Chapter 97

"I like it," Jason smiled slightly, putting down the tag. "Sister, I'll buy you a thousand, even ten thousand sweaters. Wear them as much as you like."

Grace couldn't help laughing. "A thousand or ten thousand? How would I ever wear them all? I don't need that many. Come here. Let me measure your hand."

She took a leather ruler and measured his hand.

He frowned, feeling the coldness of her touch. "Hey, don't do this."

"What?"

"Don't knit; your hands are too cold," he said.

"It's okay. Stay still. If you keep moving, the measurements will be wrong," she muttered, readjusting his fingers. "It's not that cold in here. It's cold outside early in the morning or when I'm sweeping the streets at night. Even with gloves, my hands get numb."

Jason's eyes seemed clouded, masking the guilt within. He could have easily spared her this hard life. Initially, he'd found it interesting, staying by her side and calling her "sister." But now, his feelings had changed, and he planned to support her, removing the need for this grueling work.

"It's done!" she announced.

Finishing the measurements, she lowered her head and resumed knitting. Past injuries hampered her agility, slowing her work. It pained him to see her injured, injuries partly his fault.

"Sister, it's Sean's engagement to Lily today," he said. "On the way back, I saw the street near the venue was still blocked; lots of people were there."

"I know. I saw it online. It was packed," she said, her voice even.

"Aren't you disappointed?" He watched her closely.

Her hands paused, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "Disappointed?"

"If you hadn't broken up with Sean, today could have been your engagement," he said.

"Even if nothing had happened, it wouldn't have been mine. The Stevens family never accepted me. I would have broken up with Sean eventually," Grace said calmly.

She'd once tried desperately to win over Sean's parents, hoping for acceptance. But it was futile. At one gathering, Sean's mother publicly mocked her, calling her a sparrow trying to become a phoenix. Grace had been forced to smile and smooth things over. Looking back, she realized she didn't need to endure that. She'd never subject herself to such treatment again. The car accident had simply clarified her reality.

Jason smiled, pleased. "My sister deserves better! Sean's nothing."

"Right. If Lily likes him, that's her choice," Grace smiled.

"Any other interesting news?" he asked casually.

"Yes. I saw Jason Reed's back," Grace said. "He's mysterious. There are no pictures of him online. Someone posted a photo of his back today, but it was quickly deleted."