“Nicholas, in this life, I will let you get what you want.”
When I got home from work, the car was unusually quiet.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw the butler’s pale face and had a bad feeling.
Hurrying closer, I saw Nicholas holding a woman, carefully placing her on the sofa.
The other servants, as if following their master’s orders, brought medicine, water and prepared meals, bustling about in a flurry of activity.
All their hurried movements came to a halt the moment they saw me.
I stared intently at Nicholas.
“The private matter you mentioned before was bringing Paula back to Seville City?”
“Do you not know she was raised by the Valle Family as my stand-in? If she returns to Seville City, it’ll expose my location. Do you want me to die?”
Before I could finish my sentence, Nicholas interrupted me in a deep voice.
“Enough of this nonsense!”
“I’m your fiancé. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“But Paula is my… sister. I’ll never let her stay alone in a den of wolves. Even if someone has to die, it can’t be her!”
At that moment, the atmosphere became extremely tense.
Even in my previous life, after five years of marriage, we had grown to despise each other, but we had never been this tense before.
Paula’s eyes were slightly red and her voice trembled a little.
“I knew the young lady wouldn’t let me stay here. It’s okay, Nicholas. I’ll leave.”
As faint sobs escaped her lips, Nicholas’s body stiffened.
She was made to leave, but Nicholas Barre stopped her.
He stood in front of Paula in a protective stance.
“There are many who look like you. We don’t need another Paula. Let her go. As long as she stays here, I’ll do anything you want.”
Our eyes met.
In my previous life, no matter how I threatened or tempted him, Nicholas never budged an inch from his principles.
Now, for Paula, he was willing to cross his own line and send me such a blatant signal of affection.
A mocking smile crossed my lips.
“Nicholas Barre, as a bodyguard, you brought someone back to the mansion without permission, disregarding the master’s safety.”
“Have you learned your rules so well?”
“Butler, prepare fifty lashes with the family whip. Teach this traitor what the rules are!”
Nicholas was sure I wouldn’t dare, so he swiftly removed his shirt. His eyes fixed on me.
With a composed demeanor, Nicholas tapped out a rhythm with his hands, calculating in his mind how many seconds it would take for me to call a halt.
The first lash landed and his body collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
When he raised his head again, the composure in his eyes had vanished, leaving only confusion and doubt.
After fifty lashes, Nicholas’s back was already a bloody mess.
He gasped for breath and whispered in my ear, “You’ve been reborn too?”
“Olivia, you can keep me by your side for the rest of my life.”
“But I won’t let you kill Paula a second time.”
The intense smell of blood transported me back to the night of the port fire in my previous life.
The gang’s deputy had sensed danger and arranged for Paula, my stand-in, to be sent to the port to divert attention.
But our movements seemed to be known to the enemy, who systematically forced me into a corner.
I realized something was wrong when I entered the ship and saw Paula.
Fifty tons of explosives had been placed around us. The explosion’s deafening roar engulfed everything.
I clutched Paula’s arm tightly, but after the massive impact, all that remained in my hands was a piece of her clothing.
After searching through the stacked containers for thirty minutes, I still couldn’t find Paula’s figure.
Looking back at the masked troops chasing after me with flashlights, I had no choice but to leave her behind to save myself.
