Chapter 92: Rebecca's Arrest?

Rebecca watched Johnny with an inquisitive look as he paced back and forth, still packing his escape bag. There was something about his posture that seemed different, a mix of frustration and longing, and that intrigued her.

“Are you crying? It’s just a house and when we win this war we’ll come back triumphant.”

“I’m not crying, just remembering.”

‘Remembering what?’

“Did you know that Bella got pregnant when we were married for 3 years?”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that part of your story with Bella? You hate her so much, but it really seemed like something was holding you back.” Rebecca asked, crossing her arms.

Johnny let out a heavy sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed. He rubbed his face with his hands before looking at Rebecca.

“Do you really want to know?”

“I have nothing better to do while we wait for your subordinate to say we can go, so yes, tell me.” Rebecca replied sarcastically, but her curiosity was evident.

Johnny took a deep breath, as if he were diving into memories he'd rather forget.

“When Bella and I completed three years of marriage, she got pregnant. It was unexpected, but...” He paused, a slight melancholic smile appearing on his lips. “I was happy. For the first time, it seemed like something in our marriage made sense.”

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. “You, happy to be a father? Sorry, but that's hard to imagine.”

Johnny ignored the comment and continued. “Everything seemed fine until the birthday of a friend of ours, Chloe, the one who was with me earlier today. Bella and I went to the party together. She was beautiful, radiant... But I... I drank too much. And you don't even know what I was like back then... An impulsive, womanizing idiot.”

“It hasn't changed much since then, in fact, it's only gotten worse, right Johnny?” Rebecca teased, but her tone was more serious.

He ignored her again. “Bella looked for me at the party and found me in one of the rooms... with another woman. I still remember the look she gave me.” Rebecca’s eyes widened in surprise. “You cheated on your pregnant wife? You’re worse than I thought.” She shook her head. “I was drunk! I’m not excusing it, but it was a mistake. And I tried to apologize, but… Bella didn’t believe me. Why would she? My fame has always been my worst enemy.” 

“Let me guess. She made a scene?” Johnny shook his head, visibly uncomfortable. “It was worse. We went home and fought like never before. She was furious, yelling at me, telling me our marriage was nothing but a lie. And then… She started to feel sick.” Rebecca leaned forward, interested. “And what happened next?” “She passed out and suddenly there was blood running down her legs. I rushed to the hospital as fast as I could, but it was too late. We lost the baby.” Johnny’s voice wavered, and he looked away, as if trying to hide the pain that still haunted him. For a moment, Rebecca didn’t know what to say. There was something in his expression that made her realize that this memory affected him deeply.

“After that, everything changed between us. Bella couldn’t even look at me properly, we still had a few intimate encounters, but very few and nothing compared to before when she still wanted it to work. And I… Well, we kept up appearances because of the agreement between our families, but the real relationship died there that night.” Rebecca narrowed her eyes, clearly skeptical. “If you were so unhappy, why didn’t she file for divorce?” Johnny smiled bitterly. “Because keeping up appearances is everything in this world, Rebecca. The marriage was an agreement not to weaken the Hahn family, and Bella didn’t want her name to be tarnished. So we lived as best we could under the same roof. It was easier that way, and that’s when I agreed to participate in my father’s plan.”

“You’re a walking disaster, you know that?” Rebecca commented, crossing her arms again. “And now, with everything that’s happening, do you really think you’ll be able to come out on top?”

Johnny stared at her, his gaze hardening. “Don’t underestimate my ability, Rebecca. I may have lost a lot of things, but I haven’t lost my ability to fight for what’s mine. Bella will pay for all of this, and so will DK.”

“I hope so. Because so far, it seems like they’re always one step ahead of you.”

Johnny didn’t answer. He just stood up and walked to the window, observing the horizon as if looking for a solution to the chaos he himself helped create.

The silence was broken by Taylor arriving in the room, announcing that everything was ready for the escape that Johnny and Rebecca called a strategic retreat.

“Take my bags and send the employees to go first, when the house is empty I’ll go.”

“But boss, what if they get here first?”

“What are you and the other subordinates for, Taylor?”

“Your new girlfriend’s brilliant idea has considerably reduced the number of subordinates.”

“Listen here, you brute, be careful how you talk about me.”

“You think you’re so smart. But you’re nothing but a poor thing.”

Rebecca finds a glass on the table next to the bed and throws it at the wall. The sound of the glass shattering echoes like a muffled scream of frustration. Taylor glares at her:

“You’ve completely lost your mind, Rebecca! This invasion was your idea, and look where we are now! Men dead, resources wasted, and our enemies stronger than ever!” he repeated with more emphasis, each word full of accusation.

Rebecca crossed her arms, maintaining her defiant posture. “Oh, of course! Put all the blame on me, Taylor. You didn’t complain when you agreed to the plan, or when you stood in the shadows, hoping to reap the rewards of victory!”

Taylor took a step forward, his eyes flashing with anger. "I expected you to know what you were doing! But no, your arrogance has sunk us deeper than any mistake we've ever made before!" Before Rebecca could retort, Johnny's authoritative voice cut through the air like a blade:

"ENOUGH! You two shut up now!" They both turned to him, surprised by the outburst of anger. Johnny, standing by the window, rubbed his temples as if fighting an unbearable headache.

"We don't have time for childish squabbles. We're surrounded by enemies and you're acting like amateurs!" Rebecca, without backing down, crossed her arms again and blurted out, dismissively: "This is no longer my problem. If you think you can solve everything on your own, good luck, Johnny. I'm out. From now on, you're on your own. I won't waste my time with this farce of an alliance anymore." She turned, determined to leave. But before he could reach the door, Taylor stepped in his way, blocking his exit. Rebecca stopped, staring at him in disbelief. 

"And what do you think you're doing? Get out of my way, Taylor." Before he could answer, Johnny intervened again, his voice now icy and dangerous: 

"Rebecca, you're not going anywhere. You're the one who asked for this alliance. You insisted on joining forces. And now, you're going to stay until the end, whether you like it or not." Rebecca huffed, trying to maintain her haughty posture, but it was impossible to ignore the implicit threat in Johnny's words. 

"And what happens if I refuse? Are you going to kill me, Johnny? Is that it?" Johnny approached slowly, each step he took making the atmosphere in the room grow more tense. When he stopped, his eyes fixed on Rebecca's, challenging her. 

"If someone dies here, we'll be together. If we lose, we'll go down together. But if we win, we'll celebrate together. You wanted this alliance, and now you're stuck with it."

Silence once again filled the room, filled with tension and defiant looks. Rebecca looked at Taylor, then at Johnny, and for a moment seemed to consider her options. Finally, she took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief and letting out a sarcastic smile. 

“I guess I don’t have a choice after all. But you know that losing is not an option for me.” Johnny didn’t answer, just turned back to the window, while Taylor sighed, relieved but still frustrated. The room remained silent, the atmosphere dense as a storm about to break. It was clear that the fragile alliance between them was hanging by a thread.