Patrick glanced at his watch. Then he looked at Gloria and said, "It's a quarter past ten now. You have less than two hours to transfer the money to the card."
Gloria suddenly realized what Patrick meant. He didn't want the cash or the check. He wanted a million dollars on that card.
"You can't do this to me!" she said.
"Yes, I can." Patrick was suddenly in a good mood. His lips curled up.
Gloria shouted, "You bastard!"
She thought, 'He is so unreasonable! He is playing a word game with me!'
"Let me down!" Gloria shouted in panic. "Christine, go to the bank. Take me to the bank!"
Patrick pinched Gloria's chin and leaned over.
His cold gaze fell on Gloria's face. He said in a low voice, "The hospital, or the bank? Gloria, I'm giving you a choice."
He was so close to Gloria that she could see the fine hair on his face. "The bank," she said stubbornly.
Patrick reminded her, "Do you want to die?"
"I want to go to the bank!" Gloria said.
"Even at the cost of your life?" Patrick was unhappy with her choice.
Gloria looked at the man in front of her and said indifferently, "Yes."
She thought, 'It's not the first time I risked my life anyway. Besides, I only had a few sips of whiskey.' However, she tugged at the collar of Patrick's suit jacket with her hands subconsciously.
Patrick looked at Gloria and thought, 'There used to be a time when she loved to show up in front of me from time to time. She would be in a great mood all day if I took a glance at her. Since when did everything change? I have no idea. She chooses to go to the bank even at the cost of her life. Is she that desperate to get away from me?'
Patrick had mixed feelings. He looked at Gloria's face, his gaze obscure.
"Gloria, are you so eager to go to the bank?" Patrick asked again.
Patrick asked Leo in his heart, "Is she that desperate to get away from me?"
Leo fell silent. He was so sad that his mate wanted to leave him.
Patrick didn't get a response from Leo. He denied it himself.
He thought, 'No way! Only I get to decide when to put an end to this relationship.'
He took the check from her hand and shook it gently. "Even if I let you go to the bank, it'll be too late. It's already closed."
Gloria was shocked.
She gawked at the check between his fingers and thought, 'So, the check I've worked so hard for is just a piece of paper?
So, I put up with everything simply for the sake of this piece of paper?'
She raised her head. "Mr. Hammond, please. I'm begging you. A million dollars is a million dollars. There's no difference. I can transfer it to the card tomorrow, and it'll still be this much."
She pleaded, "Mr. Hammond, please... Just say the word, and I will be free! I can leave this place..."
Patrick looked at her coldly. He flipped the check between his fingers, and then it fell on Gloria's face.
He sneered, "Isn't freedom the last thing you have?"
Patrick found it hard to vent his anger.
He thought, 'She wants to leave me!
I won't let her!
I don't get it. Why do I want to stop her from running away from me? I have no idea. I just know one thing. The thought of her leaving me is driving me unbearably crazy.
I don't know the reason. I just won't allow it!'
Gloria's face turned pale and she got his point.
"Gloria, you better remember this. Only I can give you freedom. You shall never have it without my permission," Patrick said ruthlessly.
Christine was still driving. Her heart trembled violently.
She thought, 'What makes him hate her so much that he has to torment her like this?'
"Christine, speed up." Patrick didn't even look at the woman beside him.
Patrick immediately called Sean through the mind link and said, "I'll be at the hospital soon. She had some wine."
Sean said, "Who?"
"Gloria," Patrick said.
Sean shouted instantly, "What? Why? Did she want to die?"
"I'm taking her to the hospital now. Come over." Patrick cut off his mind link with Sean.
It was already late at night. Sean was going to sleep, but now he had no choice but to get up and head to the hospital.
In the car, Gloria picked up the check. She looked at it blankly and then suddenly chuckled.
She thought, 'Patrick, do you have any idea what I've been through for this check?'
"Christine, open the window," Gloria said.
Christine hesitated for a second and looked at Patrick in the rearview mirror.
In the back seat, Patrick glanced at Gloria and nodded slightly. Christine pressed a button, and the rear window slowly lowered.
Christine glanced tentatively through the rearview mirror. In the next second, she was totally stunned.
Gloria, sitting in the back seat, looked calm. She tore the check into pieces and held them in her fist. Then she stretched out the window, opened her palm, and the wind blew the pieces away.
Christine failed to hold back and said, "Gloria, are you crazy? Have you forgotten what you've been through to get this check? How can you do that?"
Gloria did it without blinking. Her face was eerily calm.
Hearing Christine's words, she slowly looked over and said coldly, "It's not important."
Christine was a bit anxious, but when she saw the expression on Gloria's face, she couldn't utter a word.
Christine thought, 'I hate myself so much, and I blame Patrick. Gloria shredded her hopes with her own hands. Though she looks so calm, the pain she is feeling right now must be tearing her apart. How much effort does she have to put in to look so calm?'
Christine suddenly admired Gloria. She thought, 'Everyone says Gloria is humble. However, Gloria is stronger and more tolerant than most people.'