Chapter 92
Nicole's Perspective
After tricking Hodgson into going to the restaurant, I immediately had the driver take me back to Hodgson's apartment.
The car sped through the streets. I kept checking my phone, terrified that Hodgson would suddenly call.
I didn't have much time. As soon as I reached the apartment building, I ran into the elevator.
My hands were trembling. It took several attempts to press the right button.
The hallway on the basement level stretched long and dimly lit. My footsteps echoed through the empty space.
I passed several closed doors, my heartbeat accelerating with each step.
Which room was Matthew in?
Just as I neared the end of the corridor, something on the ground caught the dim light with a glimmer.
I bent down and picked it up. It was a pen.
I knew this pen too well. It was a birthday gift I'd given Matthew long ago.
I looked up at the heavy iron door before me, stood up, and pounded on it with all my strength.
"Matthew! Matthew, are you in there?"
No response came from inside, only death-like silence.
"Matthew, please, if you're in there, answer me!" My voice was already thick with tears, my hands numb from banging.
Finally, a weak voice came from behind the door.
"Ni... Nicole?"
It was Matthew! It really was him!
"It's me! Matthew, how are you? Hold on, I'm here to save you!"
"No..." His voice came in fragments. "You need to leave... Hodgson will be back soon... Don't let him find you..."
"I won't abandon you!" I bit down hard. "Wait there, I'll find the key right away!"
I turned and ran upstairs, bursting into Hodgson's room to search.
My eyes fell on the safe in the corner.
I rushed over and tried to open it, but it required a password.
Time was slipping away. My forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, nearly frantic with anxiety.
I suddenly remembered that Hodgson had once given me a gun for self-defense. I'd kept it in the nightstand drawer.
I practically lunged for the drawer. The cold metal touch helped me regain some composure.
I gritted my teeth and fired repeatedly. My arm went numb, my ears ringing.
Finally, the lock on the safe was destroyed.
I dropped the gun and quickly pulled open the safe door.
Inside were documents, cash, and several sets of keys.
I grabbed them all and ran back down to the basement level.
My hands shook violently. It took several tries with different keys before I got the door open.
When I rushed inside, I froze in place.
Matthew was bound to an iron pillar in the center of the room, his head hanging limply, covered in blood.
His shirt was torn to shreds, revealing skin covered in bruises and whip marks. His wrists bore deep bloody grooves from the chains, some places showing white bone.
"Matthew!" I knelt before him, trembling as I worked to unlock the chains on his hands.
He slowly lifted his head, his swollen eyes barely opening a crack. "Nicole... you shouldn't have come..."
"Don't talk, save your strength." Tears streamed down my face. My fingers fumbled clumsily from panic, finally managing to unlock the chains.
Matthew's body lost its support and collapsed heavily against me.
This boy who had once been so sunny and cheerful had been reduced to this state because of me.
"Can you stand? I'll help you." I used all my strength to support his body.
He nodded and struggled to take a step.
We supported each other, moving step by difficult step toward the door.
Just then, a low laugh came from the doorway.
"What a touching reunion."
I looked up sharply. Hodgson stood in the doorway, his lips twisted in an eerie smile, but his eyes burned with chilling fury.
"Let him go, Nicole. Come back to me."
I instinctively moved Matthew behind me, though my legs began trembling uncontrollably.
"You're back... Hodgson, please let him go. He's innocent."
"Innocent?" Hodgson walked slowly inside. "He illegally broke into my house and coveted my woman. I'm being merciful by not killing him."
"I made him do it! It has nothing to do with him. If you want to punish someone, punish me!" I begged.
Matthew grabbed my hand from behind. "No, Nicole... don't do anything foolish for me..."
"Enough!"
Hodgson roared, his handsome face contorting with rage, veins bulging at his temples.
He strode over and grabbed my arm, yanking me away from Matthew.
"I gave you a chance, Nicole. You're the one who didn't treasure it."
"Don't touch her!" Matthew called out weakly.
Hodgson looked at Matthew with the gaze of someone looking at a dead man. "You still have strength to talk? Seems I was too gentle with you."
"Hodgson, please," I dropped to my knees, clutching at his pant leg. "Let Matthew go. I'll do anything!"
He seemed amused by this proposal. He reached down and gripped my chin, forcing me to look up.
"Anything? Including bearing me a child and staying by my side forever?"
"No! Nicole, don't agree to him!" Matthew struggled to straighten his body.
"Shut up!" Hodgson spun around and kicked Matthew in the abdomen.
Matthew's entire body slammed against the wall with a muffled grunt, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Stop it!" I lunged forward to intervene but was roughly shoved aside by Hodgson.
Just then, Eric walked in carrying new chains. He re-bound Matthew to the pillar.
Matthew was too severely injured to resist.
I grabbed Hodgson's clothes. "Hodgson, listen to me. Matthew is just my friend!"
"Is that so?" Hodgson looked down at me, his lips curled in mockery. "But he doesn't seem to think of you as just a friend."
He turned to Matthew. "Isn't that right, Matthew?"
"Matthew, tell him the truth!" I urged desperately.
Pain filled Matthew's eyes.
"Say it!" I was practically pleading.
"I'm sorry, Nicole. I can't lie to myself anymore. I like you. I've always liked you."
He looked into my eyes, a light flickering in them.
"No..." I shook my head.
"And you," Matthew turned to Hodgson, "you only know how to force her, hurt her, treat her as your possession. You don't understand what love is at all."
Matthew's voice turned fierce. "If I get the chance, I'll kill you and take Nicole away from you."
It was over. Completely over.
I collapsed to the ground, watching all this in despair.
"Very good." Hodgson's voice was eerily calm.
"Eric, take Nicole out."
Eric came over and pulled me up from the ground by my arm.
"Nicole!" Matthew's voice called from behind.
I turned back to see Hodgson removing his suit jacket, slowly rolling up his sleeves, his expression utterly terrifying.
"No! Hodgson!" I screamed through my tears.
Eric forcibly dragged me from the room.
The iron door slammed shut in front of me. In that instant...
Bang!
A gunshot.
My heart stopped.