Chapter 9
Jason went to Sophie's hospital room to find Eric.
He walked in without a word and socked Eric right in the face.
"What were you up to? Going to see Lily today?" Jason's voice was icy, his anger barely contained.
Eric staggered back a few steps before steadying himself, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He wiped the blood off with the back of his hand, forced a smile, and his eyes darted away. "Jason, come on, is this really necessary? For a woman like her?
"I honestly didn't recognize her today. She's totally different from back in high school."
The atmosphere in the hospital room was charged with tension, almost crackling.
Sophie lay in bed, coughing weakly at the right moment, her frail voice trying to ease the tension. "Jason, Eric told me right after he came back. He honestly didn't realize that was Lily."
Her voice was soft and fragile, carrying the right touch of hurt and guilt. "After all, she's changed so much over these seven years. It's totally normal not to recognize her at first glance.
"The past is the past. You guys have been brothers for so long. Don't let something this small mess up your bond."
As she spoke, her eyes rimmed with red, and she looked up at Jason.
"It's all my fault. My body won't cooperate. If it weren't for me, none of this would've happened." She had to pause after every sentence, as if she was about to wither away right there.
Jason looked at her—so delicate and helpless, like she could shatter at any moment—and his heart ached for her.
He walked over, sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently touched Sophie's smooth forehead, his voice softening. "Alright, Sophie, that's enough. It's not your fault. Get some rest."
He didn't even spare Eric a glance, but his words were clearly meant for him, laced with a warning. "If something like this ever happens again, you know exactly what's coming.
"All those under-the-table deals your family's been doing—working with shady partners, turning farmland into construction sites... I doubt your father would want all that evidence ending up where it belongs."
Eric lowered his head; his eyes instantly clouded over.
He never thought Jason would actually threaten him with dirt on the Simpson family, all for Lily's sake.
He clenched his fists, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut.
Sophie lowered her eyes, a flicker of malice and jealousy flashing deep within.
She never expected Jason to actually turn against the Simpson family for Lily. She absolutely wouldn't allow it.
She hid the malice in her eyes flawlessly, switching back to that pitiful, innocent expression. She clung to Jason's arm, her voice soft and probing. "Jason, Eric told me that Lily actually paid him 900 thousand dollars."
She paused, carefully watching Jason's expression, then continued. "Where did she get all that money? Could it be... from some man?"
Realizing she'd said something she shouldn't, Sophie quickly shook her head, her eyes flickering with panic. "I... I didn't mean anything by it...
"But didn't you say a few days ago she was even considering selling her shop to pull together money for your surgery? How did she suddenly get so much cash... I... I'm worried about her."
Sophie's words hit Jason like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, sending shockwaves through him.
Doubt and suspicion twisted around his heart like wild vines, making it hard to breathe.
Jason couldn't shake off the idea that Lily might have hooked up with a rich man because that was the only explanation for her sudden wealth.
Once that thought took hold, it was like a venomous snake eating away at his sanity.
Rage erupted within Jason, threatening to consume every ounce of his composure and rational thought.
He couldn't take it anymore. Lily belonged to him—no one else.