"No one in this world wants to be treated like a criminal."
"Who's treating you like a criminal?" Matthew furrowed his brows.
"Isn't it you?" Flora stifled her annoyance, struggling to maintain an unruffled dialogue: "Your people have been surveilling me 24/7, I hardly have the luxury of freedom..."
"Without freedom, you nearly fell into another man's arms. If you were free, what else would you do?" Matthew blurted these words out without much thought.
It was only when Flora's brown eyes welled up with glittering tears, as she turned and fled, that he felt his heart wrench.
With each step she took, his heart seemed to fracture, as if a parched land long devoid of rain began to crack. He regretted it, but it was too late.
The door slammed shut in front of him, he reached out then lowered his hand, knowing she would never open the door unless he left.
A shrill screech of the car brakes shattered the tranquil night. Matthew, distressed, slammed his fist against the steering wheel, his gaze fixated on the shimmering lake in the distance.
Unconsciously, he had driven to the outskirts, to the place where he had once made promises to Flora.
"Do you agree to be with me? To become my woman, I will cherish you, protect you, and... never let you go..." A bitter smile lingered on his lips as he repeated these once uttered words.
At this moment, the typically aloof CEO of S.E.I seemed to be shattered.
He was simply Matthew, a man tormented by love.
The scenery here was no different from before.
Quiet yet beautiful, yet melancholic.
What reflected on the shimmering lake was not the dim light, but his sorrow, enveloping everything and sinking all in infinite solitude.
In a way, this melancholy scene perfectly matched Matthew's current mood.
A suitable setting to ponder life.
However, some people deliberately want to spoil the mood of others, regardless of whether they are happy or sad.
As Matthew sat almost stunned in his car, a sudden rattle echoed from outside.
Then came a series of methodical gunshots, clearly professionally trained.
Matthew chuckled wryly: "They're here."
A barrage of bullets tore through the night, penetrating the car's window.
The bullets slowed somewhat after piercing the glass, but it was still enough to inflict injuries.
The confined space within the car, and the relentless assault from outside left no room for evasion from the endless rain of bullets, forming a seemingly inescapable net.
From beneath the car door, a liquid oozed slowly.
A metallic smell pervaded the air.
The attacker breathed a light sigh of relief, cautiously advancing.
As he slightly lowered his gun, his trembling arm maintained the previous position.
If anything changed, a mere adjustment of the gun's aim would allow for continued assault.
In the distance, faint sounds echoed, similar to the ones he made while leaving his hideout.
But he couldn't care less.
Sweat trickled down his forehead.
"There's only one chance." He gritted his teeth, took a risk, and quickened his pace towards the still car by the lake.
Matthew was a fox, seldom leaving such an opening.
If he couldn't take him down today, it would be increasingly difficult to touch a single hair of his from tomorrow onwards.
Pulling out a glove from his pocket, he carefully put it on before opening the car door to avoid leaving fingerprints.
He held his breath, pulled the car door with all his strength, ready to break the door if it wouldn't open.
After all, if the car was still locked...
"Deceived!" was all that coursed through his mind as he easily pulled the car door open: "Clearly there's no one inside.
So, Matthew..."
"Wanting to know where I am, aren't you, Winky?" A voice, indifferent and emotionless, resounded behind him: "I'm behind you." As the last word fell, the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against his temple.
Surprised, he widened his eyes and cautiously glanced sideways.
It was Matthew! Flesh and bone Matthew! Somehow, he had escaped the claustrophobic confines of the car, only to mysteriously appear behind his foe, turning the tables.
Winky bowed his head, the corner of his lips curling upward slightly: "So, your reputation in the underworld isn't unfounded."
Matthew grunted, seemingly mocking his captive: "Flattering! Finally, someone who understands that my power isn't merely an inheritance... Are you working for Selena?" He deliberately asked this question to gauge Winky's reaction, despite being almost certain that the young mistress of the White family had no involvement.
Indeed, upon hearing the name Selena, Winky's confusion was evident, he instinctively shook his head.
"It's nothing to do with the young lady, this is my own doing."
"A bit of a man's honor in that.
But, the assassins of the underworld, do you think any of their actions escape the scrutiny of their master, don't you?" Each word Matthew uttered insinuated Selena's involvement.
"I've already told you it's not!" Winky raised his voice, then as if realizing his situation, his shoulders slumped: "I said, it's my own idea..."
