Chapter 345

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. She had returned, panting as before. Even though she was afraid of him, disgusted with him, and perhaps even hated him, she didn't want him to hurt. At the thought, even the pain in his body seemed less intense.

Jason cooperated, opening his lips to swallow the medicine Grace fed him. Her eyes fell on his lips; distinct teeth marks were visible. He must have bitten them in pain.

"If you look at me like that again, you'll make me think you want to kiss me," Jason's voice rang out.

Grace's face flushed crimson. "I just saw you bit your lip. I didn't mean anything."

"It doesn't matter what you meant. You can kiss me whenever you want, Sis," he said. Though his face was still pale and his forehead damp with sweat, his speech was no longer hesitant.

Grace averted her gaze to avoid further blushing. Her eyes landed on the spirit tablet on the table.

"Do you want to burn more incense? The current stick is almost finished," Grace said. Generally, incense burning continued until the worship was complete. Tonight, looking at the burning incense and candles, along with the food and fruit offerings, he was worshipping his father.

Jason gestured to stand, but Grace quickly pressed his shoulder. "Don't move, I'll do it."

She went to the table, picked up the incense, lit it from the candle, and held it as she bowed three times before the black-and-white photograph of his father. Then, she placed the incense in the burner.

Jason's eyes flickered with surprise. For a moment, he gazed at her in awe. He hadn't expected her to bow to his father. From his perspective, he could see her profile; though he couldn't see her face clearly, he sensed the sincerity of her bows.

Did his father… see her? This was the woman he liked; the woman he would bind to his side, making her inseparable, as dependent on him as a fish on water. He would not repeat his father's mistakes.

After placing the incense, Grace turned and met Jason's gaze, feeling awkward. "Well… is that a photo of your mother?" she asked, flustered.

She immediately regretted the question. During their time together, she'd learned he avoided discussing his mother. She was about to change the subject when he replied, "Yes."

She was stunned by the unexpected answer.

"Do you think she's pretty?" he asked suddenly.

Grace nodded. His mother was undeniably beautiful, strikingly so.

"Yes, she is. My father loved her so much; he treated her words as imperial edicts, doing everything to fulfill her desires," he said darkly. "But one day, when the man who could give her anything ran away for her, and could no longer provide her luxuries, he became worthless in her eyes."