Chapter 257

Perhaps his gaze was so direct and unabashed that Grace looked up at Jason. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

"I am. I just want to watch you eat for a while first. I find the food more appetizing when I watch you eat," he said.

She was speechless. What did he mean?

"Every time I watch you eat, the food looks more delicious," he muttered.

"That's because you've never been truly hungry," she said with a faint smile. "If you haven't eaten for days, even plain rice porridge would taste delicious."

His eyes froze. "Have you ever been truly hungry?"

"Yes," she replied lightly. What had been a matter of life and death then seemed a casual topic now.

His lips tightened. "Was it in prison?"

"Yes," she said.

Silence fell. She lowered her head and continued eating while his gaze remained fixed on her.

She still wore those cheap clothes. A few strands of hair framed her thin face. Even thinner than in the photos he'd seen before her imprisonment, she seemed frail, as if a breeze could blow her away. She ate with earnest concentration.

Her earnestness filled him with a sour sadness. If he'd known he would care for her, he never would have let her suffer in prison! He would never have let her go to jail for that crime.

Jason lowered his head and ate, but the food tasted astringent.

After the meal, Grace said, "I'm going to the washroom."

"I'll go with you," he said.

Grace was speechless. Did she need an escort to the washroom? It reminded her of school, when girls went in groups. Now he wanted to accompany her?

He remained a few meters away outside the washroom entrance, which relieved her. She'd been afraid he'd book the entire mall's facilities to ensure his presence.

Grace entered the washroom. After washing her hands, a voice startled her. "Hmm, isn't this… Grace? You're at the mall shopping, too?"

Grace looked up to see Andrea Schwartz, a former colleague from the law firm. They'd joined the firm together, become friends, and Andrea had often been kind. But after Grace's accident, Andrea's concern had vanished.

Meeting her former colleague felt awkward.

"I read in the newspaper that Lily and your ex-boyfriend, Sean Stevens, visited sanitation workers, giving gifts. There were pictures of you in a sanitation uniform. Are you working as a sanitation worker now?" Andrea asked, feigning concern.