Chapter 27

But when Jona glanced towards the sofa, and Carlie saw his gaze fall on a knife on top of it, Carlie's legs couldn't resist rushing in.

"When someone is troubled in their mind, and the thoughts are bad. They will deliberately hurt themselves,"Carlie said. Carlie, then only 10 years old, accompanied her mother in the kitchen. Leaning her face on the island table, enjoying her mother's show as she cut carrots at an unbelievable speed.

"Why, Mom? Doesn't that just hurt them more?"Carlie asked in her high-pitched voice.

"Because they need an outlet. Anything to stop their uncontrollable thoughts. Often they rely on physical pain to distract their minds and many of them, too troubled, decide to end their lives. Because they can't bear the tormenting thoughts anymore,"Carlie's mother explained.

Carlie could feel her mother's sweet kiss on her forehead,"if you meet someone like that, you should be the first person to hold their hand and help them. Don't let them hurt themselves. People like that just need companionship so they don't feel lonely. Okay, dear?"

Carlie's mother established a charity foundation for children's mental health and since childhood, Carlie's mind has been filled with simple psychological knowledge that might often be encountered by people in her surrounding society. And at that moment, Carlie knew one thing.

'Jona wasn't okay.'

The man's gaze was still as sharp as Carlie remembered. From the first time she met him, that sharp gaze always lingered in her mind. A piercing gaze ready to kill whenever he desired. But today, Carlie found a new feeling when she stared at that sharp gaze. Curiosity. Inquisitiveness. A feeling that she found difficult to shake off because the same questions continued to swirl in her mind, relentlessly.

'What happened to him that he looks at the world with such disdain and bitterness?'

Carlie sighed to herself. Curiosity began to gnaw at her mind and Carlie began to hate herself for thinking about this man in the depths of her heart. Thinking about his sad expression that she saw earlier. Thinking about what happened to him to make him wear such an expression earlier. Thinking about what she could do to help. 'Damn it. This doesn't make any sense.' Just yesterday, Carlie wished this man dead and even rotting in hell, but today her mind seemed to say otherwise. Her mother always told her firmly how she asked Carlie to help every 'troubled' person she encountered in her life. But should she help this demon... Damn it. Her mother's advice became a double-edged sword like this.

"So, about his plan,"Carlie looked up as Jona began to speak. His voice sounded a bit hoarser than usual. "There are a few things you need to know beforehand."

"Just say it. But don't make it complicated. Just the gist,"said Carlie.

Jona nodded. "My goal is to destroy the Emerald family. From the start, i had no interest in destroying Tiffany individually. I wanted to bring her down along with her family and unfortunately, while i was fulfilling her whims, you came and got involved in our issues,"Jona paused for a moment. "I actually don't mind leaving Tiffany alone. That woman has no power without her family name. But even so, you can't just watch her family fall apart without being able to seek personal vengeance, can you?"

Carlie straightened her body. "All i want is my trophy back,"said Carlie. "And that woman who openly admits her infidelity and tarnished my perfect reputation."

Jona nodded. "It means our goals align,"he added. "To destroy the Tiffany family, i originally needed three definite things."

"But now, with you bringing up Tiffany's matter, we need 4 plans."

"What are they?"

"First, the success of the company in Mexico, which is the Emerald family's biggest competitor,"Jona folded his legs. "For the past few years, the Emerald family business has been declining. The main problem is the emergence of a major competitor selling marijuana just like them, but at much lower prices. And for the past few years, to ensure the complete downfall of the Emerald family, i secretly invested heavily in that competitor's company until it surpassed them. Now, the Emerald family is on the brink of ruin. Even though Falcon Emerald, Tiffany's father, also borrowed some money from me, the money he borrowed is nothing compared to what i went to his competitor's company."

Carlie furrowed her brow,"are you saying that you lent a considerable amount of money to two companies just to destroy the Emerald family? Isn't that excessive?"

"Why do you think so?"

Carlie rolled her eyes. "If you just want to avoid an arranged marriage, insist stubbornly to both your father and Tiffany's father with your threats. Wouldn't that make things easy?"

Carlie caught a glimpse of doubt reflected in Jona's eyes. Very briefly. Carlie wasn't even sure if she saw it for more than a second.

And afterward, once again, Jona's gaze hardened, like that of a predatory eagle. "It's not that easy to sever long-standing family ties. My father has been working with the Emerald family since before i was born. Refusing an arranged marriage without causing significant chaos would be the end of our family's political relations."

Carlie understood what Jona was trying to convey because she had seen many arranged marriages among aristocratic families that still adhered to old-fashioned beliefs. "After he sinks even deeper, i'm sure he will come to me and ask for more help and that will be the second condition, waiting for him to come. At that point, i will tell Falcon that i can no longer lend him money without collateral, but i will help him find investors."

"You're really going to find them?"Carlie asked, with a furrowed brow.

"Of course not,"replied Jona. "I will lead him somewhere, under the guise of a business meeting. But in reality, it will be my trap to lure the police and corner Falcon Emerald. So, the third condition is to lure the police. Although in the end, i won't let those damn cops take him behind bars. I will kill the man."

Carlie let out a long sigh. "I'm still uncomfortable and will never be with how easily you kill people around you, but this time i guess i won't interfere with your decision."

"Good,"said Jona. "And lastly, the additional condition i obtained since you entered the plan is, to report Tiffany, we need concrete reports and evidence to be disseminated to the media. And for that, i'll let you handle it."

Carlie nodded. "Okay. I can do that easily."

"In essence, of the four conditions, the most complicated and time-consuming one is the first. But don't worry, the plan has been going smoothly so far, and considering its good progress, i think it won't be long before we can destroy the family and the remaining three conditions, they're not difficult to accomplish,"Jona concluded.