a man who was still smiling. Her delicate body was curled like a shrimp, and she was holding a broken piece of mirror in her hand, but at this point, she didn¡¯t have the strength to fight back. The only thing she could do was keep herself from fainting. She could only try to stay conscious under the constant barrage of pain. Fresh, dark red blood continuously dripped down from her palm to the light-colored sheets, making it look as if poppies were blooming. But the man beating her was still mumbling, ¡°My dad said that if a woman is not obedient, I need to beat her! If I beat her, she will be obedient. So I want to beat you, beat you, beat you¡­¡± The next moment, Jason directly rushed forward and pulled the man away from Grace. He then pushed him to the ground and stepped on him. His Grace had been beaten by the fool. A hint of murderous intent shed in his pitch-ck pupils. There was a sharp pain in the chest of Miller the fool as he was stepped on. He wanted to get up but he couldn¡¯t move. Even if he was stupid, he still had an instinctive sense of crisis. He only felt that the person who was stepping on him was terrifying, like a God of Death who was going to take his life. Jason¡¯s eyes were scarlet and the killing intent in them was getting stronger and stronger. All of a sudden, the sound of breathing came into his ears, shaking him awake from that state. Grace! He directly kicked Miller the fool out of the room, then he looked at Grace curled up in the corner. At this moment, her body seemed to be soft, her cheeks. abnormally red, and there was blood around the corners of her mouth. Her almond-shaped eyes, which had originally been warm, now seemed to have no focus at all. No one knew what she was looking at. Just like a weak little animal, she was still struggling desperately, wanting to protect herself. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 All of a sudden, he felt a twinge of pain in his heart. She had clearly been fine when she had left this morning, but now¡­ she had been turned into this pitiful state. If he hade with her earlier in the day, she would not have encountered such a thing. When he wanted to get close to her, her body shook even more, and the hand she was using to hold the mirror shard tightened its grip. Suddenly, the blood in her hands surged even more. ¡°Sis, it¡¯s me. Rx. You¡¯re safe now. No one will do anything to you anymore,¡± Jason said anxiously. In the past, he had never been afraid of blood. Even if someone had dripped blood in front of him, he would not have been moved at all. However, at this moment, he was afraid of her blood. He was afraid that her injuries would worsen and that she would keep on bleeding. This kind of fear made his body tremble. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Grace felt as if her body had lost all sensation and control. She could only feel the heat and slight pain. Only when she was in pain could she protect herself and keep herself from falling asleep. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep here, I absolutely can¡¯t!¡± Being isted and helpless, she had once thought that when she was released from prison, she would be in charge of her own life. However, nothing had changed. Once something had happened, no one could help her! She could only bear this pain alone¡­ ¡°Sis¡­ sis¡­¡± A voice rang in her ears. ¡°Who is it? Who is calling out to me?¡± She tried her best to open her eyes, trying to see who was calling her. ¡°Sis, don¡¯t be afraid, I will take you away from this ce!¡± the person said. Her vision, which had no focus, started to clear up little by little. Her dark pupils then finally reflected the man¡¯s figure. ¡°J¡­ Jay¡­¡± She said his name with difficulty. Her voice was so hoarse that it sounded as if her throat had been scratched with sand. ¡°It¡¯s me. No one can hurt you once I¡¯m here!¡± He said, his handsome face serious. He was heart-broken when he made his oath. She looked at him in a daze. At this moment, it seemed that there was something different about Jay, but¡­ it was still Jay! As if all the strength she had been struggling to hold on to had been drained, her hand suddenly loosened, and the shard of mirror in her hand fell. She also fell to one side. He stretched out his arms to catch her, then directly took off his coat, wrapped it around her, and picked her up. ¡°Sis, go to sleep. I¡¯ll take you back,¡± Jason said softly. Leaning on his chest, she could feel his familiar aura. It was as if she was no longer alone at this moment. There was someone else that she could rely on. ¡°Jay, you¡¯re finally¡­ here¡­¡± she muttered. Her head tilted as she leaned into his embrace, gasping for breath. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here,¡± he replied as he stared at the person in his arms. She didn¡¯t have to be afraid of anything! As he spoke, he carried her out of the room. The people outside saw Jason walk out holding a woman wrapped in a man¡¯s suit. They could not see the woman¡¯s appearance at all as her face was almost buried in Jason¡¯s arms. Only her long hair could be seen outside the suit. One could still hear the woman¡¯s breathing, which was very heavy at that moment. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Seeing the careful look on Jason¡¯s face as he carried the woman in his arms, everyone could tell that this woman was very important to him. Those who were aware of Jason¡¯s true identity secretly suppressed their thoughts when they saw this scene. After all, he was a big shot in Emerald City. How could he appear in such a ce in the early morning just for a woman? Moreover, he had made such a big scene. Regardless of who she was, they were afraid that she would disrupt half of Emerald City. ¡°Find out who is involved in this matter, none of them should be left out,¡± Jason said. ¡°Yes.¡± One of his subordinates, who was walking beside him, answered. At this moment, Jeremy and his wife looked down at their son, who was shouting with pain, and then they looked at the policemen in the yard. They wanted to cry but they had no tears to shed. The couple red angrily at Grace¡¯s uncles. ¡°Who the hell is she?¡± Her uncle and second uncle also looked pale. They looked at each other in dismay. Was this niece of theirs not a helpless woman who had just been released from prison for less than half a year? Otherwise, they would not have tried to take advantage of her! But now¡­ obviously, there was a big shot backing their niece! Before that¡­ When they thought of what they had said at the dinner and the fact that they had drugged their niece, they instantly broke out into a cold sweat. Why hadn¡¯t Grace admitted that she knew some big shots! If she had told them, they would not have done such a thing! Grace felt her body bing more and more ufortable and feeling as if she wanted something out of instinct, but could not tell what it was. She could only rely on the people around her. That familiar aura made her feel at ease, and then¡­ she wanted more¡­ Jason looked at the person who was moving around more and more in his arms, and his face became gloomy. Damn it, if he hade a littleter, or if she hadn¡¯t called him, she would have been¡­ ¡°Mr. Reed, we¡¯ve already found something. The drug they fed Miss Cummins was a kind of pill that was secretly sold in a small local bar. I¡¯ve already sent people to find out the ingredients of the drug,¡± Terrence said, reporting thetest news to Jason. ¡°Who gave her the drug?¡± Jason asked coldly. ¡°It was her rtives. We haven¡¯t asked who exactly. They¡¯re all trying to me it on each other,¡± Terrence said. Jason¡¯s eyes turned colder. Being betrayed by her rtives must have been a devastating blow. He felt that the person in his arms was moving more and more violently and seemed to be getting more anxious. He lowered his head and heard her vaguely cry, ¡°Jay¡­ Jay¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Jason¡¯s originally cold gaze turned gentle in an instant. He lowered his head andforted her with a gentle voice, ¡°I¡¯m here, sis, hang on for a while, it¡¯ll be over soon¡­¡± However, she acted as if she couldn¡¯t hear his words. She continued to move restlessly, her fingers scratching his body randomly. He raised his hand and tried to wipe back her sweat-soaked hair, but she suddenly opened her mouth and bit his finger. ¡°Mr. Reed!¡± Seeing this, Terrence immediately shouted. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jason said faintly as if he did not feel any pain, ¡°How long will it take for us to reach the hospital?¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes or so,¡± Terrence said. In her current state, Miss Cummins definitely couldn¡¯t go to an ordinary small hospital. She had to go to one of the major hospitals in the city. When the car arrived at the hospital, Terrence finally discovered the ingredients of the drug that Grace had been fed. The doctors had been in touch with them on the way, and they were all well-respected doctors. If anyone saw these doctors present, they would be shocked. It would have taken a big event for these doctors to gather together in such a short time. However, the doctors were looking at the prescription list of the drug and giving an urgent consultation to a woman who was wearing cheap clothes that had been torn to pieces. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Give her a sedative and let her sweat until her body pushes the drug out. It should be enough. As long as this drug is not consumed inrge doses for a long time, it will not have any long-term effects on the body,¡± one of the famous medical doctors said. ¡°In addition, she can take some medicine over the following three days to elerate her body¡¯s metabolism.¡± ¡°Then, give her the sedative quickly,¡± Jason said. A sedative was injected into Grace¡¯s body soon after, and she immediately quieted down as if she had fallen asleep. Seeing this situation, Jason finally let out a small sigh of relief. ¡°But we do not have clinical data on this type of drug, so I don¡¯t know whether we have injected enough sedatives. If she continues to have the same symptoms as before, I¡¯m afraid that she will need to have another shot,¡± the doctor said. After the doctor left the ward, Jason ordered Terrence, ¡°Go and guard the entrance.¡± ¡°Then what about you, Mr. Reed?¡± ¡°I will stay here and look after her,¡± Jason said. Terrence nced at Grace, who was still unconscious. He then looked at Jason and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I look after her? If you suddenly leave like this, I¡¯m afraid that Old Master will¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that my grandpa will find someone to investigate on his own. There is no need to hide this. Anyway, sooner or now, and I will apany her.¡± Hearing this, Terrence didn¡¯t say anything else and left the ward. Grace and Jason were the only two people left in therge VIP ward. He walked over to the bed, lowered his head, and stared at the person lying there. ¡°Grace¡­¡± he murmured in a low voice. He raised his hand and gently caressed her cheeks, which were burning hot. ¡°I¡¯ll help you get vengeance for what you¡¯ve suffered today. Anyone who hurts you will pay for it ten times or even a hundred times. Is that alright?¡± However, the sleeping person did not answer his question. Jason sat quietly by the bed and simply looked at her. It was as if this was the only way for him to feel at ease. He could not rest assured if there were others looking after her. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. After a while, her body, which had been motionless, suddenly moved again, and a vague sound came out of her mouth. Jason frowned slightly and leaned over, trying to wipe away the beads of sweat from her forehead. But when he got close to her, her eyes suddenly opened, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her cheeks were still red, and even her lips seemed to be dyed vermilion. It was like her dark almond eyes were covered with ayer of gauze, hazy yet beautiful. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 ¡°Jay¡­¡± Her mumbling voice sounded from her mouth, and it was as if a ten-thousand-pound weight was smashing into his heart. His body froze all of a sudden as if all his senses had been enveloped by her voice. She raised her chin, and on her delicate face was a smile. Her soft lips came close to his and she kissed him deeply. He was in a daze as he took in her kiss. He could¡¯ve easily dodged this kiss. He knew that she was only doing it because she was under the effects of the drug. But¡­ he couldn¡¯t bear to do such a thing. He couldn¡¯t make himself refuse this kiss. When she kissed him, he felt like he was falling under a spell. She then continued to deepen the kiss. When the tip of her tongue pried open his teeth, his body suddenly stiffened. However, after that, he opened his mouth and allowed her to do as she wished. She was probably the only person who he would allow to do this to him. The blood in his body seemed to be boiling. He had always been a cold person. Even if a woman came close to him, she wouldn¡¯t be able to move him whatsoever. But she was different. Her kiss, her breath, and every touch from her fingers entranced him further and further. Finally, she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Jay, it¡¯s so ufortable¡­ so ufortable¡­¡± Only then did he suddenlye back to his senses. Just now, he had almost taken her directly! When he looked at her, his dark eyes were full of desire, but he was forcibly suppressing 1. Even if he really did want her, it wasn¡¯t appropriate in a situation like this. After taking a deep breath, he pressed the nurse¡¯s call button. After a while, the doctor and nurse rushed over and gave Grace a sedative, and only then did she quieten down. Others might not have discovered anything, but Terrence had been by Jason¡¯s side for so many years. He could more or less. sense that his own boss was acting strangely at the moment. It was as if he was suppressing something. