Evelyn's words hung in the air for a long time, but Jason continued to sip from his glass of red wine, as if he hadn’t heard her.

“Miss Joy, there are no outsiders in the room. If you sit next to Jase, he’ll hear everything you say,” Ethan chimed in, trying to ease the awkwardness, gesturing for her to take a seat beside Jason.

With a stiff resolve, Evelyn stepped into the room. The pungent smell of smoke made her cough a couple of times, and Julian, grinning, offered her a glass of water. “Miss Joy, here, have a sip to clear your throat.”

She ignored the drink and turned to Jason. “Jason, can we talk privately for a moment?”

“If it’s about Jean, then forget it.” Jason lowered his gaze, his tone nonchalant.

Evelyn bit her lip, feeling the weight of her failure. “I made a mistake, and you have every right to be angry at me.”

At this point, Ethan and Julian sensed the tension and exchanged a knowing glance, quietly excusing themselves from the room and gently closing the door behind them.

“There’s love, then there’s hate. I have nothing but disdain for you, so there’s no hate involved,” Jason said, swirling the wine in his glass with a dismissive air.

Her dignity felt utterly shattered, yet she swallowed her pride for Jean’s sake. “Jason, I shouldn’t have deceived you with a fake biopsy report. Please, just forgive me this once. I swear I won’t lie to you again.”

“I received the divorce summons from the court this afternoon,” Jason replied coldly. “Why should I forgive someone who’s about to end our marriage?”

“Divorce was a hasty decision I made in a moment of anger, and I’ve regretted it since.”

Knowing that her explanation sounded feeble, she continued to plead her case.

“Evelyn, we’re not fools. Stop with the empty excuses,” Jason said, putting down his glass and pulling a cigarette from the box on the table to light it.

She realized that this might be her only chance to save Jean. With a desperate heart, she stepped closer to Jason, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Her lips brushed against his ear as she whispered, “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Just this once, please let Jean go. I promise I’ll do whatever you say from now on.”

Jason expressionlessly shrugged off one of her hands.

However, her other hand tightened around his back even more than before.

“Jason, they say that a day as a couple brings a hundred days of affection. We’ve shared a bed for a year. If Jean loses her medical license because of me, I’ll live in anxiety and guilt for the rest of my life. Please, help me out just this once—”

She knew Jason was a man who craved passion, and her hands slowly slid beneath his shirt, moving down to the most sensitive part of him.

In truth, even with her attempts at seduction, there was no guarantee Jason would respond favorably.

But he wasn’t paying attention to her words; at that moment, she had no other options left.

At the very least, they had shared a certain harmony in bed.

In the heat of passion, Jason had once told her that even dying inside her body would be worth it.

At that moment, Jason's intense neediness felt genuine, not like an act. Evelyn tried to exchange the warmth of their intimate moments for Jason's compassion, hoping to soften him. The softness of her body against him and her sudden overtures stirred something in Jason, causing his breathing to hitch. Despite his usual self-control, he let out a low groan.

Her sultry tone acted like an aphrodisiac for Evelyn, and she slid onto Jason's lap, their gazes locking. With bold, fiery eyes, she unbuttoned his shirt, her hands intertwining with his as she trailed her lips down his throat.

The encounter drained her of all her restraint and dignity; before long, her enthusiasm waned, and she found herself becoming more passive than active. Their trysts at 9Bliss Garden always brought a different thrill, a unique experience in the private room.

As Jason straightened his clothes, Evelyn curled up languidly on the sofa, still feeling the effects of their passionate encounter.

“Get out of here,” Jason commanded coldly, his tone strikingly different from moments before.

“Have you forgiven me?” she asked softly while dressing.

“Wanting a reward before I even pull up my pants? Evelyn, your ambition is excessive,” Jason retorted, his eyes filled with sarcasm. “Whether or not to withdraw the lawsuit depends on your future behavior.”

“Really?”

A glimmer of hope crossed Evelyn's face as she smiled. “I told you, if you let Jean go, I’ll do anything you ask from now on. Just let me go, and I’ll head straight back to 9Bliss Garden.”

Jason's lips curled into a half-smirk, as if he had something to say but hesitated.

As Evelyn left, she embraced Jason, whispering playfully in his ear, “Don’t let me down, okay?”

Her words were quick, laced with a rare hint of mischief and lightness.

Before Jason could respond, her slender figure slipped out the door.

Moments later, Ethan and Julian returned, instantly noticing the lingering air of intimacy and the pile of tissues in the trash, their knowing glances turning into playful banter.

“Looks like Miss Joy came to ‘collect some sperm’! Just a few hours without Jason at home, and she’s all over him. The private room is much more romantic than home, huh?” Ethan teased.

“Has Jase figured out how to settle things with Miss Brooks? After all, she’s been with him for six years; even if she hasn’t contributed much, she’s put in the effort,” Julian added.

“I totally get why Jase ditched Miss Brooks. I mean, all guys prefer younger, prettier women. Miss Brooks is pushing thirty, and that’s past her prime for childbearing. But Miss Joy is five or six years younger, better-looking, and a bit of a local celebrity in Riverton; she’d be a trophy to show off…”

Jason felt a headache coming on as he reached for his coat. “You guys have your fun. I’ll take my leave.”

“Not so fast! You promised a night of fun, and now that Miss Joy is here, you’ve lost all your spirit!” Ethan blocked Jason's way to the door.

“I asked the waiter for a deck of cards and invited that girl over for some poker before we leave,” Julian said, pulling Jason back onto the sofa and moving the fruit platter aside.

“Not really in the mood for games tonight. Just three rounds,” Jason replied, tossing his coat aside and rolling up his sleeves. “Just the three of us— that girl is too wild; I can't handle it.”

“Such a hypocrite! If you want a serious woman, stay home. Although, I guess your office could work too,” Ethan said as he unwrapped the deck of cards.

He looked mischievously at Jason. “Which one’s more adventurous in bed: Miss Joy or Miss Brooks?”

Jason’s face tightened in irritation.

“One’s a white rose, the other a red rose—each has its charm. It’s no wonder the women in the club can’t catch Jase’s eye,” Julian chimed in.

“Don’t forget, your red rose is still lying in a hospital bed,” Jason reminded him, taking a drag from his cigarette.

“I said playing around is fine, but she had to go and poke holes in the condom to get pregnant,” Julian remarked, his tone flat. “In my twenty-eight years, she’s the first woman who’s dared to scheme against me so openly.”

“Now that she’s pregnant, she’s still not ready to settle down,” Jason said, letting the cigarette drop from his fingers.

“Let’s play a few more rounds,” Julian suggested, feeling a strange pang when he heard the word “baby.”

As the night wore on, it was well past three in the morning.

Tyler, who had been waiting in the parking lot, first drove Julian and Ethan home before carefully asking Jason where he was headed.

“Back to the office,” Jason said, leaning against the seat, pressing his fingers against his throbbing forehead.