Chapter 16
James held the baseball bat and tapped it against the man's face, threatening him,
"Cut the crap and tell me what matters!"
The man trembled a few times before speaking,
"It was a fashionable-looking lady. We only saw her from the side. She was very thin, with waist-length curly hair and pearl earrings.
She gave the three of us ten thousand dollars in cash and told us to wait on that road for a beautiful woman. She said she'd give us another ten thousand after we... violated her.
That's all I know, please stop hitting me."
Another thug nodded frantically, his neck shrinking, confirming that was exactly what happened.
A cold numbness rose in William's heart. Thank God she was okay. Thinking about how Ava had almost been ruined by these three scumbags made him feel terrible.
The trail went cold here. If the person had used an account, he could have traced it, but they were smart enough to use cash.
William thought it over for a while. A woman with long curly hair did come to mind, but within seconds, he dismissed that terrible suspicion.
Impossible—they were sisters.
She had always been innocent and kind, showing special care even for stray cats and dogs on the street. She wouldn't do something so vicious.
Just then, William's phone rang. He didn't avoid the men present and answered directly,
"William, my heart feels uncomfortable. Can you come stay with me tonight? I'm so scared. What if I die in your apartment?"
The soft, gentle voice echoed through the somewhat empty abandoned warehouse. William glanced at his watch and replied,
"Okay, wait for me."
James felt indignant on Ava's behalf. No wonder Ava wanted a divorce—he did not deserve to marry a good woman. That's what he thought, but he didn't dare say it out loud.
Seeing that William was about to leave, the bodyguards quickly asked,
"Mr. Morgan, what should we do with these three pieces of trash?"
William walked toward the door and left one sentence before exiting, "Throw them in the sea to feed the fish." The warehouse filled with crying, "Mr. Morgan, spare us!"
William strode out the door, ignoring the wailing behind him.
Getting in the car, he instructed James,
"Go to JadeDragon Bay Residences."
He had promised Sarah he'd come over, but his face showed no trace of urgency.
James unhurriedly turned the steering wheel and drove the car toward the main road. Since Sarah moved into JadeDragon Bay Residences, James often served as the driver taking William there. He knew the route so well that he didn't even need GPS.
A few days ago, when that woman called saying she felt unwell, William had been so anxious, urging him to drive faster the whole way. James stole a glance at his boss through the rearview mirror—he was quietly looking at his phone. So James felt even less rushed. Safety first when driving.
Every time that woman called William, her excuse was feeling unwell, about to die. James's ears were getting calluses from hearing it. When someone pulls this trick too many times, nobody believes it anymore. William was no fool—if he still wanted to go, it simply meant he was still indulging that woman.
James felt sorry for the gentle and virtuous Ava for a few more seconds.
The car arrived at the underground parking garage of JadeDragon Bay Residences. William went upstairs alone. He didn't knock but pressed his fingerprint to unlock the door, only to unexpectedly fail.
He then entered the password 0613—his and Ava's wedding anniversary. That woman had insisted on changing all the passwords in the house to this. He didn't care much about such things, so he let her have her way.
The password wouldn't open it either.
Just as he was about to try again, click—the door opened from inside.
Sarah was carefully dressed up, wearing a tight red dress, like a delicate red rose waiting to be picked.
"William, you're here. My heart was beating so fast just now. I rested for a bit and feel much better. Can you feel if it's normal now?"
Sarah took William's hand and pressed it to her chest, looking at him with hooked eyes, her heart and eyes full of expectation.
William's hand suddenly touched her breast and jerked back as if electrocuted.
Sarah pressed close again, hugging his waist tightly,
"William, don't leave tonight. I miss you so much. I made your favorite Borscht, simmered it for two hours. Let me get you a bowl, okay?"
Sarah lifted her head seeking a kiss, her waist-length curly hair swaying behind her.
William gently played with her small earlobe. Sarah couldn't help but moan softly.
She had known William for so many years, and this was the first time he was willing to be so intimate with her. Feeling his body heat on her earlobe, she closed her eyes to savor it, her legs going weak as she leaned her whole body against him.
"William, William..."
William suddenly withdrew his hand and held his palm out in front of Sarah,
"When did you buy these earrings?"
Sarah looked at him with hazy eyes. They had clearly just been flirting—how did the topic suddenly jump to earrings? She complained coquettishly,
"You're so annoying. Why did you pull off my earrings?"
William asked again, "When did you buy these earrings?"
His expression was even more serious than before.
No matter how much Sarah wanted to flirt with him, she was scared by his demeanor.
"Why are you being so fierce? Emily gave these to me a few days ago. I've barely worn them. Give them back."
She took the earrings back from William's hand and put them back on.
When William heard her say "a few days ago," his deep eyes narrowed, and his expression softened.
The timing didn't match. It wasn't her.
He let down his guard and sat down in the dining room. Sarah brought over the soup she'd simmered.
William liked tomatoes, so she searched for all tomato-related recipes and learned to make them.
"Why did you change the password on the security door?"
Sarah almost choked on her soup. After recovering, she looked terribly wronged,
"William, I know the original password was your and Ava's wedding anniversary. Now you've left me alone in this house, and every time I enter that password, my heart aches. How can you bear to treat me this way?"
At this point, she became emotional, her eyes moistening,
"If it weren't for my poor health requiring treatment abroad, we would have been married already. We might even have a baby by now. It's all because my body is useless, causing you to be forced into marriage. But it's okay, I'm back now. We still have a long road ahead. William, do you want a baby?"
William was reminded of memories by her words,
"Sarah, it's not your fault. That year, you had a relapse of your heart condition because you saved me, making it so serious. I'm the one who owes you."
Sarah brought out several bottles of red wine and poured two glasses.
"William, how long has it been since we had a meal together like this? You always rush off every time you come over. Will you have a drink with me today?"
It was just one drink—William couldn't refuse.
Sarah took the opportunity to reminisce with him, retelling their childhood meeting from the beginning. When she talked about how she jumped into the lake to save him, she couldn't help but wipe away tears.
"William, if I could do it over again, I would still jump into the water to save you, even if it cost me my life."
William had a proud nature and couldn't stand owing anyone. Seeing the little woman in front of him crying, he couldn't help but drink a few more glasses.
When he was about to leave, he felt dizzy as he stood up.
"William, William, you've had too much to drink. Put work aside for now. Let me make you honey water to help with the hangover."
William looked at that familiar face, his vision blurry. He gripped the woman's slender shoulders with both hands,
"Didn't I tell you to call me Honey from now on? Why can't you remember?"
Sarah's heart trembled with excitement. He did love her after all.
"Honey."
She called out sweetly, hooking her arms around his neck and standing on tiptoes to offer herself, "Honey, let's go to bed, okay?"