Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 36

Accompanying Nadine was Jason Blackwood.

Stella had been at the Blackwood Manor for a week, but this was her first time crossing paths with Jason. However, the moment she locked eyes with him, a string of colorful expletives raced through her mind.

It was him?!

You've got to be kidding me!

It was that creep from the cafe yesterday!

He didn't look much like Julius. While Julius possessed striking, deeply sculpted features and a towering, imposing presence, Jason's features were softer, his complexion luminous—almost too pretty, like a quintessential rich playboy.

Perhaps one brother took after their father and the other their mother. Regardless, the resemblance was practically nonexistent.

When Jason saw Stella, his jaw practically unhinged.

He stuttered, "I-It's you?"

After leaving the cafe yesterday, he had spent hours agonizing over how to track her down and ask her out. Then, his grandmother had called, demanding he return to the manor.

She told him his older brother was hospitalized and ordered him to come visit today. He never expected to run into the girl of his dreams in the hospital corridor.

Nadine glanced between her youngest grandson and her new granddaughter-in-law, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Do you two know each other?"

Stella: "No."

Jason: "Yes."

They spoke at the exact same time, delivering entirely opposite answers.

Nadine grew even more suspicious. "One says yes, the other says no. Which is it?"

Jason totally ignored his grandmother's question; there was no way he could let her find out about yesterday's incident.

Instead, he deflected, "Nadine, is this my brother's new wife?"

"Yes, yes, let's hurry up. Lisa made a special soup, and the chefs packed some highly nutritious dishes. We can all eat together. How is Julius doing?"

"He's okay, Nadine. He just underwent a massive surgery yesterday, so he's still in a lot of pain. Once he recovers, he'll be discharged to go home."

"Massive surgery? They didn't amputate his legs, did they?" Jason asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Ever since he took over Julius's workload at Blackwood Group, he had been working like a dog. The corporate headquarters was far from the manor, so he usually crashed at his downtown apartment and hadn't been home in a while.

The last he had heard, the doctors had recommended a high-level amputation for Julius, giving him only a fifty percent survival rate—a procedure Julius had stubbornly refused, letting his condition deteriorate.

Jason had been devastated. He buried himself in endless work just to numb the pain and avoid thinking about his brother's grim prognosis. He hadn't even set foot in his favorite nightclubs.

So, hearing his gorgeous new sister-in-law mention a painful, massive surgery immediately triggered his worst fear: amputation.

What else could possibly hurt more than getting your legs sawed off?