Eight years of gunfire and fighting.
One day, I caught unfamiliar sandalwood scent mixed in Lizbeth’s blood. My men who investigate her condition said that she had protected that boy like a precious jewel so that it remained untouched by others.
I tried to get her back to her senses, so I kidnapped her boy.
What I got in return was war. She fought me to the death and killed a hundred of my men.
“He’s just a kid! He doesn’t know how the underwolrd works! You didn’t need to do this.”
“It’s is going to be the first time and the last time, something like this happen.”
But I could not accept this defeat. So on the day she proposed marriage, I kidnapped the boy again.
She praised me for handling her problem. Yet that night she stunned me, ripped open my chest with her own hands. She threw my beating heart in front of me. Her face was bloody as she smiled like a monster.
“I’ve told you the kidnapping was going to be the last time. You’re pushing it too far, so don’t expect me to show any mercy,” she said before carrying the boy and left.
I’ve lost too much blood and fell unconscious. Her men had beaten me without rest.
At death I finally understood: I could not beat her. However, when I opened my eyes—I was back to the day I first kidnapped the boy.
The difference was, I didn’t want anything from this ordeal.
——
“Ah! Don’t hurt me! Liz is pregnant with my child. Please let me go. We’ll pay anything! She put a tracker on me. If I don’t answer for an hour, she will come!”
The boy blurted out as he cowered on the ground, protecting his head out of fear. His white shirt was stained with blood, but he remained innocent.
At that moment I somehow understood why Lizbeth loved him. So, I untied him and asked one question.
“Do you know what kind of person Lizbeth is? She can’t give you the marriage you want. If you follow her, you will get nothing.”
The boy met my eyes, determination mixed with innocence were reflected in his eyes. “I know. But she said I’m different from other men. She promised me a wedding. After the child is born, she will take me to register our marriage.”
He continued, “I don’t know who you are, but if she ever offended you, please, forgive her.”
He nervously showed his phone. The screen had a reminder notification: [appointment to register marriage.]
At that moment, all my reason fell apart. I had chased Lizbeth for eight years. I had often said I wanted peace. I wanted a home.
Yet, she always refused.
“Living in the underworld business will force you to live on the edge. Marriage is a weakness. They’ll harm you, you know.”
Lizbeth had clearly changed for this boy. Her principles broke easily.
So, she did want a home… just not one with me.
I untied the boy and told my men to leave us. Meanwhile, I stayed. I hid in a corner of the factory.
The boy had told the truth. Lizbeth arrived ten minutes later.
The moment she came in, her eyes locked on him. She could not leave him. They held each other in the mess and kissed. The joy of finding him again broke all her reason.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. Who kidnapped you? I will made them pay!”
The boy sobbed and fell into her arms, holding her tight. “Don’t kill anyone. You promised me.”
Those words broke the hard anger that had lived in Lizbeth for years.
“All right. I promise.” She gently patted the boy’s shoulder. “We’re going home.”
When they got to the door, Erick stopped and looked at Lizbeth carefully.
“Liz, do you really like me? If you do, why did you let me be in danger?”
“You’re the kind of person who has had many lovers. After the child is born, will you leave me?”
“You have many men, but I am different… Liz, I only have you…”
Erick’s fell onto the back of her hand.
Those tears also fell into Lizbeth’s heart. She did not answer with words but instead with a deep, urgent kiss.
After a while, they pulled apart with thin threads of saliva.
“I feel the same. I only have you. Rick, I promise this is the last time it’s going to happen. If you don’t believe me, we will register our marriage tomorrow.”
The boy grinned a little and moved closer so he could kiss her forehead gently.
“You lied to me. You said the date of our marriage registration is still far away.”
“I’m Lizbeth Flare. I can decide the date of my own marriage registration whenever I want it.” She took his arm and walked out the door.
At that moment, my world fell apart.
Tears blurred my sight. I stood there for a very long time. I took out my phone and dialed the hospital.
“Schedule my surgery now,” I ordered.
After I hung up, I looked at the wound on my abdomen. The blood would not stop gushing. My body hurt, but compared to my heart, it hurt less.
I got the wound for kidnapping Erick. He stabbed me by accident… or maybe on purpose, who knows. What’s clear was the fact the blade went through my kidney.
Coincidentally, my kidney injury affected my ability to have a child. It’s lost forever. I would never be a father.
When the anesthesia began, I heard loud noises outside. I soon realize tt was Lizbeth.
My chest tightened.
