79. ICY TOUCH

REMY’S POV. “What are you trying to do?” I asked, my voice calm but edged with curiosity, as I watched Jinhai down another glass of liquor. The bar in my mansion was dimly lit, the amber glow of the overhead lights catching the crystal in his glass as he tilted it back. The faint scent of aged whiskey lingered in the air, mixing with the subtle tang of wood polish from the bar counter. It was just the two of us now, the faint hum of the city outside muffled by the thick walls of my home. Isla, Lirong, and Ava were long gone for the night, leaving me alone with her older brother. Jinhai set the glass down with a heavy thud, already reaching for the decanter to pour himself another round. His movements were precise, methodical, but there was something restless in the way his fingers gripped the glass. “You know,” he said, breaking the silence, “I still don’t get it. Why would you have a bar and a winery in your mansion when you don’t even drink?” His words were casual, but t