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Terrence looked at Grace on the bed and suddenly had an inkling as to what was going on. Sometimes, how much a man cared about a woman was not measured directly by how much he wanted her, but rather by how much he could restrain himself when he wanted her. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Who would have thought that a man like Mr. Reed would forcefully hold back his own desire for the sake of a woman? ¡°Mr. Reed¡¯s care for her is probably carved into his bones at this point!¡± That was all Terrence was thinking when he left the room. On the evening of Thanksgiving, the Stevens and Atkinson families had their celebratory dinner together. After that, Lily went to the back garden of the Stevens family¡¯s house with Sean. ¡°Is there anything between you and Jason?¡± Lily suddenly asked. Sean¡¯s body stiffened all of a sudden. He looked at Lily with a pale face. ¡°What are you talking about? What could there be between us?¡± ¡°If not, then why did your expression look so bad after talking to Jason at our engagement party? Also, are the matters. of Zoe being injured and the Stevens family failing to gain approval for a loan from the bank connected to one another?¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Lily asked him a series of questions and each of them made Sean¡¯s face turn paler. ¡°That¡¯s enough, these things don¡¯t have anything to do with each other. You need to stop asking,¡± Sean said vaguely. Lily was not willing toply. ¡°Sean, we are engaged, and it won¡¯t be long before we get married. Is there anything between us that we can¡¯t talk about?¡± Sean hesitated. Of course, he wanted to confess. After all, the matter regarding Jason and Grace had been a weight on his mind. Especially these days, his parents had been worried that he was still in love with Grace, so they had been nagging him not to go and see her again. But he had long since stopped having feelings for her! He had to force himself to not say anything, but at the same time, he also worried about Lily getting the wrong idea. ¡°Lily, there are some things that I can¡¯t say.¡± Sean took a deep breath. Lily stared at him and said, ¡°Does Zoe¡¯s injury have something to do with Grace?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Sean looked at his fianc¨¦e in surprise and could not speak. His expression convinced her that she was right. ¡°So it really does have something to do with her. Don¡¯t tell me that Grace got to know some people with a background of being in prison?¡± Lily continued to guess. However, before Sean could answer, a voice suddenly rose. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that just great. So it turns out that I got injured because of Grace!¡± Zoe limped over. Originally, she had just wanted to call her brother and Lily to return to the main hall, and she had not been expecting to hear this. Speaking of getting injured, she was terribly depressed. Her feet were broken, and she had suffered a lot in the hospital. She had be a joke among her friends. And in the end, not only had she been unable to find out who had made her like this, but she had also been unable to attend her brother¡¯s engagement party. She had a belly full of anger. She was furious when she heard that Grace had sent someone to deal with her. She wanted to find Grace immediately and settle the score. ¡°Brother, if you keep speaking up for Grace, I will not recognize you as my brother anymore! I don¡¯t know when my foot will recover, and it might not even healpletely in the future. Brother! Grace sent people to hurt me. I have to cripple her leg, otherwise, I might as well change my surname!¡± Zoe said ruthlessly. As she spoke, she took out her mobile phone, looking as if she wanted to call for assistance. ¡°As I said before, if you want to live peacefully, don¡¯t bother Grace!¡± Sean exhorted. ¡°Why? Who does she think she is? Do you think that I¡¯m afraid of her? Does she think it¡¯s enough to find some people she knows in prison to help her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, Zoe is the youngdy of the Stevens family. If she does not retaliate when being bullied, then everyone would walk all over the Stevens family¡¯s head in the future,¡± Lily said, speaking up for Zoe. ¡°What do you all know? It¡¯s Jason who¡¯s behind Grace!¡± Sean blurted this sentence out in response. As soon as he said it, his face turned pale. This matter had actually been revealed by him. If Jason were to find out about it¡­ Like him, Lily¡¯s and Zoe¡¯s faces also looked pale. It was Jason? ¡°How is this possible? How could Jason have helped Grace? Back then, she caused Jennifer¡¯s death!¡± Zoe said in disbelief. Sean said straightforwardly, ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s true. Jason may have taken an interest in Grace. In short, Zoe¡¯s injury this time should also be the work of Jason. In addition, it¡¯s Jason who said that he didn¡¯t want Zoe to attend the engagement party.¡±¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Zoe almost fainted. She had not been expecting the reason for her suffering such a serious injury to be that Jason had wanted to vent Grace¡¯s anger for her. Why was it Grace?! In the past, Jennifer Atkinson had been a famous beauty! As for Grace¡­ Well, even if Zoe admitted that Grace was a good-looking woman, after three years of imprisonment, she was now a street sweeper. Without maintaining her looks at all in those years, how beautiful could she be? How could Jason, who had gotten used to beautiful women, be interested in Grace?! ¡°So don¡¯t go and make trouble for Grace anymore,¡± Sean warned his sister. ¡°Also, you¡¯d better bury what I said to you today in your heart. Don¡¯t say it to anyone. Not even your parents! Jason said that he doesn¡¯t want others to know about it. Me telling you this today is already a big mistake.¡± Zoe stopped talking. If it had been someone else, she could still have found a way to vent her anger. But if it was Jason¡­ if she really provoked this person, the Stevens family might not be able to stay in Emerald City anymore. That person¡­some said that he was the king of Emerald City, some said that he was the god of war in the business world, and some said that he was simply¡­ crazy. It was said that there was once a woman who had bought out a hotel manager and acquired the details of the room. number along with a set of spare keys for his room in the hotel. because she wanted to get close to him. She wanted to have a romantic encounter. As a result, the woman was wrapped in bedsheets and thrown directly out onto the road outside of the entrance of the hotel. Later, the woman¡¯s family business started encountering trouble everywhere. The daughter of an originally-rich family became a pauper in less than a year, and she could only sell herself in a nightclub to make a living. As for the hotel manager who had been bribed, it was said that no one saw him in Emerald City ever again. Some said. that he had left the city, some said that he died, and some said that he was kidnapped by a human trafficker to do menialbor. In short, there were all kinds of rumors about what had happened. All in all, Jason was definitely a vicious person. If she offended him, she would drag her entire family down with her. It was also after the incident that many of the notable socialites in the city no longer dared to target Jason. Although Jason was physically attractive and rich, who wanted to take that risk? After all, the socialite who had be a nightclubdy had be the subject of jokes and served as a warning to these Emerald City socialites. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Sean asked again. ¡°I¡­ I know. It¡¯s no big deal. I just won¡¯t mess with Grace in the future,¡± Zoe said reluctantly. Zoe took a few awkward steps and left the garden. Sean turned to Lily and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hall.¡± However, at that moment, Lily¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together, and her expression was extremely unsightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t ept that Jason fell for Grace?¡± Sean asked. After all, Grace had killed Jennifer Atkinson in the past. ¡°Do you think¡­ that Jason might reopen the case for Grace?¡± Lily asked. ¡°Reopen the case?¡± ¡°After all, with Jason¡¯s abilities, it would not be impossible for him to clear Grace¡¯s name. If Grace¡¯s case were really reopened, then my sister¡¯s death¡­¡± Lily gritted her teeth and clenched her fist tightly as her body trembled. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Do you think it will be so easy to reverse the court¡¯s verdict? All the evidence back then pointed to her. Even if Jason wanted to reverse the verdict for her, I¡¯m afraid it wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡± Sean patted his fianc¨¦e¡¯s shoulder andforted her. ¡°What¡¯s more, Jason is just acting on the spur of the moment. With Grace¡¯s status, it¡¯ll be impossible for her to marry into the Reed family. I¡¯m afraid that the old man of the Reed family will be the first to reject her.¡± When Lily heard this, her eyebrows gradually rxed. ¡°That¡¯s for the best. Otherwise, my sister would have died in vain. I knew I had let her off too easily when she was in prison!¡± Sean pursed his thin lips. ¡°Let her off too easily?¡± The scene of her ten fingers bleeding and every bone in her fingers being broken shed in his mind again. Back then, he had watched coldly from the side. One could even say that he had been an aplice. If one day Grace wanted Jason to seek justice for her, then he and the Stevens family would¡­ Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Thinking of this, Sean couldn¡¯t help but shiver. He looked at Lily next to him. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Now, the Stevens family and the Atkinson family were in the same boat. ¡°Even if Jason was really interested in Grace, he wouldn¡¯t¡­ take action against both families for a woman, right?¡± After all, Grace ending up in that state back then was all her own fault, right? Grace felt that she had been having a very long dream. In her dream, she felt like she had returned to prison. No matter how hard she tried to escape or plead for mercy, she could not escape the torture. Bone-chillingly cold, filthy water, punches and kicks rained down on her as the people said with mocking tones, ¡°Look, she was a greatwyer, an intellectual. But now, she is just like us. Actually, she¡¯s not even better than me right now. She can¡¯t even fight back!¡± How long was she supposed to endure all this suffering? Why¡­ Why did she have to suffer such pain when she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong? ¡°Grace, do you know what was your biggest mistake? Offending the lord of Emerald City.¡± ¡°Grace, anyone who offends Jason will not have a good ending.¡± ¡°Grace, Mr. Reed is merciful. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t kill you. Otherwise, you would have died in prison!¡± Merciful? She had been imprisoned for three years. She was wounded all over. She might not ever be able to have a child in her life. Could this be called being merciful? She felt so much pain that it was as if her body was about to explode. Who would save her from all this suffering? ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± She struggled desperately, but she didn¡¯t know what she was struggling for. Was it because she wanted to break free from the pain in her body, or was it because she wanted to break away from such a tragic fate? Who could help her? Who could protect her? ¡°Sis, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m right here. No one can hurt you.¡± A familiar voice sounded by her ear. ¡°Whose voice is this?¡± ¡°Oh, right, it¡¯s Jay! Jay!¡± Grace opened her eyes with some difficulty. What entered her view was a face that was as handsome as a deity¡¯s. This was¡­ Jay! But¡­ it seemed that there was something different about him. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re finally awake. Are you still feeling unwell?¡± Jason¡¯s cold voice contained a hint of tenderness. Grace shook her head. After she had sat up with his help, she realized that there was something different about him. His thick bangs were nowbed back, revealing his full forehead. He was wearing a tailor-made suit with a fie around his neck and had a watch on his wrist. Grace recognized the watch¡¯s brand. If this watch was authentic, then it would have to be worth at least a few million dors. ¡°Is this¡­ Jay?¡± She blinked her eyes and felt that everything was a bit surreal. ¡°Sis, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked again because she looked to be in a trance. ¡°Are¡­ are you really Jay?¡± she asked in a low voice. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± he replied. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re wearing¡­¡± Only then did he realize that the outfit he was wearing was the same one that he had worn the day before for dinner with his grandfather. ¡°If I were the Jay she knows, I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford to wear things like this. ¡°However, after all that we went throughst night, I don¡¯t wish to conceal my identity anymore. After Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. all, I¡¯ll have to tell her who I really am sooner orter. If I do it now, it¡¯ll just be at bit sooner than originally nned. ¡°And once she knows my real identity, it¡¯ll be easier for me to take her under my wing.¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m dressed differently, I¡¯m still Jay, right?¡± he asked. with a faint smile as he looked at her. At that moment, even if Grace had been an idiot, she would have been able to sense that something was wrong. She realized that there were some things that were not as she had originally imagined. ¡°You¡¯re not a homeless person? ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he confessed. ¡°Then¡­ why did you pretend to be a homeless person?¡± A feeling of having been deceived rose within her and she red at him. Her two hands clenched tightly to the bedding covering her and her fingers trembled slightly. ¡°The younger brother who I thought was innocent and had no one to depend on is not at all what I thought. It had been my own wishful thinking from start to end. ¡°It¡¯s just as Lina said. I knew nothing of him and yet I rashly brought him back home. ¡°And if he isn¡¯t really a homeless person, why was he staying with me in that cramped rental apartment? What do the days that we spent living together mean to him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pretend. You made an assumption and I didn¡¯t correct it,¡± he argued. Grace paused slightly, and for a moment, she did not know how to refute him. ¡°Then¡­ then why did you still live with me? You have a house!¡± she eximed as she red at him. ¡°Because it felt good living with you and¡­¡± he said and raised a hand to lightly smooth out her rather messy hair. ¡°Back then, you were the one who ¡®wanted¡¯ me. That¡¯s why I stayed, okay?¡± Grace bit her lip as her face paled and reddened repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s right! I was the one who took the initiative from start to end!¡± She pushed back the covers, wanting to get out of bed and leave the ce, but as soon as her feet touched the floor, her body suddenly weakened and she fell forward. It was as if her legs had turned to mush, devoid of energy. He stretched out his arms and caught her. ¡°The drugs in your body haven¡¯t beenpletely discharged yet. You were suffering the whole night yesterday, so I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have any energy for now.¡± His reminder caused her to suddenly recall the incident that had happened the previous night. ¡°Last night¡­ I was drugged by my uncles and then¡­they took me over to Miller¡¯s house.¡± Grace¡¯s face paled instantly. ¡°After that, I¡­ I was carried into Miller the Fool¡¯s room. Then¡­ they closed the room door and the fool lunged at me¡­¡± ¡°Last night, I¡­¡± Her lips trembled and her entire body shiverea. He lowered his head to study the woman in his embrace. ¡°At this moment, she¡¯s just like a small and weak animal. She looks so fragile, as if she couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow. She¡¯s so goddamn¡­ pitiful.¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ¡°People can¡¯t help but want to protect her at all costs.¡± ¡°Too many people call me cruel and cold-blooded, and yet they would never expect that I want to protect her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The thing you feared would happen didn¡¯t happenst night. When I rushed over, it was just in time,¡± Jason said. ¡°It really is him¡­ who saved me!¡± Grace raised her head and dazedly stared at the face that was inches away from her. ¡°But why did you go there to save me?¡± She thought to herself, ¡°He didn¡¯t evene with me to town yesterday!¡± ¡°Sister, did you forget? You called me and I rescued you,¡± he replied with a faint smile. ¡°Luckily, I got there in time.¡± ¡°After only a phone call, he was able to travel more than a hundred kilometers just in time to save me?!¡± Grace felt an indescribable shock coursing through her heart. He spoke as he carried her to the bed and carefully tucked her under the covers. ¡°Your hand was cut by the mirror shard. It¡¯ll Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. probably take a few days for it to heal. If there¡¯s a scar, I¡¯ll hnd the best doctors to remove it for you.¡± Only then did Grace notice that her right hand was bandaged ayer of gauze. She had been so distracted by the many shocking revtions that she had not realized that there was a dull pain in her right hand. ¡°How much of yesterday do you remember, Sister?¡± Jason asked with a serious expression. Grace bit her lip lightly and did not try to hide the events that had happened the night before during the dinner, rying everything to Jason without reservation. Jason¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Her rtives are truly¡­ they sold her to a fool! They sure have guts! ¡°If anyone dares to scheme against her, I will never let them get away!¡± Just then, Jason¡¯s phone suddenly rang and he frowned as he nced at the caller ID. He then turned to Grace and said, ¡°I lied to you when I hid my identity from you. You can have me apologize to you in any way you like, but now that you¡¯re hospitalized, you should take good care of yourself. I¡¯ll go and get the doctor.¡± When Jason was done talking, he left the room and gave instructions to Terrence, who had been keeping watch outside. ¡°Grace has already woken up. Call for the doctor to check on her condition.¡± Only after he had finished giving orders did he answer the call. Mr. Reed¡¯s voice rang at the other end of the phone. ¡°Why did you take so long to pick up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little busy,¡± Jason replied calmly. ¡°Is it rted to the woman you savedst night?¡± Mr. Reed asked frankly. Jason was not surprised that the Old Master had found out aboutst night¡¯s incident. After all, he had been pressed for time the night before and had informed the town¡¯s police beforehand. He had mobilized their forces, and members of the Miller family and Grace¡¯s rtives were still locked up in the small town¡¯s police station. It had been easy for the Old Master to investigate the matter due to the paper trail left behind. ¡°What is your current rtionship with this woman?¡± The tone of the Old Master¡¯s voice had gone cold. ¡°She¡¯s someone I¡¯m protecting,¡± Jason repliedzily, ¡°so you shouldn¡¯t touch her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget how your father died!¡± The Old Master suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Do you want to follow in your father¡¯s footsteps?¡± Jason¡¯s expression darkened instantly. ¡°Dad¡¯s past has always been a taboo to me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t forget,¡± Jason replied coldly. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not like Father. I would never risk everything for a woman, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much!¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Once he was done talking, he ended the call. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Mr. Reed stared at the phone in his hand for some time before passing it to the attendant nurse. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t worry? It would be great if it were true and yet sometimes, hisck of self-awareness is the most terrifying thing. Just like my son all those years ago who promised me: ¡®Dad, I will never forgo the Reed family¡¯s responsibilities for a woman.¡¯ ¡°And yet, ultimately, my son abandoned the Reed family for a woman. He didn¡¯t even want his life!¡± ¡°Look into it and find out who that woman is. I want to know every single detail about that woman,¡± Mr. Reed ordered calmly. ¡°Yes,¡± said a man wearing a ck suit and gold-rimmed sses who was sitting in the corner of the hospital room, his fingers rapidly flying across theptop keyboard. Gracey in the hospital bed, her mind still in a mess. After all, plenty of things had happened within the span of a day and she could note to her senses. The doctor and nurse had just visited to run some basic tests on her, taking some of her blood and conducting some examinations. Only in the afternoon, after the blood test results hade out, could they determine her condition. Just then, someone gently knocked at the door to her room. and then pushed it open to enter. Grace studied the young man dressed in a suit and tie who looked fair and gentle. ¡°He¡¯s probably only a few years older than me.¡± The man looked at Grace with a smile and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Cummins. I am Terrence¡­ ¡®Jason¡¯s¡¯ secretary. This is your phone and bag. Can you please check the items in your bag and confirm that nothing is missing?¡± As he spoke, he put her things in the storage space at Grace¡¯s headboard. Just as he was about to leave, Grace suddenly called after him. ¡°Who¡­ who is ¡®Jason¡¯?¡± Terrence respectfully replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you have to, Miss Cummins. I¡¯m just a secretary.¡± Grace changed the topic of conversation and asked, ¡°Then do you know the situation at my family¡¯s old residence?¡± Terrence did not avoid her question. ¡°Your uncles and aunt, as well as their spouses and children, have been temporarily detained. Originally your grandfather was also detained by the police but due to his advanced age, and in order to have someone by your grandmother¡¯s side to take care of her, he was released on bail.¡± Grace was surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that suddenly so many people would be detained. At home¡­ the only person who actually stood up for me was Grandma.¡± When Grace recalled the scene of the previous night, bitterness shed through her heart. ¡°Furthermore, the Miller family is also currently being detained at the police station,¡± Terrence added. When Terrence left the ward, Grace looked around the spacious room. ¡°A high-ss VIP ward and a personal secretary. Moreover, there was more than one doctor who came to check on me just now. There were several of them and they were all chief physicians. ¡°Furthermore, there were signs of them taking great care and showing respect in their attitudes when they were treating 1. ¡°I¡¯m sure they weren¡¯t respectful because of my identity. They only did so because I have the support of ¡®Jason¡¯. ¡°Who the hell is Jason?!¡± Grace felt as if her mind was even more muddled. She then picked up her bag that had been ced at the headboard and remembered that it had been left at her grandmother¡¯s house. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 She opened her bag and saw that all of her belongings were still inside. Her mobile phone had been discovered at the Miller residence and had been taken away from her. The phone had been turned off so Grace restarted it. She saw that her notifications were made up of a series of missed calls and text messages. Some were from her grandmother, a few were from Lina, and there were a couple of strange calls as well. ¡°I can more or less guess the reason for Grandma calling me, but Lina¡­¡± She looked at her notifications and realized that Lina had called her nearly twenty times. Grace quickly returned her call. Lina hurriedly answered it. ¡°Grace, is that you?¡± ¡°Yes, my phone was¡­ turned off yesterday. I only turned it on today and just saw your missed calls,¡± Grace exined. Lina let out a long sigh. ¡°My goodness! I called youst night but it didn¡¯t go through. You said that you were going to your grandmother¡¯s house and I was worried that something had happened to you. Other than your grandmother, the rtives from her side of the family are all the kind of people who hit others when they¡¯re down.¡± Lina prattled on. She had called Grace from the previous night all the way through to the next morning but had not gotten through at all. The more she had thought about it, the more anxious she had felt so she had decided that if she still could not reach her friend by noon, she would go straight to her grandmother¡¯s house in the afternoon since she knew the address. ¡°By the way, they didn¡¯t do anything badst night, did they?¡± Lina asked anxiously. ¡°They wanted to sell me off to a fool to be his wife and use the money to buy a house.¡± Grace did not try to conceal the truth and ryed to Lina the incident that had happened the night before at her grandmother¡¯s house. Lina listened with gritted teeth. ¡°Why are there such shameless people? You weren¡¯t taken advantage of, were you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Jay saved me, nothing happened to me,¡± Grace replied. ¡°Are you currently back at the rental apartment? I¡¯lle and find you,¡± Lina said. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not back yet. I¡¯m with Jay now. I¡¯ll meet you again when I¡¯m back,¡± Grace hurriedly replied. Lina advised Grace to be careful and indignantly said, ¡°Your family members should be punished. If you let them off too easily this time, they might sell you out again.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Grace said. After hanging up, she hesitantly stared at the missed call from her grandmother. ¡°What should I tell Grandma? Should I pretend that the incident never happened or should I say¡­ that my uncles and aunt are being punished as they deserve?¡± She took a deep breath and dialled her grandmother¡¯s number. Not long after, the call was picked up and she could hear her grandmother¡¯s slightly trembling voice. ¡°Grace, is that you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Grace could not help but feel her nose tingling upon hearing her grandmother¡¯s voice. ¡°Grace, did¡­did something happen to you yesterday? I¡­ I heard that you wereter saved by an important person. Did Miller the fool take advantage of you? Did they¡­¡± ¡°No, Grandma, I¡¯m fine. Nothing happenedst night,¡± Grace exined. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Her grandmother¡¯s tone showed her relief. ¡°If something had happened to you, how would I face your mother when I go to heaven!¡± Grace could feel a tingling sensation in her nose again. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Just then, Mr. Kelleigh¡¯s urging tone rang out at the other end of the phone. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking Grace to rush to the police station to withdraw the case so that our children can be C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org released!?¡± ¡°Released? Why should they be released? They¡¯vemitted such an evil act, they should be locked up for as long as they deserve!¡± ¡°They¡¯re your own children! Do you have to do this for a person who doesn¡¯t share our family name?