Love Me Or I Die

CHAPTER 14

“Relax. I won’t commit suicide.” Lucia struggled out of his grasp, and so he loosened his hold. She picked up the rag and continued to wipe the other windows. “I won’t die. If I die, you have no one to exact your revenge with.” She said it with indifference lacing her voice as if she was resigned to her fate. She was mocking someone else and yet hurting herself at the same time.

She couldn’t deny that what he felt for her was hate. Nothing further.

“Enough!” he growled as he put his hands down. “Do you find joy in going against me? Have you never thought of begging me?” This woman really had a stubborn streak about her. Why can’t she beg him? Why?

“Beg you?” Lucia could only smile. It was such a half-hearted effort that the corners of her lips curled weakly. “Have you forgotten? I tried begging you but you never relented. So, why should I? For what?”

She turned around and left him with a view of her back.

Beg, would it do any good?

Beg, would he have let her off?

Daniel's eyes turned a few shades darker as if someone had taken all the light out of them—it was scary and infinite.

“That’s enough, Lucia.” He repeated and then closed his eyes. When they opened once more, he had calmed his emotions. The moment he saw Sally, who had cowered at the side, he stopped in his tracks and issued her a cold and hard warning. “If you ever let her do these chores in the future, I will skin you alive.”

Sally nodded, dumbfounded as she thought to herself, “I thought you said to let her do everything? How come she does not have to do anything now?”

Lucia simply lowered her head slightly as she put both her hands on her stomach. Through the full-length windows, she could see the man leaving followed by the departure of a black sedan.

She stood there for a long time, like a mannequin with a porcelain white face. No matter how much sunlight fell, it would not warm up.

She had locked herself in the bedroom again. What was she supposed to do if she was not a maid?

…

The CEO’s office was located on the eighteenth floor of the Daniel's Enterprise. A woman in a state of nakedness dashed out.

A man with almond-shaped eyes gave a loud whistle. That woman had great assets on her body. There were many big-breasted women in his cousin’s company. Even if he could not touch them, it was still a blessing to be able to see them every day.

He walked into the room with big strides, carrying a stack of documents. He pushed the door opened. Anyway, he did not have to bother with knocking because the boss of that place was coincidentally his biological cousin.

“Documents.” He dumped the stack of documents on the table, ignoring the looks that could kill on Daniel’s face.

“Justin, don’t you know how to knock?” A cold and hard voice came out of Daniel’s mouth. It was cold enough to kill someone, and hard like cement.

“I know. I know. I will remember to knock next time followed by ‘Mr. CEO, may I come in?’” He reached his hand up and ran his fingers through his hair. Then his expression turned serious with a change of tone. “Brother, is everything alright with you and that woman?”

He sat down. That woman was, of course, Lucia.

“None of your business,” Daniel said without looking up.

Justin stopped smiling. “Brother, haven’t you noticed? Ever since Sophia died, you have changed. It became more evident after you married Lucia.”

“Did I?” Daniel remained buried in work. He did not even bother to look up.

“How could it not be?” Justin grabbed a bunch of his hair. He said his piece on the matter. “Mr. Brother, no one knew what really happened. You can’t just pin it on Lucia and seriously think she was the culprit.” His voice lowered into a whisper as he said it, all because a sharp and chilly look was targeted at him.

And so it goes. Every time he mentioned Sophia, his cousin acted as though someone bit him. He’ll keep going at that person until he draws blood to satisfy himself.

Daniel opened the drawer and took out a packet of cigarette. He lit one and put it between his lips. His tone was light but could immensely pressure anyone.

“Justin, this is my final warning to you. Do not say that name in my presence ever again. Otherwise, I will not let you off. It doesn’t matter if you are my cousin.”

With this warning, Justin nodded his head with a firm resolve. He had, in fact, more to say. “Please don’t take things too far. You might regret it once you realized she had nothing to do with that matter. When that day comes, it will be too late for you to repent.”

But he seemed to forget that Daniel had always been ruthless. He would never leave his enemy with a way out. Moreover, to the one he hates.

Daniel hurled the documents in his hands after putting out the cigarette. Then he picked up his jacket, which was by the side and walked out. He left a dumbfounded Justin staring at his back.

“Indeed ruthless. Not even a goodbye from him.” Justin pouted and grumble for a long while.

In the end, he resigned himself from the matter and walked out. It was without a doubt that the place was cold given that his cousin was practically a walking no-fun fridge. He wondered what quality he had that women found attractive.

