John stood up expressionlessly and strode over to Lynda. She watched as his shiny leather shoes and slender legs stepped forward. As he approached, she felt an inexplicable pressure that made her lips tremble.
She had to face what was coming to her.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please let me go." Her face turned a deathly pale color as her breaths became weak.
When the hulking man squatted down in front of her, she seemed to have entered her version of hell, as the eyes of death pierced a hole in her body.
"Which hand of yours pressed the record button?" The calmer John's tone was, the eerier it sounded.
"Right hand," answered Lynda, trembling.
"Okay. Put it on the floor with your palm facing down," John ordered nonchalantly.
She didn't know what he was going to do. What she did know was that the fear in her body was now in control and she dared not disobey him, so she did as she was told.
He picked up the kitchen knife from the table. Vicente was in no mood to see the bloody scene to follow.
Cali's eyes widened. She thought back to Demi's eye being pierced by the needle and feared that Sean was going to chop this woman's hand off.
Although she knew Lynda was in the wrong, she still didn't think she deserved such a gruesome punishment.
Cali quickly got up and rushed to stop him. "No, Sean, please don't!"
"Aaaah!" It was too late. Cali couldn't get over to him in time.
Lynda's right hand was severed from her arm.
As if scripted, everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. The servants lowered their heads and dared not look at them, but felt a level of sympathy for this poor woman.
'Sean is merciless. He just cut off her hand like that.'
Lynda passed out from the pain.
Cali edged forward, realizing that she hadn't stopped him. She stared in disbelief at the bloody scene, completely speechless.
She collapsed.
Vicente reacted fast enough and caught her. "Cali, are you okay?"
She raised her head stiffly. "Count Nangong, please save Lynda, save her."
Vicente helped Cali sit on the sofa and waved at a servant. "Call the doctor over."
They carried Lynda to a bed, with the doctor rushing over. He disinfected the wound, treated it and afterwards put her on a drip.
Cali went back to the hall to continue her apology.
She looked back and watched as the servants cleaned up the blood-stained floor.
"Cali, the doctor is here. You should let him check your face." Vicente didn't blame Cali anymore. With all that had happened, it was pointless punishing her again.
Vicente had listened to the whole recording, knowing that it was not her fault.
"Thank you, Count Nangong." Wiping the tears from her eyes, Cali bowed. "Sean, I'm sorry."
John sat on the sofa with a lit cigarette, but he didn't take a drag.
He seemed to be absent-minded. He kept looking at the front door, as if he was waiting for someone.
After a while, a servant came in from outside and respectfully said, "Count Nangong, Queen Anne sent someone to take Sean to Scher Mountain."
Vicente worriedly looking over at the man sitting on the sofa.
John nodded slightly, stubbed out the cigarette and threw it into the trash can. When he stood up, he straightened himself up to look neat.
He had been waiting for this moment.
He wondered what judgment he'd get from Nina's parents.
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