“You might as well say that you’re afraid of dying.” I curled my lips without hiding the contempt within me.
“You may put it however you want. I don’t want to care about all that anymore. As you said, I’ll get sick of you sooner or later. Therefore, we can just put up with each other before that day comes.”
The alcohol had probably gone to Nathaniel’s head, for his voice turned increasingly softer. Leaning back against the couch, he slowly closed his eyes.
Watching as his chest rose and fell, the urge to end him right then and there abruptly seized me.
As long as he’s dead, no one will keep targeting Anthony anymore.
But in the next instant, I realized that it wasn’t feasible.
Regardless of whether it’s Ramona or Mr. Jensen, they both hold affection toward him. Thus, they won’t stand idly by if he dies. If I want eternal peace, the only way is to take them all down.
While I was lost in my thoughts, Nathaniel’s voice sounded out of the blue. “Are you thinking of killing me again?”
“Yeah, I’d love to skin you alive so that you’ll wish for death!”
“That’s good. Having you hate me is better than you treating me as though I don’t exist.” Not in the mood to listen to his twisted logic, I huffily stood up and went back to my room upstairs.
At breakfast the next day, Nathaniel’s appearance had reverted to its usual noble and elegant look. He sat at the dining table silently like a stately prince, but the bruises on his face and mouth proved his pathetic state the night before.
As he said, I merely treated him like thin air, so I didn’t spare him a single glance though we sat at the same table.
“What do you want to do today?” Nathaniel queried.
I didn’t answer him but continued eating the food on my plate quietly.
When Nathaniel didn’t receive any response from me, he lifted his head and glanced at me. Then, he commented placidly, “You’ll understand in the future that everything I do is for your good. No one knows where Freja has fled. With my men here, they can keep an eye on you wherever you go. At least, the incident back then wouldn’t happen again.”
That had me so livid that I slammed my cutlery down with a bang. “Don’t attempt to brainwash me with your absurd reasoning! Is it not enough to monitor me at home that they’re to follow me whenever I go out? Can I not even have some peace? Just take a knife and slit my throat then! The end result is the same anyway!”
Nathaniel put his cutlery down as well and explained unhurriedly, “This is only temporary. You’ll have your freedom back anytime when I’ve dealt with Freja.”
In response, I sneered, “Are you going to kill again? That’s a fight between the two of you, so don’t drag me into it! No matter how nice you put things, it can’t hide your hypocrisy! Actually, there’s no need to make a choice between two options. If you really want me to live happily, you should respect my choice and give Anthony and me your sincere blessings while removing yourself from our relationship. However, that’s not what you’re doing! You’re just selfish! You want to have what belongs to someone else! From the beginning to the end, your happiness matters most to you. To that end, you even made me into the person everyone hates and targets. Your love is too scary.”
I then picked up a napkin and wiped my mouth, regarding him calmly. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Having said that, I got up and went upstairs, not wanting to tarry for even a second longer.
Ever since that night after Nathaniel negotiated with Garrett, he had been exceedingly busy and left right after breakfast.
In the afternoon, when I was scouring the internet for information on Garrett, I suddenly heard an ear- splitting noise from outside the house that had me jolting in fright.
Thinking that it might be Anthony coming to save me, I draped a coat over myself before going downstairs to check on the situation.
I had just reached the landing when I caught sight of Ramona standing in the living room.
She held a gun in her hand and stared at me expressionlessly. In the distance, the men keeping guard at the door were all lying on the ground at that moment. Hmm, it looks like the noise earlier was from her killing them.
She was a core member of the drug trafficking organization, so those men didn’t guard against her. And for that reason, they didn’t even struggle before they died.
I don’t quite understand why she’s killing Nathaniel’s men when they’re obviously on the same side.
Her gaze trained on me, she airily remarked, “We meet again. Come down and have a chat with me.”
After saying that, she took the lead and sat down on the single couch in the living room. Then, she slammed the gun in her hand onto the table, the muzzle pointing slightly to the side.
