Jane was genuinely afraid that Drew Thorne would suddenly go crazy, tear the talisman to shreds, and her 300,000 would go right down the drain.
Drew Thorne held up one hand to stop Jane, while with the other, he raised the talisman high to examine it closely.
He didn't recognize the Ghost Painting Talisman on it, but it looked deceptively convincing.
'And here I thought Jane might have some real skills. Turns out she's just a charlatan.'
He snorted and casually tossed the talisman back to Jane.
"You can go. I'll pretend I never saw you today. But if you try to swindle someone else, don't blame me for what happens next."
The disappointment in Drew Thorne's eyes was palpable, and for a moment, Jane was stunned.
'What's with this guy? Does he really think I'm just some con artist?'
"You little brat, what are you saying? Where are your manners!"
Jasper Thorne couldn't help but start throwing punches and kicks at Drew Thorne.
Jane was so angry she had to laugh. 'This guy is just a pretty face,' she thought. 'How can he say such awful things?'
She had kindly paid for this Soul Revival Talisman out of her own pocket to help the grandfather and grandson, only to have her good intentions treated like poison.
In an instant, all of Jane's pent-up frustration came pouring out.
"Is there something wrong with you? Who do you think you are? That the whole world is out to get you? If it weren't for Grandpa Thorne's sake, I wouldn't even waste my time on you!"
As she spoke, Jane looked into Drew Thorne's dark eyes and gave him an irritated shove.
"Move! Stop getting in my way!"
With that, Jane held the talisman between both hands and—SLAP!—pressed it onto Jasper Thorne.
Instantly, the talisman froze in mid-air.
Drew Thorne froze, his hand stuck on his hip.
'What's going on?'
Drew Thorne saw the talisman just hovering there, suspended in mid-air.
'This defies the laws of physics!'
"What trick are you playing now? Enough with this supernatural nonsense! You charlatan, what kind of Blinding Technique is this! I'm warning you, I'll call the cops!"
Jane shot him a withering look before turning her full attention to Jasper Thorne.
Once the talisman made contact with Jasper Thorne, his form seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon.
His entire figure twisted in an instant, collapsing into a ball of mist.
Then, it drifted back toward the body lying on the hospital bed.
The mist flowed into Jasper Thorne's body, and the talisman, still hovering in the air, instantly turned to ash.
"Phew…"
Jane breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at Drew Thorne's now-hostile eyes and gestured with her chin.
"Look over there. Then you'll know if I was lying."
Drew Thorne turned his head to see Jasper Thorne, who had been unconscious for days, starting to groan.
He clutched his aching back as he struggled to sit up.
Drew Thorne's eyes went wide as saucers, and he rushed over.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, are you okay?! Doctor! Doctor! The patient's awake!"
Drew Thorne's voice boomed through the room.
The bodyguards outside quickly found a doctor, who burst through the door and immediately began a thorough examination of the now-conscious Jasper Thorne.
After finishing the examination, the doctor looked astonished.
"I've been practicing medicine for over thirty years, and I've never seen an elderly patient recover this quickly… Your grandfather suffered a serious head trauma. There was a very high probability he'd end up in a vegetative state. I can't believe he woke up so soon."
The doctor looked down at his hands and muttered to himself.
"Have my medical skills really gotten this good?"
On the day Jasper Thorne was admitted, he was bleeding profusely from a large gash on the back of his head. His condition had been critical.
This was the very doctor who had performed his surgery.
Hearing this, Jane couldn't help but laugh.
When the doctor gave her a confused look, Jane quickly waved her hands dismissively.
"It's nothing, nothing at all. Doctor, you truly have a magic touch! A true miracle worker!"
Then she added, with a pointed look at Drew Thorne:
"Mr. Thorne, you should really give this doctor a medal!"
The doctor blushed at Jane's words.
"It's all part of the job."
After the routine check-up was complete, it was clear Jasper Thorne was still weak and needed to rest.
The doctor then left the room, leaving the three of them—the awakened Jasper Thorne, Jane, and Drew Thorne—alone.
Jane leaned against the wall, a triumphant look on her face, her hands on her hips.
"Well, Mr. Thorne? How about it? I wasn't lying, was I? And I'm not the charlatan you made me out to be. I saved Grandpa Thorne because I liked him, and for no other reason. It had nothing to do with you, so don't get any ideas."
Jane held a grudge. She hadn't forgotten what Drew Thorne had called her.
Hearing Jane's words, Drew Thorne's face flushed crimson.
Jasper Thorne, his soul having only just returned to his body, was still weak.
He gave Drew Thorne a displeased look and struggled to sit up.
"Grandpa, be careful."
Jasper Thorne slowly raised the hand with the IV in it and rapped Drew Thorne on the head.
"You damn brat! Is that any way to talk to a young lady? If it weren't for her, I really would have kicked the bucket this time. You'd have been visiting my grave from now on!"
Drew Thorne's brows knitted together.
"Don't say that, Grandpa! You're strong as an ox, you'll live to be a hundred!"
With that, Drew Thorne reluctantly got to his feet and turned to look at Jane.
After staring at her for a moment, he found himself thinking that she, Jane, was actually quite beautiful.
Her fair, delicate face and her bold expression held an indescribable allure.
Drew Thorne cleared his throat, looked away, and pulled a wallet from his pocket.
"Thank you for saving my grandfather. This is for you, as a token of my gratitude. If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to come find me at Aethelgard Tower. If it's within my power, I'll make it happen."
As he spoke, he pulled a black business card from his wallet. It was embossed with a gold design and looked incredibly expensive.
Jane, however, had no interest in the business card whatsoever.
Her eyes were glued to his bulging wallet, her head practically craning into it.
Seeing her avaricious expression, Drew Thorne's brows knitted together again, only to smooth out a moment later.
'She saved my grandfather,' he thought. 'Whatever she asks for, she deserves it.'
He snapped his wallet shut, picked something up from the nearby table, and handed it directly to Jane.
"Write whatever amount you want."
Jane stared blankly at the checkbook in her hand.
"What is this?"
Drew Thorne scratched his head. "A checkbook."
Jane's eyes widened.
Holy crap!
'Did I just stumble upon some mega-millionaire?!'
She'd never even seen a checkbook in real life.
Charles Sterling ran a big company, but even he wasn't as lavish as Drew Thorne.
This was her first time seeing a real checkbook. A delighted grin instantly spread across Jane's face.