The Year I Was the Other Woman To Myself novel Chapter 775

They burst through the rusted doors just in time to see Marico raise a wicked hunting knife. Before any of them could shout a warning, he plunged the blade straight into Charley's body.

Natalie instinctively clamped her hands over Kristin's eyes, her gaze locked on Marico. His face was splattered with blood, yet he was actually laughing, as if butchering a man were nothing more than an entertaining game.

"Ahhh!"

Charley's agonizing screams echoed through the rafters. The knife had only pierced his thigh, a calculated move. Marico was intentionally dragging out the torture to savor his revenge. But the moment he noticed the intruders, a feral glint flashed in his eyes, and he raised the bloodied knife once more.

"If you kill him, your life is over too!" Theodore roared.

Marico let out a dark scoff. "A life for a life. Since when have I ever been afraid of that?"

Theodore took a measured breath. "Throwing your life away over a piece of trash like Charley Sargent, do you really think that's worth it?"

"It's more than worth it! He's the precious golden boy of the Sargent family, their untouchable heir. And me? I'm just the useless screw-up in your eyes. The pathetic stain on the family name that you're all ashamed of!"

Marico violently grabbed Charley by the throat. "So yeah, I'm crazy enough to kill, and I'm not afraid to die! But I will never forgive a coward who jumps me when my back is turned! Charley Sargent dies tonight!"

Charley sobbed, his face contorted in agony as tears and snot streamed down his face.

"Mr. Stapleton! Please, I'm sorry! I swear I'll never mess with you again! Mr. Stapleton, Mr. Stapleton, save me!"

While Marico's attention was momentarily on his victim, Theodore attempted to take a slow step forward. But Marico's predatory gaze snapped right back to him.

"Take one more step, and I'll slit his throat!"

Theodore froze. Seeing the absolute fatalistic resolve in Marico's eyes, he knew he couldn't push him.

Penelope tried a different approach, keeping her voice incredibly calm. "Look, if you want to vent your anger, you could have just beaten him to a pulp. There's zero need to murder him and throw your own future away."

"He has his guys beat me, so I just beat him back?" Marico sneered. "That's not how I settle my debts."

"If you kill him today, it's only going to prove one thing."

"What?"

"That you're an idiot."

Penelope was momentarily at a loss for words. The man literally did not care if anyone lived or died, including himself. She figured even a trained hostage negotiator would hit a brick wall with him.

"Marico! If you die because of this, I'm going to feel guilty for the rest of my life!" Natalie screamed from the shadows.

Because she had been hanging back to shield Kristin from the gore, Marico hadn't noticed her until now. He froze in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I brought Kristin!"

"Why the hell would you bring a kid here?!" Marico suddenly erupted in genuine fury.

Natalie's mind raced. She leaned down and whispered for Kristin to speak to him.

"Mr. Stapleton?" Kristin's small, trembling voice echoed through the freezing, blood-soaked warehouse. "What are you doing? Mommy is covering my eyes, so I can't see you!"

Hearing that sweet, innocent voice cut through the heavy stench of death, the psychotic, murderous mask on Marico's face suddenly began to crack, replaced by a flash of genuine panic.