Grace was still in shock. "What was that about? Why did she just run off like that?"
Jason Luo sighed. "Isn't it obvious? She wants me to buy her a gift too. What a headache…"
Catherine might've been straightforward—but that wild streak of hers was something else.
"Huh? People actually do that?"
The idea was completely beyond Grace's imagination.
Jason could only give a bitter smile as he swiped his card. Only then did the security guard and the clerk finally let them leave...
Moments after the two stepped out of the mall, Catherine reappeared with an ice cream cone in hand, grinning smugly. She twirled the ring on her finger. "Thanks for the gift! I love it! Don't be mad, okay? Tell you what—how about I buy you a gift too? What do you want? A watch? A car? You name it..."
Jason ignored her. Even if she was joking, he really couldn't get used to her kind of humor.
After loading everything into the car, Catherine noticed the tension and rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry, okay? You just care too much about your little sister, that's all. Come on—it's a day off. Cheer up! Grace, how about I take you to the aquarium? The dolphin show's great fun!"
Grace's eyes lit up but she glanced at Jason for approval. He knew she wanted to go and didn't want to ruin her mood. "What are you looking at me for? Let's go. We're broke anyway—might as well enjoy it."
Catherine beamed, kissing the ring on her hand. "You stingy guy! Fine, this lady's got it covered from now on. Everything's on me!"
The three of them decided to walk instead of drive, chatting and laughing as they headed toward the aquarium.
But just as they rounded a corner, two men were standing motionless on the sidewalk. Grace and Catherine passed by without issue, but when Jason tried to walk past, they blocked his path.
Huh?
Jason frowned. He didn't recognize them.
The two were a strange pair—one was an Asian man, short but solidly built, while the other looked South American, with dark skin, dreadlocks, and a grin that showed off a set of gleaming white teeth.
"What do you want?" Jason asked.
The darker man lifted his eyelids slightly, gave Jason a quick once-over, and smiled. "Greedy Wolf?"
Jason's stomach tightened. That name—he'd only used it once, back when he was forced into an underground fight. How could they possibly know that?
"Relax," the man said smoothly. "I'm Shadow. This is Mad Bones. We just want a friendly spar. What do you say?"
Jason's face darkened. He'd only fought in the underground once, and under duress. There was only one way they could've found out—Jeff. Damn that guy.
"Sorry," Jason said flatly. "I'm on vacation with friends. No time, no interest." He turned to leave.
But Mad Bones stepped forward again, blocking his way. "Not so fast, kid. We know you're a professional boxer. You wouldn't want word of that underground fight getting out, would you?"
Jason clenched his jaw. "Don't try that scare tactic on me. No proof, no story."
At that moment, Catherine and Grace, who had gone ahead, noticed Jason wasn't following and started heading back.
"Jason, what's going on?"
"Brother, is everything okay?"
Jason called out sharply, "Stay where you are! Don't come any closer!"
He turned back to the two men, his voice cold. "What do you want? I'm warning you—don't push it."
Shadow smirked, glancing past him. "You've got quite the audience, huh? Relax, kid—it's just a fair fight. One-on-one. You in?"
Jason hesitated. He had no idea how strong they were, but he could tell refusing wasn't an option. If they'd tracked him down to Princeton, they obviously knew his every move—and if his family got dragged into this, it'd be far worse.
"Fine. I'll fight you. But not here in the street."
"No problem. You pick the time and place. But be smart—don't even think about skipping out. Otherwise..." Shadow's eyes flicked meaningfully over Jason's shoulder.
By now, Catherine had told Grace to stay put and ran over herself.
To prevent anything from happening, Jason stepped in front of her. "Alright, tonight, eight-thirty. Princeton University gates."
"Deal," Shadow said with a grin. "Kid, I hope you know what you're in for." The two turned and walked away.
"Jason, who were they? Should we call the police?"
Jason shook his head. "Let's head back to the hotel. Catherine, I've run into a bit of trouble, but it's my problem—not yours. Please, just take us back."
"Hey! At least tell me what's going on! Hey—"
...
Once they got back to the hotel, Catherine and Grace bombarded him with questions. Unable to hide it any longer, Jason told them everything—from his first underground fight to what had just happened.
Grace's eyes went wide. "That's awful, Brother. Those people sound dangerous. We should call the police right now!"
Jason shook his head. "It's no use. All they did was challenge me. There's nothing to report."
But Catherine's eyes sparkled with excitement. "So what you're saying is... you're fighting them tonight? This is so cool!"
Jason stared at her in disbelief. "Catherine, I'm serious. This is my problem. Tonight, I need you to stay with Grace. Whatever happens, you two must not get involved. This is between men."
Catherine waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, please! Those two? You think they scare me? In New Jersey? Not a chance. Relax, leave it to me. Tonight, I'll make sure they regret showing up. Grace, get some rest—tonight we're watching a good show."
She flashed Jason a mysterious smile and walked out before he could stop her.
"Catherine! Wait—"
Jason groaned. He never should've told her the truth. If he lost the fight, who would protect them?
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he got. He pulled out his phone to book Grace a flight home, but she refused flat-out. "I'm not leaving you alone, Brother."
Jason couldn't eat a thing that evening. He planned to leave Grace at the hotel and face the fight alone.
But just after eight, Catherine returned, looking far too cheerful for the situation. "Everything's ready, Jason. Relax—this lady's handling things. I've got the venue arranged, so just go all out. I want to see you in action."
Jason froze. "Wait—you called for backup? Don't tell me it's your teammates. Listen, those guys are dangerous. Don't do anything reckless. If things get messy, it's all over."
Catherine rolled her eyes. "You worry too much. I'm not a kid, okay? It's my turf—so tonight, you follow my lead. Just focus on knocking those two down. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."
Jason was speechless. Was she serious? She was just a college student—what was with that fearless attitude? Even now, she wasn't the least bit afraid.
He couldn't help thinking, Unbelievable. What kind of girl is this?
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser