Chapter 116 So, This is Henry

Chapter 116 So, This is Henry
"What will you do if you find Henry?"

The question hung in the air, and Audrey tensed in his arms. They'd just finished another round—a lazy morning session after waking up tangled together.

She stiffened immediately. Her mind flooded with dark possibilities.

"I don't know..." she murmured, fingers instinctively gripping his arm.

Elliot sighed, pulling her closer. "It's okay, baby. I'm here."

She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. "I don't want to see him. Don't want to hear his name. Don't want to remember anything he did."

"But he's still out there." He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "And as long as he's free, you'll never truly be at peace."

She bit her lip, fighting the wave of emotion crashing over her.

"So you're going to find him?"

He looked at her deeply, thumb stroking her cheek. "I'm going to make sure he can never touch you again."

She knew he wasn't talking about legal channels. Something darker lurked beneath his words.

"So it's okay if I remove him from this world?"

Her brow furrowed. Then her eyes widened. "Elliot! Don't do anything crazy!"

"He deserves it, baby. Even that wouldn't be enough for what that bastard put you through."

She pushed against his chest, eyes sharp with warning. "Don't talk like that!"

He didn't move. His jaw tightened, eyes fixed on her worried face.

"You think I can just let him walk free after what he did?" His voice was low, unyielding. "If the law won't punish him properly, I'll make sure he gets what he deserves."

She shook her head firmly. "That's not the solution. I don't want you doing something that will get you in trouble."

"Trouble?" He laughed bitterly. "The trouble is he's still alive and free while you're still haunted by trauma."

She bit her lip, fingers pressing into his arm. "I'll never forgive him. But I don't want you to dirty your hands because of him."

"So I should just let him go?" His jaw tightened further.

She exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself. "I want to see him punished. I want him to get what he deserves. But not in a way that makes you lose everything."

He stared at her for a long moment. The anger was still there, but something softened. He pulled her back into his arms.

"I just want to make sure you're truly safe, baby," he whispered against her ear.

She closed her eyes, soaking in his warmth, hugging him tighter. "And I want us to stay together. Without being haunted by the same kind of mistakes he made."

Before he could respond, she added softly, "I really... don't want to lose you."

He went still.

He loosened his hold slightly—just enough to look at her face. Her eyes held nothing but sincerity. And fear. Genuine fear of losing him.

His heart pounded harder.

He touched her cheek, thumb brushing softly.

"You won't lose me." His voice was gentler now. "I'm here. I'll always be here."

She looked at him, eyes glistening. She couldn't imagine losing him.

"But if you take that path, I'm afraid something bad will happen to you."

He exhaled long, hand moving to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Their foreheads touched—letting warmth speak louder than words.

"Okay," he murmured, barely a whisper. "I'll do this... more cleanly."

She pulled back slightly, suspicious.

He smiled thinly, eyes darkening again. "Don't worry, baby. I won't dirty my own hands."

"Elliot, I'm serious!"

He brought his lips to her ear, voice low and rough. "Shh... I won't do anything that makes you lose me. But I'm not letting him walk free either."

Her heart raced. She bit her lip, unsure whether to feel relieved or more worried.

He smiled softly, then kissed her gently. "Now stop overthinking. I want to enjoy this morning with you."

She sighed as he pulled her back into his arms, like he didn't want a single second to pass without her. She buried her face in his chest, feeling his heartbeat, her hands gripping his back.

Then something pushed her to say it.

"I love you."

He froze. His heart pounded harder. He needed to make sure he'd heard correctly.

Slowly, he pulled back to look at her face.

"Say it again."

She grew flustered, lips pouting. "No repeats—"

He didn't let her finish.

His lips captured hers—deeper, more claiming, like he was branding those words into his soul.

He held her tighter, afraid she might disappear.

"Say it again." His voice was commanding—but soft. He nipped at her neck.

She gasped, body tensing as heat spread from where his lips touched. He knew exactly how to make her lose control.

"I—I love you..." she breathed, almost panting.

"Again..."

"Elliot..." Her whimper was unconsciously needy.

He smiled against her skin, satisfied. His voice was rough as he whispered in her ear, "Good."

Heat flooded her body. Her heart raced faster as he kissed the corner of her mouth, savoring every second.

"I want to hear it every day." He murmured before trailing kisses down her neck again, leaving marks that made her grip his shoulders tighter.

\---

"Bastard!"

Henry swore as the cards in his hand offered nothing.

The money left on the table was pitiful—barely enough to cover what he'd just lost.

He slammed his fist on the table. No one cared. The other players barely glanced at him.

One of the dealers smirked. "Not your lucky day, Henry."

He growled.

This was the third time he'd lost this week. And this time, the amount was huge. More than he could ever pay.

With trembling hands, he grabbed the remaining bills, shoving them into his jacket pocket.

Shit. This isn't even enough to cover my debt, let alone survive the next few days.

"One more round, Henry!" A large man at the end of the table called out, voice slurred with alcohol. "Maybe your luck will turn!"

Henry scoffed, jaw tight. Luck? Screw luck. He'd lost more than he could afford.

"No. I'm out." He stood, stumbling slightly, and headed for the exit.

"Bastards. All of them." He muttered, reaching into his pocket to check his remaining cash.

But before he could take another step, two large men with cold expressions blocked his path.

"Henry." One of them said his name flatly—but the threat was clear.

He swallowed hard. He'd never seen them before. But with his history, he assumed they worked for one of his many loan sharks.

He tried to back away. One of them grabbed his arm.

He gritted his teeth, trying to pull free. The grip was iron.

"Wait! I can pay! I just need time!"

The man didn't respond. He shoved Henry into a black sedan parked nearby. The door slammed shut.

\---

After a short drive, the car stopped in front of an imposing building. Elegant architecture. Expensive. Far from the rundown places Henry usually frequented.

He looked around. Nothing familiar.

The door opened. The two men pulled him out. He struggled—a hard punch to his gut doubled him over.

"Don't make this harder."

They dragged him inside, through a long marble hallway, into a dimly lit room.

He lifted his head—and froze.

A woman sat on a sofa, waiting. Elegant. Beautiful. Legs crossed, fingers idly swirling a glass of wine.

"Ah, so this is Henry..." Her voice was soft—but it made his wariness spike.

He swallowed slowly as cold sweat beaded on his temples. He was used to dealing with thugs. But someone like her? That was different. More dangerous.

She smiled thinly, setting down her glass.

"Still depending on loan sharks? Letting your debts pile up?"

He blinked, confused. "I don't know what you mean."

She leaned back, studying him like she was assessing his worth.

"You owe a lot of people, Henry. And I'm interested in buying your debt."

His eyes widened. "What?!"

A thin smile curved her lips. "That way... you work for me now."