“Where is the doctor? Check him! He passed out after getting into the car. Is he going to be okay?” she asked with worry.
“Miss, there are other people waiting for surgery. The clinic is not here,” a staff replied.
“Shut up! Say another word and I’ll shoot you! If something happens to him, this hospital will close! I mean it!”
A bullet smashed the glass of the operating room. The doctors instantly went panic and scrambled to get out and apologize.
Before leaving, one of them told me, “Sir, please wait. I will check on the injured man and come back right away.”
I lay on the operating table with a bitter smile on my face.
Lizbeth wasn’t the woman she used to be. Now her eyes and heart belong only to Erick Wayne. I felt stupid for expecting her appearance in the hospital because she knew I got badly injured.
My mind grew fuzzy. I seemed to go back to when she first found out she was pregnant.
She held me and kissed my cheek gently. “Tom, I am so glad to have you.”
I kissed her back with the same warmth.
“When the child is born, we will move abroad. I had too many enemies here. I want a normal life.”
“All right. I will agree to anything. You are everything to me now,” I said.
The scene changed. She put a gun to my forehead, face twisted.
“I told you, he’s different. He’s only a kid! Why won’t you leave him alone? I’ll tell you the truth. The child in my belly is his.”
“Tommy, this is going to be the first and last time, this kindnapping happen.”
Bang!
The gunshots rang.
Hundreds of my men, who had fought with me for eight years, fell in pools of blood.
“If there is a next time, this will be your end!”
The bloody scenes kept turning in my mind. She squeezed my beating heart in her hand, then stabbed the open wound on the left side of my chest.
“Where’s Rick?”
“Tommy, you’re pushing your luck. So, don’t expect me to show any mercy!”
“I’ll leave this guy to your hands. Do whatever you want. No need to inform me.”
The piercing pain made me break out in a cold sweat.
The doctor wiped my sweat and shouted, “Hurry, the anesthetic’s wearing off! The patient’s awake!”
The pain was too much and I blacked out. When I opened my eyes again, I was already in a ward. My younger brother, Greg, was in the room. He went forward to support me.
“Tommy, you’re awake! Are you okay?” he asked. “Lizbeth really went too far this time. Why didn’t you let me that you’re the one having surgery? If the anesthesia wears off, you could die from passing out because of the pain!”
“What difference does it make if I were to tell you?” I forced a smile.
Greg asked with worry, “She didn’t notice you left that abandoned warehouse, did she?”
“No. We took another mountain road,” I replied.
Redness slowly creeping up to Gerry’s eyes. “You risked your life to save Lizbeth back then. You even stabbed ten times. Now you’re dealing with just one person instead of many, why not just kill her?”
I shook my head. “If we kill her, we’ll all die. She’s not the Lizbeth she used to be.”
“Do one thing for me. After it’s done, leave the country, never come back,” Greg said.
I got the message that my passport was ready two days later. During those days, Lizbeth did not send me a single message.
My chest tightened with a thousand pricks of pain; I could not breathe. When I got home, I felt like I had no strength left.
Before I could relax, I heard the clear click of a gun being loaded. I snapped awake and gripped the dagger at my waist. At first, I thought it was one of Lizbeth’s enemies. But my body fell to the ground before I could even control myself.
I didn’t know what exactly happened other than terrible pain swallowed me whole. My body felt torn apart and then sewn back together.
Then, the smell of blood woke me. Upon opening my eyes, I noticed I was lying on a big hotel bed and everything else I saw made me sick.
My body had whip marks, there wasn’t a single part of my skin unmarked. My stomach churned and soon I vomited.
From the hallway Lizbeth’s voice came. “How is it? Did you record the video?”
“We recorded it, but… Mr. Randall has been with you for eight years. Isn’t this a bit too much, ma’am?”
“What are you trying to say?” She replied, unamused. “Remember who you belong to. If he hadn’t insisted on bothering Rick, I wouldn’t have had to do this. He was pushign it, he deserved to be taught a lesson.”
“Tell the men to guard Rick well. If Tommy shows up again, we’ll release those videos, no matter what,” she added.
“Yes, ma’am!”
One second before she opened the door, I fell back on the bed and pretended to have just woken up.
A nail then dug hard into my palm; the familiar pain kept me barely in control. Her expression immediately changed into that gentle, caring face from the past.
“How are you? Are you okay? I’ve caught the person who did this. If anyone dares hurt you, I will not forgive them,” she said softly.
