When Michael got Rita’s text, his pupils expanded, full of joy.
She’d agreed.
She’d agreed to marry him.
It was the result of a threat, yes, but Michael was happy as could be.
He typed up and deleted his message over and over until he simply sent out:
“Made up your mind?”
Soon, he received her reply.
“Yes. But I need half a month to settle everything I’ve got going with Liam and the Brown family. I’ll
come register for marriage with you in half a month.”
Half a month?
Was Rita stalling?
That was a legitimate worry, but Michael agreed to it anyway.
Standing in front of his panel window, he swirled the wine in his hand, looking at the dark red liquid
swishing about under his control, and smirked. “It’s just fifteen days. What can a little girl do in that
time?”
Even if she had some kind of plan in this fortnight, he’d deal with it as they came.
This time, he was going to have her.
Not just the girl he liked, but everything the Browns, the Burkes and the Wilsons owed him, he was
going to take it all back.
The age of the Wilson family’s monopoly over the city was finally over.
Michael sneered quietly, cold in his eyes as he drained his glass.
…
“Rita?”
Maybe because she hadn’t replied for a while, but Zoe had called her name again.
Only then did Rita take her eyes off the screen of her phone. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m fine.”
“Really?” Zoe was clearly not relieved.
Rita put away for phone, smiling. “Relax. I’m really fine.”
In the past, Zoe had always hoped that Rita could be a bit more mature and reliable, but now, seeing
her keep her troubles close to her chest and take on the world on her shoulders, Zoe felt an
unspeakable ache.
Eyes reddening, Zoe tugged at Rita’s hand. “If you don’t want to forgive Charlotte, then don’t! You’ll
have Mom’s support this time!”
Hearing Zoe say that, before Rita could reply, Amelia panicked first.
“Do you feel like this house isn’t in enough shambles, Zoe? As their mother, are you trying to turn these
sisters against each other?” Amelia glared at Zoe angrily.
Zoe was still more or less quite scared of Amelia’s wrath, but she took a deep breath, gathered her
courage and stepped in front of Rita. “Don’t you understand, Mom? Ever since Charlotte broke Rita’s
leg, they’d long since been against each other.”
For the twenty-odd years that Zoe had been married into the brown family, this was the first time she’d
stood up against Amelia.
The moment the words emerged, everyone drew back, stunned.
Rita looked at a skinny Zoe standing in front of her. For that second, she had never seen her mother so
tall and secure. Her iced-over heart felt a surge of warmth.
Amelia’s face had turned the color of beetroot. Thoroughly enraged, she drew her hand back to slap
Zoe across the cheek. “Shut up! Shut up!”
Rita’s reflexes were quick. She reached out, grabbed the old woman by the wrist, and stopped the blow
midair.
She’d said it. She wouldn’t allow the Brown family to keep her mother down this life.
Whether she was related to her by blood or not, Zoe had brought her up. Her love was real, too.
With her arm trapped, Amelia’s brow darkened. “What, I can’t even discipline my daughter-in-law now?”
Rita frowned herself. “I have the right to protect my mother as well!”
The air itself seemed to stink of gunpowder. The keg was about to blow.
As they exchanged glares, it was Amelia who backed down first. “Look, Rita, your grandma just doesn’t
want to see the Brown family split apart. That’s why I…”
Amelia deliberately glanced apologetically towards Zoe, her sharp, experienced eyes landing on the girl
again. “You have to understand, child, it’s not easy being a grandmother.”
Rita coldly examined how Amelia was playing up the gut punch factor again. Her own gut was
unmoved. “Then who’s there to understand how hard it is for me?”
“I know it’s impossible for you to forgive Charlotte, Rita. I’m not asking for much. So long as Charlotte
can get out of prison, I’ll have some people escort her out of the country. She’ll never set foot in the city
again in this life. Will that do?”
Rita refused bluntly, “No!”
Seeing that Rita wasn’t open to negotiation at all, the last vestiges of Amelia’s patience faded.
Amelia produced a kitchen knife from her pocket and laid it against her wrist. “I’m telling you now, Rita,
if you don’t promise to let Charlotte go, I’ll… I’ll die right here in front of you!”
With that, Amelia drew the blade an inch across her skin. Crimson blood flowed and fell.
Seeing that, Zoe and Noah both went white.
Noah fell to his knees. “What are you doing, Mom? Put – put that knife down!”
“You know what Mom is like, Noah. If Rita doesn’t agree, I’ll die right here.” Amelia capitalized on
Noah’s love for her and deliberately stuck the knife in deeper into her wrist.
As expected, Noah lost his nerve with Amelia putting on that show.
Rita knew that her father, with his blind love, was going to compromise again.
At the instant Noah turned to look at her, she spoke first instead. “That slick show of yours might work
on my Dad, but not me! If you want to die… go right ahead!”
Amelia hadn’t expected that approach. Instead of agreeing, Rita had put her on the spot.
But she had her appearance to consider. She wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Rita. “You –
you really think I won’t with my old bones?”
“If you really go through with that slash and anything happens to you, dear Charlotte, the sole bloodline
of the Brown family, is going to rot in prison.” Rita paused, then looked sideways at Amelia and
sneered. “So whether you want to live or die is up to you, but I can tell you this much – I won’t forgive
Charlotte!
“Much less make a case for Charlotte to be let out early.
“My leg can’t have been broken for nothing. My dad couldn’t have gone through hell for nothing.
Charlotte has to pay her dues to the law, and spend not one less day she deserves in prison!
“She brought all of this on herself!
“As opposed to trying everything you can to get her out of prison, maybe you should just tell Charlotte
to behave herself in there. Maybe she’ll get points for exemplary behavior and get let out early.”
The girl’s tones were even, but every word she spoke was saturated with determination.
As if sensing her willpower to never back down, Amelia gave up entirely. She shuddered twice, and
with a thunk, dropped the knife.
…
Morning the next day.
When Liam woke, Amelia was staring out the window.
The man who hadn’t even grunted from the injury yesterday deliberately groaned to get his partner’s
pity. “Ow… hurts.”
Hearing that, Rita was overjoyed.
But the happiness she felt was forcefully suppressed by cold logic in the next second.
She looked mildly over at the man on the bed. “You’re awake?”
“Yeah.” The man nodded, gesturing at the girl. “Come here.”
Rita looked at the man’s hand and didn’t approach, only standing there as she looked at him from a
distance.
At that moment, she was conflicted.
She wanted to fling herself into his arms and warn him never to be so silly again.
And yet… she couldn’t.
She’d made her decision, and she had to follow through.
She lifted her eyes once more to the weak man on the bed, her tone hardening. “Looks like you’re
really head over heels with me, Liam; going through all that for me.”
Not realizing his situation, Liam smiled, tenderness in his eyes. “I’m head over heels all right.”
Their eyes met. If not for her determination, Rita would have melted on the spot from emotion.
She avoided his gaze and, back to him, looked at the sky outside.
Michael’s words reverberated in her mind.
“Count him lucky this time… but I wonder if his luck will hold up next time?”
“I can’t guarantee that Liam will be lucky enough to survive next time.”
Even if she didn’t want to leave him, right now, for his own safety, she had to bite the bullet.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t just face with more plots.
She’d become his weakness.
Once a man had a weakness, their opponents had an opening.
Taking a deep breath to steady her scrambled thoughts, Rita made up her mind and looked at the man
on the bed. “I’ve had my fun. This is the end for us, Liam Wilson.”
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