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s my daughter¡¯s daughter! Her mother isn¡¯t here so this old woman must support her!¡± ¡°Are you doing this so no one will care for you when you¡¯re old? Or are you going to depend on your granddaughter who has been to prison to provide for you and attend your funeral?¡± The two old people continued their argument as if they had forgotten that the call was still connected. A moment passed before her grandmother realized that the phone was still on and said, ¡°Grace, are you still there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Grace replied. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to know that you¡¯re fine. Your uncles, aunt, and cousins must have been blinded by money tomit such an immoral act. You don¡¯t have to withdraw the case. Lock them up for as long as they deserve!¡± Grandmother exhorted in a stubborn manner and immediately hung up the phone. Grace clutched the phone and started sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°I had thought that Grandma was calling me to ask me to let go of the incident and not look into it. I thought she wanted me to ask the police station to release those people. ¡°I really never expected that Grandma would be calling to support me! ¡°It¡¯s just like when I was young and Dad left me at Grandma¡¯s and I was bullied by the other kids in town. When I was snivelling, Grandma would tug my hand and ask me to take her to look for the bullies. ¡°Grandma would say, ¡®Grace, don¡¯t cry. Grandma¡¯s here. Grandma will support Grace. We shouldn¡¯t bully others but that doesn¡¯t mean we should be bullied by them!¡¯ ¡°Grandma would reason with others for my sake. If she couldn¡¯t reason with them, she would even roll up her sleeves and act like a crazy woman. ¡°And yet, I found her so adorable when she acted that way. In everyone else¡¯s eyes, I was just a kid who had lost their mother and turned into a child from a previous marriage after Dad married my stepmother. ¡°But in Grandma¡¯s eyes, I was always her darling. ¡°Grandma always said, ¡®When Grace is all grown up, I¡¯ll be able to live infort! And yet, when I grew up, I went to jail just when I had be able to let Grandma live infort. ¡°At first, when Grandma heard the news of my incarceration, she was stricken with illness and struggled before recovering a littlest year. ¡°Grandma is well aware that if she stands by my side, she will be opposing Grandpa. She¡¯s bound to fall out with the family and might not even be able to stay in that house any longer, but she still chooses to stand with me.¡± A constant stream of tears rolled down her face, dripping onto her hands, the bedcovers¡­ When Jason entered the room, he saw Grace hugging her phone and crying incessantly. He frowned hard and hurried to her bedside. He held her face in his hands and asked, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong? Do you feel ill?¡± Her eyes were misty with tears as she studied the man before her and shook her head. However, her response only made him more worried. ¡°Sister, what happened to make you cry like this? Tell me. No matter what it is, I can help you solve it.¡± He dried her tears with his hands and when his fingers touched her tears, he could feel his fingertips burning. ¡°Her tears are so warm to the touch, they¡¯re scorching hot.¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¡°Her tears always make me feel a sense of helplessness. It¡¯s as if I would be willing to do anything to make her stop crying.¡± Grace cried out loud and suddenly leaped into Jason¡¯s embrace, bawling noisily. She could not exin why she had done such a thing at this time. And yet, when she hugged him with her face pressed to his chest, it was as if she did not need to suppress herself and she could release all the hurt in her heart without fear. Jason lowered his head and studied the woman sobbing in his embrace. He hugged her gently, letting her cry her heart out. Grace didn¡¯t know how long she had been crying for and when it ended, it was as if there were no more tears for her to shed. Jason used a tissue to gently wipe the tears from her face. ¡°Sister, can you tell me what really happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Grandma,¡± she said as she sniffled. ¡°Did shee to you to beg for leniency?¡± he asked, his gaze darkening slightly. ¡°No, Grandma just asked if I was fine and told me to ignore my rtives, saying that they should be locked up for as long as they deserve,¡± Grace replied in a nasal tone. Jason was rather surprised. ¡°Your grandmother is a good woman.¡± ¡°Grandma is very good to me,¡± Grace murmured. ¡°It just never urred to me that Grandma¡¯s treatment of me would be so good. She is willing to be at odds with the entire family in the name of upholding justice for me.¡± ¡°What about you? Do you want to let your rtives go?¡± Jason asked. Grace raised her gaze and stared fixedly at the man before her. Jason continued, ¡°If you want to let them go then I¡¯ll inform the police station to do so. If you want to punish them, I can get awyer and make sure they rot in prison for the rest of their lives.¡± He spoke casually, as if this was a very simple matter to him. Grace was slightly stunned. ¡°I studiedw. I know that once the nature of the crime changes, the charge will also be substantially altered. ¡°But no ordinarywyer would be able to win a case like this. To really ensure that my rtives would stay in prison for the rest of their lives, only a few truly exceptionalwyers would be able to take this to court!¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who are you?¡± Grace asked. When the question slipped out, she could feel her heart thudding from nerves and she even subconsciously held her breath. Grace¡¯s longshes trembled slightly and when Jason noticed that her hands were anxiously clenched into tight fists, he could not help frowning. He reached out to lift her right hand, which was wrapped in bandages, and pried open her clenched fist. ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t have to be so nervous. Clenching your hand like this will only make it harder for the wound to heal,¡± he said, noticing that blood had already seeped through the bandage around her palm. It appeared that her wound had been torn open when she had clenched it into a fist just then. Jason pressed the button to call for the nurse. The nurse arrived shortly and when she heard of the situation, she hurriedly removed the bandages from Grace¡¯s right hand. The wound on Grace¡¯s palm which had been caused by the mirror shard during the previous night¡¯s incident was bleeding incessantly. The nurse applied some medicine on the wound to stop the bleeding. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Grace silently studied the nurse¡¯s actions from start to finish. Her expression did not change even when she saw the nasty wound on her palm. Only when the nurse was rebandaging Grace¡¯s right hand with gauze did she unwittingly frown at the pain, but she did not cry out loud. ¡°Let me do it. Get out,¡± Jason ordered the nurse. The nurse bowed out of the room respectfully. Jason took the gauze and bandaged Grace¡¯s right hand in a very practiced manner. His movements were so gentle and careful that she could barely feel any pain in her hand. When he was done bandaging, he put down the gauze. ¡°Try to use your right hand as little as possible for the next few days. Don¡¯t clench your hand into a fist like you did just now. How much more blood do you want to lose?¡± She studied the dressing that he had done and noticed that the knot was tied very prettily. ¡°You seem to be very practiced in bandaging wounds.¡± Shadows shed through his eyes rapidly. ¡°I learned some 3. bandaging skills when I was young,¡± he said, then thought to himself, ¡°Back then, Dad was running around looking for Mom, and sometimes when he noticed someone with a simr silhouette, he would rush forward and stop them. He got beaten up a lot because of that. ¡°And I always helped Dad dress his wounds. I got pretty skilled at it after a long enough time. ¡°Ever since Dad died, I haven¡¯t bandaged someone like this. She is the only one.¡± ¡°Next time, don¡¯t hold shards of mirror in your hand. You were lucky this time to not have damaged your nerves. If you had, your hand would be crippled,¡± Jason said. Grace bit her lip. ¡°But if I hadn¡¯t done what I didst night, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to retain consciousness and would have fainted, then¡­ he would have been free to do what he wanted.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he asked. ¡°The scene I saw after barging inst Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. night of her clutching the shard and bleeding incessantly has been deeply imprinted on my mind. ¡°I have never seen a woman using such willpower to hold onto her consciousness. Even if her mental faculties were in a confused and semi-conscious state, her willpower was still strong enough for her to keep herself awake.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She lowered her gaze gently. ¡°This amount of pain. is nothing to me. Jay, do you know? Even if you lied to me¡­ I¡¯m still very grateful that you saved me yesterday. Back when I was in jail, no matter how much I begged or pleaded, no one was willing to let me go because I had offended someone I shouldn¡¯t have in Emerald City. Thus, all of the pain was what I deserved.¡± She paused to take a deep breath and continued, ¡°Butst night was different. When I was in pain, you came and it made me feel like I was not so lonely and helpless.¡± She replied softly but she did not notice that his expression had imperceptibly turned grave at her words. ¡°If there is anything that I regret in this life, it must be letting those people hurt her in jail all those years ago. ¡°Usually, I wouldn¡¯t care about the pain a woman went through in jail. Even if they died in there, I would just smile faintly at the news. ¡°And yet now, I don¡¯t want her to be hurt in the slightest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he mumbled. She raised her gaze and looked at him confusedly. ¡°Why are you apologizing? If you hadn¡¯test night, I wouldn¡¯t be safe and sound now.¡± She thought that he was apologizing forst night¡¯s incident. ¡°If he hadn¡¯test night, then my fate¡­ it¡¯s obvious what would have happened. ¡°I would have been imprisoned in the Miller residence until I gave birth to a child for the Miller family.¡± As the idea urred to her, her face unwittingly paled. Then she spoke to him as if she had mustered all of her courage. ¡°The person I offended was Jason. Back then, the Stevens family was afraid that I would implicate the Stevens Group, so Sean broke up with me. Now that you¡¯re helping me, what if it angers Jason¡­?¡± ¡°I think he might be one of those rich people and probably has some business dealings with the Reed family. After all, the Reed family is involved in providing the basic necessities of many residents of Emerald City. Some industries have even been monopolized by the Reed family. Therefore, Emerald City is sometimes jokingly referred to as the Reed family¡¯s city.¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Jason¡¯s throat felt tight, and he found himself unable to tell her that he was Jason. He had nned to tell her his identity! Her long hair flowed down her shoulders and her face looked pale under the light. She looked at him nervously with her almond eyes, as if she was worried over something. Life seemed to have been harsh on her and she had resigned herself to receiving unfair treatment. ¡°Sis, rest well in the hospital and don¡¯t worry about anything. After you are discharged, I will tell you who I am,¡± Jason said. Grace looked at him hesitantly before nodding her head. After she had voiced her concerns, she yawned, feeling tired. ¡°Sis, if you¡¯re tired, nap a while. The doctor said that you would feel drowsy for the next few days,¡± Jason said as he helped her to lie down. After a while, Grace fell asleep. Jason pursed his lips as he looked at her face. He touched her cheek tenderly and moved his hand to her lips. ¡°Sis, tell me, how should I inform you of the truth?¡± However, no one answered him. When Grace woke up, she saw Jason sitting by her side. He was still wearing the same suit. ¡°Are you hungry? Shall I get someone to bring you food?¡± he asked. When Grace heard this question, she nodded as she realized that she was famished. ¡°Let me take you to the washroom to wash up so that you can eat your breakfastter.¡± As Jason C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org spoke, he lifted Grace out of the bed. ¡°I can do it¡­¡± Before Grace could finish her sentence, she found herself being carried up in the air. She immediately wrapped her hands around his neck. Jason carried her to the washroom and put her down carefully on a chair beside the washbasin. He then put on a pair of felt slippers for her before helping her stand. ¡°Can you steady yourself?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied softly. Jason was standing behind her, his hands resting on the sides of the washbasin. He was supporting her in such a way that she was almost in his arms. Although she was standing on solid ground, she felt as if she was floating in the air. The minute she lifted her head, she could see herself and his face in the mirror that was mounted above the basin. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 After Jason had squeezed out some toothpaste onto the toothbrush, he filled the cup with warm water before cing it in her hand. Grace blushed and had no idea how she had managed to brush her teeth a few momentster. She was surrounded by his scent. Jason took a towel and wet it under the warm running water. ¡°I can do it myself¡­¡± Grace said, biting her lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t it easier if I do it?