Chapter 4

She tunned for a moment and said softly, “It's my grandfather's death anniversary in a few days, so I'm going back to my hometown to pay my respects.” Frederick nodded, but didn't offer to accompany her. She knew that the small town was his lifelong nightmare. It was where his mother had committed suicide, where he had jumped into the river, and where he had once desperately tried to escape from. He would probably never return there again. After they parted ways, they probably wouldn't see each other again. Frederick's gaze fell on the scrape on her arm, and he furrowed his brow. “How did you get hurt?” She was silent for a few seconds before telling him the truth. “When the restaurant caught fire, I ran back to the second floor and was accidentally pushed down.” His expression darkened. “Why did you go back to the second floor?” “I was afraid something would happen to you.” His gaze froze, and after a long time, he said softly, “You're still the same as you were years ago.” She knew he was referring to the time she jumped into the river to save him. She smiled wryly: “I'm not the same anymore.” Back then, he was alone. Now, he had Jacqueline and no longer needed her. In the following days, Frederick began moving his belongings to the new house. Gabrielle left her luggage behind, saying she wanted to sort through it before moving. Frederick didn't think much of it and gradually took all his belongings away. The house soon emptied out, and she sat alone in the living room, listening to the echo of her own breathing in the empty room. It reminded her of that dilapidated little house from years ago, when it was just her and him relying on each other for survival. She got up to throw away some old items, but when she returned, someone covered her mouth from behind in the hallway. Everything went black, and she lost consciousness. When she woke up, Gabrielle found herself tied to a chair, with a cloth stuffed in her mouth, surrounded by an abandoned warehouse. A man stood before her, who looked 80% like Frederick, but his eyes were cold and menacing as he looked down at her. “You’re the one who saved that bastard Frederick back then?” he sneered. “Did you want him to come back and fight me for the inheritance?” This was Frederick’s half-brother! She stared at him intently, unable to speak. He ripped the cloth from her mouth, and she gasped for breath, her voice hoarse. “Frederick is a man. He shares the same blood as you. You have no right to insult him.” “He never wanted to fight over the inheritance. It was your father who betrayed his mother!” Her voice trembled, but her words were firm. “His mother was deceived too. She wasn’t a mistress, and Frederick isn’t a bastard!” The man’s expression darkened, and he slapped her hard across the face. Her vision went black, and she tasted blood in her mouth. “Still keeping up that hard talk!” He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up. “Call Frederick.” Gabrielle knew he wanted to use her to take revenge on Frederick, and she clenched her teeth, refusing to comply. He sneered, snatched her phone, and dialed Frederick's number. No answer. He tried again. Still no answer. “So all those years of relying on each other haven't meant much after all,” he sneered at her. “He doesn't care about your life or death, yet you still defend him?” Her chest ached, but she managed to say in a hoarse voice, " Frederick isn't the kind of person you think he is." The man was enraged. He waved his hand, and the bodyguards behind him stepped forward, punching her in the abdomen. She curled up in pain, cold sweat soaking her back. “Listen, every time Frederick doesn't answer the phone, I'll pull out one of your teeth.” He leaned down and slapped her face. “Let's see how badly he can make you suffer.” When the first tooth was forcibly pulled out, she felt so much pain that her vision went black, and a painful whimper escaped her throat. Frederick didn't answer. The second, the third... Her mouth was filled with blood, and her consciousness began to fade, but there was still no response on the other end of the phone. It wasn't until the last tooth was pulled out that the call finally connected.