LM
CHAPTERS 891 - 896
891
It was just a casual question but it made Nathaniel Cooper slightly stunned. He didn't know how to answer Janell Joy Carter at that instant.
Could he tell her that all this while he had sent his men to follow her? That he knew about her every move?
Of course not!
Although he had sent his men to follow her with the reason to protect her, she might thought that he was controlling over her life.
Janell Joy was so focused on Serene Silas that she ignored the unusual expression on Nathaniel‘s face. "Brother Lucas, Sister Serene was injured and she's been having nightmares and was constantly shouting "Jackie" ever since she was here. Is Jackie Sister Serene's lover?"
"Yes." Nathaniel nodded. Jackie Leves had made an appointment with him today, but he stood him up. At first, he didn't know the reason, but now he knew that the reason must be because of Serene.
"Brother Lucas, didn't you say that he took Sister Serene away? Then why is Sister Serene so heavily injured?" Janell Joy couldn't think of a reason, so she could only ask the omnipotent Brother Lucas.
" I will send someone to investigate this matter." Nathaniel glanced at Serene who was lying on the bed and said, “Don‘t ask her anything when she wakes up. If she is willing to speak, let her, if she doesn't, don‘t force her."
"Brother Lucas, do you think I'm still a child?" Of course, she knew that she shouldn't force Serene anything that she didn‘t want to. She would definitely not make her remind of her tragic past.
"Of course not." Nathaniel rubbed her head and sighed. “My Janell has already grown up before I even knew it."
She was a graceful young lady, like a bright star in the night sky, catching all the attention of the men. There were so many men around her who wanted to hit on her. She was no longer the little chubby girl she used to be.
"No matter what I become, I am still your Janell." Janell Joy really wanted to say this to him, but she couldn't say it because Serene was still lying there on the hospital bed.
Nathaniel and Serene were the engaged couple that the public knew of. If she said those words, she would be confessing her love to another woman‘s fiance. If this happened in the ancient times, stones would be thrown at her, she would be deemed a homewrecker!
"What if..."
Janell Joy didn't dare to hypothesize about it. She only hoped that Jackie would come back soon and protect his woman.
Nathaniel took her hand and said, "Janell, come with me."
"No, Sister Serene..." Janell Joy wanted to say that Serene was holding her hand, but she didn't realize that her hand was grasped by Brother Lucas.
Seeing that Serene did not respond, she nodded and followed Nathaniel out.
As soon as they walked out of the door, Janell Joy plunged into Nathaniel’s arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Brother Lucas, I'm so scared."
She was afraid that the person whom Serene was waiting for would not come back, and she was afraid that she herself could not be with her Brother Lucas.
She was not a timid person, but she was afraid that she could not be with Brother Lucas forever. Occasionally, she would have this kind of thoughts running in her mind, which would make her feel extremely depressed.
"Janell..." she could feel Nathaniel's warm kiss on her earlobe. He kissed her softly and gently and said "Brother Lucas is here, don't be afraid!“
“Brother Lucas, please help Serene to find Jackie as soon as possible. I will feel guilty if she doesn‘t get her own happiness." It was not Janell Joy who snatched Serene's lover, but as long as Serene was not happy, Janell Joy would not be able to openly receive the love from Brother Lucas.
"Okay, I'll send someone to find him." Nathaniel patted Janell Joy on the back, only to see Andrew Carter coming from the other end of the corridor.
Their gaze collided with each other, as if there was ammunition in the air, if there was a spark, they would already have been ignited.
Janell Joy, who buried her head in Nathaniel's arms, also felt it. When she looked up and saw Andrew, she could not help but frown. Why was he here again?
Without saying a word, Andrew stepped forward and threw a fist at Nathaniel. Nathaniel held Janell Joy in his arms and leaned to the side, dodging Andrew's attack.
“Andrew, what are you doing?“ Janell Joy was very angry. This person was too much, he even wanted to hit her Brother Lucas.
"I'm just testing my future brother in law, do you have to be so upset?" Andrew smiled, but his eyes were cold. "What do you think, future brother in law?"
Nathaniel stood straight with a smile on his handsome face. He smiled without saying anything, showing the seIf-restraint of the leader of a country should have.