¡± he asked. Although what he said was true, they were standing too close to each other! His arms were on her sides, and when he wet the towel and wrung it¡­ Grace lifted her eyes to look into the mirror. All along, she had known that Jason was good-looking. However, his forehead was no longer covered by the bangs, and he was in a suit, looking elegant. He seemed high up, beyond one¡¯s reach. Grace hadn¡¯t noticed it in the past. Even Lina had reckoned that he was not a homeless person, but she had insisted that he was in a simr situation to her and had kept him by her side. ¡°Was it because¡­ I was feeling lonely?¡± The reality was that Jason wasn¡¯t a homeless person, and was in fact someone of distinct status. Grace could tell that his attire was expensive, and the doctors and nurses had treated him with great respect. ¡°Sis, what are you thinking about?¡± Suddenly, her thoughts. were cut off by his question. She came to her senses and saw him looking at her in the mirror. Their eyes met and Grace froze. She seemed trapped by his gaze. ¡°Sis, your face is red,¡± Jason muttered. He lowered his body, his lips close to her cheek. Grace felt Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. tickled as his warm breath blew over her cheek and neck. She blushed all the more. ¡°Why do you¡­ still address me as sis?¡± She tried to look away from the mirror by lowering her eyelids. ¡°Don¡¯t you like me addressing you as sis?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re not a homeless person¡­ so you don¡¯t have to address. me as your sis,¡± she mumbled. Jason was silent and the atmosphere became suffocating. The washroom was filled with only the sounds of running water as the two of them were not saying a word. ¦Ê¦Á¦É ¡°Are you angry with me for deceiving you?¡± Jason asked after some time. Grace was unsure of her feelings about the deception. She detested people deceiving her, especially when it had gone on for so long. However, she had enjoyed the time that they had spent together, and it was like a dream. Moreover, if he had not saved her, her life would have be like hell on earth. After taking a deep breath, she lifted her head to look at him in the mirror and said, ¡°Jay, I don¡¯t me you.¡± She knew that from then on, he would no longer be her brother. The two of them were from different worlds. Jason knitted his brows. He should have felt happy when she said that she did not me him. However, he felt disturbed by her gaze. She seemed to have alienated herself from him, and he did not like that feeling. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 After Grace had washed up, Jason carried her back to bed, and she saw that her meal had been served. Although it was a simple meal consisting of porridge and some other dishes, it looked appetizing. Grace¡¯s tummy suddenly growled loudly. ¡°The doctor rmended making you eat food that¡¯s easy to digest,¡± Jason said. He then started to put the dishes on the overbed table for her. If anyone had witnessed the scene, their eyes would have popped out of their heads. Mr. Reed, the man who called the shots in Emerald City, was attending to a woman. Grace took the utensils and started eating her food. When she lowered her head to eat, her long hair kept falling down her face, almost getting into the porridge. Just as she was about to look for a hairband to tie up her hair with, Jason showed that he was one step Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ahead of her and said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± As he spoke, he took out a hairband and a When Grace saw the logo on the hairband, she knew that it was branded. Before she had been imprisoned, she had bought a few hair essories carrying this brand as her ie had allowed her to do so back then. She had not expected Jay to be so attentive to have prepared such a trivial thing. ¡°Do you know how to do it?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you do it every day, so it¡¯s no problem,¡± Jason replied. He took theb and startedbing her hair before tying it up. Although he was not skillful, he did a good job. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Jason said. When the door opened, Terrence walked in. He was stunned when he saw the scene. ¡°Is Mr. Reed¡­bing a woman¡¯s hair for her?!¡± Mr. Reed had never paid any attention to the women who had flung themselves at him, let alone However, he seemed willing to do anything for Grace. Grace was surprised by Jay¡¯s actions. When she came to her senses after seeing Terrence¡¯s expression, she realized that Jay wasbing her hair! She felt embarrassed instantly. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jason asked, continuing tob her hair gently. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Terrence paused for a while and did not go on. When Jason saw this, he knew that his words were not meant for Grace¡¯s ears. Afterbing her hair, Jason said, ¡°Sis, enjoy your meal. I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± After they had gotten out of the ward, Terrence said, ¡°The security guard caught a reporter trying to sneak in. The reporter found out that Miss Cummins had been admitted to the hospital so he came to look for news to report.¡± Jason squinted his eyes and asked, ¡°Is he looking for a scoop? How did he find out that Grace had been admitted to this hospital?¡± ¡°He mentioned that someone posted on social media about you carrying Miss Cummins to this hospital When Jason heard this, he asked coldly, ¡°Was he trying to dig up news about me or Grace?¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 ¡°This reporter seems unaware that Miss Cummins has been. imprisoned before. He only knows her name and reckons that he can write a tabloid article about you,¡± Terrence said. Jason said coldly, ¡°Continue to interrogate him. Release him only after you¡¯ve got all the information you need from him. He mentioned that he saw someone post about this on social media. Go and find out who saw it and who mentioned it!¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Terrence replied. When Jason pushed open the door to the ward and saw Grace eating her porridge, he wondered if the reporter had chanced upon the news concerning the two of them. ¡°Was it a coincidence that we were discovered the night before, or¡­ was there something else?¡± Grace lifted her head and saw that Jason¡¯s face had darkened. He seemed unhappy, so she stared at him in amazement. Suddenly, the unhappy aura around him disappeared. A smile. broke out on his handsome face and he began behaving as usual. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Sis, why are you staring at me?¡± Jason asked. With some difficulty, she shook her head and replied, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± In that brief moment, Grace had felt as if she did not recognize him. ¡°Could it be that¡­ this is his true self?¡± When he smiled at her, he looked like an angel, but it could all just be ant act. Ever since Zoe had found out that Jason was the man behind. Grace, she had been down on her luck. That meant that she could not get back at the person who had hurt her leg! She had been mocked in her social group when they found. out that she had been admitted to the hospital because someone had broken her leg. If she could not recover from her leg injuries, she would be mocked for the rest of her life! She felt that it was Grace¡¯s fault. If not for her, she wouldn¡¯t be in such a state. Although Grace had gotten together with Jason, she had kept quiet about it. Zoe suspected that Grace had done it deliberately. She had pretended to be in a disadvantageous. position in order to trick her into dealing with her. After that, she had gotten Jason to avenge her! The more Zoe thought about that, the angrier she became. This day, her friends booked a private room for her to kill her boredom. However, she was unable to enjoy herself as she had to walk around with a crutch. When Zoe left the private room on her crutch, she saw a group of people walking toward her. One of them looked familiar to her! When the man walking at the head of the group saw her, he cracked a smile. He immediately walked over to her and said, ¡°Miss Stevens, I¡¯m surprised to see you here. Have you injured your leg? Ah, we should have visited you¡­¡± The man rattled on, trying to fawn over her, but Zoe could not recall who he was. Finally, he said, ¡°I¡¯m the director of FY Secondary Design Research Institute. We have business. dealings with the Stevens Group. I have seen Miss Stevens a couple of times at your Group¡¯s gatherings.¡± Although Zoe could not remember if she had met him before, she knew about the Fangyan Design Research Institute. It was a small design research institute. As the boss and one of the rtives of the Stevens Group knew each other, there were times when the Stevens Group would let them take some design jobs which were not as important. ¡°Are you having a gathering? Can I join you since I¡¯m free?¡± Zoe suddenly asked. When the director heard that, he was overjoyed. He said excitedly, ¡°Of course¡­ no problem. It¡¯d be great if you could join us!¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Zoe pursed her lips and smiled as she looked at a woman in the group from the corner of her eyes. She remembered that the woman had gone shopping with Grace, so she must be her friend. Although she could not vent her frustrations on Grace, she could do so to her friend! When Lina¡¯s eyes met Zoe¡¯s, she got a bad feeling. As expected, shortly after eating dinner, Zoe toasted with everybody. As it was inconvenient for her due to her injured leg, everyone took turns to go and toast her. When Lina was toasting her, Zoe deliberately shook her hand and dropped the wine ss to the floor. The wine sshed over her shoe. However, Zoe said, ¡°Even if you have no wish to toast me, you shouldn¡¯t have made me drop my wine ss. You could have told me that I was not wee to join you for dinner and I would have left.¡± Lina stared at Zoe after hearing what she had said. The director immediately stood in front of Zoe and insisted that Lina apologize to her without finding out if it was her fault. ¡°Lino, apologize to Miss Stevens immediately!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Lina, apologize immediately!¡± Her colleagues echoed. All of them knew that Zoe was out to make things difficult for Ling, but no one dared to offend her. She was from the Stevens Group, and they could lose their jobs if they did so. Lina stood still and stared at Zoe, not saying a word. ¡°Lina, don¡¯t get us into trouble. Do you want us to lose our jobs?¡± the director said softly to Lina as he pulled her to the side. Lina gritted her teeth and walked slowly over to Zoe. She lowered her eyelids and said, ¡°Miss Stevens, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Zoe curled her lips into a smile and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re aware that it¡¯s your fault, you should make up for it. My shoe is dirty. Clean it and I¡¯ll forget about the matter.¡± Lina stared at Zoe upon hearing those words. Zoe said, ¡°I¡¯m injured and I believe that you will not really insist upon me cleaning the shoe myself.¡± Lina¡¯s colleagues urged her to do it as well. Lina had no choice but to bend down and clean Zoe¡¯s wet shoe. She knew that Zoe was taking revenge on her. Suddenly, she felt d that she was the one Zoe was taking revenge on. If she had taken revenge on Grace, Grace would have been deeply hurt by her. Grace had been through a lot. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org All of a sudden, Zoe lifted her foot and stepped on Lina¡¯s hand. She exerted a lot of force, seeming like she wanted to crush her hand. Lina cried out in pain. No one had been expecting Zoe to act in that manner and they were taken by surprise. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m sorry to have stepped on you.¡± Although Zoe was apologizing to her, she was smiling happily. She refused to remove her foot from Lina¡¯s hand. Lina looked at her colleagues and then at Zoe before standing up suddenly. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Since Lina had stood up, naturally, she lifted her hand. Zoe was caught unaware and she fell to the ground. The chair that she had been sitting on fell on her and hit the leg of hers that was on its way to recovery. Zoe cried out in pain. When the rest of them saw her, they went over to her immediately to help her up. ¡°Lina, don¡¯t you want this job anymore? How can you treat Miss Stevens in this manner?!¡± the director reprimanded Lina angrily. Lina sneered, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t want this job anymore. I have had enough of it. I¡¯m merely earning a sry, not selling myself to the design research institute as a ve. Why should I allow myself to be treated in this manner?!¡± Zoe said angrily, ¡°Do you think you can get off scot-free by resigning? I will sue you for inflicting injuries on me!¡± ¡°Go ahead. I will sue you for deliberately hurting me too! I will go to the hospital to get an injury assessment report right away!¡± Lina said as she waved her injured hand before Zoe. Zoe was being presumptuous, but Lina was even more aggressive than her. Lina was fuming with anger. Since Zoe could not deal with Grace, she had chosen to attack her friend! ¡°Listen up. Do you think Jason will back you up just because. he¡¯s backing Grace up? Stop dreaming! Ho! He¡¯s just toying with her feelings. She has herself to me for killing sister Jennifer. Do you think Jason would fall for someone who killed his fianc¨¦e?!¡± The minute Zoe made thatment, Lina was stunned. ¡°Jason¡­ and Grace?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Why would Jason back Grace up? What do you mean by saying that he¡¯s toying with her feelings?¡± Lina asked Zoe as she stepped forth, staring at her. Zoe realized that she had let the cat out of the bag. Her Big Brother had instructed her not to tell anyone about it. