Badass in Disguise Chapter 198

Author's POV:

Jade stood in the hospital parking lot, staring up at the fourth floor where Silas's mother was recovering.

Chase leaned against his car, keys dangling from his fingers. "Jade, where to now? I'm starving."

She glanced at her watch. Silas had been unconscious for nearly a day. His mother's condition had stabilized. Initially, Jade hadn't planned to get involved in Silas's family drama—it wasn't her business. But knowing his mother was also Dusk's mother changed things.

"Chase, do you know where we might find someone who gambles too much and drinks even more?" she asked, her voice deliberately casual.

Chase's eyes lit up with understanding. "You want to find his father." It wasn't a question. "Hell yes, I know exactly where to look."

She turned to him. "Then let's go."

---

The underground gambling den was located beneath a laundromat in one of Princeton's seedier neighborhoods. They arrived just as a commotion erupted at the back entrance. A middle-aged man with thinning hair and a beer gut was being forcibly removed by two burly security guards.

"And stay out, Murphy!" one of the guards shouted. "Don't come back until you can pay what you owe!"

Silas's father brushed off his dirty jacket and spat on the ground. "Fuck you! I was winning! You rigged those machines!"

They sat in the car, watching as he staggered down the alley, muttering curses. Chase's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. Jade said nothing, merely nodding when he turned on the headlights, illuminating Murphy in their harsh glare.

The man turned, squinting into the light, and had the audacity to spit toward their car. "The fuck you looking at?" he slurred.

Chase was out of the car before Jade could stop him—not that she would have. "Hey! You!" he called out, his voice sharp in the night air.

Murphy turned, swaying slightly. "What do you want, rich boy?"

Chase's first punch landed squarely on Murphy's jaw, sending him sprawling. Without hesitation, Chase grabbed the front of Murphy's shirt and dragged him deeper into the alley, away from prying eyes. Jade followed at a leisurely pace, watching as Chase slammed the older man against a brick wall.

"Look at me, you piece of shit," Chase growled, landing another punch to Murphy's stomach. "Take a good look at who's beating the crap out of you. I'm Silas's classmate."

Murphy's eyes widened in recognition before another blow made him double over.

"Your son is in the hospital," Chase continued, punctuating each word with a blow. "Your wife is dying. And what are you doing? Gambling away what little money you have left."

"Please," Murphy whimpered, blood trickling from his split lip. "I won't do it again, I swear."

"You're damn right you won't." Chase grabbed Murphy by the collar, forcing him to look up. "If I ever hear you laid a hand on either of them again, I'll come back and finish what I started. You understand me?"

Murphy nodded frantically, tears mixing with the blood on his face.

"You're garbage," Chase spat. "No, you're worse than garbage. You're a monster who beats his wife and son. What kind of man does that?"

Jade watched the scene with detached interest, making no move to intervene. Some lessons needed to be learned the hard way.

---

Back in the car, Chase flexed his bruised knuckles, a satisfied expression on his face. "What a waste of human life," he muttered. "How can that... that animal have a son like Silas? It must be some genetic mutation."

Jade smiled slightly. "My brother Max is kind of a genetic mutation too."

"Your brother?" Chase's interest was immediately piqued. "When do I get to meet this mysterious sibling of yours?"

"When he gets into Princeton," she replied. "You'll see him then."

---

For several days, Ethan Haxton had been unusually attentive to his phone. The Princeton social media platform had been buzzing with posts about Jade and the new student, Silas Murphy. One post claimed she'd loaned Silas her notes. Another mentioned seeing her in line for his cafeteria window. The most recent one reported seeing Silas getting into Jade's car.

Ethan scrolled through the comments, his expression unreadable. Connor watched him from the corner of his eye, trying to gauge his boss's reaction to these developments.

"Connor," Ethan said suddenly, setting down his phone. "What's my schedule for this evening?"

"You have the monthly physical at the medical center at 6:30," Connor replied promptly.

Ethan nodded and typed out a text to Jade: *Free after your last class. Coming to see you.*

Her reply came a few minutes later: *Have something to do. I'll see you later.*

"Let's head to the medical center. I'll go to Jade's afterward," Ethan said, his voice controlled.

During the drive, Connor kept stealing glances at Ethan, trying to read his mood. Ethan caught him looking and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Ethan asked, his voice edged with ice.

Connor swallowed hard. "Nothing, sir."

---

The hospital was crowded when Ethan arrived for his monthly check-up. As he and Connor stepped into the elevator, Ethan noticed a familiar figure at the end of the hallway—Jade, walking alongside a tall, thin young man. Even from a distance, Ethan recognized Silas from the social media posts.

"Sir?" Connor asked, noticing Ethan's sudden stillness.

Connor followed Ethan's gaze and spotted Jade disappearing into an elevator with Silas. Understanding dawned on his face.

By the time they reached the fourth floor, the elevator doors were just opening.

Ethan stepped out, his expression surprised as he spotted Jade standing there alone.

"Ethan," she said, her voice revealing nothing. "What are you doing here?"

"Monthly check-up," he replied smoothly, though his eyes searched behind her for Silas. "And you? Are you feeling unwell?"

She shook her head. "Just visiting someone."

"The young man with you?" Ethan asked, his tone carefully casual.

"His mother," Jade clarified. "She has kidney failure. She's been admitted."

"And the young man? A friend of yours?"

Jade tilted her head, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Are you having an age crisis, Ethan? He's just a classmate."

"I'm not concerned about a teenager," Ethan said with a dismissive smile. "Where is he now?"

"He left," she replied simply.

"You asked him to leave before me?" Ethan's mouth curved into a satisfied smile.

"Yes."

They stood in the crowded hospital lobby, people rushing past them on all sides. Ethan studied her face, searching for something—perhaps a hint of what she was hiding.

"This new classmate," Ethan said. "You seem to be taking a special interest in him."

Jade met his gaze steadily. "Maybe I am."

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly, but before he could respond, a group of visitors pushed between them, forcing them apart. When the crowd cleared, Ethan reached out and took her hand, guiding her through the throng toward a quieter section of the corridor.

She didn't pull away, letting him lead her through the crowd, her face betraying nothing. "Did you need something?" she asked once they were in a less congested area.

"No," Ethan admitted, still holding her hand. "I just haven't seen you in a few days."

"How are your eyes?" he asked, leaning closer to examine her face. "Can you see clearly now?"

"Yes," she replied, meeting his intense gaze.

For a moment, they stood there in silence, surrounded by the chaos of the hospital yet somehow separate from it.

Connor approached them hesitantly. "I'll go get the car.”