Chapter503 Hunter's Comeuppance
Upon seeing Charlotte, Hunter's pupils widened in shock, his mouth forming silent pleas as if he had much to say, yet not a single word could escape. Terror filled his eyes.
Charlotte sat down beside the bed, tenderly stroking his face repeatedly with a mix of affection and reluctance.
Hunter felt nauseous and wanted to escape, but he was utterly immobile.
Charlotte cackled, her laughter sharp and piercing as if it was from a banshee being choked.
"Are you wondering, 'Weren't you dead? How can you still be alive?'" she asked.
Hunter grew more frantic, squirming relentlessly.
Charlotte wanted to laugh, but extensive burns prevented her from making expressive facial movements. Even a slight twitch rendered her appearance grotesque.
She caressed his face and murmured to herself, "Do you know how long I've schemed for this day?"
Hunter couldn’t speak.
Charlotte continued talking to herself. "I loved you so much. I never demanded you love me as you did Patricia. I would've been satisfied with just a sliver of affection you had for her. I didn't need a title; being by your side was enough. If you only visited me once a week, that would've fulfilled me."
She paused for a moment, then resumed her monologue. "I've been this lowly for you. Yet you..."
Her emotions surged suddenly, and with a swift motion, she slapped Hunter across the face. There was a sharp, resounding snap.
Seeing the red mark bloom on Hunter's cheek, Charlotte's heart twisted with regret, and she reached out to caress the spot tenderly. "D-Did that hurt? I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to do it. I was just so angry, I couldn't control myself. You're not mad at me, are you?"
A foolish smile spread across her face.
Hunter finally realized something was off with her; the alarm in his eyes deepened.
Charlotte cupped his face and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
Hunter was so repulsed he felt like retching, but he was trapped—unable to dodge or to vomit, he could only endure it.
Charlotte leaned her forehead against his, her mental state deteriorating as she murmured, "I've waited so long, and now we can finally be together. From now on, we'll never be apart. Even if you try to run, you'll never escape."
Hunter's eyes darted around, desperately wanting to speak but unable to find the words.
As Charlotte laughed, tears began to stream down her face. Madness tinged her features. "I loved you so much, yet you killed me twice! I turned my back on everyone for you and gave up everything! But you didn't hesitate to drive the knife into me. Just a month ago, you tried to have me killed! Heh, but I was prepared. The woman you had killed was just a body double. From the moment I used Patricia to blackmail you into marrying me, I knew you would try to kill me again."
Hunter stared at Charlotte in disbelief, unable to fathom the depths of her cunning master plan.
Charlotte continued, "I bribed Isabella to switch the babies, a deception you’re probably unaware of. You thought the children you killed were Patricia's, but they were stand-ins I paid for. Funny, isn't it?"
If looks could kill, the venom in Hunter's eyes would have pierced Charlotte through the heart.
She alternated between tears and laughter, no longer able to distinguish whether she was crying or laughing. "Are you wondering why I did all this? It was for today! Initially, I planned to use this revelation as leverage to get back into your life.
"But then I changed my mind. As long as Patricia is around, I knew I'd never have a place in your heart. If I killed Patricia, you'd hunt me to the ends of the earth to get your revenge. Instead, I'd use another method to keep you tied to me forever! Even if I can’t capture your heart, I'll settle for keeping you by my side.”
Over the past few months, she had kept the child close at hand. After scrapping her original plan to use the child as leverage in a trade with Hunter, she moved on to a new scheme.
First, she deliberately leaked news about Isabella, luring Martin right into her trap. Then she silenced Isabella once and for all and set an ambush near Isabella’s home. Upon Martin and Carter's arrival, she mercilessly finished them without hesitation.
Once Martin was dead, she'd pin the blame on Hunter. Patricia would surely despise Hunter with every fiber of her being.
Hunter loved Patricia so dearly. Initially, he might be wary, but his guard was bound to slip over time.
Next, she’d bribe the two young maids at Hawthorn Hill to hint to Patricia about using cyanide to poison Hunter. Patricia, being a doctor, was well-versed in the effects of cyanide. She might not have considered it before, but a suggestive nudge was all it would take to steer her thoughts.
Sure enough, Patricia did exactly that after overhearing the maids’ 'accidental' conversation. A large dose of cyanide could be fatal. With a smaller dose, one would end up like Hunter, bedridden for life, unable to leave her side.
It's such a brilliantly masterful plan. She couldn't help but applaud her ingenuity.
Maybe it was the rage or the overwhelming emotions that spurred him, Hunter managed to push out two strained words. “You’re... crazy...”
Charlotte shrugged it off with increasing lunacy in her laughter. “Yes... Crazy. I went completely crazy the moment you stabbed me...”
Luckily, she had mustered the strength to crawl out of the flames. Despite not having a single patch of unscathed skin left on her body, she had miraculously survived. From the moment she escaped death, she swore to stop at nothing to have Hunter.
Hunter shuddered violently. It was unclear whether the medication or fury caused this reaction.
Meanwhile, Charlotte was in high spirits, surveying the room triumphantly. It was her domain now, and she and Hunter would never part. What bliss.
Hunter fixed a cold, nasty stare on her.
After leaving Hawthorn Hill, Patricia couldn't wait to purchase the earliest flight back to Ivara City. God knows how she longed to sprout wings and fly back to her children.
During the long hours on the plane, she didn't sleep at all, just gazed out the window amid a tangle of thoughts, as if knotted ropes cluttered her mind.
After landing, Patricia freshened up in the airport restroom with cold water, ensuring she didn’t look too terrible, before hailing a taxi straight home.
The moment she pushed open the front door, she froze.
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