Chapter 172
Vespera reached out to push the door open but realized it was locked.
“Vespera…” Luke called. As if his throat had been cut open with glass shards, he said, “I
thought I had control over many things. I thought I could move forward and find what I lost, but there wasn’t a path left for me ahead…”
“Open the door!” Vespera kicked the door angrily She didn’t bother listening to whatever nonsense he was spouting.
When Luke finished speaking, he stopped closer to Vespera and stood next to her. This time, he didn’t waste his breath on those pathetic words that only managed to move himself. Instead, he got straight to the point.
“Write a release agreement for Tina. Then, she won’t trouble you again. I won’t come looking for you, either.”
Vespera froze in place. She turned and stared at Luke in disbelief. “What did you just say?
“She was only an accomplice in the kidnapping. If you write a release agreement and- considering her current condition–things are handled properly, she won’t have to go to prison.”
Vespera slapped Luke the moment he was done talking. She was so furious that she was gasping for breath. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll never write it. Not only do I want her in prison, but I want her to rot there for the rest of Her life!”
The force of Vespera’s slap left a red mark on his face. Nonetheless, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he slowly turned back to face her and continued, “Wouldn’t it be better to just settle this? You can’t win this fight, and in the end, the one who suffers will still be you.
“If you’re hoping Dominic will help you, you’re bound to be disappointed. If he wanted to help, he would have done so already. To him, you’re just a game. Now that he has had he
you,
won’t waste any more time or effort on you.
“Even if you don’t care about your own life, you should at least think about your parents, your grandmother, and your uncle.”
Vespera wasocked beyond words. She looked at Luke as if he were something out of a nightmare as her body turned cold. Her eyes, which were already reddening, widened in horror as she took a step back.
“You’re actually using my family to threaten me?
Her voice trembled, and her hands were shaking she had thought that, no matter how heartless Luke was, the worst he could do was hurt her.
“Just agree to it.”
Luke forced himself to swallow the pain in his chest, Watching Vespera step back In fear and the helpless rage in her eyes, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he sensed her hatred toward him. It was almost like this kind of suffering was its own form of relief.
She should hate him. Sometimes, hatred was the only thing that kept a connection alive.
Vespera took a deep breath. She tried to hold on to something to steady herself, but all around her was the edge of a cliff, and she was suspended in midair. She felt like she was about to fall.
“Open the door.”
Just then, a clear voice sounded from outside. For a moment, Vespera felt dazed as her mind. buzzed.
After that, the door swung open, showing Dominic, who was standing outside. Behind him were Gerard, who was stunned, and Christine, who looked stricken with guilt.
Luke turned to look outside with a hollowed gaze Vespera turned to look as well. In that instant, Dominic saw her despair, as she had no time to hide her expression. She looked completely lost, like a helpless little beast forced to the edge of survival by a raging forest fire. “Why is the door locked when you’re just having lunch?” Dominic stepped inside and walked over to Vespera, acting as her support. “Do you still want to eat?”
Vespera shook her head. The warmth of Dominic’s palm pressed against her back, reminding her that she was still standing on solid ground. After regaining some composure, she slowly walked out of the room.
“Are you alright?” Gerard asked with concern in a low voice.
Vespera only shook her head and slowly walked down the corridor with Gerard following after her. On the other hand, Dominic cast a cold glance at Luke, who stood there like a soulless
corpse.
“A man like you is truly one of a kind.”
Then, Dominic turned and strode out of the private dining room, catching up to Vespera in just a few steps. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Vespera shifted slightly. “I’m fine-”
Before Vespera could finish, Dominic cut her off. Are you trying to win first place in a competition for who can act the toughest?”
He lowered his head and looked at her, tightening his grip on her shoulder.
Chapter 173
Chapter 173
