94

Rebecca entered the room quietly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping children. She approached Suzanne, sitting beside her.

“Suzanne, I know this is overwhelming,” Rebecca said softly. “But you need to stay strong. For your children, for Nathan.”

Suzanne nodded, wiping away fresh tears. “I just can’t understand why Jarek would do this. He’s always been harsh, but...”

“He must have had his reasons, even if they don’t make sense to us,” Rebecca replied gently. “Right now, we need to focus on finding Nathan and stopping Richard.”

At that moment, Enzo entered the room, his face grim. “We’ve got a lead,” he said, his voice low. “One of Jarek’s men found the woman who helped kidnap you. She might know where Richard is hiding.”

Suzanne’s heart skipped a beat. “Then we have to act quickly.”

Enzo nodded. “We’re ready. But Suzanne, I need you to stay here with the children. It’s too dangerous.”

Suzanne wanted to protest but knew he was right. She looked at Rebecca, who gave her a reassuring nod.

“We’ll bring Nathan back,” Enzo promised. “Stay safe.”

Suzanne watched as Enzo and Rebecca left the room, her heart filled with a mixture of hope and fear. She whispered a silent prayer for their safety and for Nathan’s return.

Back at Jarek’s mansion, the captured redhead was brought before Jarek. Her defiant gaze met his cold, calculating eyes.

She was tied up and gagged, looked at him with a mix of hatred and fear.

Jarek removed the gag, and the woman spat in his face.

“Go to hell, old man” she spat venomously.

Jarek smiled wryly and took out a handkerchief to wipe off the spit.

“I’ll send you to hell if you don’t tell me Richard Quirrell’s whereabouts,” he snapped harshly.

The woman laughed, though her laughter sounded forced.

“You’re a washed-up old man. There’s no way you can defeat Richard; he’s a criminal mastermind.”

“Tell me everything you know about Richard’s plans,” Jarek demanded, his voice icy.

The woman smirked, but there was fear in her eyes. “I don’t know where he is,” she said. “But I know he’s planning something big. Something that will destroy your family.”

Jarek’s eyes narrowed. “You will tell me everything, whether you want to or not.”

“I won't.”

Jarek leaned toward her, his eyes shining with harshness.

“You’re a fool if you think Richard will reward you,” he said in a macabre tone. “He deals with his enemies and his allies alike. You won’t be the exception. I offer you protection if you tell me where he is.”

The redhead, known as Deborah, looked at him distrustfully.

“Richard already warned me about your mental tricks. I won’t be fooled,” she said through gritted teeth. “I want to see both Nathan and Suzanne fall for making me suffer so much.”

Jarek shook his head, a dry laugh escaping him.

“That’s why you were never a good choice as Nathan’s wife,” he rolled his eyes. “I always knew you were a bad apple.”

“Suzanne isn’t any better,” Deborah ground her teeth in fury. “She’s a fool. I would have been a better, selfless wife because I truly loved Nathan.”

Jarek laughed again, this time more bitterly.

“You would never have been my daughter-in-law, and I’m very glad Nathan fell in love with Suzanne.”

Deborah glared at him.

“You’re a damn arrogant old man. I’d love to see your cold, lifeless body surrounded by blood.”

Jarek hardened his features, showing his determination.

“That’s how Richard Quirrell will end up. If you get in my way, I’ll do the same to you.”

Deborah tried to maintain her toughness, but Jarek saw the fear in her eyes. He knew he could make her give in and obtain the information he needed.

“I won’t rest until I’ve dealt with Richard and his allies,” he looked at her coldly. “I will show no mercy, just as he showed none to my daughter or my grandson Jeremy.”

The firmness in his voice made it clear that he was willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goal.

As he watched Deborah, Jarek felt a mix of hatred and sadness. The memories of his daughter and grandson drove him, and he would not allow Richard to escape once more.

…

Richard Quirrell sat in his office, the twilight of night streaming through the tall windows, casting elongated shadows on the dark wooden walls.

He pounded the desk with his fists, frustration etched into every line of his face.

His plans had not gone as expected, but he was not surprised. The Strong family had too many contacts and allies to slip from his grasp so easily.

“Damn Strong family!” he shouted, his voice echoing in the silence of the room. “They always find a way to escape!”

He leaped from his chair and began to pace back and forth, his thoughts racing as fast as his heart.

Nathan’s wife, the last piece in his plan, had slipped through his fingers, and his men had informed him that it was now almost impossible to recover her. She was heavily guarded.

“Mr. Quirrell, the situation has become complicated,” one of his men said, a tall, burly man with scars on his face. “The woman is protected; there are guards everywhere. It will be nearly impossible to reach her.”

Richard turned to them, his eyes blazing with contained fury.

“Then we’ll have to eliminate everyone,” he said in a cold, almost inhuman voice. “I won’t let those bastards keep ruining my plans.”

His men exchanged glances, already accustomed to Richard’s bouts of madness. They knew there was no turning back once he made a decision.

Richard’s features were twisted with hatred and resentment, emotions that fueled his desire to see the Strong family destroyed.

“That old man Jarek Strong…” he muttered to himself, his lips twisted into a sneer of contempt. “I will make him beg for his life.”

He hated him deeply. Despite his attempts to deceive him, Jarek had seen through his facade from the very beginning.

His excellent performance in front of Natalia Strong had been for nothing. That old man seemed to have a damned X-ray machine instead of eyes, effortlessly exposing his intentions.

“Natalia…” he spat the name as if it were poison. “A stupid daddy’s girl who never knew how to please me.”

He remembered with disdain the time he spent pretending to be part of that damned happy family.

The brats, the woman… everything had been an exhausting charade. But now, his hatred was a fire that consumed him, and he wouldn’t rest until old man Jarek begged for mercy.

“Your time is running out, you old bastard,” he whispered with a sinister smile. “Your days are numbered.”