Chapter 4

"What is this?"

"What are you doing?!"

"Don't hurt me! I have money! I can give you cash!"

Pinned flat against the floor, Mason twitched with panic, his voice cracking into a pathetic, tearful whimper.

One of the thugs yanked his hair back, grinning coldly. "We're not here just for money, Vance."

Mason froze, his eyes darting frantically before he suddenly screamed:

"I have more than money! I have a woman! Take my wife!

Do whatever the hell you want to her, just don't touch me! I swear I'll pretend I never saw a thing! I won't call the police!"

His words stunned the entire room. Not just me—even the seven intruders paused in disbelief.

Mason took advantage of their hesitation to twist his body, lunging toward the bed and holding up his phone:

"I'm telling the truth!

Look, I'm on a video call right now! I'll tell her not to call 911! As long as you don't hurt me, you can have her. You can do whatever you want!"

On the phone screen, Samantha was sobbing in terror. "What's going on?! Babe, what's happening over there?!"

Mason hurriedly yelled into the microphone: "Nothing serious! Samantha, whatever you do, do not call the cops!

They won't hurt me. They're only going to touch Nina. Didn't you always want to marry me? Once she's abused to death or crippled, she won't be able to fight back or stop our wedding!"

At that moment, all eyes were on Mason.

I had the perfect opportunity to slide my hand into my pocket and press the panic button, but Mason's monstrous words left me completely frozen in shock.

I never imagined a human being could be so utterly vile.

He could have kept his mouth shut. The intruders had no idea he was on a call with Samantha. He could have let her realize the danger and quietly call the police.

Instead, he proactively revealed the call just to throw me to the wolves, offering my body to appease the criminals.

He actively wanted me dead!

A hollow, dazed laugh escaped my lips. "Mason Vance... are you even human?"

My voice drew the thugs' attention back to me.

Without hesitation, they grabbed zip-ties and rope, binding both of our wrists tightly and throwing us onto the floor side-by-side.

Mason immediately dropped to his knees, keeping his head bowed in a pathetic, groveling posture.

"Don't worry, gentlemen! Samantha listens to everything I say. She will never call 911. Take whatever valuables you want from the house—there's at least a few million in jewelry and watches. Zero risk for you!

And my wife is all yours. Even if you kill her, I don't care!

Her parents are dead. There's no one left to stick up for her anyway!"

The leader of the thugs looked at him in sheer disbelief, tapping the flat side of his blade against Mason's cheek. "Damn, Vance. You really are a piece of shit, aren't you? But hey, I respect the honesty.

Are you sure we can do whatever we want? You give us full permission?"

Mason nodded eagerly, a sick, hopeful smile spreading across his face. "Yes! Absolutely! Take your time, enjoy yourselves! I swear on my life I won't report it!"

The leader raised an eyebrow. "So... you're saying whatever happens in this room tonight is completely consensual on your part?"

Mason cast a quick, spiteful glance at me, the terror in his eyes replaced by twisted excitement.

"Consensual! Completely voluntary! You don't have to worry about a thing. I won't press charges!"

The leader squinted, stepping back with a dark chuckle. "Heh. Alright then. Give us a minute to coordinate."

A few of them stepped into the hallway and made a phone call. I knew without a doubt they were calling Ryan Cole, asking for final instructions.

I knew they were here specifically for Mason, but Mason had no idea he had just dug his own grave.

Any anger I had once felt toward him vanished, replaced by a bottomless, chilling disgust.

"You're going to regret this, Mason."

He gritted his teeth, his muffled laugh sounding entirely manic:

"Regret it? You think I regret letting them in because I didn't believe your little alarm?

Haha, Nina, do you really think I'm that stupid?

The second your alarm went off, I knew someone was coming! I smashed your phone on purpose so you couldn't call for help!

I put on that little show just to let them in, leaving you with nowhere to run!

How much could these lowlifes possibly steal from me? A few trinkets? But you—an aging, worthless bitch—dared to demand thirty million dollars from my empire!

Even if these guys hadn't shown up tonight, I was already planning to hire someone to make you disappear.

Doing it myself carries too much risk. Borrowing their knives is so much cleaner!

Even if they get caught later, I can just claim I was coerced. I sacrificed you to save my own life—no jury in the country would convict me!"

I couldn't believe my ears. No human being could be capable of such evil.

And this was the man I had once loved with all my heart—the man to whom my parents had entrusted everything!

I wanted to rip him apart with my bare teeth, but the ropes around my body kept me pinned to the floor.

All I could do was watch as Mason turned back to the returning thugs, offering them an obsequious, sickening grin.

"You boys can start whenever you're ready. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can get to the airport and fly out of the country."

The seven towering men slowly circled around us.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's start the party."

Two of them grabbed the rope around my shoulders and dragged me into the far corner of the room, while the other five closed in on Mason, grabbing him by the collar.

Panic finally cracked through Mason's voice. "Wait... what are you doing? My wife is over there—"

The leader clamped a massive hand around Mason's jaw, cutting him off with a chilling smirk.

"Who the hell told you we wanted your wife?

Mr. Vance... you're the one we've been eyeing all night. We came here specifically for you."