Chapter 136

She seemed to hear his voice, and frowned sharply. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she immediately began shaking her head, as if trying to ward something off.

Jason furrowed his brows. Just as he was about to call for a doctor, Grace, still seemingly asleep, sat bolt upright, her eyes snapping open. “Noooo…” she cried.

“Sister, what’s wrong?” Jason asked.

Grace instantly hugged his waist, as if drowning. “Jay, it’s you… it’s you… I had a nightmare. I dreamed I was in jail, and those people wouldn’t let me go. I begged them, I… I even kowtowed, but they kept hitting me…”

“Even in my dream, the pain was so acute. Even now, I can still feel my abdomen hurting.”

She stopped abruptly, her body freezing. She realized this was Jason, not "Jay." "The man I'm hugging… the pain in jail… it was instigated by him."

She stiffly released her arms, her body instinctively recoiling. But in the next moment, his arm circled her waist, pulling her into his embrace. “Sister, are you afraid of me?”

He felt her body trembling slightly, like a fragile creature confronting a predator.

She bit her lip, struggling to suppress her fear. “Yes, I’m afraid,” she admitted frankly. “I’ve learned too many lessons in prison. Fear was beaten into me…”

He interrupted. “No one will ever beat you again,” he said. “Sister, I promise, from now on, no one will dare hit you.”

Grace raised her head, dazed. “What exactly do you want?”

He chuckled softly. “I’ve said it before. I want you to stay by my side.”

“You can have many people by your side. Plenty of women would be willing,” she said.

His smile widened, but his eyes darkened. “So you’re not willing, then?”

She remained silent, unsure how to answer.

“But what if you’re not willing? What else can you do?” he retorted, almost amused. “If I wanted you now, do you think you could stop me?”

He lowered his head and kissed her.

Taken aback, she momentarily forgot to react. Only when he deepened the kiss did she snap out of her trance, struggling to tilt her head away. But he held her chin, forcing her face back each time she moved. He was inescapable, and she could only endure.

A sense of helplessness washed over her. “This is the first time I’ve felt the difference in strength between men and women.”

Just as she felt she would suffocate, he released her lips. She gasped for air. “Let go of me, Jason!”

He ignored her, his lips trailing down her neck, leaving small kisses. His fingers gently began unfastening the buttons of her hospital gown.