Chapter 398 An Outlet
The tall man, with his chiseled features and refined profile, exuded a gentle elegance in his white casual suit. His friendly smile was a striking counterpoint to Gregory's aloofness.
Gregory, standing about five meters away, locked eyes with him.
Tom obviously noticed him too and gave him a harmless smile. "Mr. White, long time no see."
Gregory glanced at him indifferently and quickly looked away. "You went through all this trouble just to make me come to you, didn't you?"
"That's not quite right. I just wanted to add a bit of fun to this game." Tom stared intently at his face, not wanting to miss any change in his expression.
However, Gregory remained expressionless, with no hint of emotion in his eyes. "You succeeded. Now, tell me, what do you want?"
Tom paused, turning to Alan, who quickly responded, sensing the tension, "I have other guests to attend to. You two talk."
With that, as if afraid of being caught in the crossfire, he quickly left.
Tom took a couple of steps forward and stopped just two steps away from Gregory, smiling. "This isn't the place to talk. Follow me."
He ascended without a backward glance. Gregory trailed him to the balcony, where Tom casually lit a cigarette. "Want one?"
Gregory shook his head. "No, thanks. There's no one else here. Can you talk now?"
Tom took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke, which blurred his face in the air. "Talk about what?"
Gregory sneered. "Stop pretending. Didn't you deliberately make me come to you? I want to know what exactly you want."
Tom looked up at the sky, seemingly lost in some memory. "Do you know how I've lived these past years?"
Gregory frowned slightly. "I don't want to know."
Despite the cold response, Tom didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled. "Sometimes I envy you. You were born with everything, never having to fight for a bite of food."
"So?" Gregory looked at him. "This path was chosen by you and your mother. You should bear all the consequences and costs, shouldn't you?"
Years ago, Tom's mother took the money and agreed to leave the White family and George. However, the money was swindled away, leaving them homeless, despite the White family's best efforts.
Tom was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Yes, my mother was too stupid. If she had known what would happen, we should have stayed with the White family forever."
As he laughed, Tom's eyes watered, and he glared at Gregory. "All these years, haven't you felt any guilt?"
Gregory was the one responsible for his mother's death.
Facing his questioning, Gregory's expression didn't change at all. "Your mother brought it upon herself. If she hadn't died that day, it would have been me."
Gregory was never soft-hearted. Years ago, Tom's mother kidnapped him and Abigail, held a knife to their throats, and spitefully stabbed him, leaving him in a prolonged coma. Reflecting on the lost decade, Gregory burned with a fierce desire for retribution.
Listening to this, Tom's grip on the railing tightened, veins bulging on the back of his hand. "She was my mother, Gregory. Do you know what kind of life I've lived these past ten years?"
Gregory lifted his eyelids and said slowly, "I know what you want to say, but if I had to do it all over again, I would still make the same choice. You want to avenge your mother, that's understandable. But if you dare to target Abigail, I won't let you off. Take care of yourself."
With a cold glance, he turned and left without looking back. As he departed, Tom pounded the railing, which cracked under the force.
After the party, Gregory returned home around ten at night.
He didn't go to the bedroom immediately but first took a shower in the guest room to wash off the smell of alcohol before putting on a bathrobe and returning to the room.
Abigail was leaning against the headboard, reading a magazine. When she saw him return, her eyes lit up. "You're finally back. I was about to fall asleep."
Since becoming pregnant, she had been increasingly sleepy.
Gregory sat down on the bed and pulled her into his arms. "I only had one drink tonight. Wasn't I good?"
Abigail cupped his face and kissed his thin lips. "Let me smell and see if you're lying!"
Just as she was about to pull away, Gregory seized the back of her head and kissed her, parting her lips to savor her sweetness. "See, I wasn't lying."
Abigail glared at him. "You brushed your teeth. The evidence is gone. Who knows if you're lying?"
Gregory held her and leaned against the headboard. "What do you want to do, cut open my stomach and check?"
Abigail chuckled. "I'm not that bored."
After some playful banter, Abigail suddenly looked up and asked, "By the way, did you see Tom today?"
"Yes."
"What did you talk about? What does Tom want?" Just thinking about someone secretly watching their lives made Abigail uncomfortable.
Gregory patted her back reassuringly. "He just wants to avenge his mother. Or maybe, after all these hard years, he needs a way to vent."
He had some sympathy for Tom but would not tolerate him without limits.
Even with a faint blood relation, he would not show mercy.
Abigail leaned against Gregory, not saying anything.
After a long silence, Gregory looked down at her. "What are you thinking?"
Abigail slowly raised her head, her tone full of emotion. "I was just wondering what kind of experiences could turn Tom into who he is now."
So, what exactly happened in those ten years?
"Stop thinking about it. Go to sleep." Gregory gently smoothed her furrowed brow, held her, and turned off the light.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
