chapter 9

“That won’t be necessary. Old Mrs. Macari is in poor health, so it would be better if you don’t tell her, lestshe worry for me,” Kathleen said. “Have you been alone throughout the years?” Gemma hung her headlow as she sat beside Kathleen. “I suppose,” Kathleen replied. “You suppose? What does that mean?”Gemma was confused. Kathleen smiled ruefully. Ever since marrying Samuel, she was mostly aloneeven though it seemed as if they lived together. “Kathleen, you’re quite lucky. You at least have Old Mrs.Macari.” Gemma sounded depressed. “My brother and I are different. Neither of us was of legal age.Nobody wanted to adopt the both of us together, so we were forcefully separated when adopted bydifferent families.” “So that was what happened.” Kathleen pulled her lips into a thin line. “Jeez, why am Ieven telling you this?” Gemma’s expression reverted to its former state. “I need to go to a night shift atthe hospital later on. You take care.” “It’s fine. I’ll leave after getting some rest.” Kathleen knew sheshouldn’t have met up with Gemma, for both of them had varying degrees of post-traumatic stressdisorder. Their parents’ passing had caused great hurt to their young and fragile hearts. Because therewere hurt that would never heal, these kinds of people had come to a tacit agreement to not meet upwith each other. Without meeting each other, they would never be forced to recall those painfulmemories. “Kathleen!” Gemma sounded slightly exasperated, causing Kathleen to pause for a moment.Realizing that she might have said that a little too loud, Gemma softened her tone. “It’s fine. This place isyour home too. I have clean clothes in my room, so you can put them on after taking a shower. There’sstill some oatmeal that I made last night in the kitchen. Have some after heating it.” Gemma went to getchanged as she spoke and was ready to leave after putting on her coat. “Gemma, are you working in ahospital now?” asked Kathleen. “I work as a nurse now.” Gemma didn’t look back. “Kathleen, I’ve alreadymoved on, so it’s fine. It’s okay even if you have troubles that you can’t talk about to me. Just staywithout worrying about anything else.” She left after saying that. Kathleen heaved a long sigh. She knewboth Gemma and her were dealt the heaviest blows during the incident because both of them hadwitnessed first-hand the horrible death of their parents. Kathleen’s eyes reddened as she was on theverge of tears, but she managed to force them back when she lowered her head to check the blood onherself. She entered Gemma’s room and took a change of clothes before going into the shower. Aftershowering, she checked on her belly in the mirror before reaching a fair hand out to caress it softly. “Do

not fear, my baby. I will protect you!” To her disappointment, tears still fell when she recalled the fact thatit was Samuel who had put her in such danger. Samuel will never care about my state of being. He mustbe all lovey-dovey with Nicolette in his arms while in the hospital. On the road, Samuel was leaningagainst his Maybach while puffing on a cigarette. He was chain-smoking, so cigarette butts were litteredall over the ground around him. It was almost the break of dawn, but he had yet to uncover Kathleen’swhereabouts. His fingers gripped her phone tightly as his heart trembled nonstop. Will she die? Will shedisappear from my life entirely? No! I won’t allow this to happen! “Mr. Macari!” Tyson ran over to him.“We’ve found the drunken man who abducted Mrs. Macari.” “Bring him over,” Samuel ordered in an alooftone. When two bodyguards brought the drunken man over to him, the man was already battered andbruised all over his body and face. “What have you done to that woman?” Samuel lifted his gaze, adistant look in his eyes. The drunken man was jostled awake and was aware that Samuel wasn’tsomeone he could afford to cross, so he said, “I’ve done nothing.” “Chop his hand off.” Samuel didn’teven blink. One of the bodyguards immediately unsheathed a dagger. Upon noticing that Samuel wasbeing serious, the drunken man fell to his knees before Samuel while begging for mercy, “Please don’tchop my hands off! I’ll tell you anything!” “Speak.” Samuel looked intimidating. “I was in a bad moodbecause I just had a divorce. Lust overtook me when I saw a beautiful woman standing beside the road,but I didn’t do anything to her. A man saved her and brought her away as soon as I dragged her into analley.” “Which hand did you use to touch her?” questioned Samuel. The drunken man dared not answerhis question. “Chop both his hands off since he doesn’t have the guts to reply.” Samuel’s exquisitejawline was tensed up as he maintained a cool, refined look. “No, please don’t! It’s this hand!” Thedrunken man raised his left hand. Still smoking, Samuel said, “How dare you lie? You touched her withboth hands. Chop them both off.” The drunken man nearly fainted from shock. Why ask if you’ve alreadymade up your mind? “Argh!” Just when the drunken man was spacing out, the bodyguard chopped oneof his hands off with a clean swipe of his dagger, causing the man to howl in agony. The other bodyguardcovered his mouth before his other hand was also chopped off. “Discard this scum to a deserted place,”ordered Samuel with a stern voice. “Yes, Sir!” The two bodyguards left, dragging the drunken man awaywith them, while the other bodyguards stayed behind to clean up the scene. “Check the surveillance

footage of the back alley and replace out who rescued Kathleen,” Samuel instructed in a detached manner.Just when Tyson was about to make a call, he got an unexpected call. “Hello?” Tyson picked up. “Whoare you?” “Are you Kathleen’s family?” asked Benjamin distantly. “Is Kathleen with you?” Tyson frowned.Samuel narrowed his eyes as he snatched the phone away from Tyson. “Where’s Kathleen?” Benjaminwas startled. “How are you related to Kathleen?” Samuel replied sternly, “I’m her brother.” “All of herfamily members are dead. She doesn’t have any surviving relatives.” Benjamin didn’t believe in that.“Who exactly are you?” “How did you manage to track down Tyson?” Samuel was displeased. Whywould he call Tyson when I should be the one who’s closest to her? “I got his phone number from theemergency contact list Kathleen has filled during the recent years.” Benjamin was unfazed. “Can youpass the phone back to Mr. Hackney?” It’s not me but Tyson, who she listed as her emergency contact?Samuel didn’t feel good about it at all. While passing the phone back to Tyson, he said emotionlessly,“Ask him about Kathleen’s whereabouts.” “Understood.” Tyson took the phone and asked Benjaminwhere Kathleen was. “She’s safe, but I need to confirm this with her before I can tell you herwhereabouts. I will contact you again.” Benjamin hung up after saying that. Tyson didn’t know what tosay as he looked at Samuel with a gloomy look. “Mr. Macari, he said he would have to check this withMrs. Macari before he could tell us her whereabouts.” “Start an investigation about the caller.” Samuelsounded impassive. “I want information about him before the sun is up.” “Yes, Sir.” Tyson immediatelysent someone for the investigation. All the while, Samuel puffed on his cigarette, still feeling disturbeddeep down. Although he had found Kathleen, he had no idea what her situation was. Why didn’t shecontact me if she’s fine? Shouldn’t she have come to me first and foremost after such a grave incident?

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