Love Jason

Chapter 48

Emily's POV

"I'm sure you'll like it here," Jason's voice dripped with a sinister allure, sending shivers down my spine.

My legs trembled beneath me, immobilized by fear and confusion. Why had Jason brought me here of all places? The question echoed relentlessly in my mind as I struggled to make sense of the situation.

"Are you okay?" Jason's voice broke through the fog of my thoughts, his expression a curious blend of concern and amusement as he drew nearer. I knew I had to shake off the emotions threatening to engulf me.

"I'm fine," I murmured, mustering a smile.

"Good, then we should go in," Jason replied, leading me into the restaurant. To my surprise, it was empty—no other guests, just us.

So I turned to Jason, confusion etched on my face, and he chuckled softly before confessing, "I wanted it to be just us."

"Just us," I repeated to myself, the words hanging in the air, heavy with unspoken implications.

As we stood in the empty restaurant, devoid of other guests, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this dinner than met the eye. It certainly wasn't a date, so what was it? The mystery tugged at my thoughts, demanding an answer I had yet to uncover.

"I'm sorry, Don Russo, for the mix-up, but the restaurant has already been reserved for the Marinos. It is their establishment, so I do not have a say in the matter. I apologize, Don," the man in the black vest approached us, his tone respectful yet firm.

Jason's chuckle cut through the tension like a knife through butter. Then, in a blink, everything changed. With sudden ferocity, he lunged at the man, his fists raining down with unrestrained aggression.

Each blow landed with a force that shook me to my core...

It was as if I were watching a predator devouring its prey, relentless and desperate for blood.

My heart pounded furiously in my chest as I stood frozen, unsure of what to do next.

"Should I stop him?" The question echoed in my mind, but fear paralyzed me. I couldn't shake the feeling that I might be next on his list of prey.

But I couldn't stand by and allow him to potentially kill this innocent man. With every fibre of my being screaming for action, I found my voice and screamed out for Jason, begging him to stop.

As if my words were a siren call, Jason abruptly halted his assault, his knuckles stained with blood as he quickly made his way to me.

"Did I scare you? I am sorry," he murmured, his hands cupping my face as if trying to soothe away the fear in my eyes.

I instinctively took a step back, unable to shake the haunting image of Jason's violence from my mind.

He reached out to touch me again, his eyes holding something unfamiliar, something I had never seen before. It was remorse, a raw and unsettling emotion swirling in the depths of his gaze. But as his hand approached, I flinched involuntarily, unable to suppress the surge of fear and mistrust coursing through me.

Jason turned back to the man, who was still struggling to regain his composure.

"I don't give a damn about the Marinos' wishes. My reservation stands, and I'll be taking my table," Jason's words cut through the air like a blade, leaving no room for negotiation. The man nodded hastily, clearly intimidated by Jason's unwavering determination.

"Right this way, Don," he stammered, his voice laced with both pain and fear, as he led us to our table.

With Jason brazenly taking hold of my hand without so much as a glance in my direction, we were swiftly ushered to our table.

"The champagne is on the house, Don. I'll inform the chef to expedite your orders," the man announced, his voice tinged with a mixture of fear and urgency, before hurrying off.

The atmosphere was swiftly shrouded in silence, a palpable tension hanging thick in the air. None of us dared utter a word, our gaze locked in a silent exchange, where the eloquence of our eyes painted a richer narrative than any words could convey.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly, each passing moment intensifying the weight of anticipation. Jason's penetrating stare bore into me, as though he sought to unearth some hidden truth, and I grew weary of the enigma cloaking this seemingly innocent dinner gathering.

"Why?" The word escaped my lips, shattering the silence that had enveloped us, a single syllable echoing the depth of my curiosity and frustration.

"You have to be more specific, Shortcake," he quipped, his voice laced with a playful yet intriguing tone. With a graceful pour, he filled my glass with champagne, mirroring the action for himself, all the while maintaining a gaze that seemed to hold a secret, daring me to uncover it.

"Why am I here? Because last time I checked, you couldn't stand the sight of me," I challenged, my words cutting through the air like a knife. "So what's the deal, Don Jason? Why are you taking your daughter's nanny out for dinner?" My tone was assertive, demanding answers, and at that moment, his demeanour shifted, almost imperceptibly.

"I know it seems strange, but I brought you here as a peace offering," he confessed, his voice resonating with unexpected sincerity. "I want a truce. I realize I've been an arse and far from the best of bosses. So, I just want to say I'm sorry. And I want to ask you to stay. Please, don't resign as Aurora's nanny. If not for anything, do it for Aurora. She's fond of you," he implored, I was taken aback by his unexpected admission.

"Jason Russo, apologizing to me?" I whispered to myself, a hint of disbelief colouring my words. "There's something amiss in this picture."

I didn't know what to say, so I simply lifted my glass and downed its contents in one swift motion.

"Say that you will stay, Emily," he urged, his tone pleading.

"I don't understand," I began, setting the glass down with a faint clink. "Firstly, you wanted me to come up with 300 grand just to leave, and now you're asking me to stay," I voiced, my confusion evident in my words.

"Forget about the 300 grand," Jason declared, his voice carrying newfound resolve. "I will pay you 500 grand if you choose to continue to be my daughter's nanny." With that, he dropped the check onto the table in front of me, the offer staggering in its generosity.

My gaze drifted from the check to Jason and back again, the weight of his offer heavy in the air.

"Half a million dollars is a whole lot of money," I murmured, uncertainty colouring my words. "But can I accept it, to choose to live with the devil himself?" The question lingered, my dilemma echoing in the silence between us.

"Is the amount not enough? I can make it a million dollars. All I want is for Aurora not to lose you," Jason pleaded, his desperation palpable as he urged me to respond.

Overwhelmed by his proposition, I felt a surge of emotions welling up inside me. Without a word, I hastily rose to my feet.

"I need to go to the restroom," I blurted out, my voice shaky with uncertainty.

Needing time alone to process the weight of his offer and the implications of my decision, I hastily made my way to the restroom. Each step echoed the turmoil within me, torn between financial security and the unsettling prospect of remaining in such proximity to someone I'd come to distrust.

Getting to the restroom, I took in a deep breath, the tension in my body easing slightly as I slipped off my shoes, feeling the cool tiles beneath my feet grounding me. As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I replayed Jason's words in my head over and over again. Each repetition seemed to deepen the internal conflict raging within me, leaving me grappling with the enormity of the decision before me.

I lowered my head to wash my hands, the sound of running water providing a momentary distraction. But as I glanced back into the mirror, a sudden jolt shot through me. There, reflected in the glass, was a familiar figure. I blinked, convinced it was a trick of the light or perhaps the wine playing tricks on my mind.

His form loomed behind me, his eyes piercing mine with a sinister intensity that sent shivers down my spine. The air around me crackled with unspoken tension as he drew nearer, his expression dark and unsettling.

"Marco..." I whispered, the name escaping my lips almost involuntarily as recognition dawned.