Chapter 2

When I came home the next day, I found that the entire house had been transformed.

Cameras had been installed everywhere, lining the hallways, covering the living room, and even monitoring the area outside my study. Their red indicator lights blinked like countless eyes, watching our every move.

Frowning, I turned to Jason, who was busy directing the workers installing the cameras. "What exactly is going on here?"

Jason folded his arms and answered as though he had every right to do whatever he pleased. "I'm just protecting myself in case someone in this house tries to hurt me. After all, I've gotten in the way of certain people's interests."

I rubbed my forehead helplessly. "Jason, this house already has the most advanced security system in all of Aurelia, with security guards patrolling around the clock. There's really no need to install all these cameras."

"Of course, you'd say that. You're the one benefiting from the current arrangement," Jason sneered. "Mom and Dad have already agreed to this. What right does an adopted son like you have to object?"

My adoptive parents stood off to the side, looking deeply uncomfortable.

Mom gently tugged at my sleeve and lowered her voice, her tone almost pleading. "Daniel, Jason says he was bullied terribly at the orphanage, and he's still afraid of getting hurt. He doesn't feel safe yet. Try to be a little more understanding with him."

Looking at Mom's graying hair and the guilt in her eyes, I sighed and decided not to say anything more.

But I never imagined Jason's paranoia would reach such an outrageous level.

…

That evening, just as I was getting ready for bed, a sudden scream rang out from the bathroom, followed a moment later by the heavy thud of something hitting the floor.

My adoptive parents and I rushed into the bathroom, where we found Jason lying on the floor, soaked from head to toe and convulsing. A security camera lay beside him, still spitting sparks.

He'd actually installed a camera in the bathroom, too!

To make matters worse, it was a cheap, shoddy product that had shorted out after getting wet, exposing him to an electrical current.

The ambulance arrived with its sirens blaring, and Jason was rushed to the emergency room. Fortunately, we'd found him in time. He'd suffered only a mild electric shock and a fright, and his life had never been in danger.

But the first thing Jason did when he regained consciousness was point at me and scream, "He's trying to kill me! He's trying to kill me!"

The doctors and nurses in the room froze in shock.

My adoptive parents hurried over and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Jason, don't say things like that! Daniel was the one who called the ambulance."

"It was him!" Jason shouted, his eyes bloodshot and his face twisted with rage as he glared viciously at me. "I just installed that camera! How could it suddenly start leaking electricity? He must have tampered with it! He's afraid I'll catch him doing something he's not supposed to, so he tried to electrocute me to death."

Still screaming accusations, he grabbed his phone and called 911, demanding that the police arrest me and throw me in jail.

However, after inspecting the scene and conducting a technical assessment, the police quickly reached their conclusion. The security camera was a cheap, uncertified product that had been installed improperly, and moisture had caused a short circuit and electrical leakage. No one else was responsible.

Before leaving, one of the officers even took the time to lecture Jason.

"Kid, it's good to be cautious, but installing a surveillance camera in a bathroom? That's not just dangerous; it's an invasion of privacy, too. Maybe you should stop watching so much nonsense on the Internet."

Jason's face turned red, then pale.

Dad patted him on the back, trying to soothe him. "It's all right. It's nothing. It was just a misunderstanding. Jason, let's not install any more of those things, okay? Daniel is a good person. He'd never hurt you."

Jason lowered his head, but he continued glaring at me from beneath his brows, his eyes full of resentment. His expression made his thoughts perfectly clear: "You got lucky this time. Next time, you won't get off so easily."

I shook my head and walked out of the hospital room.

I even had my secretary arrange a private VIP room for Jason, with the bill charged directly to my card. After all, why should I hold a grudge against a kid seven years younger than me? I figured that after a few days of living together, he'd eventually realize I wasn't after anything that belonged to him.

But I never expected him to harbor so much malice toward me.