Chapter 53.2

Jason watched them go with a raised eyebrow, curious as to why Elizabeth wanted Emily alone. Unfortunately, he couldn't think it over as Alice and Maple grabbed his attention, each telling him what flavour of ice cream they wanted as they dragged him to the counter.

"Cotton candy!" Alice exclaimed with a jump. "Ooh, no, bubblegum! Or how bout both?"

Alice sent her most adorable and cutest smile to Jason as she turned around to look at him hopefully. Nearby customers and employees almost melted at her expression while Alice laughed internally.

Hehe, with my looks, my charm is almost double! Alice thought evilly. Besides, no father can withstand his daughter's cute act!

Unfortunately, Jason had already experienced how cunning Alice was and he merely sent her an amused expression full of exasperation.

"Only one kid, only one," Jason replied.

"Humph!" Alice crossed her arms and huffed, preparing to use a harder stance to get what she wanted. "You owe me more than one cone for cheating on mom!"

"So you're saying that if I bribe you with more ice cream cones, you'll be fine with my relationship and other women besides your mom?" Jason asked.

"Uh . . . no," Alice replied with uncertainty. Her stomach was screaming yes but her mind said no as she still sided with her mom.

"Then it's just one ice cream cone for now," Jason said, trying his hardest not to grin.

"Oh, fine," Alice begrudgingly agreed with a stomp of her foot.

On the other side of the ice cream parlour, Emily and Elizabeth found a table large enough for all of them and sat on opposite sides, waiting for Jason to return. A strange silence descended amongst the two with Emily shifting her legs awkwardly while Elizabeth hummed under her breath.

"You don't like me, do you?" Elizabeth finally asked, breaking the silence. "You seemed alright with the other girl, what was her name again? Melody?"

"Melanie," Emily corrected quietly before smiling and replying, "And I can't imagine why I wouldn't like you."

"Oho, dripping with sarcasm," Elizabeth teased while raising an eyebrow in amusement. "It's stabbing me right in the heart."

"What Melanie said, was it true?" Emily asked while ignoring Elizabeth.

"Which part?" Elizabeth asked back, pretending to play dumb when she knew very well what Emily was asking about.

"The part where you slept with Jason when he was just a child," Emily replied coldly, her eyes sharp.

Damn bonny lass, Elizabeth cursed Melanie in her mind. Ay knew that snake was up tah no good.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to explain herself to Emily but couldn't say anything but chuckle awkwardly. She was not an idiot: she could see that Melanie had intentionally set Emily against her and knew that this was bad. After all, Jason seemed quite attached to Emily, more so than even he admitted. Elizabeth also had an inkling that those two girls were working together, which was even worse.

"And you ask me why I don't like you?" Emily shook her head, disdain visible on her face. She couldn't imagine what possessed Elizabeth to sleep with Jason when he was so young; ordinary people would only see a cute child and want to care for them, but this woman . . .

"Hey, I don't need to explain myself to a baby teen who still smells of milk," Elizabeth shot back with a barb. "And speaking of which, I'm surprised that would come out from you, considering that you're an underage student that is currently aiming for her teacher. Not exactly on the moral ground here, girlie."

"I'm technically an adult, so I'm fine," Emily answered cooly, her eyes narrowed when Elizabeth jabbed at her only weakness. "And my teacher isn't a thirteen-year-old who knew nothing about sex."

"You think you know everything, eh?" Elizabeth sneered. "You think that Jason was ever a normal child? That someone who could slit a man's throat without mercy at the age of ten is a child?"

"I -" Emily was caught off guard by Elizabeth's revelation, surprised that Jason would even consider murder at that age and Elizabeth laughed with another sneer.

"You don't even know him properly and you dare to lecture me? Come back when your older and wiser, girlie" Elizabeth mocked.

She understood from Emily's surprised gaze that she knew nothing of the real Jason, the one who was violent and turbulent like a hurricane. The one who liked satisfying the emptiness within him by killing and maiming his enemies mercilessly with cold, dead eyes, all while smiling with innocent elation.

"You -"

"But yeah, you're right. I did sleep with him when he was younger," Elizabeth continued tauntingly, preventing an aghast Emily from retorting. "Or rather, he slept with me. Whatever made you think I was the first to make a move?"

Emily froze a stunned expression on her face as what Elizabeth said sunk in. Before this, she couldn't believe that Jason would be the one to sleep with Elizabeth: she couldn't even imagine it. Yet, as soon as Elizabeth mentioned it, she realized that it was probable. Worse, a probability that might even be true.

"And another thing? Jason was never normal. He didn't have the luxury to be one - still doesn't have the luxury - to be normal," Elizabeth stated flatly before her eyes sharpened. "And don't ever forget that. Or you'll lose him, I guarantee you that."

"How would you know who he really is? When you're just a singer?" Emily asked, unwilling to concede to Elizabeth.

"Am I now?" Elizabeth smiled. This whole time, she had been staring at the direction of Emily's voice with a tilt of her head but now she turned to look straight at the latter. A chill passed through Emily's back as she felt Elizabeth staring at her clearly, even though she was blind.

"Let's hope you never find out," Elizabeth whispered in a barely audible voice that Emily failed to catch.

At Elizabeth's words, a thought crossed Emily's mind and she asked, despite knowing the truth deep down. ". . . And does Melanie know? The real Jason?"

"Almost as well as I," Elizabeth grudgingly answered after recalling the first fight she had with Melanie. The latter was unsurprised that Jason was a Phantom which shouldn't be surprising as Viperess was also a Phantom, and Elizabeth had an inkling that the two had previously collaborated on multiple occasions.