Gloria’s eyes flicked past me.
“Don’t believe me? Well then, I’ll prove it to you.”
Before I could react, she slammed the bowl in her hand to the floor, let out a shrill scream and hurled herself down the stairs from her wheelchair. Robert, who had just rushed over, caught her neatly in his arms. He turned to me coldly.
The next instant, Robert violently grabbed me by my collar. A violent force pulled me forward. I lost my footing and tumbled down the stairs. My head hit the floor with a sharp crack. Warm blood streamed down my scalp.
Robert’s voice was cold and filled with disgust as he said, “Amelia, you really haven’t changed. Are you trying to repeat your old tricks?”
“I warned you last time. Since you refuse to take my words seriously, I guess everyone was right. You’re nothing but a violent criminal with a vicious heart. You’re unfit to be Mrs. Fuentes.”
After what just happened, I knew that I couldn’t even defend myself.
Instead, I asked him as I smiled while looking at him, “What now, Mr. Fuentes? Are you planning to send me to prison again … for your precious mistress?”
His gaze lingered on my blood-soaked face. For a moment, his expression faltered. But he then continued, “This time, I’ll let it go since Gloria wasn’t hurt. But I’ll move up my wedding with her. You owe her that much.”
After that, he told me, “As for us … After I marry Gloria, I’ll still get a marriage certificate with you as proof of our long-standing relationship. You’ll stay quietly at the estate. Gloria will handle everything else by my side.”
A laugh almost escaped me.
Robert Fuentes always knew how to have it both ways.
My mocking smile made his expression darken.
“Send Amelia to the apartment outside Mexico City immediately. No one is to let her out without my permission. Let her reflect on her mistakes before she hurts Gloria again!”
Four or five bodyguards seized me roughly and dragged me into a car. But the road stretched on far longer than it should have. When the vehicle finally stopped, I realized we weren’t at any apartment. Instead, we were at an abandoned factory.
One of the men pulled out a knife, smirking.
“Miss Bello’s orders. You’re not supposed to see tomorrow’s sunrise. Nothing personal. It’s just business.”
The pieces clicked into place. No wonder these faces were unfamiliar. They weren’t Robert’s men. They were Gloria’s!
The man chuckled and held up his phone. “But before you die, Miss Bello wanted you to see something fun. Said it’d make your death less boring.”
He shoved the screen toward me. My pupils shrank instantly. In the video, Gloria, who had supposedly been crippled, stood tall beside Robert. Her arm was linked with his as they admired a wedding dress.
“Robert, now that I don’t have to pretend to be lame, won’t that make people suspicious?”
Robert smiled.
“No. I’ll just say your leg healed. You’ll be the most beautiful bride, Gloria. Your idea was perfect. Rolling downstairs when Amelia brushed against you. I’ll have someone fake the medical report and send her in.”
Robert’s voice softened, but there was poison beneath it as he spoke, “Amelia’s gotten too bold these last few years. Sometimes I feel like she’s more of a rival than a partner. I’ve fought too hard to get here. I won’t let anyone threaten me.”
“I thought prison would break her. But she’s still the same.”
The summer air was scorching, yet I felt a coldness creep through my bones. For nearly twenty years, I’d stood beside that man. From nothing to everything. We’d been partners. Allies. Family. And now, this was how it ended.
Robert wanted to destroy me because he was afraid of me? How absurd!
I closed my eyes as the bodyguards surrounded me while showing their grins. When I opened them again, the air shifted. It was all sharp and sudden.
“They’re dead.”
Before anyone could react, a group of men in black stormed out from behind the factory pillars, striking fast and hard. In seconds, Gloria’s hired thugs were on the ground.
Amid the sounds of cracking bones and desperate screams andrea handed me a handkerchief. His face showed a cold fury.
“Amelia, I’m going to kill those two assholes right now.”
I gently wiped the blood from my cheek and said calmly, “They’ve gone to such lengths to plan their perfect wedding. How could we let it go to waste?”
“The wedding planner is one of ours, isn’t she? Tell her to convince Gloria to hold the wedding at sea, on our most luxurious cruise ship. Gloria loves showing off. So, she’ll definitely agree.”
Just as I expected, Gloria fell in love with the cruise ship at first sight and followed the planner’s suggestion. Robert had no objections either. The grander the wedding, the more prestige he would gain.
But on the wedding day, the bride was nowhere to be found. Some guests claimed they had seen her in the luxury suite prepared as the bridal room. The crowd began joking.
“Is the bride that impatient? Can’t even wait for the ceremony before heading to the bridal chamber? Looks like Mr. Fuentes really knows how to charm his women!”
“Hurry and bring the bride out! There’ll be plenty of time for that after the wedding!”
Robert forced a smile, but a flicker of unease crossed his face. Surrounded by the laughing guests, he made his way to the suite. The moment he opened the door, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall.
Gloria was nowhere to be seen. In the middle of the bed, covered with rose petals, was a bloody embryo. I stepped out from the crowd as I clapped my hands lightly while showing a faint smile on my lips.
“What a scene,” I said softly.
“I believe Mr. Fuentes always has something special waiting on the bed at his weddings. So now, Mr. Fuentes, why don’t you go have a closer look?”
