Chapter 4

Grandma froze on the spot upon hearing my words, her face twisting into an upset expression. Realizing that she had exposed her own lies, she dropped the act and shot a fierce look at me.

"How dare you test me, you damned brat?" she hissed. "I'm going to beat you to death today! It's what a jinx like you deserves!"

She then grabbed her wooden cane and lunged at me. She swung it through the air and aimed it right at me.

I reflexively lifted my left arm that was still in a cast to block her attack. The cane smashed against the cast, causing my entire arm to go numb from the impact.

Although the cast had protected my arm, the massive force of Grandma's attack still put pressure on my injury that wasn't fully healed yet.

I inhaled sharply from the pain.

It seemed that Grandma had truly been aiming to end my life with her attack.

Taking advantage of how she hadn't retracted her cane, I used my free hand to grab the other end of the cane. I then mustered all the strength that I had and yanked it.

Grandma was already weak. The cane easily slipped through her fingers with my sudden attack.

"You ungrateful bastard! How dare you retaliate?"

She was beyond furious. She lunged at me and tried to clamp her fingers around my neck this time.

I shifted to the side slightly, lifted my hand, and shoved her shoulder. "Get lost!"

Truth be told, I didn't put much strength into my shove. Instead, I just used Grandma's momentum to my advantage.

Unfortunately, she lost her balance and crashed onto the floor next to the coffee table with a loud thud. She was briefly stunned before she pressed a hand to her chest and began wailing loudly on the floor.

"Help me! He tried to kill me! Jasper's trying to kill me to steal the family's assets! My poor, old back… I think my bones are broken…"

She let out heartwrenching sobs as if I had broken all the bones in her body when I shoved her.

Just then, Ashton, who had been huddling in a corner, suddenly darted forward while holding up his phone. He was wearing a twistedly elated expression when he shoved the phone in my face.

"I got it on camera! Jasper, you bastard! I recorded the way you mercilessly raised your hand against Grandma! Not only did you neglect your duties to take care of a crippled old woman, but you intentionally hurt her!

"I'm going to upload this clip online right now. Everyone in the country's going to hate you!"

It turned out that that had been Grandma and Ashton's goal all along.

They intentionally provoked me and forced me to raise my hand. They planned to gain the upper hand over me by using an out-of-context video that they could edit to paint me as the villain in the situation.

Grandma lay on the floor. She let out a pained cry as she pointed a shaking finger at me and exclaimed, "Call the police… Ash! Lock him behind bars! Unless… Unless he gives up the property deed…"

Ashton pocketed his phone and pulled out a contract that he had printed beforehand. He slapped it on the table and said, "You have two options now, Jasper. Option one—sign this, transfer ownership of this house that your parents left for you to me, and get out of our family.

"I'm sure that Grandma is kind enough not to report you to the police if you do. Option two—I'll upload this video of you shoving an old lady to the floor online right now. I'll also share it in our group chats. You're going to be subjected to a life of condemnation for abusing a crippled and demented old woman!"

Grandma wheezed from where she was sprawled on the floor as if she were going to stop breathing at any moment.

I looked at the contract and at the terms that were stated in it.

"Jasper Soldano willingly gifts the properties under his name to Ashton Soldano due to his inability to support his family."

It was a flawless plan. Since they couldn't "absorb" my vitality, they decided to change targets and aim for my property instead.

I looked between Ashton, who was wearing a greedy and smug expression, and Grandma, who was still keeping up her act as she lay on the floor.

I burst into laughter. A mocking glint flickered in my eyes before I said, "Fine. I'll sign the contract."