?


    Jace bent down and casually plucked a rose. He tore off a petal and ced it in his mouth, chewing slowly. "Our boss will never resort to such brutish means of capture, like some wild beast. He will make Ms. Thompson ept him willingly, bit by bit, until she falls in love with him."


    Christopher''s shoulders shuddered, a chill running down his spine.


    Be did not feel as frightened. Instead, she felt curious, even suspicious. She thought to herself, if this "boss" they mentioned really were to take her away, it might actually be better than being trapped here with Christopher.


    At the very least, she would have a chance to unmask the mastermind and strike at the root of the problem.


    Staying with Christopher only left her feeling powerless. No matter how dignified, powerful, or influential he appeared, Christopher was just a guard dog, nothing more. She had a growing sense that Jace''s presence tonight meant something big was going to happen.


    Even if they did not take action, Christopher, having lost his usefulness, was nearing his end.


    As night fell, the waves crashed against the shore.


    After years of being an assassin, Jace had almost evolved beyond the need for sleep. Hey on the red velvet sofa in the living room, staring nkly at the ornate chandelier above, lost in thought.


    Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps approached him.


    Jace''s sharp ears twitched, but he didn''t rise in rm. He recognized the footsteps.


    The steps came to a stop beside him.


    Then, a sh of red appeared before his eyes.


    Be leaned forward slightly, holding out a fresh red apple in front of him. Her pale hand trembled.


    "For you," Be said softly, her voice gentle and innocent.


    Jace reached up, taking the apple from her hand. The crisp sound of a bite echoed as he bit into it.


    Be''s voice was barely a whisper, "Mr. Bailiff, do you like apples too?"


    "Yes," Jace replied indifferently.


    "I have... I had a brother. He loved apples since he was a child.”


    Be stared at him intently, her eyes welling up with tears. "In my family''s backyard, there were two apple trees. When we were little, I would often climb the trees to pick apples for Hugh."


    Jace remained silent.


    "He was a pilot, an exceptional one with 99% of the skills needed for absolute mastery. Unfortunately, hecked that final 1%."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    For the first time, a flicker of curiosity appeared in Jace''s usually emotionless eyes. "What was that 1%?"


    "Luck."


    Tears spilled over Be''s flushed cheeks. "There was a ne crash. His ne plummeted into the ocean. No one survived, not the crew or the passengers."


    Jace paused. His chewing slowed, but he quickly resumed, acting as if her words had no bearing on him. "Then he was indeed unlucky. In his next life, he should strive to be a lucky man."


    Her heartbroken sobs echoed softly in the serene living room.


    "Ms. Thompson, save your tears for someone worthy of them," Jace said coldly, ncing at the woman who was sobbing like a helpless child "You should cry at your brother''s grave. Crying in front of me is just a waste of emotion."


    to


    S


    As soon as he finished speaking, Be threw herself onto him, grabbing the cor of his ck T-shirt and yanking at it with all her strength.


    There was a sharp ripping sound as the fabric tore under her grip.