The Master Programmer-Chapter 155: Prying Secrets and Sealing Fates 1

Jason Cross adjusted his cufflinks with meticulous precision, his sharp suit glinting under the soft amber light of his office. The air was thick with tension, a curious cocktail of revelation and danger.

Bella, Samantha’s alluring assistant, lay sprawled on the plush leather couch, her chest rising and falling with the rhythmic tranquillity of sleep. Her pencil skirt clung to her curves like a second skin, a detail Jason noted with detached amusement before shifting his attention back to Samantha.

Samantha stood rigid, her piercing blue eyes locked onto Jason with a mix of disbelief and fascination. Her tailored suit was immaculate as always, but the slight tremor in her hands betrayed her composure. Jason had a faint smile on his face at that moment. He must have frightened her... just a bit.

"You know hypnosis," she said, her voice low but steady. It was something of a question, but it was also something more like a statement as if she was making sure of it by saying so. Jason gave her a smirk. Should he lie to her or tell her the truth?

Jason smirked, a flicker of amusement dancing across his features. "Hypnosis is just language," he replied smoothly. "Words have power, Samantha. They influence thoughts and alter perceptions. You’d be surprised how easily people, even the strongest, can be guidedino the right direction."

Her eyes narrowed. Even the strongest? "Have you ever used it on me?" Samantha said, her body tensing ever so slightly as she heard her own words reverberate in the room. She and Jason shared a gaze for a long time before finally Jason opened his mouth.

"If I said no, would you believe me?" Samantha’s breathing hitched, watching Jason, or rather finding herself ensnared by his eyes that were like those of a tiger. She looked at him for a long time, not sure what to say for the first time in a long time. Luckily she didnt need to say anything.

Jason smirked and shrugged in the next moment. "Of course. I use it on everyone. It’s why I’m so successful. Every word, every gesture, every glance… it’s calculated. Everything I do is calculated, measured, and focused. All of it has some intention. It is with this intention that I make an impact in the lives of the people I care about."

Jason knew that telling her this much was going to make her fear or hate him, maybe even see him as someone dangerous but with the emotional attachment she had to him by now, he felt like that was a good thing. It would make her calm down a bit more, and she would not be so arrogant in his presence anymore.

After all, she had just seen him make someone spill the beans on everything she knew in some dazed Fuge state. Although she might not fully understand, she understood enough to come to her conclusions and realise that if Jason could do that to other women, he might do it to her, making her forget about the encounter and then sleep afterwards just as he did with Bella.

For a moment, silence hung between them, heavy and charged. Then Samantha’s lips curved into a sly smile. "And why are you telling me this now?" Samantha probed, feeling as if something was off. Was he trying to push her away, or trying to make her fear him? Whatever it was, it was unnecessary.

Jason stepped closer, his gaze unyielding. He reached out, gently capturing her hand before she could pull away. Samantha stared at his hands that were cradling hers and then raised her head to gaze back into his eyes, seeing his gaze much softer than before.

"Because I trust you. You’re not going to call manipulative or sociopathic for having a skill like this. As long as people are selfish, people will have intentions and as long as they have intentions, they will want to influence others. What is influence if not manipulation that benefits the many? If I could say it simply, then I might say that life is like a game, and we are all trying to slay the dragon."

Jason took a step closer to her at that moment. "But that’s the thing, Samantha. The dragon is not other people. The dragon is ourselves. It is the weaker version of ourselves that is holding us back from becoming the person we want to become, that makes us doubt and linger in fear when we go for the things we want."

His voice dropped to a near whisper, warm and intimate, the kind that seeped into the listener’s bones. "Samantha, you’re mine. I would never hurt you or make you do anything you dont want to do. In fact... I feel I exist to serve you. To serve everything you stand for. Do you believe me when I say that?"

"I… Jason you… " Her breath hitched. Jason could see just how conflicted she was at that moment, and he knew that he did not need to say any more than this. This was enough. And he was proven right when she sighed and then quickly masked the worry and fear in her eyes with a smirk.

"No, Jason," she countered, her tone laced with playful defiance. "I’m not yours. You’re mine. And now that I know what you’re capable of, I’ll never let you go. An ability like that... just imagining the high-value clients you will bring me with your handsome face and that silver tongue of yours... You’re my Golden Goose!"

Jason’s laugh was deep and rich, but when he leaned in to kiss her, she pressed a finger against his lips. "Not here," she chided. "The last time, someone walked in. And that someone might be faking her sleep."

Jason’s grin widened. "Fair enough." So she was punishing him. Well, he would take the punishment and sit in the corner like a good boy. She would be back and she would look for him. Maybe next time he would be the one to punish her.

Turning back to Bella, Jason clapped his hands lightly. "Time to wake her up."

Samantha crossed her arms. "Are you sure it will work?"

Jason nodded confidently. "She’ll believe exactly what I’ve planted. She’ll think she fainted the moment she walked in. Convenient, isn’t it?"

Samantha sighed. "More like terrifying… Don’t do this to me without my knowledge. If you do I’ll kill you."

Jason turned to her with a cheeky grin. "What if you ask for it?" Samantha rolled her eyes. Why the hell would she ask to be turned into some dazed person in a hypnotised state of mind? Jason chuckled, knowing what she was thinking. He turned away from Samantha, and with a snap of his fingers, Bella stirred.

Her lashes fluttered open, and she sat up groggily, blinking at Jason’s concerned expression and Samantha’s firm expression. Was she in Jason’s office? What was going on?

"Are you alright?" Jason asked, his voice soft and soothing. He crouched to her level, exuding an aura of protective care. "You fainted as soon as you opened the door. You almost hit your head too, and you could have gotten injured. Luckily, Samantha was here to help."

Bella’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Oh my goodness, thank you, Ms. Samantha. You always save me."

Samantha’s smile was tight, her eyes glinting with an edge of disdain she barely managed to hide. "It’s alright. Do you remember why you came in? Last time I checked you were busy with those documents I told you to take care of…"

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Bella frowned, shaking her head. "I… I’m not sure. I think I had a question back then… What happened, ugh... I can’t remember anything..."