…

Daniel stopped his car and walked into a twenty-four-hour operating bar. There was nothing much going on inside. However, there was a feeling of pressure. People who patronized the place were all famous socialites. The price there was definitely not economical, too.

“Give me a glass of white rum.” He sat at the side of the bar counter. He ordered his usual drink. There was a man sitting beside him. He had a tall frame and had a transparent wineglass filled with blue wine in his hand.

The wine had an odd color. No one knew what it was called and from the scent, the alcohol content had to be high.

“Do you know what to do to make a woman feel worse than death?” The man abruptly turned and looked at him. “Do you know how to make her fall so hard that she will never get back to her feet again?”

There was a slight smile on Daniel’s thin lips. “You hate her? A woman?”

The man downed his drink in his wineglass. “Yes, I hate her. Her infatuation cost me the love of my life. Which is why I want her to suffer and have a life worse than death.”

“Is that so?” Daniel sneered. “Congratulations, so did I.” He stretched his hand out to the man who was absolutely stunned. Like him, he was handsome and there was an unspeakable aloofness about him. They had found each other through having the same kind of hatred and grievance towards a woman.

“Let her love you until there is no way for her to stay alive without you. Let her stand high up and give her more. Finally, a fall that will shatter her everything until there’s nothing left for her. It will not be enough to physically hurt her. You need to destroy her soul, her everything. Her whole life.”

“You hate her that much?” The man ordered another glass of wine. His shadow overcast in his wine and it crashed against the glass when he started swirling.

“Of course.”

Daniel lifted his wineglass and his sneer got colder.

He had always been a cold-blooded man—now and forevermore.

“My name is Mark. It is a pleasure to know you.” The man stretched his own hand out.

“Daniel.” Both hands shook tightly, and both eyes contained cruelty and ruthlessness—something familiar to them both. At that instance, they became demons, ready to tear their preys apart.

However, no one knew that the next time they would meet, they would realize that actually…

“It’s my treat this time.” The guy turned back and drank a few cups of alcohol. Daniel said a word of thanks, but he still took some money from his wallet and placed it on the counter.

The man swept up the notes on the table and smiled. The smile was that of an angel but was dark like that of a demon.

Yes, the best way to destroy a woman is not through her body, nor through her heart, but her soul.

He gulped down another cup of alcohol. He wasn’t drunk; rather, he was sobering up.

Daniel walked out and stood outside the building. Bright colors from the bar had illuminated him. His sullen face showed an unfathomable expression as always.

“Lucia, there is no way you’ll stop loving me. For if you do, how can we continue playing?”

He smiled, but his eyes flashed with an undescribable iciness.

Lucia sat up when she heard the door slam shut. She looked at the western-style clock hanging on the wall. It was already past midnight. She had been sleeping for so long. The door opened, and the first thing she saw was a pair of legs belonging to a man and a pair of well-polished branded leather shoes from Italy.

A pair of long, lean legs clad in a tuxedo followed after. It was a perfect mix of beauty and strength.

She delicately looked up, her eyes stopping at his legs. She didn’t need to look at his face to know what his expression was for he never showed her any pleasant expressions.

“Why? Now you don’t even want to glance at me?” The man’s voice grew closer, and she just blinked helplessly. It wasn’t as if she did not want to look at him. Instead, she was just scared that she might not have the strength to go on anymore.

“I’ll go fill the bathtub for you.” She turned around and passed him, as if escaping, but Daniel grabbed her extremely thin arm. The moment he placed his hand on her, he felt that she had lost weight again. Was there no one in the house to make food for her, or is she trying to starve herself?

The two of them froze in their steps, neither willing to speak first.

Lucia struggled weakly. “Can you please let go of me?” She pleaded. She didn’t want to fight with him for she knew what harm would come her way if she did so. She had to be strong for her to go on.

How much more helpless voice and silence does she need before it’s enough?

He lifted her chin while she slightly lowered her eyes. She still could not clearly see the emotions in the eyes of the man in front of her.

His world was too complicated. He was too complicated. She was unable to see clearly. She was a blank paper, but he was looking at her through a colored lens.

“Have you become skinnier?” His hand gently caressed her face as the words thoughtlessly escaped his lips.

“Do you even care?” She released a bitter laugh, her pale face having lost more than just her smile.

Daniel’s eyes darkened. Her self-hatred made him fairly uncomfortable. Where did her temper go? Where did her usual gaze of admiration go?

What did she do to the Lucia he knew?

He finally released her arm. Lucia turned around again, it etched an unspeakable sadness in her eyes.

She had only taken a few steps before a pair of steel-like arms wound around her waist tightly from the back.