Minnie Todd had often seemed unreliable in front of Jason Watson, but when it mattered, she showed her concern.
Twenty-four hours later, a warm congee and exquisite small dishes were promptly laid out before him.
After unwrapping the chopsticks and handing them to him with both hands, she smiled sweetly and said:
"You must be starving. This congee is from Wish Pavilion—I had to shamelessly beg for it, you know? It's so popular, people find it hard to get a reservation! It's delicious, you should try it."
Jason glanced at her lightly and accepted the chopsticks under her expectant gaze.
"Are you scared now?"
Minnie's forced smile stiffened on her face; eventually, her shoulders sagged as she lowered her head, eyes dim, admitting her mistake promptly and sincerely.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong."
"Think about how you're going to atone."
Minnie inexplicably shivered, unsure why the words sounded more like "think about how to face your doom."