The man pointing the icy gun at his temple then burst into laughter, the sound echoing eerily in the silent darkness.
There was a faint smell of fresh blood on him, but it was unclear whether it was his own or part of some ploy.
Regardless, the man under his control could hardly display an air of disdain.
If it was a ruse, his calculating ability was truly beyond doubt.
And if he was indeed injured, it was far more terrifying.
Such a ruthless man against himself, would undoubtedly be even more merciless against his enemies.
"Should I applaud your devoted love for that wretched woman? It's a pity, she only treats your devotion as garbage... Ha ha, Winky, you are truly naive, do you really think that by killing me, Selena and your child will be safe?"
Winky had reached a dead end, he wasn't afraid to bare it all.
Otherwise, these people would continue treating him like a monkey, making fun of him.
"You..." Winky froze: "You already know everything..."
"Of course, it's just a woman like Selena.
Whether she's carrying my child or another man's, it's not something I can't investigate." His words were ordinary, his tone unchanged, steady as ever, but to Winky, they made him break into a cold sweat.
"Actually... Taking yours and Selena's lives, and your child's, wouldn't be a challenge for me, but it's meaningless.
Given your devoted love, I want to propose a deal with you, what do you think?"
He was asking for his opinion, but it was also an ultimatum.
Winky was faced with only two paths, nodding in agreement or facing death.
And not just his death, but also the lives of the young lady he loved, and their unborn child who had yet to see the sun.
Even a fool would know which choice to make!
Winky didn't take too long to ponder.
About two minutes later, he fell to his knees: "I agree, as long... as you don't harm them."
He needed a promise from Matthew.
In the underworld, one's promise carries utmost weight. Once he vowed not to harm the duo, their safety was guaranteed.
"Agreed." Matthew nodded: "Do you understand the rules?"
Only when Winky's affirmation rang out did Matthew slowly lower his gun.
Winky got up, dusted himself off, and headed straight for the bush, before eventually disappearing into the night.
Once the surrounding noises died away, suspicious or otherwise, Matthew let himself slump onto the ground. Blood was pouring out of his chest, soaking his shirt and dark vest. He had been mustering all his strength to confront Winky, not realizing his energy was utterly drained until everything ended.
Before darkness closed in on his consciousness, he touched the face of his wristwatch, gave it a twist, and hit an unobtrusive button on the side.
"What are you doing, barging into someone's house like that? This is trespassing!" Emma's voice was shrill, sending chills down one's spine. Her underdeveloped body blocked the entrance defiantly.
"Get out of my way! I need to see that harlot Flora!" Selena wrestled, dodging left and right, determined to storm into the house: "Flora! You harlot! You scoundrel! Have the audacity to seduce another's husband but no guts to face me, is that it?" She yelled and cursed into the house.
In the bedroom, Flora and Mimi were huddled over a laptop screen, engrossed in the news that just popped up.
As of now, there had been no news from Matthew for four days.
Forget about seeing him in person; even phone calls and text messages seemed to sink into the abyss.
He vanished as if wiped off the face of the Earth in the blink of an eye.
Initially, Flora attributed his silence to work. In the past, when he had to deal with "special" assignments, he often went off the grid like this.
Yet, for some reason, this time, her anxiety was unusually heightened. An eerie feeling was prompting her to dig up any trace of Matthew.
This morning, Mimi came across a seemingly insignificant piece of news on a website.
"An abandoned car found by the river showed signs of a gunfire assault, suspected to be a gang hit."
The car described in the article was too familiar, its license plate number etched in Flora's memory.
She clearly remembered, on that day, Matthew drove that very car to her place. After their parting on a sour note, he returned home alone in the car.
The vehicle bore blood stains and multiple bullet holes, indicating that the passenger had more likely than not suffered... "No! He must be fine!" Flora shook her head vehemently, warding off pessimistic thoughts.
If something did happen to Matthew, she'd forever blame herself! Blame herself for arguing with him the last time they met before parting.
The commotion outside the living room door attracted the attention of the two women.
Flora's brows furrowed as she recognized Selena's voice: "What is she doing here?" She muttered under her breath.
Mimi, with her sharp hearing, caught what Flora said and turned to ask: "Auntie, you know that mad woman? Seems like our delicate doll can't handle her, how useless! Do you want to reconsider keeping her?"
Flora frowned.
Of all the times for the girl to keep a feud with Emma going...