My breath caught.
On the other end, there was silence for a second. Then Bernard’s voice came through. Cold. Dangerous.
“You touch them, and I’ll make sure you regret being born.”
Sandro laughed loudly. “You don’t get to threaten me anymore. One hour. Don’t be late.”
The call ended.
They tied us up.
I was dragged to the edge and suspended over the water, ropes digging into my wrists. The sea below was dark and endless.
Ingrid was kept closer, right beside Sandro. I could smell gasoline. He had poured it around her feet.
I closed my eyes for a second.
So this was how it ends?
Less than an hour later, Bernard arrived.
Of course he did.
He stepped out, calm but tense, eyes scanning everything in one sweep. They passed over me… then lingered on Ingrid.
Finally, he looked at Sandro.
“Let them go,” he said flatly.
Sandro smirked. “You don’t give orders here anymore. Where’s the money?”
Bernard pushed a black case forward. “Five hundred million. Let them go.”
Sandro signaled his men. They checked it, opened it, and confirmed everything. Then he laughed again.
“I changed my mind,” he said slowly. “Now you only get one. One lives. One dies. Your choice.”
My heart started pounding so hard it hurt.
I already knew the answer. Even if I didn’t want to admit it… I knew.
Bernard didn’t hesitate. “I’m not choosing,” he said coldly. “I want both.”
I froze. For a second, I actually looked at him.
But Ingrid… her face twisted for just a moment before she lowered her head, tears falling.
“Mr. MacAllister! You don’t have to save me. This is all because of me. Just let me end it.”
Before anyone could react, she suddenly shoved the man holding her. Sandro stumbled. The lighter in his hand slipped.
Everything happened at once.
Fire burst out.
The gasoline caught instantly, flames rising fast and wild.
“Shit!” Sandro cursed, furious. He grabbed Ingrid and threw her straight into the fire. Then he turned and cut the rope holding me.
I dropped.
Right before I hit the water, I saw Bernard move. His face had gone pale.
He ran forward.
“Ingrid!”
He rushed straight into the fire, grabbed her, lifted her in his arms, shielding her from the flames. And me? I fell into the sea.
...
When I woke up again, I was already lying on an operating table.
The lights above me were too bright. My head felt heavy, and my body didn’t listen properly.
Then I saw him.
Bernard stood right in front of me, his face dark, eyes filled with anger I hadn’t seen in a long time. Not even disappointment this time. Just rage.
“Naomi,” he said, voice low and dangerous. “Why the hell did you team up with Sandro to pull this kind of stunt? You really thought you could play everyone and get away with it?”
I blinked at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”
His jaw tightened. “Don’t play dumb with me! Ingrid already told me everything. You didn’t want to take the blame, so you set her up. You planned all this just to hurt her. You’ve really become that vicious?”
My heart dropped.
So that’s what she did.
I didn’t even know how she twisted it this far, but somehow… he believed her. Of course he did.
“It wasn’t me,” I said, forcing myself up a little, my throat dry and rough. “I didn’t do anything. You have to at least listen to me—”
“Enough!” he snapped, cutting me off. “I’m done listening to your excuses.”
I froze.
The words died in my throat.
Right. Why was I even trying? Since when did he ever choose me over her? No matter what I said, it wouldn’t matter.
I slowly leaned back, staring at him.
“So what?” I said quietly, a bitter smile forming. “What now? How are you going to punish me this time?”
Something in my tone made his expression turn even colder.
“A blood debt gets paid with blood,” he said flatly.
My fingers tightened.
“Ingrid got burned because of you,” he continued, his voice hard as stone. “She needs a skin graft. You’re giving it to her. Right now.”
For a second, I thought I heard wrong.
“What?” My voice came out weak. “No… I’m not doing that.”
I tried to get off the table, panic rising, but before I could move, several men stepped in and forced me back down.
“Let me go!” I struggled, my body weak but still fighting. “Bernard, you can’t do this to me!”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” he said coldly.
Then he turned around and walked out.
Didn’t even look back.
The door closed.
A few seconds later, someone else was pushed in.
I turned my head… and saw Ingrid.
