Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter 244
A few large men stood by Jase, their backs to Yvette, toppling over a vegetable stand. Their expressions were a mixture of fear and confusion.
One of them muttered, “Is this enough, Mr. Jase Chavez?” as they looked at the elderly man lying face down on the ground.
Jase, however, ignored them. He glanced over at the security room, and with a dramatic wail, he cried out in pain, making sure it was loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
Inside the security room, Yvette stood unmoving, her gaze fixed on the “scene” outside. She didn’t react at all, her face as composed as ever, betraying no emotion.
Yusef, watching from the side, felt a deep internal conflict. A girl, seeing something like this, should either rush in, overwhelmed by a sense of justice to stop the violence, or be scared enough to stay hidden. But Ms. Zeller? She’s just standing there, watching quietly. What’s going through her mind?
He quickly realized that this tactic wouldn’t work.
The sun blazed down mercilessly. If Mr. Jase Chavez suffered from heatstroke, it could become a serious problem. Hesitantly, Yusef decided to push her into action. “Ms. Zeller,” he said cautiously, “if we let this go on, that old man might really get hurt. Shouldn’t we go out and stop it?”
Yvette tilted her head, a playful, rebellious charm flickering in her eyes as she lazily stared at him for a few seconds. Her gaze softened, and the corners of her eyes, with their captivating beauty, shone slightly.
“Ms. Zeller?” Yusef repeated, unsure of her response.
She lowered her gaze, the hint of amusement still there, and nodded. “Let’s go.”
Her response surprised Yusef. He’d expected to have to work much harder to convince her, but she agreed almost immediately. Without another thought, he followed her out.
On the side of the road, the three “burly men” were clearly at their limit. Their attempts to look fierce were faltering, and they were doing everything they could to maintain their roles in the act. They silently hoped that Yvette would arrive soon so they could wrap this up.
Jase, now nearly 80, was struggling under the blazing sun to keep up the pretense. His energy was flagging, and his acting was growing less convincing. Finally, he saw Yvette exit the security room, with Yusef trailing behind her.
Jase’s acting instincts kicked in. His posture straightened slightly as he began to exaggerate his performance. He tilted his body to the ground and cried out dramatically, “I beg you, gentlemen. Please, let me go! I’ll repay the money my worthless grandson owes, just give me time. If you keep going, it won’t help you, even if I give up my life!”
The three burly men flinched. Jase had called them “gentlemen”—the word felt out of place and odd in the current context, making them a bit uneasy. It was as if something was wrong, though they couldn’t quite put their finger on it.
As Yvette and Yusef approached, Jase whispered urgently to the men, “Keep acting. They’re almost here. Don’t break character—right now, I’m not Jase Chavez, understand?”
The three men exchanged looks, reluctantly nodding to each other. They had no choice but to keep up the performance.
One of the men, a large fellow with a square jaw, pretended to kick Jase. From a distance, it looked real, but he carefully avoided touching him. Jase let out another wail, making his act even more believable. Even he had to admit that his acting was impressive.
Yvette stopped about seven feet away from them, still silent, her expression unreadable.
Yusef, seeing no progress, decided to escalate. He shouted loudly, “Hey! What kind of people beat up an old man in broad daylight? Have you no shame?”
Yvette glanced at him, then shifted her focus toward the group of men. Her eyes lingered on Jase, the old man lying on the ground. There was something in her gaze—a sharp recognition—and a slight curve to her lips, as if she were amused by the situation. Her eyes, calm yet intense, held a flicker of mischief.
In her cool, indifferent tone, she asked, “Are you done?”
The three men were caught off guard. This wasn’t how it was supposed to play out. They had expected her to rush in, ready to play the hero, scared but determined. But instead, she just stood there, almost detached from the scene, as if she weren’t bothered by their threats at all.
One of the burly men, a veteran with a muscular build, stepped forward and put on a stern face. “Do you think it’s any of your business, girl? What happens here doesn’t concern you. If you want to play the hero, then pay off his grandson’s debt—$330,000. Otherwise, leave us to our business.”
The other two men nodded in agreement, trying to look intimidating, as they gathered their courage to back up their “leader.”
Jase, still lying on the ground, added with a trembling voice, “Please, young lady, help me! If they keep this up, I’m finished. I’ll be indebted to you for life if you save me!” His voice was full of exaggerated distress.
Yvette, however, ignored his plea. Instead, she turned to Yusef and said, her tone slow and deliberate, “Could you get me a chair, please?”
Yusef, slightly confused, hesitated for a moment. “A chair? You want a chair?”
Yvette nodded, unfazed. “Yes.”
Yusef quickly looked at Jase for confirmation, saw him nod slightly, and scrambled to grab a chair. As he rushed off, he thought, Maybe she plans to use the chair to defend herself… She’s definitely a woman of action. I like her style.
Jase had a feeling that Yvette knew some martial arts, and he worried the men might accidentally hurt her in the heat of the moment. He quickly shot the three men a warning look, silently urging them to be careful.
The three men, understanding the threat, nodded silently. They had no intentions of crossing Yvette—she was, after all, the girlfriend of the infamous Jeremiah Chavez, the “Living Reaper.” They didn’t dare raise a hand against her.
For a moment, there was complete silence as everyone stood still, trying to figure out the next move.
A minute later, Yusef returned with the chair, presenting it to Yvette with a nervous grin.
Yvette took the chair and casually set it down. Just as the three men braced themselves for a confrontation, Yvette sat down in the chair with grace. She crossed her legs, resting her chin on her hand, and surveyed the scene before her.
Her eyes, cool and deep, scanned the men as a faint, roguish smile curled her lips. Her voice, cold and detached, carried across the tense silence: “If you’re not finished with your little performance, keep going. Take a break if you’re tired, and resume when you’re ready.”
The three men were utterly confused. They thought, What is going on here? This isn’t just breaking the rules—it’s completely twisting the whole situation. She’s practically inviting us to fight to the death with Mr. Jase Chavez!
Yusef stood frozen in place, equally stunned by the unexpected turn of events. The girl who’s dating Jeremiah is definitely not an ordinary person, he thought.
Jase, hearing her words, couldn’t help but give her a complicated look. The pitiful “old farmer” act vanished instantly. His back straightened, and his voice, once frail, now rang out with authority.
“When did you realize this was all just an act?” he asked, his voice echoing with power.
