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His eyes darted around the room, scanning for prying ears, as he leaned in and whispered in a hushed tone, "What are you saying? Are you trying to get us all killed?"
Another member of the team, his voice barely audible, his words filled with desperation, leaned closer to the person sitting beside him and spoke with a voice that seemed to quiver with trepidation. "But aren't we mere sitting ducks for the authorities? Won't they arrest us without a fighting chance?"
Their words hung in the air, as if daring to question the path they had chosen.
Fear gnawed at their resolve, threatening to paralyze their actions. The specter of imprisonment loomed before them, casting a shadow over their once-bold aspirations.
Nathaniel's gaze swept across his beleaguered team, their anxious faces reflecting a mixture of doubt and fear. He face contorted in anger seeing his subordinate getting scared.
His voice, infused with determination, cut through the heavy silence. "We may be in peril, but we will not cower. The authorities may be closing in, but we still possess the power to turn the tides."
A flicker of hope ignited within the hearts of his team members, their apprehension momentarily pushed aside by Nathaniel's resolute words.
The weight of their mission pressed heavily upon them, but Nathaniel's determination provided a glimmer of reassurance.
'I need to escape from this place, leaving these imbeciles to buy me some time,' Nathaniel thought, his mind racing with urgency and disdain for his underlings, whom he regarded as nothing more than disposable pawns.
With measured steps, he stealthily maneuvered through the room, his gaze fixed on the back door—the gateway to freedom.
However, just as Nathaniel neared the exit, a familiar voice cut through the air like a sharp blade. "Boss, where are you going?" Mara, Nathaniel's trusted assistant, appeared before him, confusion etched across her face.
She had caught him in his attempt to slip away unnoticed.
A jolt of alarm surged through Nathaniel, his heart pounding against his chest. He quickly composed himself, conjuring up an excuse in the nick of time.
"Ah, nowhere. I simply came outside to get some fresh air," he replied, his voice laced with a tinge of annoyance at being interrupted. The mask of composure settled back upon his face, concealing the nervousness that had threatened to expose his intentions.
"And why are you looking for me?" Nathaniel asked, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Mara, his anger seeping through his carefully crafted facade.
His frustration mounted as he realized that his plans had been jeopardized by her unexpected presence.
Mara, fidgeting with her phone, mustered the courage to deliver her unsettling news. "Oh, I received a phone call from one of my friends. She said that Vivienne Delacroix isn't in the hospital anymore. Apparently, she's been cured and is currently enjoying her time shopping," she relayed, her voice tinged with nervousness, acutely aware of Nathaniel's temper.
A surge of fury overcame Nathaniel as the words settled upon his ears. The expletives hurled through his mind as he cursed Vivienne and the despicable Sterling, whom he suspected of aiding her escape from his clutches. The unfairness of it all gnawed at him, like a festering wound in his soul.
"Where is she now?" Nathaniel demanded, his anger boiling over. He needed to know where Vivienne was, fueled by an uncontrollable surge of raw emotion.
His gaze bore into Mara's, the intensity of his fury radiating from his every pore.
Mara, visibly taken aback by Nathaniel's sudden outburst, stammered in her response. "She should be..." Her words trailed off, her mind frantically searching for an answer that would appease his wrath.
"Ring...Ring...!"
Then, in the midst of the charged atmosphere, the sound of Mara's phone broke through the silence with its insistent ringing.
Startled, she fumbled for her phone, her trembling hands struggling to answer the call.
"Who is it?" Nathaniel's voice cut through, his tone cold and commanding.
"It's my friend from earlier, the one who told me about Vivienne," Mara replied in a hushed voice, keeping her head low, afraid to meet Nathaniel's piercing gaze.
"Pick it up," Nathaniel commanded, his words laced with a chilling intensity.
Mara cautiously brought the phone to her ear, murmuring a hesitant, "Hello?" She spoke quietly, her conversation shrouded in secrecy as she exchanged words with her informant.
After a few tense minutes, she ended the call and hung up.
"Well? Any news on where that bitch might be?" Nathaniel's impatience and frustration seeped into his words.
"Y-yes, boss! She's at the Venus Theatre!" Mara replied, her voice quivering with fear.
Annoyed by the lack of specificity, Nathaniel's impatience seeped through his words, "Which one? There are countless theaters under the Venus name."
"It's the one near the Nova Plaza," Mara managed to reply, her fear palpable.
"Alright, I'll let you off the hook this time." Nathaniel stood close to Mara, his imposing figure looming over her, accentuating the height difference.
With a firm grip, he cupped her cheeks in one hand, applying force that left an unmistakable mark on her delicate skin.
"Heh, be arrogant for a little while longer. After today, you will experience the hell that I felt back then when you raped me, drugged me!" Her expression shifted from fear to a cold, sinister smile as she muttered under her breath, seeing him sitting in the car.
Mara had transformed herself entirely following the harrowing experience from her past.
That day, she swore to exact revenge for the humiliation, the loss of dignity and innocence she suffered at the hands of her tormentor—Nathaniel Delacroix.
She had completely remade herself, working tirelessly to secure a position as his assistant, biding her time for the perfect opportunity to strike back.
Even if she had to use her own body, becoming nothing more than a pawn in Nathaniel's twisted game of satisfaction, she was willing to endure it.
She had seized that chance not long ago when he tried to prey upon his cousin, Vivienne.
Engaging in extensive research, Mara stumbled upon the Andrew Lee men, a group she began feeding information about Nathaniel's every move.
Today, she was finally on the cusp of fulfilling her revenge. "I need to witness his downfall with my own eyes, to satiate the burning fire in my heart," Mara whispered, her voice fueled by a burning heart seeking solace. With that determination, she left to follow Nathaniel, knowing that the final act of her revenge was about to begin.
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