Chapter 197 Exhausting Means to Keep Her by His Side
Ethan had not anticipated Antonio's stubborn resistance, which ignited a fury within him so intense that his eyes seemed to blaze with a near-crimson hue. "If you refuse to release her, I will find a way to do so myself!" he declared.
However, his threats fell on deaf ears, leaving him powerless. Frustrated, he stomped his foot and stormed out of Antonio's room.
Antonio watched Ethan's retreating figure, acutely aware of the anger and disappointment radiating from him. His heart felt as though it was filled with damp cotton, cold and heavy. He dropped his gaze, his eyes clouded with a darkness that seemed to press down on him.
"Ethan, I apologize, but I cannot release her this time," Antonio thought to himself. "I cannot bear to see her willingly fall into another's embrace. Even if it requires every trick in the book, I must keep her close to me..."
Once Ethan exited Antonio's room, he found Harper anxiously pacing back and forth outside the door. As he approached, her face lit up with anticipation, her gaze darting past him in hopes that Antonio had agreed to release their mother.
"Ethan, where's Dad? Did he agree to let Mommy go?" she asked.
Seeing Harper's hopeful expression, Ethan pressed his lips together tightly. "He refused," he replied.
Harper's eyes widened in disbelief. "How could he? How could Dad treat Mommy like this..."
"Harper, listen to me," Ethan implored, placing his hands on her shoulders. "He's nothing more than a scoundrel. Don't let his facade fool you! If he can imprison Mommy today, who knows what he'll do tomorrow? I know you want us to be a family, but he'll only harm her. He doesn't deserve..."
Ethan had once tried to accept Bad Guy for Harper's sake, as long as he treated Mommy well. But now, he could no longer tolerate Antonio's actions. He had to make Harper see Antonio for who he truly was.
Harper's heart sank further at Ethan's words. "Why would Dad treat Mommy like this? He loves her, doesn't he?"
Seeing Harper's distressed expression, Ethan tried to comfort her. "Let's focus on finding a way to rescue Mommy for now," he suggested.
Harper nodded, sighing heavily like a weary adult.
Ryan, who had been silently observing from the sidelines, approached them. "Ethan, don't be so hasty. Perhaps there's a misunderstanding between them..."
However, before Ryan could finish his sentence, Ethan cut him off. "She's not your Mommy, so of course you're not worried!" he snapped, shoving Ryan away.
Ryan recoiled, a flicker of hurt flashing across his widened eyes. He stepped back, clutching his chest, and murmured, "But... I've considered your mother as my own for a long time..."
Ryan's voice was filled with emotion, but he was abruptly silenced by Ethan's harsh words.
Ethan faltered, realizing he had spoken out of turn. He opened his mouth to apologize, but instead, he simply took Harper's hand. "Let's go, Harper."
Seeing Ethan's displeased expression, Harper chose to remain silent, not wanting to exacerbate the already tense situation.
As they walked past Ryan, Harper cast him a worried look. Observing her continued concern, Ryan managed to muster a smile, motioning for her to relax. Once they had left, Ryan's fist clenched in determination. He turned around, deciding to knock on Antonio's door.
"Dad..." he called out softly, peeking into the room where Antonio sat in silence at the table.
"What's wrong?" Antonio asked, setting aside his work and lifting his gaze, his eyes momentarily losing their heaviness.
Ryan cautiously stepped into the room, his voice weak as he pleaded, "Dad, could you let Aunt Sarah go...?" Antonio merely stared at Ryan, his eyes dimmed, offering no response.
Seeing this, Ryan gently tugged at Antonio's hand, pleading, "Dad, there must be a misunderstanding between you two, right? But it's wrong to keep Aunt locked up..."
Misunderstanding...
The word hung in the air, immediately casting a deep, sorrowful shadow over Antonio's eyes. He remembered the heart-wrenching pain he felt when he first discovered Sarah's betrayal, as if his heart had been shattered into pieces. But could it really be a misunderstanding?
The back-to-back visits from his two children softened Antonio's heart slightly. After a while, he finally whispered, "Honey, you don't need to worry about this matter. Dad knows what to do."
Ryan nodded, his mind suddenly recalling something. "Oh, Dad, on my way back today, I saw Great Grandpa. He said we should visit the old house tomorrow..."
Antonio furrowed his brow, his silence lingering for a moment before he finally responded, "Alright."
...
Meanwhile, Ethan and Harper had been searching for a while before they finally found a piece of wire that was the right length and curvature. "When Bad Guy isn't home, we'll rescue Mommy and run away with her, never coming back!" Ethan declared, his mind made up.
Harper pouted, her gaze lingering on the familiar villa, her eyes filled with reluctance. But the thought of their mother eventually made her nod in agreement. Once their decision was made, Ethan immediately called his older brother, asking him to help prepare the plane tickets.
Across the ocean, Brian furrowed his brow. Ethan wouldn't ask him to buy plane tickets without a good reason. Could something have happened to Mommy?
Although he was puzzled, he quickly purchased the tickets and sent them to Ethan...
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