Chapter 144 Are You Coming?
Seth stared at the gun in Lewis’ hand and took a step back. He laughed. “Lewis, where’s the fun in ending it all now?”
“Do you really like playing games that much?” Lewis demanded.
Seth raised a brow. “That depends on how the game is played. Since you already have a gun pointed at my head, why not kill me now in front of Josephine?”
Despite being held at gunpoint, he was completely unafraid. His smile was brash and lofty, as
if he were entirely certain that Lewis would never dare to kill him in front of Josephine.
As for the reason behind that, only the two of them knew.
Josephine clenched her fingers tightly and looked between the two of them nervously.
Upon hearing Seth’s words, Lewis glanced at her sideways as well.
Seth laughed. “Lewis, oh Lewis, like I said, if you really want to be the villain, you’ve got to be much more thorough than this. Otherwise, you’ll never get anything.”
A gunshot rang out in the quiet mountains as soon as he finished speaking.
Josephine covered her eyes in fright.
Seth knelt on one knee. On his other leg, blood gushed through a hole penetrated by the bullet, staining the ground red.
Lewis took a step forward and yanked him up by his collar. His gaze was icy when he spoke. ” Kill you? That would be a mercy compared to what I want to do to you.”
Pain manifested between Seth’s brows, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips regardless.”
Of course. I don’t doubt that one bit.”
Lewis kicked him and sent him flying about three feet away in response.
Seth lay sprawled on the ground. The stone floor was wet and muddy from the rain. Stagnant water, dirt, and blood seeping from his leg stained his once-white suit.
After a long while, he mustered enough strength to hoist himself up. With no regard for the cleanliness of the ground, he sat and looked at Josephine, his head tilted.
“Josephine, lift your shirt and take a look.”
Josephine lowered her head subconsciously and tugged at the hem of her shirt. It was then
that she realized what had been on her ankles all along. It looked like an electronic watch, but it was made entirely of metal, and on its screen was not the time but a countdown.
It read, “24 hours and 9 minutes.”
1/4
Josephine froze in shock, having guessed what it was.
Lewis guessed it as soon as she did too.
Before he could open his mouth to speak, Seth interrupted. “Don’t ask me where the control is. You know I would never tell you.”
“1
Lewis’ gaze
darkened. His grip tightened on the gun, the veins on his arms bulging. He looked like he was about to lose control and shoot Seth in the head right there.
Seth burst out laughing, a reckless, crazed sheen on his face. He spread his arms and exclaimed, “Lewis, go ahead and shoot me. Let us all die here together.”
Lewis stared at him unblinkingly. After a while, he too, smiled.
He grabbed the gun barrel with one hand and smashed it against Seth’s jaw. Seth crumpled to the ground again, groaning as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Lewis ignored him after that. Instead, he strode toward Josephine.
His gaze never left her eyes as he asked, “I’m asking you one last time, are you coming?”
Josephine squeezed her fingers together tightly. She shot a look at Seth, who was a mess. But before she could get a good look at him, Lewis forced her chin away from his direction.
“Look at me!”
Josephine was stunned by the coldness radiating from his eyes. Instinctively, she took a step
back.
It was that step that cemented her decision.
“Lewis!” Seth yelled at him suddenly.
Lewis turned to look at Seth.
Seth raised his hands and waved the remote control in the air. “23 hours. I will let you take her away if you can stay here for 23 hours.”
Lewis’ gaze became even colder. He refused without any hesitation. “In your dreams.”
Seth shrugged, seemingly indifferent toward his injuries. “Why? Are you in that much of a hurry to make it to the shareholders’ meeting?”
Seth looked at Josephine meaningfully. “Since you care so much about the shareholders’ meeting, leave, then. You can’t possibly think you could get both your profits and her, can you? In this world, nothing is perfect. You can’t get everything you want, Lewis.”
Josephine looked at Lewis upon hearing those words.
Despite her absolute certainty that she would never be on par with his career in terms of importance, that she was merely a speck compared to his professional aspirations, she
couldn’t escape the delusional spark of hope within her.
She swore that if he hesitated, even the slightest bit- if there was an instance where he chose her in the grand scheme of things no matter how minute, even if she died today, it would have all been worth it.
Even if the bomb chained to her ankles blew her into a million pieces, she would give herself to him completely and willingly.
The two of them stared at one another. A chilly gust snaked between them, lifting the stray strands of hair near her ear.
Against the lush, green backdrop and the infinite stretch of mountainous peaks reminiscent of a watercolor painting, the two stood with their eyes locked, and no words were exchanged between them.
Josephine’s stance was clear. At that moment in time, she was on Seth’s side.
Lewis’ answer was the only thing she needed. She would follow him home willingly if he agreed to stay for 23 hours.
This time, the reins he gripped, the thread that tethered her to him, had been stretched to its limit. He would need to make significant sacrifices to restore their connection to their former
state.
“Is that what you think too?” Lewis asked her.
Josephine’s gaze wavered. She looked away, but her silence spoke volumes.
Lewis smiled. “Unbelievable. It was merely two days, and your new master had already managed to successfully train you to follow his every command.” z
Josephine froze again.
New master-
She looked at Lewis, suddenly realizing what she had been to him all this while. A pet-she had been nothing but a pet to him and him, her master.
The notion itself was ridiculous.
Any remaining light in her face dissipated, desolate disappointment taking over her features.
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