Chapter 65

Wellington's POV

The tape ripped off a small piece of skin from his lip. Milo screamed in pain, blood filling his mouth. But he couldn't care about the pain, coughing up blood while crying out to me through tears and snot, "Mr. Learmond! Mercy! Please, mercy! It's a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Please spare my life!"

"A misunderstanding?" I leaned forward slightly, my gaze coldly scrutinizing him. "What misunderstanding? Explain yourself clearly."

"Actually... actually..." His eyes darted around frantically. Just as he was about to speak, the basement's iron door was suddenly kicked open violently from outside.

"Who's there?" Hank and several bodyguards reacted instantly, drawing their guns and aiming them uniformly at the doorway, shielding me behind them.

A man in a flashy suit, a cynical smile playing at his lips, walked in slowly surrounded by a group of black-clad bodyguards. The light fell on his handsome but sinister face.

Caspian Saunders.

"Mr. Learmond, what impressive authority you have." Caspian surveyed the room before his gaze finally settled on me. "Going after my people?"

I sat steadily in my chair, watching him coldly. "Caspian, when you went after my people last time, what were you thinking?"

"Your people?" Caspian repeated the phrase slowly, then suddenly laughed. "You mean that little assistant of yours?"

My expression darkened abruptly as I said coldly, "I don't have time for irrelevant topics. Get to the point."

"You sure about that?" Caspian raised an eyebrow, his smile growing more malicious. He took two steps forward, leaning down to look at me. "Mr. Learmond, are you saying my topic is irrelevant, or are you just too embarrassed to discuss it? I mean..."

He paused, his lips curving deliberately. "The great heir to the Learmond family, the stone-cold killer in the business world, repeatedly losing his composure over some little assistant. If word got out, that would be one hell of a joke."

"Caspian! Watch your mouth!" Hank barked sharply.

But Caspian didn't even glance at Hank, keeping his eyes fixed on me as he continued leisurely, "Last time at the Saunders Estate, you charged in with just a few bodyguards to save her. I saw exactly how frantic you looked. If you'd arrived just one step later that day, and had to witness your little girl getting hurt in ways she shouldn't... or..."

He raised an eyebrow suggestively. "I bet a certain someone's heart would've shattered, wouldn't it?"

My breathing hitched almost imperceptibly. Though I tried my best to maintain composure on the surface, only I knew that my hand hidden in the shadows was trembling slightly, beyond my control.

Because he'd discovered the secret buried deepest in my heart. And because when he spoke those words, a deep sense of retroactive fear welled up inside me.

I'd even superimposed Kerena's pitiful state from that time onto Matilda. Just thinking about that image made a dull ache surface in my heart—one even I was unwilling to acknowledge.

"What exactly do you want?" I asked coldly. "If you're here for him, once I'm done asking what needs to be asked, I'll naturally hand him over. I wouldn't dirty my own hands killing one of your dogs."

Caspian suddenly burst out laughing. After a while, he finally stopped, wiping tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. "Ask? What's there to ask? The person involved is standing right here, isn't he?"

He walked over to Milo, who was already scared out of his wits and trembling on the ground, and kicked his injured leg disdainfully with the tip of his shoe. "That's right, Mr. Learmond. It was me who sent this waste to 'invite' Ms. Williams. The method? Simple. I just reminded her that I still have evidence of her night with you in my hands."

Milo let out a muffled groan of pain. Caspian smiled with satisfaction and turned back around.

"Originally, I didn't mean anything by it. I just thought your little assistant was interesting, quite capable. I wanted to use Ms. Williams to bring her over to work for me as a subordinate. After all, who wouldn't like such an excellent woman?" He deliberately paused, his gaze shifting to me, his tone taking on a provocative edge. "Besides, I don't have a habit of sleeping with my subordinates. If your little assistant came to work for me, I guarantee she'd be way more comfortable than working for you."

"Shut up!" I snapped harshly.

"Touched a nerve?" Caspian's smile grew more amused. "Don't get worked up. I'm not finished yet. Unfortunately, your little assistant is quite loyal to you—refused to come no matter what. People like that are no fun to use anyway. I don't want her anymore. So now, can I take my useless dog and leave?"

"Mr. Learmond! Save me! Actually—" Milo, whose eyes had gone dull with fear, suddenly snapped back to reality, struggling as he screamed at me.

But before he could finish, Caspian's expression darkened. He spun around and punched Milo viciously in the mouth. Milo screamed as teeth mixed with blood sprayed out. He instantly couldn't utter another word.

"Waste! Is it your turn to speak here?" Caspian shook the blood off his hand, staring menacingly at the collapsed Milo. "A dog also dares to bark in front of its master? Especially a dog like you who wants to betray his master."

He waved his hand. Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, dragging the barely conscious Milo toward the exit.

"Stop!" Hank and his men immediately surrounded them, guns locked firmly on Caspian and his men. "Mr. Saunders, you can't take him."

"Can't?" Caspian raised an eyebrow. Then he lifted his hand, slowly pulling a cigarette-box-sized black metal device from inside his suit jacket.

The prominent red button on it made me instantly sit up straight. He toyed with the device, glancing at me with contempt. "Mr. Learmond, I really liked that little gift you sent me last time. So I specially kept a small one as a souvenir."

His thumb hovered over the red button. "Right now, it's in the courtyard of that villa where your precious darling is staying. Now, if I suddenly feel upset and just press my finger down like this..."

Before he could finish, I felt all the blood in my body rush to my head with a roar. Caspian, that madman! He actually dared... he actually dared plant a bomb where Matilda was living!

"Caspian! Don't you dare!" I shot to my feet, roaring at him.

The smile on Caspian's face grew even more triumphant, clearly satisfied with my reaction. His thumb still hovering above the button, he said to me slowly: "Want me to stop? Simple. Let me and my people go. I guarantee your little assistant will be safe and sound."