Chapter 119
Although Charles was just acting, when he mentioned his daughter who was about to get married, who else could it be besides Elizabeth and Vivian?
She tried hard not to look at Elizabeth, worried that Elizabeth might notice something.
Elizabeth held her wine glass, coldly watching this family's performance, feeling nothing but irony in her heart.
Giving back the shares as a wedding gift? As if it were something Charles was generously giving her.
Those shares were originally left to her by Hughes!
And with Charles's greed, would he let go so easily?
This was likely just bait, used to lower her guard, a sugar-coated bullet to make her obediently cooperate with the engagement.
She kept her expression unchanged, even cooperatively showing a touched look, "Thank you, Dad."
Calling him "Dad" made her feel physically sick, but it clearly made Charles's family more convinced that she had been moved by family affection and benefits, greatly lowering her defenses.
Under the table, Vivian secretly sent a confirmation message to Henry.
Late at night, Henry couldn't hold back anymore. Following the route Vivian gave him, he quietly snuck into the Windsor Family villa and made his way to Elizabeth's room.
He took a deep breath, straightened his collar, tried to put on that tender and affectionate expression from his memories, then gently knocked on the door.
Elizabeth's cool voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
"Eliza, it's me, Henry." Henry lowered his voice, deliberately making it hoarse and pained.
There was silence inside for a few seconds, then the door opened a crack.
Elizabeth stood inside wearing pajamas, her hair down, her face expressionless, just looking at him coolly.
Henry's heart leaped with joy - she was willing to see him after all!
He immediately squeezed inside, closed the door behind him, and couldn't wait to speak, "Eliza! I finally get to see you! You don't know how much I've missed you these days! I regret it so much, regret not treasuring you back then! When I heard you were going to marry Jacob, my heart felt like it was being torn apart!"
He tried to grab Elizabeth's hand, but she nimbly avoided him.
Henry wasn't discouraged and continued his passionate performance, "Eliza, I know I was a bastard before and broke your heart. But I really know I was wrong now! Look at me, I have nothing now, my fingers are broken, my family abandoned me, I'm living like a stray dog! This is all the punishment I deserve! But Eliza, my feelings for you are real! They've never changed!"
His eyes reddened - half acting, half forced - his voice choking, "Jacob doesn't really love you! He's just interested in your status, using you to strike at me, to strike at the Windsor Family! When he gets tired of you, he'll throw you away like trash! Eliza, come with me! Let's leave here, go somewhere no one knows us, and start over! I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, being good to you! Just like we promised before..."
He brought up the past, trying to stir up Elizabeth's memories of that fake romance.
Elizabeth quietly watched him perform, watched the fake affection in his eyes and the calculation and resentment he couldn't hide.
In her past life, she was deceived by such a hypocritical face and sweet words, ultimately ending up dead.
A cold emotion, mixed with disgust and violence, churned in her chest.
Seeing her silence, Henry thought she was moved. His heart leaped with joy, and he stepped forward, wanting to pull her into his arms, "Eliza, come with me! Right now! We..."
His words stopped abruptly.
Because Elizabeth moved.
She suddenly lifted her foot, and though she wore soft house slippers, her kick carried fierce momentum and tremendous force, landing precisely between Henry's legs!
An inhuman, piercing scream suddenly burst from Henry's throat!
His eyes bulged, his face instantly turned from red to blue to white, his hands desperately clutching his crotch. His whole body curled up like a cooked shrimp and collapsed, his body convulsing violently from the extreme pain, cold sweat instantly soaking through his clothes.
He didn't even have time to react in any other way - the massive pain had already stripped away all his thinking ability, leaving only instinctive wailing and rolling.
Elizabeth looked down at Henry rolling on the ground in pain, tears and snot streaming down his face, her eyes cold without a trace of warmth.
She slowly crouched down, her voice terrifyingly calm, yet each word like an ice pick, "Henry."
"Next time, if you dare use that disgusting mouth of yours to call my name again, or say those revolting words..."
She reached out, broke a wine bottle, and the sharp fragment lightly pressed against his mouth, which was wide open from pain, glinting coldly.
"I'll sew it shut. Forever."
Henry was scared out of his wits. The severe pain, combined with extreme fear, almost made him pass out.
He shook his head desperately, his eyes full of pleading. Where was any trace of the affection and calculation from before?
Elizabeth stood up, no longer looking at him, tossed the fragment at him like throwing out trash, and said coldly, "Get lost. Don't let me see you again."
Henry, as if granted amnesty, couldn't care about the severe pain in his lower body. He crawled out of the room on all fours, completely disheveled, not even caring about the noise of rolling down the stairs, just wanting to escape from this terrifying woman as quickly as possible.
So terrifying! How did she become like this?! That kick just now... he felt his whole lower half was ruined!
What revenge against Jacob, what winning back her heart, what comeback... in the face of that hellish pain and Elizabeth's cold, murderous eyes, it all turned to nothing!
He just wanted to find a place to hide and never provoke her again!
Elizabeth closed the door, as if she had just casually dealt with a buzzing insect.
She walked to the window, watching Henry's pathetic figure crawling away from the Windsor Family villa, her eyes showing no ripples.
Vivian contacted Henry to confirm the progress, but couldn't reach him no matter what.
When she finally got through, she only heard Henry's weak, frightened voice saying something like "plan canceled," "I'm never participating again," "you guys play by yourselves," then he hung up. When she called again, his phone was off.
Vivian was so angry she almost smashed her phone! This useless waste! Coward! He must have been scared out of his wits by Elizabeth!
But thinking about it, now that Henry's route didn't work out, that was fine too.
At least she wouldn't have to share the benefits with him after success. She'd do it herself!
To further lull Elizabeth and create an opportunity to strike, Vivian suggested throwing her a bachelorette party before the wedding, inviting some girlfriends to celebrate her upcoming farewell to single life.
Elizabeth hesitated, but under Vivian's enthusiastic and sisterly affection offensive, reluctantly agreed.
The party was held in the Windsor Family villa's garden, with some of Vivian's equally vain and shallow lady friends invited.
Under Vivian's deliberate direction, the party atmosphere gradually reached its peak.
The air was filled with the sweet smell of perfume, alcohol, and the exaggerated laughter of young girls.
Vivian wore an impeccable, sweet smile on her face, walked through the crowd, and once again approached Elizabeth, who sat alone in a corner wicker chair.
In her hands, she held two freshly mixed cocktails of identical color - one spiked, one not.