At Theodore Villa.
The curtains that hung around the mullioned windows were so thick that light failed to pass through,
instead they cast a murky shadow over the room. The atmosphere was dull and depressing, the air
thick with a strong stench of alcohol circulating around.
Jack half leaned against the sofa with his hair disheveled. He wore a wrinkled piece of cloth that used
to be a shirt once, wrapping his long fingers around an empty bottle. There were also several lying on
the floor like soldiers killed in battle.
The shallow depth of his thoughts consumed him, when suddenly he heard a knock on the door.
"Yes?" Jack furrowed his eye-brows and mumbled with a struggling voice.
Jack's condition confused and disheartened his keeper; his aide-de-camp. How did everything spiral
downwards to this sorry excuse for a life?
What was so special about Emily that made powerful men, Jacob and Jack, fall for her so madly?
'Emily is a turbulent disaster. She shouldn't have been allowed into the Gu Family in the first place. If it
were not for Jacob…' he thought.
"What?" Jack asked indifferently, barely in his senses.
"Sir, we've got Rose," the man reported.
Even in his alcoholic stupor, Jack's heart rate rose a little and his eyes light up with sparks of
resentment. He staggered to his feet, swaying a little and asked, "Where is that bitch?"
"Here. She is all yours now," said the man, as he turned around and made a gesture. Before long, his
subordinate dragged Rose into the room by her arms.
Rose's clothes were once high end, but with enough wear and dirt anything could look like rags. Her
skin was hidden behind layers of grime and her hair hung as a tangled mop of brown and grey. The
vain, conceited mask she once wore so proudly was no longer present to hide her ugliness from the
world. Considering how she looked, perhaps even a homeless person would have more dignity than
Rose at the tip of his fingers.
The guard kicked her from behind, and she immediately fell to her knees before Jack.
Jack sneered down at her with utter disgust. The very sight of Rose made his insides curl up and
nauseated him.
Why on earth did he ever betray Emily for a woman like that? What was he thinking?
Perhaps Rose was so adept at lying and conniving that even he failed to sniff out her treachery before
it was too late.
"You were behind the fire at the hotel," he said. Jack wasn't even asking. He was sure.
"Yes, it was me. So what?" she answered arrogantly. Rose raised her head and looked at him with
contempt. Having spent days on the streets, living in squalor and running about like an escaped convict
had thickened her skin. Now she didn't care about anything anymore.
"What a shame, though. The fire didn't burn that bitch to the ground. It's interesting how bitches like
that always find a way to survive, much like cockroaches." Rose added, scorned with a smile and eyes
sharpened.
"Shut the fuck up!" Jack yelled, and slapped her right across the face so hard that she could taste the
blood in her mouth.
Rose staggered backwards, but her furious glare prevailed. She had lost everything. What was there to
be scared of? She clutched her stinging face, where the smack had left a red welt behind, and
suddenly burst out laughing.
"Never mind. She has many enemies. You know what? I may have failed to kill her myself, but there
are plenty out there who will do it for me," said Rose.
Jack went on a berserker rage. "I will kill you where you stand!" he roared.
"Go on and kill me then. You either kill me, or I will make sure that you and Emily rot in hell together..."
Before Rose could finish, Jack pressed both his hands on her neck and squeezed tightly.
Rose's face turned purple as Jack applied more pressure. Her eyes widened, as if they were going to
pop out at any minute.
All of a sudden, Jack released her and dumped her on the floor.
"Death would be too easy for you," Jack said, coldly.
The guards soon dragged Rose away by her hair and locked her up in a cell.
Soon after, silence had returned to rule over Jack's empire of despair.
...
At the Tyrone Mansion.
Emily wanted to go back to work but Jacob wouldn't let her. He insisted that Emily should stay at home
for a longer time even though she was fully recovered from her injuries.
Emily agreed and did not resist, because she knew that he always wanted the best for her.
Unfortunately, Jacob could not keep her company, as he had to go outside the country on some
business venture. Jacob did not want to take any risks and be burdened by worries so Emily did not
travel with him.
Emily would be safe, in his territory.
Right after Jacob left, Emily got a message from Jack, saying that he had caught the person
responsible for setting the fire and asked if she would like to come and see. It was a simple message,
one that did not come with any prerequisite conditions.
However, Emily knew it was just an excuse. Jack wanted to see her. On any other day, she would have
refused him, but after what he had done for her, she couldn't get over her guilt.
'Is he okay now?' she wondered.
The scars on Jack's back would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Emily felt sorry from him, so in the end she replied with a 'yes'. Before she went to meet with Jack,
Emily made a phone call to Jacob and told him about her plan.
"Don't go. I think it's a bad idea," he said. Obviously, that was Jacob's response.
"He got hurt because of me, and I didn't even say a word to show my gratitude. I don't think that's fair,"
she said. Emily tried to convince him.
The least she could do was express her gratitude for saving her life. It was what she would have done,
if it were a stranger in Jack's place.
"No way. You are not going anywhere," he asserted. Jacob started to get angry. 'It's not like Jack is
dying. Why bother?' he wondered.
Emily sighed, and said, "What are you worrying about, Jacob? I didn't have to tell you, but I did
because I wanted you to know that I don't care about the past, Jack, and everything."
"I know you don't, but what about Jack?" he asked.
"That's why I am going this time. I will put an end to all of this, and I need you to trust me, okay?" she
said.
Jacob remained silent for a while, then he replied slowly, "Fine, but take some of my people with you
and come back soon."
"Wow, I am impressed. You've made progress. Love you, babe," she said, with a smile on her face.
Jacob regretted it the moment he said yes to Emily. Jack could rot in the deepest corners of hell for all
he cared. He didn't want Emily to see him at all.
But before he could take back his words, Emily kissed him through the phone then hung up.
"..." Jacob held his phone to his face, not knowing what to do.
He shouldn't have agreed. Now the only thing he could do was call his guards and make sure that they
would keep an eye of Emily, in case something went wrong.
But even that didn't make him feel better.
'I will have to give him another lesson when I get back, ' Jacob said to himself.
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