Chapter 123 The Warehouse

Chapter 123 The Warehouse

"Ethan!"

Kate struggled wildly, desperate to rush toward him, but the bodyguards held her back with iron grips.

Memories from her previous life suddenly flooded her mind—the same warehouse, the same horrifying scene, except last time, she had been the one hanging there. Now, it was Ethan instead.

The whipping, the torture, everything flashed before her eyes as if it were happening again. She could almost see the blood pooling on the concrete floor.

She screamed, her voice raw with desperation. "Let him go! Richard, let him go!"

Tears streamed down Kate's face uncontrollably. She fought against her captors so violently that the ropes binding her wrists cut into her skin, drawing blood, but she felt nothing.

Richard watched her hysterical state with evident satisfaction. His smile widened as he sauntered toward a fire pit not far away. The flames cast grotesque shadows across his twisted smile as he nudged the burning wood with his foot, sending sparks flying.

"Let him go? Kate, when you decided to work against me, did you ever consider there would be consequences? I already have what I want. You're in no position to negotiate."

As he finished speaking, Richard picked up the box from a nearby table. With a dramatic swing of his arm, he tossed it in a high arc directly into the fire pit.

The flames instantly engulfed the box, leaping higher as they consumed it.

"No!" Kate screamed. "That was my mother's! Richard, you psychopath!"

"Psychopath? I rather like that description." Richard turned to face her with a cruel smile.

"Tell you what, Kate. I'll make you a deal. Tell me why you wanted this box so badly, what exactly you know, or who told you anything. If you tell me, I'll let him go. How does that sound?"

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, his smile sending chills down her spine despite the heat from the fire.

Richard was trying to extract information from her?

Kate's heart sank. Though she saw through Richard's intentions, she knew that saying nothing would put Ethan in even greater danger. Yet revealing what she knew would only make things worse for him.

She could only stall for time.

With a cold laugh, she asked, "Why should I trust you?"

"You want answers? Fine. Release him first."

Kate had to gamble. She was trying to reverse the negotiation, demanding Ethan's release before she would talk.

In her previous life, she had owed Ethan her life. Today, he was suffering because of her again. She had to protect him, even if he might resent her for it later. She wouldn't regret it.

"Is that so? Are you sure?"

Richard didn't fall for her tactic. He raised an eyebrow and approached Ethan, who hung suspended in mid-air.

Suddenly, Richard jabbed his finger directly into Ethan's worst injury, where blood still seeped through his shirt.

Agonizing pain exploded from Ethan's side. His eyes flew open.

Kate completely broke down. "Ethan!"

"Richard, don't hurt him!" she shrieked, struggling violently.

The bodyguard restraining her grew impatient with her thrashing and kicked the back of her knee hard.

"Stop moving! Stay still!"

Kate lost her balance and fell to her knees on the hard concrete floor.

Ethan, despite his pain, caught sight of this. The body that had tensed from agony suddenly went rigid with fury. A murderous aura emanated from him as he slowly raised his head.

His gaze was like a sharpened blade, directed straight at the two bodyguards. When he spoke, his voice was so deep and cold it seemed to come from the depths of hell itself.

"Touch him again and you'll regret it."

Those words carried no warmth whatsoever, frightening the bodyguards enough to instinctively step back. Even Richard, who had been enjoying the spectacle, was momentarily taken aback before sneering.

"You're hardly in a position to make threats against my men."

He reached to probe Ethan's wound again.

Richard wanted to see him in pain, but Ethan kept his eyes fixed on him, showing no reaction except for the blood-thirsty smile that curved his lips.

"Richard, touch him again, and I'll make sure your entire family joins you in hell!"

His gaze was so terrifying that Richard unconsciously paused.

But after a moment's reflection, realizing he still held the upper hand, Richard quickly regained his arrogance.

"Death? We'll see who dies first."

With that, he turned to Kate, his tone threatening. "Answer my question now, or you'll watch him die right before your eyes!"

Kate remained on her knees, the pain shooting through them nothing compared to the terror gripping her heart.

She looked at Ethan's blood-soaked shirt, then at the ruthlessness in Richard's eyes. Her nails dug deep into her palms.

When Richard moved to hurt Ethan again, Kate immediately spoke up.

"I'll talk! I'll tell you! Just don't hurt him anymore!"

Richard stopped and smirked triumphantly.

"That's more like it. Now tell me, who informed you that Elizabeth's death was suspicious?"

Kate took a deep breath. "I discovered it myself."

As she spoke, she carefully watched Richard's reaction. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Ethan subtly working on the ropes binding his wrists. She deliberately stared at Richard, helping divert his attention.

"Lies! Tell the truth!" Richard clearly didn't believe her. He stepped forward and grabbed her hair, forcing her head up.

The pain made Kate's vision blur, but it also gave her a clearer view of Ethan's progress.

The ropes had loosened considerably. She endured the pain and deliberately argued back.

"I'm not lying. Believe it or not, that's your problem!"

Richard grew furious and was about to strike her.

Ethan seized the moment when everyone's attention was diverted. With a powerful surge, he broke free from the ropes. In one fluid motion, he grabbed a baseball bat from the nearest bodyguard and smashed it against the man's head.

With a loud crack, the bodyguard collapsed. Chaos erupted in the warehouse.

Richard froze, his expression changing drastically.

He tried to flee, but Ethan caught him by the collar and slammed him to the ground.

Ethan stepped on Richard's chest, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"You were saying something about death?"

Ethan's fist was already raised, poised to smash into Richard's face.

Kate suddenly rushed forward. "Ethan, don't."

She grabbed Ethan's arm, and Richard, seeing this, thought Kate was afraid to go through with it. He immediately became cocky again, laughing loudly.

"Just as I thought! Kate, you're still the same coward you've always been. Too afraid to hurt me. Wait until you see what I have in store for—"

Before he could finish, Richard let out a piercing scream.

Kate had picked up a knife from the table and, without hesitation, brought it down, pinning Richard's outstretched hand to the floor. The blade pierced straight through his hand, drawing a sudden, stunned silence from everyone present.

That was unexpected.

"You've lost your mind, Kate!" Richard screamed, his face contorted in agony, but unable to move.

Kate looked down at him with a cold smile. "Lost my mind? I rather like that description too."

Her voice contained not a hint of warmth, sounding almost demonic, making the remaining bodyguards too frightened to approach.

These two were both terrifying in their own right.

The bodyguards exchanged glances—they were here for a paycheck, not to risk their lives.