Chapter 90

She bit her lip. "Relying on someone else isn't as good as relying on yourself. Only self-reliance prevents disappointment."

Jason nodded. "Ah, I see. Bigger expectations lead to bigger disappointments."

"Yes."

She'd learned that lesson well after the accident that took her family, boyfriend, job, and friends.

"But I really want to be your benefactor, sister," he said. "What should I do?" He arched a brow and studied her calmly.

"If it's Jay…" She smiled. "Then, all right. I'll wait for Jay to be my benefactor."

"Why?" he asked, trying to understand her feelings.

"Because Jay would never disappoint me. Because…" She paused. "No matter what, you would never abandon me, right?"

He chuckled. "You're right. I would never abandon you, sister."

That night, after confirming Grace was asleep, Jason left their rental unit. He walked to a house near Grace's apartment. Unlike her cramped rental, this suite was spacious, bright, and exquisitely decorated.

Terrence Klein waited inside. He opened the door immediately upon hearing a knock. He hadn't expected his usually detached boss to buy a house nearby to look after Grace. Terrence knew this was to manage his workload; the house was essentially a mobile office.

Terrence reported on the day's business. He wondered why his boss hadn't taken Grace back to the hospital, even for a few hours.

Jason listened, giving brief instructions. He then ordered Terrence to contact overseas branch executives for a web conference.

The overseas executives soon appeared on-screen. They seemed curious about Jason's location. Despite the room's exquisite decor, it was relatively modest compared to his usual surroundings. One executive even called it "substandard."

"Sir, where are you? The background…looks like an…unexpected hotel."

That was diplomatic.

Terrence watched his boss intently.

Jason simply replied, "Don't ask unnecessary questions. Continue the meeting."

Terrence chuckled dryly. He knew why his employer was holding the meeting there—because a woman rented an apartment in this small housing estate, requiring a temporary relocation of his entire operation. As for the decorTerrence mentally shrugged. He'd spent a day finding the house, paid double its market value to secure it, and expedited all the renovations, cleaning, painting, and furnishing. It was a miracle he'd managed it all.

Mid-meeting, Jason's phone rang—Grace's old phone, not his usual one. The executives saw this mysterious, affluent man answer a call on a cheap, old phone, his voice softening. They couldn't hear what he said because he'd muted, but privately discussed his phone choice and wondered who he was speaking with.

Terrence received private messages from some executives fishing for gossip. He wanted to tell them that the phone's existence was already known at company headquarters in Emerald City; senior management had seen Mr. Reed use it before. However, he dared not reveal anything about its usage or the caller's identity.