She lay on another bed at first, her leg wrapped, but the moment the door shut, she sat up easily. No pain. No weakness.
Her lips curled into a smile.
A chill ran down my spine.
She stepped down and walked closer, completely fine. Then she looked at the doctor and gave a small nod.
“Start,” she said softly. “And don’t give her any anesthesia. I want to see everything.”
The room went silent. The doctor hesitated for a second, exchanging looks with the nurses.
But no one dared to refuse. Fear hit me all at once.
“No! Wait!" I struggled harder, “You can’t do this. Let me go!”
Hands held me down tighter. Straps locked around my wrists.
I couldn’t move.
The knife touched my skin.
Then it cut.
Pain exploded through my body.
“Ah—!” I screamed, my whole body jerking uncontrollably.
Ingrid laughed.
Soft at first. Then louder.
I turned my head and saw her watching me, eyes shining, enjoying it.
“Keep going,” she said calmly. “Don’t stop.”
The blade moved again.
And again.
Each cut was slow, deliberate. I could feel everything. Every inch. Every tear of skin. Warm blood spread under me, soaking the table.
My body was shaking so hard I couldn’t control it. My breath came out broken, uneven.
But after a while… I stopped making sound.
What was the point?
The more I screamed, the happier she looked.
So I bit down on my lip and stayed quiet. Even when the pain got worse. Even when it felt like I was being torn apart piece by piece.
How did it come to this?
How did the man who once held me so carefully… become the one who did this to me?
The cuts didn’t stop.
One.
Two.
Ten.
I lost count somewhere in between. All I knew was the pain never ended. By the time it was over, my body was covered in blood. My vision was blurry, everything spinning.
I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. I couldn’t even tell if I was still breathing properly. And then… everything went black again.
…
When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. My thigh was wrapped in thick gauze, blood still seeping through, and every tiny movement hurt like hell. I just stared at the ceiling, not feeling much anymore, silently counting down the days. Five more days. That’s all I had to wait. Five more days, and I’d finally be free from him.
I spent the next few days barely moving, just resting and trying to heal. Bernard didn’t show up once. It was like the cold war had returned, the one where we barely acknowledged each other and didn’t interfere.
Four days later, the nurse told me I could leave. Supporting my weak body, I got out of bed, grabbed my things, and started toward the exit.
As I passed one of the rooms, Ingrid’s voice floated out, sweet and teasing.
“Dad, Mom, I’m fine now. Thanks to Bernard for taking care of me these past few days. Oh, and I forgot to introduce him. He’s my boss and also my boyfriend.”
Through the half-open door, I saw Bernard holding her hand, his expression gentle. “It’s my duty to take care of you. You can trust me with Ingrid, Mr. and Mrs. Delaney. I’ll protect her for the rest of my life.”
Her mother’s smile stretched across her face. “Good, good, good. Ingrid’s lucky to have a boyfriend like you.”
I felt something twist in my chest. Those words dragged me straight back to the past, to the day Bernard came to my parents’ house to propose. He had said almost the same thing to them about me. “Mr. and Mrs. Emberlight, please entrust Naomi to me. I’ll protect her for the rest of my life.”
Now, he was giving the same promises but to her.
I swallowed the bitter laugh that wanted to escape and walked out of the hospital. My face was blank, but inside, I felt a strange weight lifting.
...
The next day, Bernard came home. He went upstairs, took a quick shower, and changed into a casual but sharp outfit. He stopped by the door before leaving. “I’ll be on a business trip for a few days. I’ll bring you a gift when I get back.”
He leaned in, like he wanted to kiss my forehead.
I stepped back slightly, forcing my voice calm. “Okay, go ahead.”
He paused, frowning slightly, sensing something, but didn’t press it. He just smiled and left.
The second he was gone, I grabbed my bag and left too. I went straight to the courthouse downtown. My heart pounded as I got the divorce papers. One copy went in my bag, the other was mailed to MacAllister Group.
I broke the SIM card in half before getting on the bus, feeling lighter than I had in years.
From that moment on, I was no longer Mrs. MacAllister. I was just me.
