Chapter 72 : She Was Blaming Him
Nigel was shocked. His eyes darted first to Sherrie, then to Allison. Both of his sisters were standing right there. When had there ever been a kidnapping?
…No, wait!
Nigel’s eyes widened as he stared at Allison. Could it be that during the days she had disappeared…
Allison lifted her face. Standing coldly behind Jareth, she said in a cold voice, “I’m aware enough not to hide on purpose and make you worry. After all, I know better than anyone that none of you care whether I live or die.”
Nigel opened his mouth, but his throat tightened painfully. For a moment, he did not know what to say.
His voice trembled slightly. “You… you were really kidnapped? By who?”
Allison’s sharp stare landed squarely on Sherrie. She spoke just two words, clear and sharp. “Gabriel Todd.”
Nigel shook his head, stunned and unwilling to believe it. “Stop spouting nonsense! Mr. Gabriel doesn’t even know you. Why would he kidnap you?”
Allison’s voice was cold as steel. “Because your dear little sister told Gabriel that I could recite Father’s medical notes from memory. He was consumed by greed. So he had me kidnapped and tortured, trying to force me to write them down.”
At her words, Jareth's eyes shifted to Sherrie, and something dark flickered in his eyes.
Sherrie’s face went completely pale. She stepped forward in panic. “That’s not what happened!”
“Nigel, you know how badly Mr. Gabriel wanted those notes. I only said that to help you keep your partnership with him!” Sherrie’s voice trembled as she looked at Allison, pleading. “I didn’t know he would actually kidnap you. If I had known, I never would have said it!”
So it was true. Allison really had been kidnapped.
Nigel’s face went pale. His eyes reddened as he looked at Allison, pain etched across his features. Then, in a trembling voice, he asked. “Are you hurt? Did Gabriel do anything to you?”
He panicked, stepping forward as if he were about to pull Allison toward him and check her for injuries.
However, Jareth deliberately moved forward, placing himself directly in front of Nigel. The mocking look in his eyes made it impossible for anyone to look at him directly.
Nigel’s throat tightened as he swallowed. He didn't dare move any closer. What bothered him even more was Allison’s attitude.
Allison kept her distance, her eyes turned cold as she looked at him. “What’s the point of your fake concern now? If Mr. Taylor hadn’t saved me by chance, by the time you came looking for me, I’d either be dead or driven mad.”
Her words cut straight into Nigel’s heart like a blade. She was blaming him.
His eyes reddened even more, and guilt overwhelmed him. He had dealt with Gabriel before and knew the man would never be kind to Allison when pursuing his goals. Yet he had let her suffer alone for three days without even trying to look for her.
Seeing the pain on Nigel’s face, Allison could not help but laugh. “Are you putting on a show of guilt? Or do you want me to comfort you and say I’m fine, that none of this is your fault?”
Nigel was stunned. His eyes widened, and his confusion made him look almost ridiculous.
But Allison did not react at all. Her expression stayed cold as ice. “Are you angry now? Do you feel hurt because you think I’m trying to read your thoughts?”
He clenched his teeth, clearly affected.
He was speechless at the same time. He was worried about her. Yet she accused him of putting on an act. Did she really have no heart at all?
Allison sneered and said coldly. “But haven’t you always done the same to me? When I told you about the suffering I went through in the asylum, you accused me of trying to make everyone feel guilty. When I said I was kidnapped, you accused me of hiding just to make everyone anxious…”
Allison looked at Nigel with an intense stare, a cruel smile curling on her lips. “It turns out that only when the knife is driven into your heart can you really feel the pain.”
Nigel staggered backward, his face crumpling in complete defeat.
Have I really been treating Allison like this all along? Could my careless words have hurt her that deeply? But those were said without thinking. I still care about her.
Allison seemed to see right through him. She went on in a sharp voice. “You don’t need to feel guilty. This isn’t the first time you’ve abandoned me. Do you remember the gas mask you grabbed three years ago? How is Sherrie using it now?”
Nigel felt as if his heart shattered, the sound echoing in his own ears. His face burned with humiliation as his eyes shifted from Jareth to Sherrie. It felt as though his darkest secrets were being exposed in front of everyone.
He had always believed he was fair, that he had given Allison enough patience and care. Yet now, it seemed anyone could bring this up and strike straight at his heart.
With everyone watching, Nigel felt utterly exposed, guilt and shame crushing down on him. In the end, he gathered himself and said firmly, “Ally, I’ll make sure you get justice for what happened to you.”
He did not wait for an answer. He turned around and walked out of the hospital.
No one knew his next move, and Allison didn’t care at all. She had no time or energy to waste on people who no longer mattered.
Sherrie stood there, feeling awkward. She had wanted to chase after Nigel, but after hearing Allison mention the past, she knew that if she went after him now, he would only direct his anger at her. She hesitated, then stopped.
At that moment, she noticed a wheelchair rounding the corner of the corridor, and a thought suddenly came to her.
“Allison, Ronan is really in so much pain. Please, just give the medicine back to me.” Sherrie’s voice trembled with emotion, her act so convincing it almost felt real.
Since it was an act, there had to be someone watching.
Allison turned her head and, just as she expected, saw a wheelchair stopped at the corner of the hallway.
Ronan gripped the armrests tightly while his face contorted with righteous anger.
Sherrie kept up her act, her voice dripping with drama. “Allison, this is all my fault. I’ll even kneel to you.” She dropped to her knees, as if begging.