"Mr. Carter, you are not welcome here! Please leave!" There was no need for Nathaniel to speak. His bodyguard, Horatio, was already driving him away on his behalf.
Andrew stood still. He glanced coldly at Nathaniel and Janell Joy's hands that were held together tightly and then said with a smile, "Janell, Dad asked me to pass you a message. Next time when he calls you, if you don't pick up, he will come over personally and bring you back home."
After saying what he had to say, Andrew left.
Janell Joy quickly took out her mobile phone and found that there were several missed calls, and all of them were from her father.
Oh no!
Her father was a petty person. Now that she didn't answer his calls, he would probably ignore her for the next few days.
She hurriedly dialed back, but no one picked up.
Just as she had expected, her father was a petty person.
If she did not answer his call, he would punish her in the same way.
It was no wonder that her mother would sometimes say that Chairman Carter was getting more childish.
What a childish father! She suddenly felt so annoyed by his behaviour! If it was possible, could she get a new father?
As soon as she had this thought running in her mind, Janell Joy felt a chill down her spine.
If her father knew that she ever had this thought he would definitely ignore her for a year, so she had better stop thinking about such nonsense.
…….
It was already noon the next day when Serene finally woke up.
She opened her eyes and looked at the room that was painted in white. For a moment, she thought that she was in heaven.
In her imagination, heaven should be in pure white, warm, and with the person she had been missing all the time.
"That's great!" she murmured to herself.
There was no need to be locked up in the cold, cage-like prison anymore, and she would no longer need to suffer those disgusting and cruel torture.
It was as if the sun was shining on her body.
No, there was really sunshine beaming through the window, shining on her body, which made her feel warm and happier.
The heaven had sunlight, the fragrance of the beautiful flowers, and beautiful angels... Maybe she could see her Jackie here too.
"Sister Serene, you're awake!“
A crisp and sweet voice interrupted Serene's thoughts.
She turned around and saw a young girl walking towards her with a meal box in her hand and a smile on her face.
This girl must be an angel. She was so beautiful and her smile was so sweet that she couldn't help but want to get close to her.
She came to her side and said sweetly, “Sister Serene, I've asked someone to prepare some vegetable stew for you. It's still hot. Take a few mouthfuls while it's still hot."
892
In the past, Janell Joy Carter was always the one that was taken care of, be it food or clothing. This was the first time she was taking care of someone else.
Although she was a little clumsy, she was very careful. She prepared the vegetable stew and some appetizers, she couldn't let Serene Silas go hungry.
"Are you an angel?" Serene stared at her and asked carefully. She was worried that if her voice was a little louder, she would scare away the beautiful angel in front of her.
Janell Joy was stunned. What was wrong with Sister Serene?
Was it possible that Sister Serene injured her head because of her falling down the slope?
If that was the case, what should she do?
"Are you an angel?" Serene asked again, persistently.
"Sister Serene, I'm not an angel. I‘m Janell Joy." Janell Joy stretched out her hand and touched Serene's forehead. She didn't have a fever. Did she really damage her brain and lose her memory?
Serene looked at her from head to toe.
Under Serene's gaze, Janell Joy added. "Sister Serene, have some stew first. When your body gets warmer, your head will clear up."
It was not that easy for a person to lose their memory. Janell Joy guessed that Serene just couldn't recall who she was for the time being. Janell Joy thought that Serene had either suffered a major impact on her mental health, or she was still not yet fully awake after being unconscious for so long.
"Janell Joy?“ Serene looked at Janell Joy with some doubts, but she still took the stew she handed to her and ate some of it.
The vegetable stew was warm, just the right temperature and it was aromatic. It was like a comfort food, which could drive away all the fatigue in the body.
Serene ate two more mouthfuls. She felt that her body was getting warmer and her body started to function a little bit better.
As she finished the stew in the bowl, she looked up and saw a delicate face not too far away. She was a little surprised. "Janell Joy?"
"Yes, Sister Serene, it's me, it's me." Janell Joy took the empty bowl from Serene‘s hand. Seeing that Serene finally recognized her, she smiled from the bottom of her heart and said, "Sister Serene, is this stew delicious?"