I couldn’t hold back tears and stared straight at her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lizbeth frowned. “Relax. I know you’re short tempered. I’ve kept the culprit—so you could deal with him yourself.”
“Let’s go. He probably won’t live long.” She held me in her arms.
Her hug felt as warm as before. Yet, my whole body was as cold as biting ice.
On the way, she still did not let go of my hand. I could see her caring expression mixed with guilt.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t protect you well. I promise, it won’t happen again,” she cooed.
When I stayed silent, she kissed the corner of my mouth.
“Tom, you’re my everything. Don’t act like that, you’re making me and our baby worried.”
I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to hear more of Lizbeth’s words.
The car soon reached a factory on the outskirts of the city.
There was a guy inside the building and was barely breathing. His eyes were full of hatred when he looked at me. But the moment he saw Lizbeth, his eyes turned red and he lunged at her like a mad dog.
“You’ll rot in hell!”
“You’ve touched my man and now threatening me?” Lizbeth kicked him hard in the chest. “Looks like you didn’t learn your lesson last time.” She pulled out a knife.
“Nobody touched your man, you crazy woman!” The man cursed wildly. “Lizbeth, you—”
Before he could finish, the blade was already in his chest.
She turned to me, a small smile playing on her lips. “Sorry! I hurt him before you did! I got too angry and can’t stop myself.”
Lizbeth then pressed the knife into my hand, guiding it the way she’d once taught me. Her hand covered mine.
I didn’t remember how many times I stabbed the random guy. Before I knew it, blood had covered the floor like a lake spilling on the floor.
Each strike felt like it went straight through my own heart.
When we walked out of the factory, she hugged me tightly under the setting sun.
“Tom, stop acting all upset, okay? You know you’re special to me. As long as you behave, I’ll always be with you, right here.”
I just stood there, speechless at her words.
She gently took my hand and placed it on her slightly swollen belly. “Baby, say hi to Daddy. Daddy almost got into trouble today, but Mommy took care of it!”
“Tom, don’t you want to say something to the baby?” Her gentle gaze was locked on me.
Out of instinct, I jerked my hand away. “Sorry, I… I don’t feel well.”
Maybe it was guilt. Maybe I just didn’t want to keep pretending. She didn’t press further, didn’t complain about morning sickness like she used to.
On the way back, she kept glancing at her phone, a faint smile on her lips.
It reminded me of when we first fell in love. Back then, whenever she smiled like that, I’d tease her and grab her phone.
“What are you looking at? Something prettier than me? Tom, you’ve been naughty! No kisses for you tonight!”
She’d always pretend to cry. “Tom stop teasing me! You know I can’t sleep if you don’t kiss me! You’re so mean!”
To everyone else, she was cold and ruthless — a devil in heels. But to me, she’d always acted like a fragile, helpless bunny.
But not anymore. Now, I didn’t even have the courage to joke around with her. I couldn’t risk myself to danger. So, I swallowed the bitterness.
Suddenly, she told the driver to stop. “Tom, someone’s causing trouble nearby. You should go home first. It might take a while. Go to bed without me. Text if you need anything.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her phone screen and the chat bubbles.
It was a message from Erick: [Miss you, baby.]
She replied: [What a coincidence. My baby misses Daddy too.]
I got out of the car and walked for three hours before reaching the villa. Just as I was about to open the door, a sharp pain hit the back of my neck. My body went limp and instantly falling to the ground.
When I woke up, the sound of a knife being sharpened filled the air.
There was a man with scarred face and only three fingers on his right hand in front of me. The grin he had was wide.
“Damn that Lizbeth. We’ve made a deal to stay out of each other’s business. And now she kidnapped my man? Did she think I won’t fight back?”
He spat before staring coldly at me. “Well, fine. Let’s do this. I’ve got both of her men in my hands now. Let’s what she can do about this.”
“Boss, I heard that Lizbeth bitch is pregnant. This time she’s done for!” One of the men spoke up from the crowd.
“Pregnant, huh?” The scarred man laughed cruelly. “If the baby’s real father gets chopped to pieces, that’ll definitely hit her. Heh, maybe she’ll drop dead from the shock! Two lives gone at once!”
He pointed a finger at Erick. “Start with this one. He looks soft! I bet Lizbeth will hate to see him hurt.”
They loosened Erick’s ropes and tore the tape from his mouth. “Wait, don’t touch me or Lizbeth will kill you all!”
“Shut up!” someone barked.