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Zoe said as she Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. got to her feet. She leaned on her crutch and left hastily with her nurse. The director immediately went after her, trying to appease her. The rest of the colleagues started to me Lina, but she took 3/4 no notice of them. She was thinking over Zoe¡¯s words. ¡°Have Jason and Grace gotten together? If that were the case, Grace would have told me about it! ¡°Moreover, Grace is working in the Sanitation Service Center and her life is mundane. She couldn¡¯t have met Jason.¡± After Grace had gotten out of prison, the only man that she hade into contact with was Jay, whom she had found on the streets. When Jay¡¯s name shed through Lina¡¯s mind, she froze suddenly. ¡°Jay¡­ Jason¡­ ¡°Could it be¡­ Is this possible? Could such a thing happen? If Jay is Jason Reed, why was he pretending to be homeless and staying by Grace¡¯s side? ¡°What¡¯s his motive?¡± Lina¡¯s mind was in turmoil. Grace was able to walk on her own the following day. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 She was not as weak as she had been on the first day. Her phone rang from time to time with calls from rtives on her mother¡¯s side. As for their purposes, there were all kinds. Some of them were begging for forgiveness for their uncles and hoped that she could withdraw the case. Some of them were asking which big shot had taken her away from the Miller family that day. After all, there had been so many police cars tightly surrounding the Miller family that all the neighbors around Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. had seen it. Then, there were some people asking to borrow money from Grace. They said that since she knew a big shot, she should have a lot of money, and it was expected of her to help her rtives. Grace was speechless. With regards to this ¡°big shot¡±, even she did not know the true identity of ¡°Jay¡±. However, from what these people said, she slowly managed to piece together some things that Jay had not said. She figured out how she had been rescued from the Miller family that night. Grace left the ward and slowly walked along the corridor. She said to the nurse who was in charge of taking care of her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me. I want to walk around on my own.¡±¡± Having other people following her made her feel awkward. The nurse assented. The bodyguards who had been guarding the door of the ward didn¡¯t say anything when they saw this scene. After all, since this morning, Grace had already walked along the corridor several times. When Grace walked by the exit of the stairwell, she happened to see Jay through the ss door. He was standing to one side of the stairwell and making a phone call. With a cigarette in his hand, he leaned slightly against the corner of the wall. From her position, she could see his back, his elegant neck, narrow shoulders, slender legs, and fitting suit. Even if it was just a casual standing posture, it could make people feel like he was a model in a magazine. Before that, she had still been thinking that she would save up money to buy a suit for him in the future. She had wanted to see how he looked in a suit, but she had not expected that she would see him wearing a suit under such circumstances. At this moment, the phone she had brought with her suddenly rang. Grace quickly picked it up and looked at the caller ID. Surprisingly, it was a call from Lina. ¡°Lina, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Grace, you¡­ are you with Jay now?¡± Lina had to especially muster up strength when she said the word ¡°Jay¡±. ¡°Yes,¡± Grace replied. ¡°Then¡­ is he by your side now?¡± Lina continued, a hint of anxiety in her tone. ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± Grace said. Her eyes were looking at the figure behind the ss door. He was still talking on the phone with his back to her and had not noticed her. Her eyes moved down and fell to the cigarette between his fingers again. Speaking of which, she had not thought that he would know how to smoke. After all, he had never smoked in front of her. However, thinking about it, he must be the son of a rich and powerful family. It seemed impossible to think that he wouldn¡¯t know how to smoke. Moreover, his posture as he held the cigarette inexplicably gave off an indescribable elegance. This was the first time Grace had seen that there was a man who could hold a cigarette in such a handsome manner. ¡°Grace, do you know that ¡®Jay¡¯ is probably Jason Reed?¡± Lina suddenly asked. ¡°What?!¡± Grace felt as if her head was going to explode. Her eyes were fixed on the figure standing on the other side of the ss door. Jay? Jay was Jason Reed? How could that be possible? How could they be the same person?! Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not too sure either,¡± Lina said, ¡°I just bumped into Zoe. She mentioned something about Jason supporting you. She seemed to think that you were together with Jason. However, the only man Property ? N?velDrama.Org. to have suddenly appeared beside you is Jay. So, I was wondering if the so-called Jay could actually be Jason?¡± After all, from Jay¡¯s appearance, it was impossible to tell that he was a homeless person. On the other hand, there was no way of finding photos of Jason on the Inte at all. She had searched a while ago and only managed to find some distant images taken from afar or some images of him taken from behind. There was no clear image of his face at all. Grace only felt that the sound of Lina¡¯s voice was growing fainter and fainter in her ears. She knew that Jay was not an ordinary person, and perhaps he was very rich and noble. She knew that she and Jay were people from two different worlds. However, no matter what, she had never imagined that Jay could be Jason. That¡¯s right, Jay¡­ Why hadn¡¯t she thought of that before?! Jay¡­ was Jason. Compared to Jennifer Atkinson, the woman. who had died in a car ident, the person who had actually caused her more trauma was Jason. Other people had always said that she had caused the death of Jason¡¯s woman so she deserved to suffer. They were also trying to please Jason, so they had to make her miserable and suffer. Just because Jason had once said, ¡°Let her stay well in prison.¡± ¡°Stay well¡±¡­ That was why others had let her be ¡°well¡±. ¡°Grace, are you listening?¡± Lina asked. She felt that the other end of the line had gone unusually silent. She knew what that ¡°Jay¡± meant to Grace. If Jay was really Jason, it would certainly be a heavy blow to Grace. However, Lina didn¡¯t want her friend to be kept in the dark and taken as a joke. That was why she was making this call. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m listening.¡± Grace took a deep breath, her body trembling. It seemed that she could hardly hold the phone in her hand. ¡°Lina¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll call youter.¡± It took her almost all of her strength just to finish the sentence. ¡°Oh, okay. Grace, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t be too sad,¡± Lina said. At this moment, this was the only thing she could say. When the call ended, Grace silently peered through the ss door and looked at that silhouette. Yes, she had seen Jason¡¯s back view on the Inte before. At that time, she had still been thinking that that back view was somewhat simr to Jay¡¯s own back view. They were simply the same person, so the view of their backs. was obviously simr! ¡°I was the stupid one!¡± She pushed the ss door open silently¡­ At this moment, Jason was busy dealing with Patrick on the other end of the line. ¡°What kind of woman could make you leave your family¡¯s Old Master on Thanksgiving and immediately go to another town to save her?¡± Patrick was quite curious. ¡°How do you even know about this?¡± Jason asked. ¡°I happened to meet the deputy director of the police station. earlier today. I heard him talking about it.¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°..¡± What a gossip. ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring that woman over and let us meet her? I¡¯d rather like to know what that woman looks like,¡± Patrick suggested. After all, in their circle, Jason had always been cold towards women. Even Jennifer Atkinson, who had been engaged to Jason that year, had been treated coldly. It was unprecedented for him to rush over and besiege a house with C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org police cars in the middle of the night, just for a woman. When Patrick had heard about this, he was stunned. After the incident, he had specially called to ask. However, Patrick¡¯s curiosity made Jason inexplicably unhappy. He didn¡¯t want other men to be curious about her and didn¡¯t 4 want her to meet those people. He just wanted to have her in a ce where only he could see her. If Patrick and the others met her, and if she became one of their¡­ Jason knew that Patrick¡¯s group was quite popr among women, especially Brian. It seemed that any woman Brian liked would eventually be his girlfriend. Even though those women knew that the rtionship would be short lived, they continued to chase him. If Brian was interested in Grace¡­ As he thought about this, Jason¡¯s heart became agitated. Perhaps, in other people¡¯s eyes, the name ¡°Jason¡± meant that he could obtain any woman he wanted. However, these three words were Grace¡¯s greatest taboo. ¡°It¡¯s just a woman. What¡¯s there to see?¡± he said lightly. ¡°But this woman is different. You even abandoned your Old Master for this woman,¡± Patrick said, ¡°Tsk tsk, I haven¡¯t seen you care so much about any woman before. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen in love with her and want to hide her away?¡± The more Patrick said, the more agitated Jason became. What shed across his mind was that delicate and beautiful face. Uneasiness arose in his heart. ¡°Just moments ago, I was actually worried that she would fall in love with another man? Have I really fallen in love with Grace? No, that¡¯s impossible. I just liked the feeling of getting along with her.¡± He had sworn that he would never fall in love with any woman in this lifetime! ¡°There¡¯s nothing different. It¡¯s just a game to kill time, I¡¯ve been. bored. You don¡¯t have to be too curious,¡± he said, appearing to sound casual. The next moment, the clear sound of something falling to the ground came from behind him. Instantly, his body stiffened. He turned around and saw her. Unsure of how long she had been standing there without him. noticing, a feeling of fear suddenly spread in his chest before quickly enveloping his entire body. ¡°When¡­when did shee here? And how much of the conversation did she hear just now?!¡± For so many years, he had never felt this kind of fear. However, facing her now, it was as if he had grasped something but was unable to keep his hold on it. ¡°I said, Jason¡­¡± On the other end of the line, Patrick was still mumbling. Jason quickly ended the call. There was an endless silence between them. It was only when the cigarette between his fingers singed his hand that he put it out. ¡°Are you¡­ Jason?¡± Grace heard herself asking. There was no anger, no tears, noints. There was only¡­ calmness. When she had pushed open the ss door and heard him say that it was just a game, that it was to kill time because he had been bored, her originally chaotic heart had suddenly calmed down. That¡¯s right, that should be the answer. Otherwise, why would someone like Jason stay with her in the rental apartment for two months as ¡°Jay¡±? Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 It was because¡­ it had always been just a game, a game between the rich and the poor. Was he going to tell her his true identity and announce the end of this game when she was discharged from the hospital? However, her calmness made the fear in Jason¡¯s heart more intense. She was clearly standing in front of him, but he felt that the two of them were so far apart. ¡°Are you Jason?¡± She asked him for the second time. She was still so calm, as if she was simply seeking an answer. His thin lips were tightly pursed. His deep amorous eyes met her clear almond eyes. After a long while, he finally opened his mouth and uttered one word, ¡°Yes¡±. Grace¡¯s heart filled with bitterness. Indeed, this man was really Jason. Actually, she had been quite certain before, but¡­ she had not given up. She still wanted to hear him say it in person. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± She gently lowered her eyes, bent to pick up the fallen phone, then turned and pulled the ss door to leave. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm. His other hand pressed against the ss door, trapping her in between him and it. ¡°What do you understand?¡± he asked as he lowered his head to look at her. ¡°I know that you are Jason, and I know that this is just a game,¡± Grace said calmly, ¡°Mr. Reed, don¡¯t worry, I know what I should do. If this is your revenge, then I think¡­ in the past days, you would have realized that whatever I have to lose, has already been lost. There is nothing left for you to take revenge on.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes. Revenge¡­ did this woman think that he was taking revenge? Taking revenge for Jennifer Atkinson? Jennifer Atkinson wasn¡¯t worthy enough to make him do these things. However, the calmer she was, the angrier he became. Why was he so afraid, afraid of herposure, afraid that she would leave? He could not even tell whether he was annoyed with her or himself. ¡°As you said, what do you have for me to take revenge on?