Jason woke to warmth.
The weight of her head rested lightly on his chest, her hair spilling across his bare skin like strands of silk. For a moment, he didn't move, his breath slow, his arm still draped lazily around her waist. The memory of last night lingered with surprising clarity—the softness of her lips, the laughter that had melted into sighs, the fire that had bound them through the dark hours.
Mariana's breathing was steady, calm. She looked far different from the confident, sharp-tongued woman who had bantered with him at the dinner table. Here, in the silence of morning light filtering through half-drawn curtains, she looked almost fragile. Vulnerable, even.
Jason carefully slid from beneath her, leaving the warmth of the sheets. He stretched, muscles tightening, and walked slowly to the massive window at the edge of the room. The curtains pulled back easily, spilling golden sunlight across the polished floor.
It should have been peaceful. It should have been one of those rare moments where he could allow himself to believe he was living an easy, perfect life.
But it wasn't.
The familiar chime echoed inside his skull.
[System Status: Active.]
A transparent panel blinked into existence before his eyes, invisible to anyone else. Jason's jaw tightened as he read.
[User Status: Unchanged. Progress stagnant.]
[Remaining Time: 4 years.]
His eyes shifted to another tab, pulling up the details that truly mattered to him.
[Sophie – Linked Dependent]
Health: Critically Low]
Energy: 12/100]
Time Estimate: Decline Accelerating]
Jason swallowed hard. The weight pressed down on his chest harder than Mariana's head ever could. Four years. Four years to raise Sophie's stats, to drag her back from the brink, to make her strong enough to survive.
But how? He hadn't moved forward. All of last night—what had it done? A distraction. A momentary indulgence. His path was still the same, his sister still fading.
His hands tightened on the window frame, the polished wood groaning faintly under his grip.
A soft voice cut through the storm in his head.
"You're brooding again," Mariana murmured.
He turned. She was awake now, still half tangled in the sheets, her eyes hazy with the weight of sleep but carrying that same spark he had seen in her the night before. Her lips curved faintly. "You look… far away. Care to let me in?"
Jason forced a small smile, the kind that masked the sharp edge of his thoughts. "Not far. Just… thinking."
She sat up slowly, pulling the sheet against her chest in a way that was oddly modest for a woman who had been so bold last night. "That sounds dangerous," she teased. Then, softer, almost as if she surprised herself by saying it: "You don't have to carry everything alone, you know."
Jason turned back to the window, staring at his faint reflection in the glass. His question slipped out before he could stop it.
"Why me?"
Mariana tilted her head, confusion flashing across her face. "Why you… what?"
Jason exhaled slowly, eyes locked on the shifting numbers in his system panel. He hadn't meant her. He hadn't meant the choice she had made last night, or the strange affection that glimmered in her gaze. He had meant the curse that had dragged him into this path. The system that demanded he fight, claw, and bleed for survival. The burden of saving his sister alone.
But of course, she couldn't know any of that.
"Why me?" he repeated, softer this time, looking over his shoulder at her.
She laughed lightly, misunderstanding exactly as he expected. "Why you? Jason, isn't it obvious? You walk in with that calm, untouchable aura, like the whole world could fall apart and you'd still stand tall. That's rare. That's… intoxicating."
Jason managed a smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You think so?"
"I know so," she said firmly. Then she hesitated, as though a thought had suddenly struck her. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "But you… you're married, aren't you?"
Jason's lips curled in a wry smirk. "No. You are."
The words hung in the air like a blade.
Mariana's eyes widened, her breath catching. "You—" She swallowed. "How do you know that?"
Jason shrugged, his tone calm, even detached. "I may act all rough and self-controlled, play the character you seem to like, but come on… I'm not naïve. I'm not here to be a problem in someone else's story."
For the first time since he'd met her, she faltered. Guilt spilled across her face, a flicker of shame breaking through her confident mask. "Jason… I—"
"Don't," he said gently, holding up a hand. "I'm not angry. I just… I don't want to be a shadow in someone's marriage. That's not me."
Mariana bit her lip, gaze falling to the sheets. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "And about… the cheque. I told you I'd give you one, but… I don't have access to the accounts. Not freely. My father—he controls most of it. But I do have cash." She looked up, almost pleading. "Let me give you something. At least as… as appreciation. For coming here. For… last night."
Jason studied her for a long moment. Pride gnawed at him, but the memory of Sophie's failing stats burned sharper. He couldn't afford to refuse.
"Alright," he said quietly. "I'll take it."
Relief softened her features. She rose, draping a robe over her shoulders, and crossed the room to fetch a leather case. From it, she drew neat bundles of cash—more money than Jason had seen in one place in months. She set them gently on the bed beside him.
He accepted them with a steady hand, slipping the bundles into his bag. Then he looked at her, really looked. "You're beautiful, Mariana. But promise me one thing."
She blinked, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "What?"
"Don't… don't go around town sleeping with anyone who flashes confidence and a smile," Jason said softly. His voice wasn't harsh, but it carried weight. "You're worth more than that. Don't cheapen yourself."
The shift in her expression was instant. Her lips parted in surprise, then pressed into a thin line. A flash of offense sparked in her eyes.
"Cheapening myself?" she repeated, her tone sharp now. "Is that what you think of me?"
Jason cursed himself silently. He hadn't meant it that way—not exactly. He lifted a hand. "No, Mariana. That's not what I—"
But her mood had shifted. Her shoulders squared, her voice clipped. "I think you should go."
Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it as an insult. I just—" He stopped himself. There was no fixing this without making it worse.
He dressed quickly, pulling on the clothes Sam had given him the night before. The atmosphere in the room had cooled, her eyes distant now.
When he reached the door, she called out, her voice quieter. "Wait."
He turned.
Mariana's eyes softened again, guilt flickering across her face. "You don't have to explain. I just… I don't like being reminded of my mistakes." She paused, then nodded faintly. "The car will take you back."
Jason gave her a small nod of gratitude. "Thank you."
The ride back was silent, the luxury of the Rolls-Royce doing nothing to ease the storm in his chest. He clutched the bag of cash tightly, his thoughts drifting only to Sophie.
When the car finally stopped at the hospital, Jason stepped out, the weight of responsibility settling once more on his shoulders. No matter what had happened last night, no matter what temptation lingered in Mariana's mansion, only one truth mattered.
Sophie.
Always Sophie.