Chapter 1410 Striving to Ignore the Unease in His Heart
Tessa clutched Lawrence's arm at that moment. "Lawrence, I knew you'd always take care of me. Maybe after tonight, I won't have nightmares anymore. Thank you."
She leaned into his embrace, her lips curled into a smile. Under the overhead lights, Selena could clearly see the triumph in her expression.
But it didn't matter anymore. If tonight was truly her end, Selena hoped she'd never have to see these two despicable people in her next life.
Two guards locked the cage, awaiting Lawrence's orders.
Lawrence hesitated.
He'd often questioned whether what he was doing was right.
But he had to protect his family, and Tessa was family. Selena would always be an outsider.
"Mr. Smith, should we take the boat to the middle of the river before dropping her in?" one guard asked.
Lawrence opened his mouth but couldn't give the command.
Seeing his hesitation, Tessa suddenly slumped backward, pretending to faint.
That was all it took for his resolve to harden.
"Drop her in!" he ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
The guards loaded the cage onto a small boat, planning to take it about a hundred feet from shore before dumping it. The water near the bank was too shallow; if they wanted her dead, she needed to be trapped in the deep riverbed forever.
As the boat drifted farther away, Lawrence felt his heart rising into his throat.
A wave of panic enveloped him completely.
He suddenly remembered what Jason had told him as a child:
"Tessa was fragile when she was born and suffered early in life. You need to be gentle with her, understand?"
"Father, what if Tessa does something wrong?"
"She's your family—she can never do wrong."
"But what if Richard or I do something wrong?"
"Then you'll be punished. As her older brothers, you should set an example."
This iron rule had been etched into Lawrence's bones, which was why he had unconditionally spoiled Tessa all those years.
No matter what trouble she caused, he always covered for her.
Even after discovering Tessa wasn't a Smith by blood, he couldn't bring himself to abandon her.
Besides, they hadn't uncovered the truth about Layla yet, had they? Perhaps someone really was trying to drive a wedge between Tessa and the Smith family.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to look at the boat.
When he turned his head, he caught Tessa smiling.
Her smile was impossible to hide. Despite her attempts to appear heartbroken, her true feelings were evident.
Tessa hadn't meant to reveal herself, but with Jason in a coma and Selena about to die, who could stop her from reclaiming her place at the Smith Villa?
No one!
She would continue living in wealth and power. Even when Lawrence eventually discovered Selena's true identity, Tessa could still play innocent.
After all, Lawrence had given the order himself—he had killed his own sister.
Tessa's smile grew wider until Lawrence asked, "Tessa, are you smiling?"
She knew she should restrain herself, but the joy in her eyes remained.
"Lawrence, I'm not. I just feel she's finally getting what she deserves. I begged her for help, and she looked at me with contempt, which led to all those men... Now she's getting exactly what she deserves."
This explanation satisfied Lawrence.
He patted her head, trying to ignore the uneasiness in his heart. "Yes, this is what she deserves. Let's go inside—it's windy out here, and your health is fragile."
As Tessa turned away, she nearly burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, forty minutes earlier, Steve had grown concerned when Selena didn't return. He frowned and decided to go downstairs to check on her himself.
But he didn't find her on the first floor. The entire level was eerily quiet.
Cora followed him down, no longer pretending. Her face was cold and indifferent.
"Mrs. Smith, what's going on?" Steve asked.
"Selena and Lawrence had a disagreement. Lawrence probably wanted to speak with her privately. We should end the evening here. Once they've finished talking, he'll bring her back."
Steve had spent enough time in Vistalia to have heard about Lawrence's methods. Lawrence was the CEO of a major company who'd received an elite education—surely he wouldn't harm a woman. Still, Steve couldn't help but worry.
So he called Raymond.
"Raymond, Lawrence has taken Selena, and I can't reach her."
Those words made Raymond immediately stand up. He didn't even want to hear what else Richard was saying. He grabbed his coat from nearby and headed downstairs.
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