Chapter 75
The man’s eyes burned with hatred. He suddenly grabbed Winter by the throat, his fingers tightening inch by inch.
Through clenched teeth, tears streaming down his face, he said, “You people grew up with everything handed to you. You have endless paths laid out in front of you. You can have anything you want. Why couldn’t you leave a way out for me and Elsa p>
He had been so close. Just a little more money and he could have saved her.
“You think…” Winter’s frail body was lifted off the ground as his grip tightened, cutting off her air. Her eyes reddened as she clawed at his hand. “You think I was any luckier than you? At least you had Elsa, someone who loved you. What about me? As Mrs. Xander, I’m treated worse than a dog p>
He held her up as if she weighed nothing, her thin frame trembling in the wind.
Chris’s fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. A cold, dangerous aura radiated from him.
Worse than a dog.
Zac cast a heavy, somber look at Chris. None of them could move. One wrong step and the detonator in the man’s hand would end them all.
They had only just realized, through Winter’s frantic eye signals, that this man hadn’t brought her here for ransom. He had brought her here to die with him.
If Zac had known it would come to this, he would have escorted her to her front door himself.
Now it was too late.
Winter’s voice grew weaker. “I understand your pain of losing Elsa p>
“You understand nothing! ” he shouted. “You rich people don’t understand love. You’ve never truly loved anyone. How could you understand what it’s like to lose her p>
The wind swept across Winter’s pale face. A tear, carried by the cold gust, fell onto the back of his hand.
He froze.
For a brief moment, he saw in her eyes the same sorrow he had seen in Elsa’s the night she died in his
arms.
That same heartbreak.
His hand faltered.
Then he tightened his grip again.
Her body sagged. She was losing the strength to even struggle.
Chapter 15
+25 Bonus
“How could I not understand,” she whispered hoarsely, her voice breaking. “If I didn’t…
“How could I be hurt this badly?
“I envy you,” she continued faintly. “You had someone who loved you that much. It must feel so good to be loved like that. She loved you. If she saw you like this now, she would be heartbroken p>
His hand jerked.
Winter collapsed downward, coughing violently as cold air rushed back into her lungs.
She didn’t dare move.
The detonator was still in his hand. The bomb strapped to his chest could kill everyone here.
“Elsa…” he murmured, staring at Winter through blurred vision. “She loved me, and yet she left me. How could she leave me p>
Winter’s gaze flicked briefly to the detonator in his right hand.
“Because she was kind, ” she said gently. “She didn’t want to burden you. She didn’t want to watch you
suffer for her p>
“I wasn’t suffering, ” he said, pressing a hand against his chest as if trying to contain the pain. “As long as I could save her, I would endure anything p>
“But you’re not Elsa. You don’t understand her,” Winter said softly, though every word landed with quiet
force.
“If I’m right, what she wanted was for you to live well. Someone as kind as her would only love someone kind too. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would you?” 1
If he had truly lost all reason, he would have detonated the bomb already.
He still had a sliver of conscience left.
He broke down, sobbing. “But she’s dead. I’ll never see her again p>
Comments
Support
Share
+2
2/2
Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.