¡± he said coldly. She smiled bitterly. Indeed, to speak about revenge was to overestimate herself. In fact, he didn¡¯t have to lower himself like this. He could find someone else to do the work, like it had been when she was in prison. She believed that there would be many people who would be willing to give her a hard time in order to curry favor with him. ¡°Mr. Reed, could you please let me pass? I¡­ I want to go back to the ward first and pack my things,¡± she said. At this moment, at such a close proximity, his breath was circling around the tip of her nose, making her feel ufortable. ¡°I haven¡¯t allowed you to leave the hospital,¡± he said. He bent down slightly, and his face got closer to hers. His deep and beautiful eyes looked at her pale face. ¡°Also, since you called me ¡®Jay¡¯ before, you will continue to call me that.¡± ¡°Mr. Reed, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to continue this game. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for me to continue staying in the hospital.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Jay¡­ this form of address was like an insult. It reminded her of just how little she had. She had thought that from now on, she could have a younger brother to apany her. However, she did not know that the person apanying her was the one person she should avoid! A game, huh¡­ Jason red at the woman in front of him. Even though it had indeed begun as a game for him, after a while, it had ceased to be. ¡°If you really think this is a game, then it¡¯s up to me to decide when it ends.¡± He closed his eyes, his cheeks lightly touching her cheek, his skin gently rubbing against hers as if they were inexhaustibly intimate. Grace¡¯s body was still stiff. His aura was so warm, but she felt very cold. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¡°Am I right? Sister?¡± he exhaled and called her ¡°Sister¡± like before. The slightly raised intonation at the C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org end seemed to carry a kind of attachment. However, she felt as if mountains were pressing down on her chest, making her almost breathless. Grace returned to the ward with Jason. As soon as they entered the ward, Jason asked the nurse to leave. Suddenly, there were only the two of them. Grace was sitting rigidly on the chair, her head lowered. She didn¡¯t know what he was going to do. If he felt that she wasn¡¯t miserable enough after she was released from prison, and wanted to give her another stab, then why did he save her on Thanksgiving? As long as things continued to develop, she would be more miserable, wouldn¡¯t she? However, no matter what he wanted to do to her, she was powerless to resist. After three years of imprisonment, she had carried a heavy burden. She understood the cruelty of fate and her insignificance. In the eyes of those lofty people, she was just a minor figure who could be easily manipted. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t you have anything else to ask me?¡± An elegant voice broke the silence in the room. Grace¡¯s body trembled slightly. His voice was so pleasant. In the silent night, it was like a melody rippling in the night breeze, and exuded a sense of elegance. She slowly looked up and saw a beautiful yet noble face-a shimmering light. He stood in front of her and looked down, as if everything about her was in his control. Grace unconsciously bit her lip. She had bitten too hard, but she didn¡¯t feel any pain. On the contrary, he frowned and reached out to pinch her lower jaw. He said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t bite your lips. It hurts.¡± This gentleness was as if he was still her Jay, and not the Jason that she was afraid of. She looked at him in a daze, and unconsciously stopped biting her lips. His finger gently brushed past her lips, leaving behind a heat so hot that she thought her lip might burn. She jerked her head away and leaned back. ¡°Mr. Reed, exactly when will this game end?¡± His eyes dimmed slightly. ¡°Is that all you want to ask?¡± Apart from that, what else did she have to ask? In taking revenge, as to the extent of her misery, it was all up to him. She, on the other hand, could only bear with it. Three years ago, it was like this. After three years, would there be any difference? She didn¡¯t say anything. He held her hands and sped them in his own. ¡°Your hands are a little cold,¡± he said while rubbing her hands to warm them up. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 This was what they had used to do before. In the past, when he warmed her hands, she would feel a warmth in her heart. However, now¡­ she only had a kind of iprehensible fear. It was because she didn¡¯t know what he was going to do. She twisted her hand uneasily and wanted to pull away. However, his fingers held onto her tightly and did not allow her to move at all. ¡°Mr. Reed¡­¡± ¡°Call me Jay. Didn¡¯t you always call me Jay?¡± She pursed her red lips tightly. ¡°Just take it as my order, call me Jay,¡± he muttered softly. He did not want to hear her call him ¡°Mr. Reed¡±, which sounded iparably jarring to him. Grace remained silent for a long time. Finally, she opened her mouth and softly said ¡°Jay¡±. A smile crept up the corner of his mouth. The pure smile made her a little absent-minded. In the past, she always felt that his smile was very clean, as if it had not been contaminated by the world, and she wanted to protect that pureness. However¡­ Jay¡­ In Emerald City, perhaps no one would say that Jason was clean. It was said that his hands were covered in the blood and tears of countless people. It was also said that he was cold-blooded and ruthless. Once someone provoked him, there would not be a good ending. However, in this city, no one dared to provoke him. It was ridiculous that in the past, she had thought of protecting such a person. ¡°When I first met you, I did just take it as a game. Butter on, it was quite pleasant to get along with you.¡± He had never exined himself before. However, now he was, and to her. If anyone else heard, they would be surprised. ¡°How about you stay by my side in the future?¡± ¡°Stay by your side?¡± She looked at him in shock. She had never thought that he would make such a C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org request. ¡°If you stay with me, I¡¯ll let you live the same life as before. No, I should say it¡¯ll be better than before. As long as it¡¯s not an excessive demand, I can promise you anything. You used to be awyer, right? I can help you regain yourwyer¡¯s license. It won¡¯t be a problem if you want to open a said. In the past, she had thought that once she had gained more experience, she would set up her ownw firm. However, it simply became an unrealistic daydream. Now, Jason had actually said these words to her. It was as if someone was dangling some alluring fruit in front of her and tempting her to eat it. ¡°Why?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to get back at me?¡± ¡°If I really wanted to take revenge on you, then I wouldn¡¯t have saved you the day before yesterday.¡± Jason smiled faintly and said, ¡°I already said that the feeling of getting along with you is pretty good. Hence, I will keep you by my side.¡± ¡°And then wait until you are tired of me?¡± she said. Was this still a game for him, a sister and brother game he had never yed before? He was so gentle and kind to her now, just because there was still a sense of novelty. ¡°Tired of her?¡± Jason thought that he might not be tired of her for the rest of his life. However, at this moment, talking to Grace, he just calmly said the word ¡°yes¡±. He would never allow a woman to control him. ¡°Sure enough!¡± Grace sighed in her heart. Once he got tired of the game, she would fall from the clouds into hell again. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¡°If you wish to put me on a pedestal and then let me fall, you don¡¯t have to go through so much trouble. I¡¯m already miserable. I¡¯m just a sanitation worker with little money to my name and I was kicked out of my house. Or do you want me to kneel before Jennifer Atkinson¡¯s grave and ask for forgiveness? Or do you want me to take my life, a life for a life¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± He interrupted her. ¡°She would rather believe I did these things to avenge Jennifer Atkinson and not the fact that I like spending time with her?¡± He then continued, ¡°Listen to me. Jennifer Atkinson is not worth me doing such things. All you have to do is stay by my side.¡± As he spoke, he lowered his head to look at her hands that were sped in his. ¡°Although I¡¯ve spent half a day rubbing her hands, they are still very cold. ¡°I know I lost my temper just now. It seems as if she can always trigger my emotions easily. ¡°The closer I am to her, the more my emotions are under her control. And yet, I can¡¯t help but get close to her.¡± ¡°I think you should rest well tonight. Don¡¯t say such silly things. in the future.¡± Once Jason was done talking, he left the room. Only Grace was left in the spacious patient ward. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Grace bowed her head and stared fixedly at her trembling hands. ¡°Am I scared? I¡¯m scared of Jason and afraid of what will happen to me. ¡°Surely it doesn¡¯t mean that it will be as he said; that I stay by his side? But¡­ can I live through that? All the pain I endured in prison, my near-death experience in there, and those nightmarish three years were all because of him. ¡°Because of my past, my heart fills with fear and terror whenever I see him. ¡°Just now, when he was rubbing my hands, they couldn¡¯t be warmed because the moment his hands touched mine, it was as if my entire body was in an ice cer. It was bone-piercingly cold. ¡°Why is Jayand Jason the same person? Why is he Jason, the one who I imagined that we could rely upon each other for life and even saw him as my salvation? ¡°Why? Why?¡± Grace questioned herself repeatedly as she tried to hold back the tears but they flowed freely down her cheeks and acted as a catharsis. ¡°Is it fear, unease, or¡­ attachment?! ¡°I once said, ¡®Jay, you¡¯re so nice! ¡°His lips were curved into a smile back then as he said, ¡®I hope you remember that, Sister. I hope you won¡¯t regret saying this in the future! ¡°Maybe he was already hinting at me then. ¡°And yet, how did I reply to him? I said, ¡®I will not regret it! ¡°Meeting him was like a fantastic dream and now, I¡¯ve finally woken up from that dream. ¡°But his game is still continuing¡­ In the car, Terrence studied his boss¡¯s darkened expression and instantly felt a sense of terror. ¡°I don¡¯t know who provoked Mr. Reed. He was with Miss Cummins in the hospital so he should be in a good mood. ¡°Could it be¡­ that Miss Cummins was the one who provoked Mr. Reed?¡± Terrence shivered at the possibility. ¡°If that¡¯s true then I should be more careful. I don¡¯t want Mr. Reed to vent his anger on me.¡± 7/4 The car moved slowly and Jason closed his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to find out about my identity like this.¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I wanted to find a more appropriate opportunity, a more eptable asion for her to find out. ¡°And yet, this¡­ is possibly the worst way for her to find out. ¡°I was careless to not notice that she was standing behind me but¡­ now that I think about it, in my conversation with Patrick, I don¡¯t think I mentioned my identity and yet Grace called out my name. ¡°Which means¡­ Grace already knew about my identity beforeing across me? Who told her?¡± Jason opened his eyes suddenly and instructed Terrence. ¡°Check Grace¡¯s phone to see who she talked to recently!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Terrence came the hasty reply. Terrence was able to find out in a moment¡¯s time.¡± Mr. Reed, the most recent call Miss Cummins made today was at 6:35 in the evening. The owner of the number is Lina Sweeney.¡± ¡°Lina Sweeney¡­¡± Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°I remember this woman. She¡¯s Grace¡¯s good friend.¡± ¡°Go and find out who Lina met today!¡± Terrence hummed in agreement. By then, the car had arrived at the entrance of the hospital where Mr. Reed was living. Jason and Terrence exited the car. When they arrived at the entrance of the patient ward, Jason nced at the bodyguard by the door and asked, ¡°Is the Old Master asleep?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± the bodyguard replied respectfully. Jason ordered Terrence to wait outside, then pushed open the door and entered the room. Mr. Reedy in bed, flipping through a photo album. Jason recognized the album which was filled with photos of his father growing up. ¡°Although the Old Master constantlyins about his son¡¯s failure to live up to his expectations, Dad used to be the pride and joy of the Old Master. The Old Master valued him the most. ¡°And me¡­¡± Jason smirked internally. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Old Master wishes to remove half of the blood and genes within me that I inherited from Mom. ¡°When I was young, the Old Master would be especially disgusted by my eyes because they look so much like Mom¡¯s. As a child, there was a period of time when the Old Master didn¡¯t allow me to look at him because he would be disgusted at being looked at with eyes so simr to my mother¡¯s.¡± Jason pulled out a chair and sat before the Old Master. He said nothing and stared at the Old Master quietly. Both grandfather and grandson remained silent. Finally, when Mr. Reed had finished flipping through the album, he raised his head to look at his grandson who sat before him. His leisurely posture had an elegance despite him sitting casually. His outstanding appearance and incisive manner in handling matters were sharp and cold-blooded. Under his grandson¡¯s management, the Reed Group¡¯s territory has expanded exponentially. ¡°In all fairness, my grandson is much more outstanding than my son. However, every time I recall that woman¡¯s blood flowing through my grandson, I feel disgusted, as if I have just swallowed a fly. ¡°And yet, he¡¯s the only bloodline my son left behind!¡± ¡°I looked into it. That woman is Grace. She was Sean Stevens¡¯s girlfriend and she was the one who killed Jennifer Atkinson three years ago, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Mr. Reed asked coldly. ¡°Yes,¡± Jason replied and the corners of his lips tugged up slightly. ¡°She¡¯s been to jail and she¡¯s just a sanitation worker. Do you n to be with her and put the Reed family in the media headlines?¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 ¡°So what if that¡¯s so? As long as I wish for it, I can make herparable to any notabledy in the city!¡± Jason retorted. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t forget how your father died!¡± Mr. Reed spat through ground teeth. Jason¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. Even if I truly want to be with her, it doesn¡¯t mean that I will give her my life. I¡¯m not my father. I won¡¯t die or live for a woman, let alone be controlled by a woman!¡± ¡°I¡¯m always the one in control!¡± Mr. Reed huffed coolly. ¡°You came to see me today just to say that?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jason replied. ¡°I want you to stay away from her!¡± Mr. Reed narrowed his eyes but kept a straight face as he angrily asked, ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you threatening your grandfather? Can it be that this old man isn¡¯t as important as a woman?¡± ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m just telling you. It¡¯s not a threat,¡± Jason said with a light chuckle. ¡°I told you to stay away from her. No matter the rtionship between me and her, you are to stay away from her. Of course, I don¡¯t know how I would react if youid a finger on her. Why don¡¯t you try?¡± Mr. Reed¡¯s expression changed subtly and in an instant, he felt a trembling fear. ¡°This is the heir I¡¯ve cultivated. He has grown up as I had expected and maybe beyond that but he¡¯s also¡­ increasingly uncontroble!¡± ¡°What do you like about Grace?¡± He could not help asking. ¡°There are so many youngdies of note in Emerald City. Plenty of them have both beauty and brains,ing from innocent family backgrounds while some are multi-talented, and yet you only have eyes for a woman who has been to prison.¡± ¡°Maybe because she¡¯s a little stupid,¡± Jason muttered. ¡°Stupid enough to bring me back to the rental apartment. Stupid enough to speak from the bottom of her heart to a stranger. Stupid enough for me to love her so dearly. ¡°This woman was imprisoned for three years and yet she hasn¡¯t be any smarter. ¡°But she said that my eyes were pretty and clean. She didn¡¯t look at them with the Old Master¡¯s disgust nor was she infatuated like those other women. She had a sense of appreciation and¡­ a feeling of protectiveness. ¡°She said she wanted to protect the cleanliness within my eyes. ¡°But does she know that no one had ever used clean to describe me? I am an executioner in the eyes of many, achieving my goals by any means. ¡°How can someone like me be clean?!¡± ¡°All right, Grandpa. I won¡¯t disturb your rest.¡± Jason smiled and got up to leave. Mr. Reed stared at the door as it opened and closed, aplicated expression on his face as if deep in thought. When Jason returned to the patient ward, Grace had already fallen asleep. He walked to her bedside but did not switch on the light. He borrowed the moonlight shining through the window to study her sleeping face. There were still obvious tear stains on her face. He raised a hand and gently stroked her cheek. ¡°Did she cry when I left? ¡°How many tears did she shed? She¡¯s not someone who loves to cry. She¡¯s so calm when facing me as if she could only resign to her hardships and yet, she cries when her back is turned. ¡°What did she cry over? Was she crying over the fact that I lied to her? Or was she crying because I¡¯m Jason? Or perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Grace¡­¡± Jason mumbled. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made me fall for you, then you should stay by my side, right?¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 It was as if she had heard his voice and she frowned suddenly. Her forehead broke out in a cold sweat and immediately, she started to shake her head left and right as if avoiding something. Jason furrowed his brows and just as he wanted to call for a doctor, Grace who was still in deep Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. slumber abruptly opened her eyes as she sat upright, shouting, ¡°Noooo¡­¡± ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jason asked. In the next moment, Grace hugged Jason¡¯s waist tightly as if she were drowning. ¡°Jay, that¡¯s great¡­ it¡¯s you¡­ it¡¯s you¡­ I had a nightmare. I dreamed that I was in jail and those people would not let me go. I begged them, I¡­ I even kowtowed to them but they continued to hit me¡­¡± ¡°Even in my dream, the pain was still so acute. Now that I¡¯m awake, I can still feel my abdomen hurting.¡± She suddenly stopped mid-sentence and her entire body froze. She had just realized that this was Jason not ¡°Jay¡±! ¡°The man I¡¯m hugging now is Jason and the pain I suffered in jail was instigated¡­ by him.¡± Grace released her arms stiffly and her body subconsciously shifted back. And yet, in the next moment, his arm had already looped around her waist and he pulled her straight into his embrace. ¡°Sister, are you afraid of me?¡± As he hugged her, he could feel her body shivering slightly like a fragile small creature reacting when faced with a predator at the top of the food chain. She bit her lip and struggled to suppress the fear within her. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid,¡± She then continued frankly, ¡°I¡¯ve been taught too many lessons in prison. Fear was beaten into me¡­¡± ¡°No one will ever beat you again,¡± he said, interrupting her. ¡°Sister, I promise that from now on, no one will dare hit you.¡± Grace raised her head dazedly and asked, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± He chuckled lightly and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. I want you to stay by my side.¡± ¡°You can have so many people stay by your side. Plenty of women would be willing to do so,¡± she said. His smile grew even brighter but his eyes darkened. ¡°So you¡¯re not willing to do it, right?¡± She remained silent, not knowing how to reply to him. ¡°But so what if you¡¯re not willing? What else can you do?¡± he retorted as if amused. ¡°You see, if I wanted you now, do you think you¡¯ll be able to do anything?¡± As he spoke, he lowered his head and pressed his lips onto hers. She was taken aback and momentarily forgot to respond. Only when he continued to deepen the kiss, did she suddenly snap out of her trance and struggled to tilt her head to avoid his kiss. But it was to no avail. His fingerstched onto her chin and each time she tilted her head away, his hand would pry her head back to its original position. He was utterly unavoidable and she could only bear with it. A sense of helplessness rose within her. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve felt the difference in strength between men and women.¡± Just when she was about to suffocate, he finally released her lips, and she inhaledrge gulps of air. ¡°Let go of me, Jason!¡± But he paid no mind to her and his lips trailed down her neck to leave small kisses. His fingers gently moved to unfasten the buttons of her hospital gown. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°Noooo¡­¡± she screamed. She struggled against him arduously and yet no matter how much she wrestled, it was useless against him. Her face was flushed red and the skin under the open hospital gown was suddenly exposed to the cold air, causing goosebumps to appear, ¡°Let go of me! Let go of me!¡± She felt panicked and frustrated. And yet, his manner wasposed. His long fingers pressed against her wrists and with a smile, he said, ¡°Sister, you can shout a little louder. There are bodyguards, nurses, and doctors on shift out there. They might be able to hear your screams but¡­¡± He paused and studied her with a burning gaze. ¡°I can assure you, no one wille in and save you.¡± Grace¡¯s body froze. ¡°I know he¡¯s telling the truth. Even if I scream until my throat is sore, no one would dare to enter this word. ¡°Because this man¡­ is Jason!¡± She remained silent while he leaned forward, his lips pressing against her jaw, neck, and finally, he paused at her pretty corbone, sprinkling tiny kisses on it. ¡°Stay by my side. Didn¡¯t you say that on this earth, I care for you and you¡¯ll care for me too? I¡¯m giving you the opportunity to do so now but why don¡¯t you want it?¡± he mumbled. Grace felt as if her heart had been pierced. ¡°Yes, I did say that once but hearing those words now feels like such a huge mockery.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not Jay.¡± She thought to herself, ¡°He¡¯s not the homeless person I thought who was a fellow sufferer. He¡¯s Jason, the man capable of changing the weather in Emerald City.¡± He paused and propped himself up slightly. He studied her and said, ¡°I am. If you want me to, then I can be like the way I was then. I can act in a manner you like in front of you.¡± She smiled wryly. ¡°Even if you acted that way, you¡¯re not Jay.¡± ¡°My Jay doesn¡¯t exist anymore. He was a hallucination from start to end.¡± He pursed his thin lips tightly and coldness bloomed within his beautiful and amorous eyes. A few moments passed before he replied, ¡°Are you so repulsed by ¡®Jason¡¯? But Sister, have you ever thought just because I am Jason, I¡¯m the only one in Emerald City capable of turning you into a person of note, giving you a chance to escape your current fate? If not, who would be willing to offend ¡®Jason¡¯ for your sake?¡± He straightened himself and after giving her a haughty nce, he left the room. Only then did Grace sit up and fasten the buttons of her hospital gown one at a time. She then used the covers to tightly wrap her trembling body. ¡°He didn¡¯t really want me just now. He just wanted to show me that as long as he does, I won¡¯t be able to object to him! ¡°I can¡¯t even refuse him!¡± Terrence ryed the investigation results to Jason. ¡°On that day, Lina met with some people she usually spends time with, her family, colleagues, and neighbors. But there was an exception, Zoe.¡± ¡°Sean¡¯s sister?¡± Jason asked as he muttered to himself. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Yes. From what I heard from Lina¡¯s colleagues, during the fight between Zoe and Lina, Zoe mentioned your name, Mr. Reed,¡± Terrence continued. Jason smiled coldly. ¡°It didn¡¯t ur to me that the slip-up was caused by Zoe Stevens.¡± 9 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 ¡°Sean knows that I¡¯m with Grace but Zoe was the one who exposed my identity at the worst possible time. ¡°The Stevens family sure is¡­¡± He ordered Terrence, ¡°Bring Zoe to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Terrence said and he continued to speak on another issue. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into the reporter who sneaked into the hospital thest time. The news of Mr. Reed bringing Miss Cummins into the hospital was first published by a nurse onto her Facebook Moments and it was then uploaded onto the inte. Although all relevant content has been deleted, we are unable to determine how many people have already seen it.¡± ¡°Look into that nurse¡¯s legal liability and strengthen the security around the hospital. I don¡¯t want someone to barge into the ward,¡± Jason ordered coldly. ¡°I understand. Nothing like that will happen,¡± Terrence said assuredly. Meanwhile, at the Stevens family residence. Ever since Zoe had inadvertently blurted out the secret in front of Lina, she had been in a state of extreme anxiety. ¡°Had I known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered Lina. Now I¡¯m the one who¡¯s scared. ¡°If Lina figures something out and tells Grace of the incident¡­ ¡°My leg was broken as punishment for thest incident and it still hasn¡¯t healed. I really don¡¯t know what punishment I¡¯ll get this time.¡± ¡°Zoe, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you so restless? Did you stir up trouble?¡± Sean could not help asking as he studied his younger sister who was pacing around the living room, with her leg bandaged and leaning against her cane. Their parents had gone to pay a visit to their friends and he had wanted to go with them but Zoe had asked him to stay with her at home. ¡°Big Brother.¡± Zoe suddenly spoke up after seemingly making up her mind. ¡°Please help me! The other day, I carelessly blurted out the fact that Jason and Grace were together.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Sean jumped up from the sofa. ¡°Who did you tell?¡± ¡°It was Grace¡¯s friend. Her name was Lina or something! I don¡¯t even know if she told Grace. But if Grace told Jason, would he find and punish me?¡± Zoe asked uneasily. Sean¡¯s face was already as pale as a sheet. Just then, a servant came to report that the personal secretary of the Reed family had requested a meeting between Zoe and Mr. Reed. The siblings exchanged a look and they could see the fear in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who would dare to refuse Jason¡¯s request to meet?!¡± The Stevens siblings got into the car apprehensively. When they arrived at the hospital, Sean was stopped outside the ward and Terrence ushered only Zoe into the room. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Not even the rich can afford to stay in such a luxurious VIP room.¡± Zoe stared at Grace, who was dressed in a hospital gown and was lying in the bed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stay in such a VIP room when my leg was broken but Grace gets to stay here! ¡°But¡­ Grace is sick?! I wonder what illness she has. ¡°I hope that her illness gets worse!¡± In the next moment, however, Zoe froze because it was then that she noticed jason sitting on the sofa by the bed. He wore a white jumper with a pair of beige trousers, making him seemnguid yet sexy. ¡°A man like Jason is the dream of every youngdy of note in Emerald City. However, they are some who intentionally got close to Jason and came to no good end. Therefore, the