Deceiving Her Ears: Ignoring Your Call-Chapter 26: Isaac Vaughn, You’re Not Quite Right
Annie’s face swelled up, red and puffy.
But her expression was still cold as ice.
"Uncle," Isaac forced down his anger, "what are you doing?"
"Ask her!" Jason looked like he was about to tear someone apart, his eyes spitting fire: "She got me into this mess! This was all her doing!"
Isaac frowned and looked at Annie.
Annie said nothing, shook off his hand, and turned to leave.
"Run! Go ahead, run!"
Jason, not satisfied with just slapping her, glanced at the water glass on the bedside table, grabbed it, and hurled it at Annie’s back.
"Bang!" The muffled thud of glass hitting flesh.
"Crash!" Then the cup hit the ground and shattered.
"Mmm!" A low, stifled groan.
Jason was surprised: "Isaac?"
Annie abruptly stopped, wanting to look back but holding herself in check.
That hit was actually pretty hard, but Isaac was too embarrassed to rub his chest in public, so he just gritted his teeth and said, "I’m fine."
Hearing him say he’s fine, Annie started walking again, opened the door and left.
"Isaac, why’d you take that for her?" Jason was agitated. "Are you really okay or just saying so? Should I get a nurse to check?"
"I’m really fine." Isaac pulled over a chair and sat next to the bed. "Uncle, what happened? Why are you so mad?"
Jason, full of indignation, told him how Annie abandoned him, ran off to hide in the bathroom by herself, and left him to get beaten up.
Isaac’s expression flickered for a moment.
"Fucking Annie, that bitch! I didn’t turn her in, and this is how she repays me?"
"Uncle, in that situation, of course a young woman would be scared. It’s understandable she did what she did. If she hadn’t called the police, things could’ve gotten a lot worse."
"I’m not bad enough already?" Jason got so outraged he moved his injured arms and legs by accident and yelped in pain.
"Uncle, easy." Isaac sounded caring, but his eyes were icy.
——
Isaac got an ice pack from the nurse and found Annie in the emergency stairwell.
He pressed the ice pack to her face.
Annie let out a small hiss and took the ice pack from him herself, her voice cold: "Your uncle was right. I did leave him behind and hid by myself."
But she didn’t regret saving herself.
Because she didn’t trust Jason.
"You did well."
Annie turned to him in shock, her eyes full of disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe he’d actually say that.
Isaac studied her face, as stunned as a startled goose, and smiled. "Little Ear, so you’re a bit of a dummy."
Annie’s other cheek flushed red too—that side, though, hadn’t been slapped by Jason.
"Don’t just give me random nicknames."
Isaac took her wrist, pulled the ice pack away, and ran the pad of his finger gently over her still-red cheek.
"Does it still hurt?"
"No..."
"I hurt."
Annie’s eyes widened, her heart pounding as if a wild little deer inside her was acting up, pounding away.
Isaac locked eyes with her, guided her hand to his chest. "It hurts here."
She suddenly realized he’d blocked that cup Jason threw for her just now.
"Rub it for me."
Isaac held her hand to his chest, not letting go.
Annie, face still cold, tried to pull her hand back.
He gave in: "It really hurts. I was too embarrassed to rub it in front of my uncle."
She pressed her lips together and stopped resisting.
After a few seconds, her small hand gently rubbed his chest.
He wore a black shirt, the top two buttons undone, his collarbone faintly visible.
Her hand was slender and pale—pretty enough to be a hand model.
The stark contrast of black and white created a sharp visual impact.
Just watching her hand on a man’s chest, rubbing, there was something undeniably enticing about it.
But her face was determined, almost solemn.
As her palm’s warmth seeped through the shirt and into his body—
Isaac’s breath carried a trace of desire.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. He guided her hand lower.
Annie jolted from surprise.
Isaac’s deep eyes were like black holes, threatening to suck her in and swallow her whole.
"You..." Annie panicked and yanked her hand back, "Isaac, you’re not normal. You should see a doctor."
In this situation, how could he possibly... possibly...
Isaac gave a low laugh: "You’ve been rubbing me for so long—if I didn’t have some kind of reaction, that’s when I should see a doctor."
——
The two of them left the emergency stairwell, heading back to the hospital room.
Annie saw the door was ajar and suddenly heard voices inside.
She stopped in her tracks.
Behind her, Isaac also halted.
Inside the hospital room—
Old Mr. Grant looked grim.
Anyone who saw their own son beaten up like this wouldn’t be in a good mood.
Julian asked a few concerned questions about Jason’s injuries.
Jason, despite hating Annie and even hitting her earlier, just said in front of Julian that he was grateful Annie was okay.
"A hundred days to heal bones and tendons," Old Mr. Grant sighed as he looked at Jason. "This will take a long time. As for those who did this—"
"Those bastards can’t be let off the hook!"
The mention of it got Jason riled up again.
Old Mr. Grant said in a low voice, "That goes without saying."
He looked over at Julian.
Julian declared, "The Beckett family won’t stand by in this matter."
Old Mr. Grant relaxed upon hearing that.
The Grant family wasn’t what it used to be.
If the Becketts were willing to step in, that was definitely a good thing.
"This whole ordeal also proves how deep the feelings are between Jason and Kendall. Otherwise, Jason wouldn’t have gotten hurt like this for her."
A sharp look flashed in Julian’s eyes.
He could easily read between Old Mr. Grant’s lines.
All in all, what they wanted was compensation.
In fact, before coming, his father had already discussed it with him.
Julian said, "Previously, it was decided that after Jason and Nat get married, Nat would hold ten percent of Beckett Group shares, of which Jason would get three percent, and the Beckett family would reclaim seven percent."
"The Beckett family also wanted to make sure Nat was protected, since she’s a girl. But after what happened today, Jason has shown he’s trustworthy. My father’s decided, after their marriage, Jason and the Beckett family will each get five percent."
Old Mr. Grant and Jason, hearing this, couldn’t hide their delight.
So in the end, this beating turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Old Mr. Grant gave Jason a look, and Jason immediately said, "Julian, you can rest assured. I’ll treat Nat well."
Julian nodded, his expression unreadable.
Outside the hospital room—
Annie lowered her eyes, feeling almost nothing inside.
She’d long known that, to both the Grant and Beckett families, she was just about her shares.
She was about to push open the door when her arm was suddenly grabbed.
Isaac pulled her out of the hospital and into the car.
Annie didn’t ask where they were going, just sat quietly in the front seat, staring out the window in a daze.
Isaac glanced over at her. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you off?"
Annie turned to look at him, her eyes so clear that Isaac felt a surge of heat in his lower belly.
"Not afraid."
Isaac: "I’m kidding. I won’t sell you."
"I’m taking you to get married."
Annie thought Isaac was just joking, but she didn’t expect him to be dead serious.
