The inside of the elevator was pitch black."Wh-What's going on?" Iris' voice trembled slightly with panic.Jason remained calm, his tone even a little soothing. "Don't worry. Looks like the elevator malfunctioned. It's gonna be alright." He took out his phone, turned on the screen for light, and pressed the elevator's emergency button. Then, he attempted to call someone for help, but the call wouldn't go through.Iris calmed herself down and asked, "Could the emergency button be broken too?"There was no response when he pressed the button.Jason inspected the button and replied, "It seems like it."Iris tried dialing 911, but there was no signal in the elevator. "Is there nothing else we can do but wait?""Seems like it," he confirmed. He pressed all the floor buttons in order to prevent the elevator from dropping. He noticed Iris' pale face, illuminated by the flashlight from his phone. "Are you scared?" he asked.Iris was a little scared, but she put on a brave face and s
"I can squat down?" Iris asked.Jason reached out to support her. "Let's move over there and lean against the elevator wall.""Okay," Iris replied, but as she tried to shift her legs, she felt a cramp from standing still for so long. She bent down to rub her calves, and in that moment, the elevator suddenly plummeted."Ah!" she exclaimed, startled, instinctively grabbing onto something nearby.The rapid descent threw Jason off balance as well. He quickly caught Iris, maneuvering them both to a corner, one hand gripping the handrail while his other arm wrapping securely around her, pulling her close to his chest.Clang! The elevator came to a sudden halt, and Iris, still shaken, slumped against Jason.She breathed heavily, her hot breath brushing against Jason's Adam's apple.It was unexpectedly seductive. Jason's body tensed up. He didn't dare to move.Iris had yet to recover from the scare.After about ten minutes of stillness, the elevator showed no signs of moving further
"I'm fine," Iris replied, lowering her head.A firefighter asked, "Do you guys need to go to the hospital?"Iris shook her head."No, we're fine. Thank you for rescuing us," Jason said."Just doing our job," the firefighter assured them before leaving after confirming they were safe. The property management team quickly called the elevator repairman to address the malfunction.Iris and Jason took the stairs back to Iris' apartment. They were rescued on the first floor, so they had to climb from the first floor to the sixth. Iris felt weak and struggled with each step, gripping the handrail tightly for support. Jason walked beside her.The cool air outside the elevator gradually dried the sweat on their bodies, and Iris' face was no longer as flushed. By the time they reached the sixth floor, Iris was exhausted.Jason, however, showed no signs of fatigue. Iris glanced at him in surprise. She was out of breath, while he wasn't even breathing heavily. "Mr. Just, aren't you ti
Iris had actually wanted to make better food since she was inviting someone over for dinner, but the meal ended up being a bit simple."Next time, I’ll prepare in advance, so bear with me this time. You must be hungry, right, Mr. Just?""I'm okay," Jason replied.After dinner, Jason took his leave. Iris walked him to the staircase since the elevator was still out of order. She watched him descend before returning to her apartment.Once inside, she tidied up the dining table and went to bed.The next day, she noticed over ten missed calls on her phone but decided against calling back because she had a lawsuit to file that day. Denise had finished gathering evidence of her husband's asset transfers. Following Iris' advice, Denise acted like she was hesitant to end the marriage, but she was secretly collecting proof of the asset transfers. Her husband was the one at fault to begin with, and he also tried to transfer away marital assets. Iris felt confident about their chances in
They sat facing each other, chatting.Iris stared at them in disbelief. She wondered why they were here together. After all, they were not particularly close.Denise asked, "Do you know them?""That's my friend. Excuse me for a moment," Iris said."No problem, go ahead," Denise said with a smile.Iris approached, and it was Henry who noticed her first. He greeted her with a warm smile. "Iris, what are you doing here?"Iris smiled back. "I came with a friend."Yvonne, glancing behind Iris, asked, "A friend? A man or a woman? I didn’t know you had other friends besides me."Ignoring her teasing, Iris simply said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"Yvonne stayed put. "We can talk here."Henry chimed in, "Yeah, it's not like we don't know each other. Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of me." He added half-jokingly, "You're not gonna talk bad about me behind my back, are you?"Iris didn't know what to say. She was indeed going to tell Yvonne that Henry was an irres
Yvonne started her playful teasing again. "Is your client a man or a woman? Is he handsome?"Iris was speechless."What on earth is going on in your head?" she said, bemused."Ms. Glover," Denise had been waiting for her."Denise, my friend is a bit drunk..." Iris began, but Yvonne quickly straightened up and interjected, "I'm not drunk. I'm perfectly fine.""If you're Ms. Glover's friend, then you're my friend too. Care to join us?" Denise suggested.Without waiting for Iris' consent, Yvonne replied, "Sure!"Iris looked at Yvonne with a mix of helplessness and amusement on her face. The private room that had once belonged to Denise's ex-husband was now hers. Denise declared generously, "Let's have a good time! It's all on me!"Yvonne, who was familiar with the place, took the lead.This place wasn't only a paradise for men. It was a paradise for women too."Let’s start with ‘Paradise on Earth.’"Iris and Denise exchanged puzzled glances. What's "Paradise on Earth"? Alth
