CHAPTER 123
Simon grinned triumphantly, "Come on, Arianna. Be reasonable and hand over the one million. You can go your way, and we'll take good care of Charlie. No need for you to worry about him."
His tone turned menacing, "Or else, I'll forget I ever had kids and let my boys rough you both up until you're nothing but a bloody mess!"
To him, their lives—his daughter Arianna's and his son Charlie's—were worth less than ants. He had no qualms about threatening them with violence.
Arianna curled her lips into a half-smile, but her eyes betrayed no fear. She remained remarkably composed. She lifted her gaze to meet Simon's and spoke calmly,
"Do you honestly believe I would come alone to strike a deal with you?"
She clapped her hands sharply.
Instantly, over a dozen hefty men stormed into the room, encircling her parents.
The sudden arrival left Simon and Margaret momentarily dumbfounded. They had never imagined Arianna would command such a formidable force of bodyguards.
Simon, seasoned by years of deceit and intrigue, couldn't help but question, "Why the need for bodyguards?"
Arianna reacted with a mocking laugh, finding her father's question amusing.
"Come on, Dad, you should know by now how well my life turned out after marrying my wealthy husband. Let me clarify. It was my husband who generously provided this one million. And these bodyguards? They're here on his orders to ensure my safety."
She paused, emphasizing her next words deliberately. Rising from her seat, she approached Simon slowly, locking eyes with him. Her voice was steady but laced with an edge of warning.
"My husband is waiting for me right now. If Charlie and I aren't safely out of here in the next five minutes, he won't hesitate to come himself. And trust me, you won't want that."
Simon narrowed his eyes, studying Arianna intently to discern whether she was bluffing or telling the truth. Arianna remained composed and allowed him to scrutinize her, her demeanor unwaveringly calm and confident.
After a tense half-minute of silence, Simon couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in his heart. Arianna's demeanor gave away nothing, leaving him uncertain and uneasy.
Despite the presence of Arianna's dozen bodyguards, Simon held firm in his belief. They were on his turf, the Johnsons residence. He doubted Arianna could easily whisk away Charlie, especially considering his fragile health.
However, if Arianna truly had the backing of her wealthy husband, Simon dared not risk crossing her.
The identity of Arianna's husband remained shrouded in mystery despite Simon's attempts to uncover it. His investigators had mysteriously vanished without a trace, unable to gather any useful information.
Simon couldn't shake the unsettling rumors he'd heard about Arianna's husband. Whispers described him as having a volatile temper, a twisted mindset, and a penchant for ruthlessness.
Rumor had it that he enjoyed inflicting bodily harm, particularly breaking limbs—a reputation that struck fear into anyone who dared to oppose him.
That unknown fear sent a chill down Simon’s spine.
Arianna continued to observe Simon closely, taking in every flicker of emotion that crossed his face. Seeing his hesitation, she spoke up again, her voice laced with a deceptive sweetness.
“Just one more minute, Dad.”
To Simon, her words felt like a death sentence looming over him.
Despite his reluctance to relinquish control over Charlie, Simon clenched his teeth and hesitated.
Arianna refused to give him any room to maneuver. “Thirty seconds left,” she announced calmly.
“Ten seconds.
“Nine, eight, seven…”
Cold beads of sweat trickled down Simon’s forehead incessantly.
Arianna fixed her gaze on him, pulled her cell phone out of her bag, and dangled it in front of Simon as she began counting down.
“Three, two…”
“I’ll sign it!” Simon blurted out, unable to maintain his composure any longer.
As reluctant as he was to part with his cash cow, he was even more reluctant to risk losing his life. Money was of no use to the dead!
Arianna allowed a faint smile to play on her lips.
Simon picked up the pen, his hand trembling slightly as he scrawled his signature on the document.
Once Arianna confirmed everything was in order, she neatly stowed away the papers, walked over to Charlie, and gently took hold of his arm.
“Let’s go, Charlie.”
Charlie glanced unconsciously at Simon and Margaret, only to see them rushing towards the one million dollars inside the leather suitcase, completely ignoring him.
Arianna held Charlie’s hand firmly and said, “Let’s go.”
Her touch was as cold as his, lacking warmth. Yet, to Charlie, her hand felt like the warmest in the world.
Charlie looked up at Arianna and nodded eagerly. “Yes, let’s get out of here.”
Together, they lifted their feet and walked towards the door without casting a single glance backward.
The ten or so imposing men faced off against Simon’s bodyguards as they retreated behind Arianna and Charlie.
Stepping out of the Johnson residence, Arianna swiftly guided Charlie into the waiting car parked by the door. She instructed the driver urgently, “Let’s go, quickly!”
The driver wasted no time, slamming the accelerator and speeding away.
Arianna couldn’t help but release a long sigh of relief as she sank back into her seat.
Charlie sensed her unease and couldn’t help but ask,
“Arianna, why do you seem... scared? Your husband is protecting us. Dad—” He hesitated, unwilling to use that term for Simon and Margaret any longer.
"They're scared of him now. They won't dare to do anything to us again."
