When Irene noticed there was no private helicopter anywhere in sight, and none of Jason’s usual security team was visible, her bewilderment only grew deeper. “Jason, what are you doing up there all by yourself? Where did all your men go? And where’s your private jet?”

Jason rotated the phone back toward his own face, completely ignoring every question she had just asked. His features remained disturbingly calm and emotionless. “Taylor threw himself off this exact spot where I’m standing right now. Down there below us lies an ancient wilderness that the locals have always called the ‘Death Zone.’ There’s no chance he’ll ever be coming back from that fall.”

A wave of panic crashed through Irene’s chest like ice water. Jason’s expression stayed perfectly neutral, but something deadly cold had settled into his eyes that made her feel like her blood was freezing in her veins.

“Tell me something, Mom,” he said suddenly, his voice soft but carrying a razor-sharp edge. “You were there for Taylor’s entire childhood. He was always such a happy, peaceful kid who never caused trouble for anyone. He posed absolutely no threat to you whatsoever. How could you possibly find it in your heart to destroy someone so innocent?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Irene felt her rapidly beating heart come to a complete stop. A few seconds later, it burst back to life, hammering against her ribs in pure terror. Every drop of color vanished from her face, and it seemed like hours passed before she could force any words from her throat.

“Jason, I… I have absolutely no idea what you’re trying to suggest.”

In her desperation to cover up her guilt, she quickly cut him off before he could say anything else. “I’m devastated by Taylor’s death, but I had nothing whatsoever to do with what happened to him! How can you possibly blame me for this tragedy?”

“Ha.” A brief, bitter sound escaped from somewhere deep in his chest. He couldn’t believe she was still maintaining this elaborate charade even now. She really had always thought of him as nothing more than a gullible fool who would believe whatever story she fed him.

When his cold laughter faded away, his voice turned hard as forged steel. “Mom, tell me whether you’re the one who had that AI chip implanted in Taylor’s brain.”

Your favorite stories g?lnσνels?com

Irene had been preparing to force tears from her eyes, ready to put on a heartbreaking performance of wounded innocence, but his words hit her like a physical blow. She could only stare at his image on her phone screen in complete shock, her mind completely blank and unable to form any response at all.

Now that Irene’s carefully constructed mask had finally crumbled away, Jason stopped holding anything back. His eyes locked onto hers through the screen with unwavering intensity.

“I want you to explain something to me,” he demanded. “Exactly how did that chip end up inside Taylor’s brain?”

A violent shudder ran through Irene’s entire body. Terror consumed every fiber of her being. She couldn’t begin to understand how Jason had managed to see straight through what she believed were flawlessly crafted deceptions. How had he possibly traced the connection between her and the chip that had been controlling Taylor’s mind? What would Jason do to her now that the truth was finally out in the open? How could she possibly deal with this?

A million frantic thoughts crashed through her mind like a stampede, but every single one of them was completely useless. Jason was far too intelligent, his perception far too keen. He had systematically destroyed every last fragment of hope she had been desperately clinging to.

.

.

. For original chapters go to find?novel.net