Chapter 296

Jason said nothing. He straightened up, closed the car door, walked around to the driver's seat, and started the car. Grace was surprised to see Jason driving; usually, the driver did so. However, this allowed her to observe his profile. She had to admit that from the side, his features appeared sharper—his straight nose bridge and those thin lips. His hair was less neat than usual, with a few strands across his forehead. He looked more like the Jason she knew before—Jay. The thought of that name gave her mixed feelings. She had just called him "Jay." Was it because she subconsciously believed only Jay could help, not Jason? But whether Jason or Jay, it was him; he was her only recourse. Even though the police were searching for Lina, she wanted more people involved. Finding Lina quickly was paramount.

When the car stopped at a traffic light, Jason turned to Grace. "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Stunned that he'd noticed, she stammered, "No… nothing. Just wondering why you're driving today." Embarrassed at being caught staring, she felt her cheeks flush.

He seemed amused. "Yes, I'm driving today…" His eyes darkened as he looked at her. He didn't tell her that hearing her sobs on the phone had made him so anxious he'd grabbed the car keys without notifying the driver.

"Do you want to know why?" His gaze was intense.

Her heart skipped a beat. His look made her uncomfortable. A feminine intuition told her the answer concerned her.

Before she could respond, the light turned green. "It's green," she said quickly.

He looked at her but said nothing more.

The car returned to the Reed Residence. Grace followed Jason out.

"When will I hear news about Lina?" Grace asked, her anxiety palpable, even though only about half an hour had passed since Jason had called to check on her best friend's whereabouts. She was afraid—terrified something had happened to Lina. She even recalled kidnapping case studies from law school; in cases involving young women, the outcomes were rarely positive.

"No, Lina's going to be fine. She'll be all right!" Grace repeated to herself, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on Jason with such intensity that he felt observed by a frightened creature. The pleading and expectation in her eyes were evident. Seeing her like this, he felt an urge to hold her, to wipe away that plea born solely from worry over Lina Sweeney.