Chapter 141
[ 1,005 words ]
Emilia’s POV
My heart pounded against my ribs, but I forced my face to stay blank. “What do you want, Richie?”
“The same thing I’ve always wanted.” He stood, circling the table. “My son needs a wife. You promised…”
“I promised nothing,” I interrupted coldly. “My uncle made a verbal agreement with you while he was desperate and drowning in debt. That agreement has nothing to do with me.”
“Your uncle accepted my money. My help. And in return, he promised me you.” Richie stopped directly in front of me. “A deal is a deal, Emilia.”
“Deals made under pressure aren’t legally binding,” I said. “Try taking this to court. I dare you.”
“Oh, I won’t need to take it to court.” His smile turned cruel. “I have something much more effective than lawyers.”
He pulled a folder from his briefcase and dropped it on the table. Photographs spilled out. My uncle, exchanging money with shady-looking men. Documents with forged signatures. Evidence of illegal transactions.
“Your uncle’s little smuggling operation,” Richie said pleasantly. “Such a shame. If the police were to receive this information, he’d be looking at ten to fifteen years minimum.”
Cold ran through my veins. “You set him up.”
“I gave him opportunities,” Richie said. “He made his own choices. But yes, I did make sure there was plenty of evidence of his… little sins.” He tapped the folder. “Evidence that will disappear if you do the right thing.”
“The right thing,” I repeated, my voice shaking with fury. “You mean abandoning my mate and marrying your son.”
“Leighton needs someone to take care of him,” Richie said, his voice turning sharp. “Someone smart, capable, patient. You’re perfect for the role.”
“I’m not a nurse,” I snapped. “And I’m not something you can trade. I have a mate now, Richie. A fated mate. Do you understand what that means?”
“I understand that fated mates can be rejected,” he said coldly. “I understand that marks can be removed. I understand that love is temporary, but family obligations are forever.”
“You’re insane.”
Tears burst from my eyes. “Do you really have to do this? Do you actually think your son will be happy after you explain everything to him?”
“At least I won’t be as angry.”
“How can you be this selfish? You know that even if you expose me, I still won’t give you what you want. But you’re going to do it anyway?”
“That’s right. That’s the kind of man I am. What I can’t have, I destroy.”
Richie ignored my pleading and pushed me to agree. “I don’t have much time. I’ll give you five minutes to think about it.”
He placed his watch on the table and started waiting for my decision.
As the seconds ticked by, my heart sank lower and lower. Then I let out a bitter laugh. “You don’t need to wait anymore. I’m not going with you. Because the one I love is Sebastian.”
Richie was furious. He shot to his feet. “Then don’t blame me for what I’m about to do.”
Seeing him about to walk out the door, I said loudly, “Take one more step and I’ll die right here. And you’ll definitely be the prime suspect.”
Richie slowly turned around and saw the dagger in my hand. He froze on the spot. That dagger was his personal item, always kept in his bag. But right now, it was in my hand.
“Who said you could touch my things? Put it down!”
“You forced me to do this. Didn’t you say you were going to expose everything? Then go ahead.”
I drove the dagger into the flesh near my collarbone. Blood ran out quickly. Richie started to panic. “Put the dagger down first. Let’s talk.”
“Uncle Richie, my life is worth nothing. But yours is different. You have parents, you have children. You still haven’t achieved your dream of becoming a mega-rich man. If you walk out that door and destroy the only thing I care about, then nothing in my life will matter anymore. And I want you to die with me.”
“You think you can threaten me like this? Even if you die here, it has nothing to do with me.”
“Then try it. This room is booked under your name. The dagger in my hand is yours. And I’m about to die here for no reason. Do you think the Simons family will let you go? Do you think the police will let you go?”
He said through gritted teeth, “You’re cruel. But how long can you keep this up? If I want to destroy you completely, I can do it anytime. I don’t have to do it right now.”
“If you ruin my life, I won’t let you live a good one either. I’m not that easy to deal with.”
“Aren’t you worried about your uncle’s safety?”
I let out a cold laugh. “Can you even find my uncle right now? You want to deal with me and my uncle at the same time? I don’t think you have that much time.”
“If I really wanted to find him, he wouldn’t get away. And besides, once I hand the evidence over to the police, I won’t need to find him. He’ll turn himself in on his own.”
“Then go ahead and hand it over. I’m done trusting him anyway. I can’t even protect my own happiness. How am I supposed to protect him?” I paused, then added, “But I have to warn you. This trap was set by you. If the police investigate, you won’t get away either. My uncle isn’t that stupid. He won’t stay silent while you play him for a fool!”
My words left Richie speechless. He let out an angry huff, grabbed his bag from the edge of the table, and slammed the door shut on his way out…
Silence filled the room. The dagger dropped from my hand and clattered to the floor. I collapsed against the side of the chair and started to cry.
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