Chapter 40
“Dad, you must really miss Jennifer too,” Lily said. “It’s really laughable how when I saw Grace that day, she had no hint of remorse for Jennifer’s death.”
“All right, don’t speak of that woman,” Harold replied.
As they spoke, they could hear footsteps from the stairs. The father and daughter duo raised their heads to see Jason coming down the stairs.
“Did you come to see me for something?” Jason asked calmly as his gaze swept across the two people before him.
As Jason’s cold eyes took in Lily, she could feel her body tensing slightly. There was a time when her sister had been madly in love with this man!
Lily still remembered her sister talking to her with a dreamy expression on her face. “I once thought that I could never get a man like Jason in this life. He’s too cold, too logical, and even if you hug him, it’s as if you can’t feel any of his warmth. We can be together in a room, and he’s still a hundred miles away. He’s just like exquisite and beautiful porcelain. You can see his surface but you can never see what’s beneath.”
“Yes.” Lily thought so too. Every time she saw Jason, she was unable to see the man clearly. In hindsight, her sister’s choice of a husband may not have been the best one. Oh, for political and
financial reasons, Jennifer couldn’t have done better, but there was something glacial about Jason.
Something cold and callous.
It’s why Lily had never tried to make a go of things with Jason, neither before nor after the accident. Even though Jason was very good-looking and backed by the large Reed Group, capable of doing anything within the city, the man was too scary and too cold.
1
Her sister may have been head-over-heels in love with Jason and had finally gotten his consent to marry, but Lily doubted the feeling was reciprocal. She didn’t think Jason had ever loved
Jennifer.
Not because Jennifer wasn’t wonderful in every way.
But because this man was incapable of love.
At her sister’s funeral, Jason did not shed a single tear.
“Jason, My daughter made a grave mistake, Lily is an impetuous child, who caused an incident that impacted us negatively. I’ve already scolded her. We hope that you can still attend Lily’s and Sean’s engagement dinner. Lily is Jennifer’s only sibling, and I’m sure Jennifer would wish that you could attend Lily’s engagement dinner,” Harold said with a sincere expression.
Jason looked at Harold with a forced smile. Harold felt as if his throat was turning dry and he could not finish what he wanted
to say.
Harold had-mingled in the business sector for many years
and yet now it was as if his entire person was being stifled by someone who was almost his son-in-law. He felt as if Jason could see through his every thought.
“She really is quite indignant. And petty, I think. I was quite surprised that she would cause so much trouble. Lying about jewelry and then forcing minimum wage workers to search for some imaginary ring.” Jason shook his head. “I mean, even if she had lost such a ring, so what?”
Harold nodded. “Yes, Jason. This was handled very poorly.”
“Harold, you raised quite a daughter,” Jason said with a faint smile. “Children should be blessings, not burdens.”
Harold smiled embarrassedly.
Lily flushed repeatedly. She was the darling daughter of the Atkinson family and also a celebrity. People chased after her the world over. When had she ever had to suffer such mockery?
Jason’s dark eyes cut to her. He knew what she was thinking. He smirked.
Then he glanced back at Harold, all but dismissing Lily. “If you want me to attend the engagement dinner, it’s not impossible,” Jason said. “Since your darling daughter is so fond of looking for things, then there’s no harm in her helping me look for something.”
What does that mean?
Harold and Lily looked at him and then at each other, clearly confused.
They watched as Jason walked to the other end of the hall to open a sliding glass door. Outside the door was an artificial pond. It was large and deep, with algae-covered rocks and an assortment of koi. Jason threw the ring in his hand straight into the pond, then spoke to Harold, “Once your darling daughter finds the ring, I’ll attend the engagement dinner.”
Harold’s mouth opened but no words came out.
Lily looked dazed.
He wanted her to… find a small ring in this pond?! Is he kidding?
Jason ordered a nearby servant, Keep an eye on them. Miss Atkinson has to find it herself. The moment the ring is found, then that’s when they can leave. Of course, if they have to leave no matter what…”
