The bullet passed through Kendrick’s calf and blood immediately seeped through his black pants.
His brows were knitted as his knee twitched, but he kept himself upright.
“You sure do love Eveline, don’t you?” Ryan smiled, feeling pleased as admiration tinted his gaze. “Is it worth it? Giving your life for a mere woman?”
Kendrick stared at Ryan, unfazed. He replied, “She’s my life.”
“Hah.” Ryan scoffed disdainfully. “Indeed. Women, the downfall of men ever since the beginning of time.”
“Cut the nonsense, Ryan. What exactly do you want?” Kendrick asked coldly, the rapid blood loss making his strength slowly leave his bones.
Ryan stepped toward Kendrick. “Your wife scammed me of the reagents that would rid your body of the poison. Therefore, you shall pay the price of her sins.”
He slowly lifted the gun and pressed the muzzle heavily against Kendrick’s shoulder.
“Your wife took a bullet here. Since you love her so much, how about you experience the same pain she did?”
Ryan’s eyes that were filled with a sinister glint met Kendrick’s tranquil eyes.
The two pairs of deep eyes locked onto one another, the cold glints in their eyes clashing invisibly in the air.
Kendrick remained stoic even as he saw a smirk flash through Ryan’s eyes right before a sharp burn and a dull ache wrecked through his shoulder.
The bullet passed through his shoulder and bright red gushed from the open wound, dyeing Kendrick’s bright white top.
Ryan admired his masterpiece proudly as a rush of glee bled through his eyes.
“Who would’ve thought that you were the smitten type?” Ryan’s words sounded like admiration when they were indeed meant to mock him.
Watching Kendrick continue to bleed, Ryan kept his gun. “Don’t even think about catching me, Kendrick. And say that you do, I can promise you that the person who’d be regretting anything will be you.”
Ryan left it at that and turned to leave.
He had lured Kendrick out so that he could warn and take his frustration out on him.
He had just taken two steps when Kendrick’s voice rang out from behind him.
“Where’s my wife, Ryan?”
Ryan halted and turned to look at Kendrick’s color-drained expression. His smile deepened at the sight.
“She’s my legal wife. Where else would she stay but at my home? Relax, with my parents-in-law watching over her, she’ll be alright.”
Parents-in-law?
Kendrick knew that Ryan was referring to Eloise and Sean.
However, why would they be his parents-in-law?
Nia would always be his wife only.
Ryan’s mood brightened even more as he read the anger in Kendrick’s eyes.
“I’ve got to thank you for that, Kendrick. Thank you for handing over your parents-in-law to me.”
Kendrick clenched his fists and knitted his brows in anger. “Ryan Jones—”
“How about you save that breath to call an ambulance, hmm? Before you die of blood loss here with how much of your strength you’re wasting. It’d be a shame if my opponent dies so early.”
Ryan interrupted before turning back around with a victorious smile.
Kendrick’s vision began to blur, and he fell onto one knee, his body no longer had the strength to hold him up.
Fresh blood streamed freely from his shoulder, dyeing his wedding ring red.
“Nia…”
No longer able to hold himself up, Kendrick fell onto the ground in exhaustion.
Just as he closed his eyes, he saw a vague and familiar figure running toward him.
“Wake up, Kendrick!”
The voice sounded familiar, but Kendrick did not have the strength to ponder before he fell unconscious…
After who knew how long, Kendrick finally woke from his drowsy slumber. Under the dim light, Kendrick found the sky outside the window to be pitch dark as if it was already midnight.
He closed his eyes and thought back to the words Ryan told him back at the warehouse.
“Let me tell you, Kendrick Waldburg. This is more than just a mere title. This is also about the life of the person I respected the most!
“Go home and ask that old man what he did back then.”
Ryan’s hatred seemed to be aimed at more than just Kendrick. It seemed to involve the entire Waldburg family.
The person he respected the most. His parents, perhaps?
Kendrick furrowed his brows, deep in thought. He then lifted his hand with difficulty. His heart clenched as he stared at the traces of blood on the wedding ring.
‘It must hurt for you too, doesn’t it, Nia?
‘I want to hold and comfort you. I want to protect you and keep you safe and warm.’
Kendrick sighed quietly, unable to move on from his worries about how Niamh was doing.
He had no idea if Ryan would hurt Niamh or not.
While he stayed deep in thought, a doctor entered the room.
The doctor let out a sigh of relief after seeing that Kendrick had woken up. “Thank goodness a professional did first aid on you, or it would’ve been too late by the time you got to the hospital.”
Kendrick then remembered the blurry figure that appeared before he lost consciousness.
“Who sent me to the hospital, doctor? Are they still here?”
“He already left, but he left a note for you.” The doctor then handed Kendrick a slip of paper.
Kendrick took the slip of paper and saw a line of words on it. The handwriting was messy to the point that deciphering it felt like an impossible feat.
It took Kendrick a while before he could vaguely read the handwriting. ‘Do not act rashly.’
The doctor spared a glance at the note in Kendrick’s hand. “The person who sent you to the hospital is most likely a doctor as well. Only a doctor would be able to perform such professional first aid. The handwriting too, only us doctors write like that.”
“Doctor?”
Kendrick fell silent.
He remembered seeing a familiar figure running toward him in a daze. The man had called out his name too.
However, Kendrick did not remember knowing a doctor here in Y Country.
…
A few days later, Niamh had recovered greatly.
She washed up and got out of bed. Eloise went to hand her a warm bowl of herbal soup. “I made this myself. It’s for you.”
Niamh was stunned when she saw Eloise meeting her gaze with a gentle look. There was a kind smile on the woman’s elegant features.
Her heart warmed as her wound suddenly felt a lot better.
Eloise took Niamh’s lack of response as not wanting to drink her soup. She looked down disappointedly.
“You hate me too, don’t you? Like my daughter,” Eloise asked dazedly as sorrow filled her eyes. “Get some rest, then. I won’t bother you anymore.”
“Mom,” Niamh called out softly.
Eloise turned and frowned before she chided seriously, “Why are you calling me your mom again? You might share my daughter’s name, but you can’t just simply call other people your mom.”
Regret filled her eyes. She continued saying in a serious tone, “You have no idea what could happen when you mistake someone else as your family.”
Niamh knew what Eloise was referring to.
Smiling in response, Niamh took the bowl of soup from Eloise’s hands and took a small sip.
“It’s delicious,” Niamh praised heartfeltly.
The downcasted expression Eloise wore vanished and replacing it was a faint smile. “Is it really?”
“Yeah.” Niamh nodded and took another sip. “Taste just like my mom’s cooking.”
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.