Iris had been busy with the lawsuit lately. She barely had time for anything else."I saw your missed calls, but I was too busy to reply," she explained. She genuinely did not mean to ignore Ted on purpose.Ted decided to let the matter rest. "I'm just glad you’re okay.""I'm fine," she assured him.Stanley seemed to want to say something to Iris but could not bring himself to say it in front of the group. When he spoke, his words were mocking. "How busy could an assistant be?"Iris didn’t want to argue with him so she just kept quiet.Lester, who was beside Stanley, felt the tension and tried to lighten the mood. "Why don't you join us, Iris?""No, I came here with friends. You guys have fun," Iris replied.Henry knew that Yvonne was with Iris. If he could enter their room, he would be able to see Yvonne again, so he said, "We’re all friends; let’s have fun together!"Iris said, "I don't think that's a good idea." She did not like that idea at all."Oh, c'mon. we’re friend
"Alright," Denise agreed, sensing the tension in the air. A fight might break out at any moment, so it would be wise to leave. After all, they were three women facing a group of men."I'll give you a ride, Yvonne," Henry quickly offered.Yvonne replied irritably, "You're a scum too. Birds of a feather flock together."Henry was taken aback. He hadn't done anything wrong. Why did he get yelled at?"I'll go with you guys," Ted said, leaving with them.Lester took a cautious glance at Stanley. Stanley's expression was dark, the simmering anger ready to erupt.No one dared to speak.Stanley turned, rushed into the crowd, grabbed Iris' wrist and pulled her away.When Yvonne and Ted realized what was happening, they tried to give chase, but they were blocked by Henry and Lester. "Let them talk," Henry said.Yvonne was about to curse him out again, but Lester cut her off, "They were married for four years and were together for seven years. Stanley just wants to talk to her. He's no
Iris' heart tightened, feeling both sweet and bitter, "I did it willingly. You were only in danger because you tried to help me. You went to great lengths to help me save my cousin. I'm immensely grateful."She paused, then slowly raised her head to look at him, "I can't let you die because of me. If someone has to die, I'd rather it be me, not you.""Why can't it be me?" His tone was light, but there was a subtle hint of excitement in his voice.She must loved him very much to have the courage to rush in front of him in the face of danger.Death, what a fearful word.Yet she shielded him from the gun with no hesitation."You were there to help me save someone. Therefore, you can't die," Iris answered.That was what she genuinely thought at the time.In the quiet room, the sounds of their breathing could be clearly heard. Jason gazed at her, his eyes filled with a complex emotion, "You rushed over to shield me from that gun because I helped you save your cousin? It's because yo
She asked in panic, "Who is it?""It's me."It was Jason's voice. She breathed a sigh of relief.People always felt the most insecure when they're naked."You're done eating already?"Jason wasn't very hungry because he just woke up, so he only had a bowl of soup. That's why he came back up so quickly."Yeah. What are you doing? The doctor said your wound shouldn't get wet.""I'll be careful." Iris said.Jason frowned. "Are you taking a shower?""...Yeah," Iris answered softly."I'll wash you." Jason tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside.He raised his eyebrows. "Iris...""I can wash myself." Iris hugged herself, thinking, how embarrassing would it be if he washed her?She didn't want that.Although they had already seen each other naked, her current appearance was not pleasing, and there was a gruesome wound on her body.She didn't want him to see her in this ugly state.Yes, he had already seen her ugly side, but... she couldn't just not care.She
Perhaps the sensation was a bit itchy, as Jason stirred. Iris quickly withdrew her hand, but Jason had already woken up."What's wrong? Does the wound hurt?" Having just woken up, his voice was hoarse.Iris shook her head, "I'm fine."She felt bad. "I'm sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep."Jason raised his head and said, "Give me your arm."She smiled and extended her arm. Jason laid his head on her arm and said, "Hug me."Iris thought he was childish.She gently patted his back like she was soothing a child.Jason closed his eyes. Smelling her scent, he soon fell asleep again. He slept for a long time, only waking up at night.Iris had also fallen asleep, but she woke up a lot earlier due to hunger. However, seeing Jason sleeping soundly, she didn't want to disturb him. Her arm was numb but she didn't dare to pull it out, afraid of waking him up."Are you awake?" Iris asked.Jason looked at her groggily, reached for his phone, and saw that it was already past two in the
