“But Master Waldburg, is it really worth dismissing such a large company because of a woman?”
A layer of frost covered Felipe’s warm features. “This woman you speak of is my wife.”
“…” Seeing Felipe angry, Dice dared not talk back and resorted to persuading him instead. “But Madam’s already dead, Master Waldburg. I’m sure she wouldn’t want to see you moping around all day. There are hundreds of us waiting to work under you. What will we do when you dismiss the company?”
Felipe turned his icy back to them as he spoke emotionlessly, “Do not make me repeat myself. The company is mine, so what I do with it is my business. From today onward, we are but strangers. You’ve earned more than enough these few years, haven’t you? Be content.”
“I…”
Reading Felipe’s decisiveness, the subordinates remained quiet and left indignantly.
Felipe returned to the room to stare gently at an image of Cathy as he promised with a smile. “Are you seeing me? I really won’t partake in those trades again. As long as you request it, regardless of what it is, I promise I’ll see to it done.
“I just have one last thing to do, Cathy. Then, I’ll come and atone.
“Will you still forgive me?”
He spoke to himself as he fell into a deep sleep.
The sky was dark when he woke, and the rain refused to let up.
Just then, loud activity sounded from downstairs.
He washed up and went to look, realizing the people from earlier in the day had returned.
Dice was still leading them, but their attitude had changed drastically from before.
“I know you still miss Madam, Master Waldburg, and I know that you don’t feel like getting yourself involved in these trades now. But we can still work. I’ve already discussed this with most of them, and if you don’t want to be a part of this anymore, Master Waldburg, then I can take over the company from you. How’s that?”
Understanding their goal, Felipe scoffed. “I created the company and it’s through my hard work that its force is recognized. I won’t let anyone take this from me.”
Dice’s expression grew fierce at Felipe’s rejection. “If that’s the case, Master Waldburg, then don’t blame us for being impolite. If you want to think about that dead woman, then go ahead, but I will take over the company!”
Felipe’s gaze sharpened as a dark look flashed through his otherwise warm and gentle features.
Swiftly, he walked toward Dice and kicked his knee.
Dice instantly fell to the ground with one leg in front of Felipe. He gave a painful howl.
He snapped his head up to struggle, but Felipe had a gun aimed at his forehead. Felipe was staring at him from above, his gaze flaring with bloodthirst and disdain.
Dice shivered, almost forgetting that Felipe was an extremely skilled fighter.
The man may look gentlemanly and elegant, but the truth was the complete opposite. He was scheming and unpredictable.
“Take your words back, or I’ll have you apologize to my wife in the afterlife.”
Dice’s heart shook in fear, but his expression quickly changed into one full of disdain when he remembered the bargaining chip he had. “I suggest you keep your gun, Master Waldburg. Or else…”
He paused to look at the men on the side. “Let Master Waldburg look at what we have.”
Knowing that none of them came with good intentions, Felipe’s bad feeling was confirmed when he set his eyes on what Dice was referring to.
Taking the opportunity of a dazed Felipe, Dice immediately pushed Felipe’s gun away and stood up.
“Hmph. How’s this, Master Waldburg? Since you love your wife so much, then we’ll use this to trade the company. It’s worth it, isn’t it?”
“Give her back!” Felipe oozed with fury.
Dice then handed a document to him with an evil smile. “This is a document for the transferral of the company’s ownership. Sign below and I’ll give you your stupid urn back.”
‘Stupid urn.’
The words ignited the flames of fury within him.
Balling a veiny fist, the frost that exploded off Felipe stunned everyone in the room.
He raised his fist to punch Dice across the face. It was strong enough to knock one of his teeth out. In the next moment, he arrived at the side of the man with Cathy’s ashes before anyone could react.
Snatching the urn in record speed, he elbowed everyone out the way and ran out of the house with Cathy’s ashes in his arms.
“Catch him! Kill him! Whoever does it gets a million dollars from me!” Dice ordered, offering a hefty reward.
At the mention of so much money, everyone ran after Felipe.
The rain was pouring that summer night, and Felipe spared glances at the urn in the passenger seat next to him as he drove. He kept his eyes on the cars following behind him from the rear-view mirror.
“Don’t worry, Cathy. No matter what happens, I promise I’ll be with you.”
He vowed to the air before stepping harder on the accelerator.
After a while, Felipe realized that the car was short on gas
He stopped the car and carried Cathy’s ashes away.
He had only taken a few steps when they arrived.
These were the same people who worked under him and who greeted him courteously, yet all of them were raising a gun at him now.
Felipe was unfazed as he was only concerned that Cathy’s ashes would be disrupted.
The rain was heavy and it quickly drenched him. Taking off his jacket, Felipe placed it over the urn to protect it.
“We don’t want to make this difficult for you, Master Waldburg. All you need to do is sign—”
“My wife is the only one allowed to demand things from me.” He interrupted crisply, raising his own gun.
These people were hardly Felipe’s opponent, so they aimed their guns at Cathy’s urn instead.
Watching them aim at the urn, Felipe quickly took it in his arms and shielded it with his body.
A bullet pierced into Felipe’s calf, and blood fell freely from the wound, dying the grass under him crimson red.
Having gained a taste, the person knew that there was no point shooting Felipe and aimed for Cathy’s urn again.
With a bang, the bullet grazed Felipe’s arm and pierced through the urn.
White ashes sprayed everywhere, blurring Felipe’s line of sight.
“Cathy!” he shouted her name in agony.
As he watched her ashes evaporate and melt away under the rain, the ache in his heart grew beyond what could be described.
“Just sign the papers, Master Waldburg. Before you—”
Bang!
Felipe fired, the bullet piercing through the man’s knee.
He raised his reddened and glistening eyes. “Do you have a death wish? Very well, then. I’ll fulfill it for you! All of you can go and accompany my wife in the afterlife!”
Everyone was startled when they saw Felipe’s fierce and bloodthirsty look.
Realizing that Felipe might go on a killing spree, they immediately began to retreat.
Sure, one million dollars was alluring, but what use was money if they were not alive to enjoy it?
With that in mind, everyone ran.
Felipe was left to kneel painfully on one knee as he stared despairingly at the remnants of Cathy’s ashes.
He suddenly felt limp all over. Only after looking down did he realize that his shoulder had been shot and blood was gushing from the wound.
He wanted to stand, but his eyelids grew heavy and he fell in the rain with a thud.
He raised a bloodied hand to cradle the urn close to himself.
“Cathy…” he called out softly. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a vague figure with an umbrella approached him before his eyes through the rain.
His thin lips parted as he stared at the approaching figure. “Cathy…”
Rain fell throughout the night.
It was bright and sunny when Felipe woke up blearily. The wounds on his body were aching in protest, but he realized that they had been cleaned and dressed.
Looking around, he found himself in an unfamiliar location.
Felipe snapped his head to look for the urn by his side and pulled it to his chest. “Cathy.”
He called out softly as his heart twinged in pain.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.