He Married My Parents' Killer, Then Regretted It

Chapter 6 Paying in Flesh

His expression had gone back to that cold, hard mask. His tone was flat, like he was talking about the weather. "You burned Beatrice. Don't you think you should pay some kind of price?"

A few seconds of dead silence passed before Cordelia's voice started shaking. "Why the hell should I... Adrian, you made me give skin grafts to that murderer, Beatrice, without even asking me!"

Adrian bit down on his cigarette, face icy, and cut her off. "When your parents wrecked Beatrice's legs, did anyone bother asking her first?"

His eyes were like knives, like he wanted to carve her up alive.

"I told you, Beatrice means everything to me. All she wanted was a wedding! And you? Stubborn as a damn mule. Not only did you scald her with boiling water, you even paid off that driver and told him to run her down!"

Cordelia was stunned speechless. She tore at her raw throat. "I didn't! I don't know any driver! Adrian, go check it yourself!"

She screamed with everything she had left, even forcing her battered body to try to swing her legs out of bed.

The sudden movement tore her wounds open again. Fresh blood soaked through the bandages.

In the haze of cigarette smoke, a flicker of something almost like hesitation crossed Adrian's eyes. He strode out of the room and told the nurse to give her a sedative shot.

As the cold liquid slid into her veins, Cordelia went limp on the mattress like all the fight had been sucked right out of her.

Adrian sat on the edge of the bed. He dipped a cotton swab in the cup of water and gently dabbed at her dry, cracked lips.

The soft way he was treating her left Cordelia dazed, like she had slipped back in time to the days when her parents were still alive.

Back then, if she got even a tiny scratch, he would frown with worry, pin her down on the couch, and carefully clean every inch of it.

Her parents used to tease him, laughing, "It looks like Adrian hurts more when Cordelia gets hurt than she does."

Adrian would grin and ruffle her hair. "Because Cordelia means the world to me. From now on, I'm here, and I won't let her get hurt again."

But now the wound in her heart was one he had cut himself, and the wounds on her body were his gift too.

She knew they could never go back.

He tossed the cotton swab into the trash, let out a heavy sigh, and his voice softened just a fraction. "Anyway, I already broke that driver's arms and legs and kicked him out of Aetheria City. Beatrice has suffered everything you owed her now, so I can let the driver thing go. But Cordelia, can you please stop causing trouble? Your parents might have gotten what they deserved, but they did help me once, and I promised them I'd take good care of you. As long as you let us finish the wedding without any more drama and let Beatrice have the baby, the spot as my wife will always belong to you and you alone."

Cordelia froze. So the rare moment of gentleness from him was just to keep her calm, to protect Beatrice and the baby in her belly.

Cordelia used every ounce of strength she had and smacked his hand away hard.

She gritted her teeth. "Get the hell out! The company is my parents' life's work—the only real thing they left behind. I'll never let that murderer, Beatrice, enjoy it for free! I'm going to find the evidence and make you two bastards pay!"

Adrian sucked in a deep breath, forcing his anger down. "Cordelia, you really are a crazy b***h! Looks like the last lesson wasn't enough! You can stay in this hospital by yourself for now. I won't let anyone come take care of you!"

Then he turned and walked out, slamming the door so hard the whole frame rattled.