Tightening the coat around me, I slowly descended the stairs and sat down across from her.
While I was doing so, she flipped through her phone. By then, she seemed to have found what she was looking for since she tossed it before me after tapping on the screen.
I glanced at the phone in puzzlement before I realized that Ramona wanted me to watch the video she brought up on the screen. Thus, I picked up the phone and tapped on the play button.
As soon as the video played, the scene of Nathaniel collapsing onto the ground after Garrett hit him with a golf club appeared after a brief delay.
Besides the obvious spots such as his face and head, he also suffered several blows on his body. There was even some conversation in between, but there was no voice, so I had no idea what was said. However, he seemed adamant about something, so Garrett hit him increasingly harder. In the end, the man only stopped when the club was bent.
The video came to an abrupt end, leaving the scene of him lifting his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Undeniably, I took pleasure watching it.
“Do you also reveal your thoughts so blatantly before Nat?” Ramona’s voice was chilly to the core, very much aggressive.
“What do you mean?” I feigned ignorance.
“I meant your thoughts of wanting to see him dead and end him with your own hands.” Ramona appeared remarkably calm, seemingly long since used to seeing entangled relationships.
Sure enough, women understand women best! Since we’re both intelligent people, there’s no need to beat around the bush anymore.
Therefore, I admitted frankly, “Of course. He’s well aware that I’m thinking of ways to kill you every second of every day.”
Ramona narrowed her eyes, a hint of amusement showing in her alluring gaze. “You’re painfully honest.”
I merely shrugged. “If you were in my shoes, and someone hurt your family, persecuted your lover, and coerced you into doing something against your will, I think you’d also make the same choice.”
Hearing that, Ramona tilted her head. “I’m an orphan, so I don’t understand those feelings, nor am I interested in doing so.”
“Okay, no offense.” We were strangers, so I could only think of a reason she came to seek me out after racking my head for a long while. “So, you want me to persuade him to not go against Mr. Jensen?”
“Would you do that? You’ll only push him into the line of fire.” Derision was written all over Ramona’s face.
It seems that she has investigated me, so I can’t fool her.
I was stunned for a moment. Only when I glimpsed the corpses at the door from my peripheral vision did understanding abruptly dawn upon me that she was here to kill me.
She’ll only need to eliminate Nathaniel’s men if she wants to kill me. After all, she knows full well that he ordered them to keep me safe, so they’ll undoubtedly stop her. For that reason, she made the first move. She’s really decisive and ruthless, so it’s no wonder that she’s able to sit at the table mostly occupied by men! In the face of such a person, playing tricks is useless. But I can’t die yet. I haven’t avenged Rose or brought Nathaniel down!
After mulling it over, I concluded that the only way out was to make a fuss out of her feelings for Nathaniel.
“Then, I know the purpose of your visit.” Taking a deep breath, I composed myself. I deliberately guffawed and feigned a relaxed look, lounging back against the couch. “That’s great! I can finally be free instead of being tortured every day!”
Stretching, I picked up the gun on the table and handed it to her. With a smile on my face, I urged, “Go on and make your move. Set me free.”
As expected, Ramona was suspicious of my unexpected reaction. Her brows furrowed, and she parted her dark lips. “Are you not afraid of death?”
I nodded in response. “Nope! Didn’t Nathaniel tell you that I didn’t want to live anyway? When Anthony broke things off completely with me, I should have died in that car crash. However, he saved me. It’s good that you’re here now. With you doing me this favor, I don’t need to live in agony anymore.”
I thought Ramona would continue picking up where I left off, but she took the gun from me under my watchful gaze and pointed the barrel right at me.
She leaned forward, putting all her weight on her elbows that were propped against her knees. Then, she rolled her neck. Roaming her gaze all over my face, she whispered, “What a coward.” After saying that, she raised the gun and got to her feet, aiming it at my forehead.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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