Author: BTMBeta

“Of course, I’ll stay with you. You’re not well, why would I leave?! I’ll lay 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 and lay 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 plan. 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 to comfort this man, and for her, it brought into acute awareness how long she’d denied herself any comfort 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 glad 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 you company.” 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 had lain.

He could still smell her, and feel the residual heat of her body on the quilt.

This woman continued to care for him and asked for nothing in return. Only his friendship and company.

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 glanced 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 Claire.

Claire caught her smile and asked, “Who did you call?”

“My younger brother,” Grace replied.

“You have a brother?” Claire asked in amazement. “I never heard you mention it before.”

Grace merely smiled.

After Grace and Claire 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 flashed 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.

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 slapping 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…

“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 pain come 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 glass 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 blanket, 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 glad 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 glass of lukewarm water and took out two tablets, according 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 to lay 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 ambulance 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.”

“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 classmates, 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 glance at Jay, but his expression was bland. Anyone watching would think he was oblivious to her classmate’s catty comments.

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?” Mia commented.

Mia wasn’t stupid. There were privacy laws 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 becomes 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 becoming 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 becoming 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 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 black suit walked over to her, saying amicably, “Are you Miss Martin? We have transferred 85,000 dollars to your account, 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 black 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 flaunted her new car to them, but in the next instant, the car was smashed before their very eyes.

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 contemplated 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 place 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 be coming 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 home late. 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 the lawn 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 the lawn to welcome 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.

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 classmate, 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 had come along with her asked.

“That’s right. Back then, Grace was the prettiest girl in the class and our valedictorian! She always topped in class. Many guys in our class 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, commenting, “Was she the prettiest girl in the class? You must be kidding!”

Mia smiled faintly, and Grace tensed. She wasn’t ignorant of the undercurrents here. Back then in class, 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 laughed.

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 class or being super smart? Obviously, that couldn’t be true—or 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.

Claire 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 Claire 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,” Claire explained. She was truly concerned about Grace as she said, “Chase is a nice guy, and the Center has plans for him. His parents have also bought him a house for his marriage. You may wish to consider accepting him.”

Grace shook her head as she replied, “No thanks. I have no intentions of getting into a relationship.”

“You’re already twenty-seven years old. As a woman gets older, it will become 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 played 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, Claire. I’m not looking for love. Or a relationship. I’m fine, but thank you for suggesting it.”

Claire pursed her lips. “How is your ankle?”

“Much better,” Grace replied absently.

Claire shook her head. “It could be amputated, and you’d say the same thing.”

One corner of Grace’s mouth tipped up. “Complaining doesn’t change things.”

“Hmm. You’re right about that, I suppose.”

Claire 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—Lina, Claire. Jay.

Her heartbeat accelerated.

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, Claire. And happy with what I have. Wishing and hoping for more…that’s the surest way to be discontent.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Fine. Fine. You win. I can’t compete with all your zen sh*t.” She tightened her ponytail. “You’re a disgustingly positive influence, you know that.”

Grace laughed. There was a compliment 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 for companies 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 home late.”

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 Internet 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…”

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 glance. “Then shall we just let it go?”

Her father hesitated for a moment and said, “Let’s wait. If Assistant Director Curtis holds Evelyn accountable in the future, then we’ll think of other ways.” He didn’t have the courage to come 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.

Particularly 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 not come 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 eyelashes 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 acceptance.

How ironic that her only family, who should’ve loved her unconditionally were completely 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 flashed 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 ultimately laughed.

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 the last words on 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 place 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 glanced 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.”

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 slapping her, from desiring Grace to shoving away from her sister.

After a few days of him not coming to the set, his older brother, the Head Director had also been replaced.

As for the reason, no one in the film crew could seem to explain 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 days later, 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 slap 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 completely changed. As for what had happened to Assistant Director Curtis afterward… Was this all a 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 glared 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’d launch 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 even later 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 they come 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 slapped 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 to come 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 place?” Grace paused and let that little barb land. Then she said directly, “Don’t tell me that I owe her anything, because I never did!”

“Sister, I’ve never blamed 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 blame her for her sister’s shortcomings was ludicrous.

Her stepmother quickly comforted 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 was laughable. Did her father really think that she could be controlled at will? Or was it that when one’s heart was completely 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 welcome 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…”

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 slammed the door behind him.

After coming 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 planning to stay in that small rental apartment. With that damaged woman.

Then a thought occurred 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 accompanied 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.

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 placidly as he looked away.

Terrence was stunned.

The red light turned green, and the car continued to drive forward.

At this moment, Claire 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,” Claire 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 cabinet 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 his lap. 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’t complain.

“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 nothing compared to what I’ve had to deal with in the past.”

Jason glanced 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 flattered 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.

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 semblance of a family was just a pipe dream.

Grace went outside and walked to the entrance of the residential community. 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 face completely 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’t come back yet and it’s late. Fortunately, you’ve come 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 did last 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 the complex and did not notice a black 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 accident!

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 glanced 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 accompanied 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 years later, the only two things that would come 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 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 suddenly laughed 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.

Grace replied, “I don’t need your compliments.”

Under the influence of alcohol, Assistant Director Curtis rushed towards Grace and slapped 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—a 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 the last 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 plan 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 plain. 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.

And rang.

He silenced it without looking, but then it started up again.

He glanced 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 fiancée 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 the company 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 dollars’ worth of investment? Dismissed?” He glanced 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 brother launched 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 slapped 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 slapped 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 blank 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 slapped. He clenched his jaw and his free hand curled into a fist.

“Mr. Reed!” Terrence put away the phone in his hand and carefully explained the situation that he had just discovered. “Miss Cummins must have been forced to drink some alcohol, and then she was slapped.”

“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 fiancée had died, but now, with the perpetrator of the accident, 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 replayed in her mind, and her expression darkened.

“I saw you coming 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 glass of warm water. She took a few sips of it and then felt more comfortable.

“I didn’t do anything strange when I was drunk, did I?” she couldn’t help but ask.