Jade Carlson stared blankly at Nathaniel Summers.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Since she moved into the Summers Family, when had Nathaniel Summers ever shown her a kind face?
She had put on the most pitiable and humble guise, like a stray dog arriving at the Summersâ door begging for mercy with a wagging tail. Although Nathaniel Summers had taken her in, he had always treated her with indifference.
Today, Nathaniel Summers had actually taken the initiative to ask her to accompany him?
Jade was greatly surprised. Could it be that the time she spent being submissive and lowly had finally had an effect, softening his heart?
No matter what, this was a good thing; at least her efforts had not been in vain.
Jade subtly lowered her eyelids, taking a couple of drags from the cigarette in her mouth.
This cigarette was strong; as she smoked, her head began to feel a little heavy. After the heaviness came a sense of light-headed ecstasy, and her limbs were suffused with indescribable comfort.
She instantly became alert in her mind, and after being alert for a moment, she thought: Just one cigarette, itâs okay. If I donât smoke it, I might raise his suspicions and ruin all my previous efforts.
With various thoughts in her mind, Jade stayed in the study and accompanied Nathaniel Summers for a cigarette.
The time it took to smoke a cigarette was neither long nor short.
In the mist-filled study, Jadeâs mood gradually lifted; she felt this was a sign of her hardships turning to joy.
True enough, after smoking the cigarette, Nathaniel Summers seemed to be in a good mood. He tossed her a credit card and said, âDonât just stay at home working every day. Go out and shop occasionally, buy some pretty clothes.â
Jade almost laughed out loud with joy.
She wasnât delighted because of this small favor, but excited because Nathaniel Summersâs attitude had softened!
âNo needâ¦â Jade struggled to suppress the corners of her lips from rising and didnât take the card, âI donât really want to go out⦠Doing some things at home, I donât feel bored.â
Nathaniel Summers looked at her with a half-smile and said, âTake it. Whatâs the point of staying at home every day? Besides, youâll be getting engaged soon; you need to buy some new clothes and jewelry.â
Now that he had said that, Jade couldnât refuse anymore, and she certainly needed the money.
Jade took the credit card and left the study, encountering Evelyn Willard coming her way.
She immediately darkened her expression, pulled Evelyn Willard aside, and said in a low voice, âWhy are you here again? Didnât we agree that you shouldnât come so often?â
Evelyn Willard said nonchalantly, âWhat are you nervous about? If I donât come, who will keep Nathaniel Summers stabilized? I had an agreement with him; if he gets engaged to you, then I help him extract information from you.â
As she spoke, she pursed her lips in a smile, then continued in a softer voice, âBesides, I have to deliver the goods to you, right? Hey, do you have money? Hand it over for spending; this time I got you some premium stuff, its effects are better than the previous kind.â
Jadeâs complexion turned pale, and her eyes widened, âAre you insane? We agreed to progress gradually! What if he becomes suspicious?â
âDonât worry, I know what Iâm doing⦠The stronger it is, the quicker the addiction.â Evelyn Willard said, âWe donât have much time. Do you think he really wants to get engaged to you? If we drag it out too long and he loses patience one day, all our efforts will be wasted.â
Jade pursed her lips and said nothing, somewhat skeptical.
She felt that Nathaniel Summers still had some affection for her. It was only because he was too disappointed with her past actions that he was acting this way. As long as she behaved well in the future, she was certain she could win back his heart.
Evelyn Willard went to Nathaniel Summersâs study and, as agreed, she relayed the latest news she had gathered from Jade.
âThe psychiatrist that Jade originally recommended to you is very expensive, and with Jadeâs status, she would not be able to reach such a figure. So there must be someone behind the scenes arranging it. And, Iâve heard that this psychiatrist is particularly good at hypnosis. Your therapy process, in fact, was a series of hypnosis sessions.â