Erick clearly was inexperienced with this kind of situation. The more he screamed, the more excited these gangsters became.
While they surrounded him, I used my knife to cut my own ropes. My eyes remained fixed on the chaos before me.
Then came the sound of fabric tearing. Erick’s white shirt was ripped to shreds. He cried out while calling Lizbeth’s name over and over.
The scarred man slapped him hard and grabbed his hair. “Shut up! Or I’ll cut your tongue out!”
Just as he raised his hand, I finally cut through my ropes and got ready to rush in.
At the same time, Erick shouted, “Don’t touch me! I’m just Lizbeth’s side lover! I mean nothing to her! If you hurt me, she won’t care!”
He pointed straight at me. “But that man, kill him! He’s been with Lizbeth for eight years!
She said it herself, that bastard is her life!”
The scarred man froze, then turned toward me. Erick dropped to his knees, his voice shaking, eyes full of fear and flattery.
“Boss, look at him! He’s been with Lizbeth for eight years! I remembered! he’s killed plenty of your men before! The guy we lost last week? He died taking the blame for him!”
My body stiffened. I stared at Erick in disbelief. He knew who I was. He knew what I meant to Lizbeth.
So this was the ‘innocent guy’ she swore to protect? What a joke.
The scarred man’s face twisted with rage. He grabbed my throat with one hand.
“So you’re the bastard who got my brother killed? Damn it! Kill him!”
Then he shouted to his men, “That one too! They’re both trash! Chop off their heads and send them to Lizbeth!”
As his hand reached for me, I twisted, trying to throw him down. However, he saw it coming. He kicked my wrist hard. The knife flew from my hand.
“Still trying to play games with me?” The scarred man grinned. “Hold him down! Beat him to death!”
Soon the gangsters surrounded me, soon their fists were raining down on me. I tried to escape but I found no chance.
In the distance, Erick was already on the ground, barely breathing. Dozens of people were on top of him.
A fist then slammed into my head and turning my vision blurring red. As I frantically thinking how to escape, the old factory windows shattered with a crash.
Lizbeth burst in with a hundred armed men following her.
In seconds, the scarred man’s crew was pushed back. The fight broke with even more chaos. One of the gangsters realized that they were about to lose and he turned to stab Erick in the stomach.
Lizbeth saw it happen and pulled her trigger in a flash.
Gunfire filled the air.
Next, she pushed through the fight and rushed to Erick’s side. She pulled him into her arms and saw his eyes were staring at me.
“Tommy… I never wanted to steal Liz from you.
Why did you do this to me?” His voice faded and he passed out.
Lizbeth turned her head toward me, her eyes colder than I’d ever seen them.
“Tommy,” she said quietly, “I’ve been far too soft on you.”
Lizbeth stepped over corpse as she approached me.
“You better be ready to get my revenge.”
My eyes were red as I clutched my aching lower abdomen. “You really think it was me? Lizbeth, I’m not stupid.”
“Are you saying that I’m the stupid one here?” She kicked an unconscious gangster in front of me aside before reaching out to grab my jaw and forced me to look up.
“Didn’t I warn you before? I told you to behave. So, why didn’t you?”
I laughed, tears running down my face. “I’m just teaching him a lesson. I didn’t mean to get him killed!”
“So Rick was jealous of you and he had to get stabbed and take the blame for you?” Her voice shouted over mine.
“Tommy, do you even know how ridiculous you sound when you lie? He wouldn’t even step on an ant!”
In that moment, I lost all strength to argue.
I watched as she gently helped Erick stand up and walked past me. She said one thing to his men, “You know what to do. Don’t kill him—just leave him breathing.”
“Ah—!”
A knife went straight through my calf. I tried to get up, but another blade pinned my other leg to the ground. The pain was unbearable.
My eyes burned red as I watched her walk away. She held Erick, gently covering his eyes. Her voice was soft, like she was comforting a child.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Those words… They pulled me back to the eight years ago.
The first time our enemies came for me, I didn’t know how to fight. She stood in front of me, alone and killed everyone who tried to hurt me.
Then she turned around, covered my eyes with her scarf and whispered the same words, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
My mind went blank. Instinctively, I reached out toward her, trying to hold onto her warmth.
The next second, a blade cut through my right arm completely.
When I woke again, I was alone in the abandoned factory. I pulled a blood-soaked plane ticket from my pocket and crawled out from this personal living hell.
“Lizbeth, we…”
“Will never meet again.” Lizbeth helped Erick into the car.
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