Chapter 604 Buyout
Michael stood frozen in place.
"So, that's it then." Emma bent down to pick up the scattered agreement and held it out to him. "This is all I can offer you."
Michael didn't take it. He looked down at this stubborn woman and suddenly noticed a strand of gray hair at Emma's temple, which had appeared after Seraphine left.
He reached out to touch it but stopped midway.
Michael stared at the agreement in front of him, the edges slightly crumpled from Emma's grip. He suddenly found it laughable... Did she really think money could sever everything between them?
"You think this will make us even?" His voice was hoarse, like it had been scraped with sandpaper.
Emma's hand trembled slightly, but she stubbornly didn't withdraw it. "At least it will give me peace of mind."
Peace of mind?
Michael suddenly laughed, a chilling sound. He snatched the agreement, the paper rustling in his grasp.
"Fine, I'll take it." He stared into her eyes, enunciating each word. "As you wish."
Michael turned and walked away, his leather shoes thudding against the floor, each step like a blow to Emma's heart. The door slammed shut, causing the glass in the room to tremble slightly.
Emma stood there, the agreement now gone from her hand, but she felt as if her heart had been taken along with it.
Michael sped back to the office, the gas pedal pressed to the floor, the scenery outside the window blurring into a haze. His knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel, his chest felt like it was being crushed by a boulder, suffocating him.
"Mr. Russell." His secretary approached cautiously, seeing his dark expression.
"Get out!"
Michael shoved open the office door and slammed the agreement onto the desk. The pages were scattered everywhere, but he didn't even glance at them. He grabbed the whiskey bottle on the desk and took a long swig.
The alcohol burned his throat, but couldn't extinguish the fire in his heart.
How dare Emma? How dare she try to end everything this way?
He hurled the bottle at the wall, glass shards flying, the liquid slowly trickling down, reminiscent of the blood that had seeped from Emma's shoulder that day.
Celeste received the call while she was helping Zachary's mother arrange flowers.
"Mr. Russell is drunk?" She frowned, listening to the secretary's anxious voice. "Alright, I'm on my way."
Celeste quickly paid the bill and hurried to Auris Group with a bouquet of white lilies. Ever since Emma got hurt, Michael hadn't been himself. She had noticed but felt powerless to help.
Opening the office door, the strong smell of alcohol hit her. Celeste's heart clenched. Michael was slumped by the sofa, his tie loose, eyes bloodshot, surrounded by shattered glass.
"What are you doing here?" He looked up, his voice raspy.
Celeste didn't respond. She quietly placed the lilies aside and knelt to clean up the glass shards.
"Leave it." Michael suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Have a drink with me."
"You've had too much." Celeste tried to pull her hand back, but his grip tightened.
"So, you finally decided to see me? Got braver after being away? Now you want to control me, too?" He sneered, anger boiling in his eyes. "Emma doesn't want me, and now you want to leave too? Celeste, remember your place! What right do you have to leave? You're just the dog I raised!"
Celeste froze.
She knew Michael was drunk, knew he was talking nonsense, but it still felt like a knife to her heart.
"I'm not leaving," she said softly, trying to calm him. "Please, let go of my hand."
Michael stared at her for a few seconds, then laughed bitterly. "You're all the same, hiding things while pretending everything's fine."
His grip tightened unconsciously, making Celeste wince in pain, but she didn't make a sound.
"Michael, you're hurting me," she finally couldn't bear it and struggled.
The struggle seemed to trigger something in Michael. He yanked her closer, the distance between them shrinking abruptly. Celeste hadn't even reacted when her back hit the edge of the desk, a dull pain radiating from her waist.
She gasped, her face turning pale.
"Stop pretending," Michael sneered, the alcohol burning his eyes, blurring Celeste's pained expression.
Celeste bit her lip hard, pressing her hand against her abdomen, the sharp pain making her vision darken. She could feel warm liquid running down her leg, but she didn't have the strength to stand.
"Michael," her voice trembled, reaching out to grab his sleeve. "Help me."
"Help you?" Michael shook off her hand, his tone mocking. "You always endure everything, why ask for help now?"
Celeste's fingers froze in mid-air, tears streaming down her face. It wasn't from feeling wronged, it was the pain, the unbearable pain, like someone was twisting a knife inside her, making it hard to breathe.
At that moment, the office door was flung open.
"Michael! What are you doing?"
Zachary rushed in, immediately spotting Celeste curled up on the floor. His mind went blank, andhe ran over and scooped her up.
"Celeste?"
Celeste was in too much pain to speak, she clung to Zachary's shirt, her nails digging into his skin.
Zachary looked up, glaring at Michael. "What did you do to her?"
Michael sobered up instantly. "I..."
"Get out of the way!" Zachary shoved him aside, carrying Celeste out. "Hang in there, Celeste, we're going to the hospital!"
The ambulance siren pierced the night.
Celeste lay on the stretcher, her consciousness fading. She could feel Zachary holding her hand, hear him reassuring her, "It's going to be okay, everything will be okay," but the pain in her abdomen made her shiver.
"My baby," she murmured, barely aware.
Zachary's eyes reddened. "Don't worry, the doctors are coming, you and the baby will be fine."
But when Celeste was wheeled into the emergency room, the doctor came out with a grave expression, shaking his head. "We couldn't save the baby. Please sign the consent form for the surgery."
Zachary punched the wall, his knuckles bleeding instantly.
The surgical light was blinding.
Celeste lay in the hospital bed, the anesthesia still wearing off, her mind foggy. She instinctively touched her flat abdomen, where a tiny life had once been, now gone.
Silent tears streamed down her face, she didn't even have the strength to wipe them away.
"Celeste," Zachary sat by her bed, his voice hoarse. "Should we tell Michael?"
Celeste shook her head vigorously, the movement pulling at her wound, making her gasp in pain. "Don't tell him."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