Since they would be staying here for a while, someone had to handle the household chores.It was clear that neither of them nor the two bodyguards were up for the task.Donahue had always been the one responsible for hiring cleaners to clean the place, so Jason asked Lewis to contact Donahue and inquire about the cleaning staff he usually hired.Lewis immediately made the call. Donahue said he usually hired temporary housekeepers who would clean and then leave. He provided Lewis with a contact to arrange for their services.Lewis personally selected two middle-aged women. The manager said they were very experienced and proficient in cooking and household chores.He brought the two housekeepers back to the island and settled them in. After that, Lewis went upstairs to inform Jason that the housekeepers had started work and dinner was taken care of.Jason's bedroom door was slightly ajar. From the gap, Lewis saw Jason sitting on the bed talking to Iris. It didn't seem like a good
Jason's condition was that Kaden must ensure he and his people left the country safely.After discussions with the other two families, Kaden agreed to Jason's condition. With the three families working together, it wouldn't be hard to ensure the safe departure of Jason and his people.Holding Luna hostage gave them leverage over the Morris family. This deal was mutually beneficial. Jason made the deal to allow Iris to leave the country as soon as possible. After agreeing on a departure time, he left the rest to Kaden and Lewis to figure out.Jason stayed by Iris' side.Two days later, they boarded a plane to Fiji. The earliest direct flight home from Northern Burrma was the day after tomorrow, but staying in that country for another day meant another day of danger, so Jason and Iris decided to go to Fiji first. She would recover from her injury there.Iris didn't want her parents to worry, so she thought it would be a good idea to stay in Fiji for a while. She needed time to rec
When he withdrew his hand from under her, it was stained with blood.Anxious and flustered, his heart felt like it had stopped beating."Iris..." His voice was hoarse and unsteady.Iris' wound was not life-threatening. The bullet had hit her lower back.Luna did not intend to kill Iris. She just wanted to keep Iris from escaping.Iris could feel the pain now. Her body trembled uncontrollably. She felt incredibly cold despite the warm weather."I... I'm fine..." she spoke weakly, her pale lips quivering.Jason held her hand tightly, "Don't worry, Lewis will be here with a doctor soon.""Are you... okay?" she asked hoarsely."I'm fine," Jason assured her.Iris' tense heart finally relaxed a little.She had never experienced such a nerve-racking ordeal before.It all felt like a dream.Scenarios seen only on TV had become reality. She was scared out of her wits earlier, but she tried to put on a brave face. She didn't want to be a burden to them.But in the end, as a powerle
When Iris looked up, she saw Luna standing behind Jason with a gun aimed at him.Her eyes widened, pupils shaking."Look out!"She rushed forward.Luna could have pulled the trigger as she had a clear shot at Jason, but when Iris shouted that warning, she saw through Iris' intention.In that split second when Jason turned with the gun, Iris hugged him and shielded him from Luna's gun.Luna's father had told her that Jason was off-limits. Harming him could lead to endless complications and may even result in the eradication of the Morris family!However, according to their investigation, Iris had no background, so they could use whatever means necessary to capture her. Even if she got injured, it didn't matter. Therefore, the instant Iris shielded Jason from the gun, Luna aimed at her back and fired a shot.At the moment of being hit, Iris felt no pain. Her whole body was paralyzed, unable to move.She slumped in Jason's arms.Jason held her falling body. "Iris!"He fiercely
"Let go!" Frustrated that she missed him with her attack, Luna grabbed a chair leg and swung it at Jason.Jason caught the chair leg and disarmed her, then flung her away with his other hand.Luna staggered several steps back and her waist hit a sharp object. She grimaced in pain.Blood seeped through her thin outer garment.Enraged, she exclaimed, "Catch Jason Just's woman! A reward of ten thousand for whoever catches that woman!"Her men, who were starting to be suppressed, began to fiercely resist again, reigniting the intense conflict!Gunfire rang out. The sound of objects being pierced mixed with screams created a battlefield-like atmosphere!Lewis rushed out of the hotel with Iris and headed for the car. Jason followed closely behind them after getting rid of Luna.However, due to Luna's words, her men rushed at them desperately.These people were desperados. They weren't afraid to die for money.The fight for profit among the families had always been fierce!Kaden's
"The back door is blocked," Lewis informed Jason. He was outnumbered. Facing the rain of bullets outside, he couldn't break through.Although Luna was a woman, she had years of experience. She wasn't a fool. She had already stationed guards at the back door.Holding a machine gun, she said, "If you surrender, I might let you live!"Jason and Iris were trapped in a hallway, with no way out!Clearly, it would be difficult to escape from the back door. Kaden's men were at the front entrance, so if they rushed out from the front, there might be a chance to escape amidst the chaos.Jason instructed Lewis to protect Iris. Seizing the opportunity, he fired several shots at Luna.Luna had to dodge."I'll draw their attention. Lewis, when you see the chance, escape with Iris," Jason said."Got it!" Lewis responded.He still had to be wary of the shots coming from the back.It was actually very difficult to rush out.Two bodyguards suddenly rushed in, attracting the fire of Luna and h