Kristen had been gloomy, but at this point her enticing eyes widened.
She couldn't help lowering her head with a soft laugh.
The laugh wasn't as quiet as she meant it to be. Finn heard it from the dining room and glanced instinctively toward the small room's ajar door.
Jason caught it at once. His gaze sank. "What was that?"
Just four simple words carried a sovereign's pressure that brooked no reply.
Grace pressed her white lips together, not daring to speak. Finn's attention returned, torn between distress and helplessness. "Jason, I can take it, but Grace is a girl—you'll frighten her like this."
Jason's mouth curved, a smile not a smile. "Then it's my fault. Should I apologize to Miss Grace?"
"N-no, that's not necessary." Grace shook her head quickly. Having just vomited, her eyes were red by reflex; her face was pale. "It's my fault. I let Mr. Jin's kindness go to waste."
She forced calm on the surface, but panic thrashed underneath.
Why would Jason suddenly make her eat something so disgusting? Could it be that—
A wild thought flashed through her mind, and she dismissed it immediately.
Impossible. It had to be coincidence.
The more "understanding" she acted, the more Finn's heart ached, and the more resentment he felt toward Jason's discourtesy.
Jason's status was lofty. Ties between the Jin Group and the Gu Group were tangled and deep; even Finn's older brother gave him three parts courtesy. However unhappy Finn felt, he had to swallow it.
"Jason, Grace isn't feeling well. I'll take her back first?"
"No rush," Jason replied mildly. "You rarely come by. Keep me company for a game of pool."
Finn couldn't refuse him. He first took Grace to the rec room.
When the two left the dining room, the last trace of warmth drained from Jason's face, leaving only cold. He downed his wine and headed for the small room.
Seeing Finn and Grace forced to eat snake soup had left Kristen supremely satisfied. Her appetite soared; she started eating again with relish.
Jason walked in to find her munching away, cheeks puffed like a little hamster.
"In a good mood?"
Kristen looked up, eyes curving like crescent moons, nodding vigorously.
Seeing her happy, it seemed a glacier melted a shade in Jason's dark eyes. "That's all it takes?"
So easy to please.
"Watching that scumbag and that shameless woman eat something that gross—of course it's satisfying." Since bolting from the wedding, this was Kristen's happiest day. It even beat landing the audition.
"Shame we couldn't stuff it in their mouths raw," she muttered without thinking. She regretted it at once and cut a sidelong look at his face. "You don't think I'm a pervert, do you?"
"Not at this level," Jason answered.
Not at this level? Kristen's heart fluttered with nerves. Was he the real pervert here?
"Full?"
Kristen nodded. "Full."
Jason bent and swept her up into a princess carry.
She rose into the air and, by reflex, wrapped her arms around his neck. Clear eyes flickered with curiosity. "What are you doing?"
"You heard it just now," Jason said, looking down at her, lips parting lightly. "A game of pool."
The villa held not only a gym but also a rec room—billiards, arcade machines, everything.
Carrying her into the adjacent lounge, Jason switched on the wall-mounted TV. The screen showed the rec room's live feed.
( End of chapter )
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