Chapter 0369
“Ah! Suzy, you little wretch! You’re just like your mother–pathetic and vile! No matter what, I raised you for so many years, and this is how you repay me?”
The new poison Suzy had developed was terrifyingly effective, taking hold almost instantly. Pain surged through Charlotte’s body, burning through every vein, every bone,
until it was unbearable.
Writhing in agony, she screamed and hurled insults at Suzy, her voice hoarse with fury.
But Suzy stood silently nearby, watching with cold detachment. She didn’t respond to the stream of curses, not even once.
It wasn’t until Charlotte’s strength gave out and she collapsed onto the floor, curled up like a shrimp, that Suzy finally spoke.
Looking down at her, Suzy’s voice was calm yet cutting. “Have you thought about what you want to say?”
Charlotte, her eyes tightly shut, cracked them open just enough to glare at Suzy.
Summoning what little strength she had left, she hissed through clenched teeth, “Get out!”
“Hah,” Suzy let out a cold laugh. “How brave.”
Without another word, Suzy turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
Charlotte watched her leave, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood.
How many times had she regretted it?
Leaving Suzy alive all those years ago was the worst mistake she’d ever made. Even if she’d been under orders to spare her, she should have found a way to get rid of her.
Lost in her bitter thoughts, she flinched as the door creaked open again.
her eyes widened in
At first, she thought Suzy had come back, but when she looked up, her eyes.
disbelief.
“Hawk!” she spat his name through gritted teeth, forcing herself to sit up despite the pain. Her gaze locked onto him, now standing just a step away.
“You came to ‘see me alone. Aren’t you afraid Suzy will find out?”
П
“Find out what?” Hawk replied indifferently, hands in his pockets, his face unreadable.” I’m here on her behalf to interrogate you. What do you think she’s going to discover?” Charlotte let out a loud, mocking laugh. “I always thought I had thick skin, but compared to you, I’m miles behind!”
Her laughter grew sharper. “Hawk, if Suzy ever finds out that the man working with me all
Chapter BagO
+25 BONUS
these years
years the one helping me behind the scenes–is you, what do you think she’ll do?” Hawk’s lips curved into a faint smirk as he slowly crouched down, his striking face inches. from Charlotte’s. “Are you trying to threaten me?”
“This isn’t a threat–it’s a deal,” Charlotte replied weakly, her voice trembling. “Help me escape, and I promise Suzy will never know your true identity. She’ll never know that you’re really Claude Harlow!
“You faked your death and took on a new identity all for her. You’re so close to winning her over now. Are you really going to throw it all away?”
“Hah.”
Hawk–or rather, Claude–let out a low chuckle. “The only people who can keep secrets forever are the dead.”
His smirk deepened, a dangerous gleam flickering in his eyes. “I didn’t come here to negotiate with you. I came to end you.”
Without another word, he lunged forward and wrapped his hand around her throat, squeezing tightly.
“You should have died twenty years ago. The only reason I let you live this long was to give Suzy a sense of closure. And you-” His grip tightened as his tone darkened. “You swore to
me vou
wouldn’t hurt her.
“But over the years, time and time again, you went behind my back and tried to kill her. I warned you that my patience had limits, but you didn’t care.
“To you, I was just some helpless ten–year–old kid who happened to catch you in the act. So, what if I saw you kill her family? You figured there was nothing I could do to you.
“And maybe you were right. Back then, I was just a child, with no real power to stop you. Plus, you had leverage over me, so you never took me seriously.”
Charlotte’s silence confirmed his words.
She couldn’t deny it. Back then, Claude had been nothing more than a child–a boy who had stumbled upon her darkest secret. Even when he threatened her, forcing her to spare Suzy’s life, she hadn’t felt the slightest bit concerned.
After all, what could a ten–year–old boy do? No matter how clever he might have been, to her, he was still just a powerless child.
