Chapter 120

Grace silently observed the nurse's actions. Her expression remained unchanged, even when she saw the deep wound on her palm. Only when the nurse began rebandaging Grace's right hand did she involuntarily frown at the pain, but she didn't cry out.

"Let me do it. Get out," Jason ordered the nurse.

The nurse bowed respectfully and left. Jason took the gauze and bandaged Grace's hand with practiced ease. His movements were so gentle she barely felt any pain.

When he finished, he set down the gauze. "Try to use your right hand as little as possible for the next few days. Don't clench it into a fist like you just did. How much more blood do you want to lose?"

She examined his handiwork; the knot was neatly tied. "You seem very practiced at bandaging wounds."

Shadows flickered across his eyes. "I learned some bandaging skills when I was younger," he said, then a thought crossed his mind. "Back then, Dad was constantly searching for Mom. Whenever he saw someone with a similar silhouette, he'd rush over, often getting beaten up for it. I always helped him dress his wounds. I got pretty good at it over time. Since Dad died, I haven't bandaged anyone like this. She's the only one."

"Next time, don't hold shards of mirror. You were lucky not to damage any nerves. Otherwise, your hand would be crippled," Jason said.

Grace bit her lip. "But if I hadn't done that last night, I wouldn't have stayed conscious. I would have fainted, and then… he would have been free to do as he pleased."

"Does it hurt?" he asked. The image of her clutching the shard and bleeding incessantly was deeply etched in his memory. "I've never seen a woman with such willpower. Even in a semi-conscious state, she maintained enough self-control to stay awake."

"It's fine," she said softly, lowering her gaze. "This pain is nothing. Jay, even if you lied to me… I'm still grateful you saved me yesterday. In jail, no matter how much I begged, no one helped. I deserved the pain I suffered there for offending someone I shouldn't have in Emerald City."

She paused for breath. "But last night was different. Your presence made me feel less lonely and helpless."

Her soft reply didn't escape his notice; his expression subtly darkened. "If I regret anything, it's letting those people hurt you in jail all those years ago. Usually, I wouldn't care about a woman's suffering in prison. Even if they died, I'd just smile. And yet, now… I don't want her hurt at all."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

She looked at him, confused. "Why are you apologizing? If you hadn't come last night, I wouldn't be safe now."

She thought he was apologizing for the incident. "If he hadn't come, my fate… it's obvious. I would have been imprisoned in the Miller residence until I gave birth to a child for them." Her face paled.

Mustering her courage, she spoke. "The person I offended was Jason. Back then, the Stevens family feared I would implicate Stevens Group, so Sean broke up with me. Now that you're helping me, what if it angers Jason…?"

"He's likely one of those wealthy individuals with business dealings with the Reed family. They control many necessities for Emerald City residents, even monopolizing some industries. Emerald City is sometimes jokingly called Reed City."