Leaning in the dining room doorway, Jason's brow furrowed, disgust and disdain flickering in his dark eyes.
"Finn…" Grace was on the verge of tears, patting his back to help him breathe while turning to Jason. "Mr. Jin, you and Finn are supposed to be good friends—why do this?"
Jason ground his cigarette butt into the carpet.
The rug was ruined anyway. Might as well.
"You're right." His austere face held no emotion; his icy voice scraped from deep in his throat. "So you should eat instead."
Grace met his hawk-like gaze. A chill surged from the pit of her stomach, spreading through her limbs until even her breath froze.
In that moment, she saw a warning in Jason's eyes.
If she didn't eat, he wouldn't let her go. And Finn couldn't protect her.
"Fine. I'll eat," Grace said after a beat, nodding.
"No need," Finn protested. How could he let her consume something so vile?
Grace looked up at his pale face and forced a smile. "It's okay. I'm not as scared now."
She pulled a chair beside him, picked up her chopsticks, lifted a piece of snake meat, and put it in her mouth. She chewed mechanically and swallowed.
Seeing her eat one bite after another, Finn steeled himself and continued as well.
Eat, retch, eat again.
Before long, a sour stench filled the dining room.
Just before Finn collapsed from nausea, the two of them finished every scrap of snake on the table.
"Jason, are you satisfied now?" Finn asked coldly, his face hard.
Jason's expression remained indifferent, his thin lips pressed tight without a word.
Finn helped Grace to her feet; her face was ashen, sweat beading on her brow. "Come on. I'm taking you to the hospital."
Grace leaned against him like she had no bones left, her steps weak as they shuffled out of the dining room.
When they passed Jason, Finn stopped and looked at him, eyes full of confusion. "I've always respected you like an older brother. I don't know where I offended you to deserve this show today. Coming after me is one thing—but why drag Grace into it?"
Jason's lowered lids lifted slowly, his tone careless. "You don't know? Then go ask your brother."
Finn frowned, but before he could press further, Grace's eyes rolled back and she fainted.
He scooped her into his arms and strode out, urgent and tense.
Kristen came downstairs just in time to watch him carry Grace away, his hurried steps radiating anxiety even from behind. Her lovely eyes went cold.
Jason ordered the staff to throw out everything in the dining room. He walked to Kristen's side, his deep voice carrying a thread of barely perceptible tenderness. "Was that reward satisfactory?"
"Of course." He'd helped her vent a vicious grudge; naturally, she was pleased. "Thank you, Mr. Jin. You're a really good man."
A *good man*? Jason found the compliment oddly novel—no one had ever called him that. Not even he thought of himself as good.
"But…" A flicker of worry crossed Kristen's face. "Are you sure this is okay?"
They'd been friends once. Today's scene had been ugly.
A trace of disdain swept through Jason's unfathomable gaze. "What does it matter? Just plastic brothers."
Male friendships were this fragile? Kristen didn't quite understand, but another thought struck her. "They left—won't Dr. Yan's trip be wasted?"
Jason started upstairs, his tone casual. "Dr. Yan is coming to do your follow-up."
Kristen: "…"
Dr. Yan's checkup showed that Kristen's mental state was good and her body recovering well. His assessment of Jason, on the other hand, was that the man had a screw loose.
She'd been discharged this morning; by noon he'd summoned him for a follow-up. If that wasn't crazy, what was?
As he packed his things, Dr. Yan grumbled, "Could you be a little more humane? I'm busy. The hospital doesn't exist just for you!"
The man being scolded showed no shame, lazily lifting his lids. "But I own the hospital."
Dr. Yan: "…"
Damn it—he'd forgotten. Jason held sixty percent of the shares.
***
That evening, Kristen bathed carefully, then spritzed a touch of perfume on her wrists—the kind they called "man-killer."
She'd just stepped out of the bathroom when she spotted Jason, freshly showered in the guest bath, standing by the glass window on a phone call.
"You didn't offend me. *He* did."
His low voice carried an endless chill.
( End of Chapter )
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