"It's delicious." Serene still didn't know what was going on. She stared at Janell Joy and looked at her repeatedly. She wanted to say something but didn't know how to.
Janell Joy held her hand and said sweetly, "Whenever I was sick, my Mom would accompany me and take care of me. She would personally cook this stew for me . I thought it was very delicious, so I arranged for someone to cook some for you. If you like it, I can ask them to cook it again.”
"It's delicious. Janell Joy, thank you!" Serene nodded and thanked her.
How could a person who had only met her twice be so kind to her? What about her family who was supposed to care for her? Where were they when she needed them?
"Sister Serene, you said that I can treat you as my sister, so you don‘t have to be so polite to your own sister." At the beginning, because of Serene's identity as Nathaniel's fiancee, Janell Joy did not want to call her 'sister' out of spite. But now she could say it so comfortably.
Perhaps it was because her identity in Janell Joy's heart had changed. Without the awkward feeling in her heart, who wouldn't want to get close to such a kind and beautiful young lady like Serene?
"Janell Joy... Why am I here?" Serene still remembered that she had escaped from that hellish place, and then stepped into a trap that they had set up for her. She was injured, and she could vaguely recall that she had fallen onto the ground but she didn't remember what happened afterwards.
She thought she would die of excessive blood loss or she would be frozen to death on that cold mountain. She did not expect that she would live.
Fate was really such a ridiculous thing. For so many times, she was mentally prepared to die but there was never once that she could.
Did fate pity her or was it playing tricks on her? She didn't know.
"Sister Serene, you were injured. My friend and I found you during a hike, so we saved you." Thinking of what happened yesterday, Janell Joy's heart twitched again.
She was glad that she joined the adventure hike and found Serene. She was glad that Serene was still alive.
"Janell Joy, thank you!" Serene thanked her again, but there was no joy in her eyes even after she was rescued.
It was as if living was a very painful thing for her. She might as well die so that she could be relieved of the pain.
If she died sooner, she would be able to see Jackie in the other world. To her, death would be a relief.
"Sister Serene..." Seeing Serene's disheartened look, Janell Joy's heart ached again. "Brother Lucas has gone to find Jackie. He will bring him to you soon."
“Jackie? You said Jackie?" Hearing the word "Jackie", Serene's body shock, and her eyes instantly shone brightly.
She held Janell Joy's arm tightly with her arm and asked with a mix of emotions, "Janell Joy, is it really him?"
Was Jackie still alive?
Was he really still alive? But...
But as the thought of herself being sexual assaulted by that devil made her bright eyes dim a little.
Even if Jackie was still alive, how could she face him? She was no longer the Serene who only belonged to him.
"Sister Serene, don't worry. Brother Lucas said that he is still alive, so he will definitely bring him back." Janell Joy thought that Serene was worried about this and tried to comfort her.
"He's still alive! He‘s alive!" She said repeatedly as she burst out of tears.
She had gritted her teeth and endured for so long. She even had a fake engagement with Nathaniel so that she could wait until the day he comes back.
After waiting for such a long time, she finally received the news that he was still alive, but she was no longer qualified to go back to him.
"Sister Serene, don't worry. Everything will be fine. It will be fine." Janell Joy hurriedly took a tissue to wipe her tears, but she couldn't wipe all of them away no matter how hard she tried. As she looked at the grief-stricken Serene, she could not help but cry along with her.
After a long time, Serene had finally stopped crying and said sorrowfully, “Too many things had happened in the past year. Nothing can make everything return to like it was before."
Why didn‘t he come back earlier? Why didn't he appear earlier?
If he had appeared a month earlier, she would not have...
Thinking of her experience in the past month and those horrible things, Serene felt so distressed that she vomited.
Janell Joy was worried. ”Sister Serene, what's wrong?”
Serene wiped her tears and smiled again. "Janell Joy, whatever happened, has happened... Although it's not what we wanted, no one can change the reality."
Serene's words were obscure, but Janell Joy understood.
Because she understood, that was why she felt even more uncomfortable. She didn‘t know what to say to comfort Serene, she could only hug her tightly.
She thought that if Jackie really loved Serene, he wouldn‘t mind it.
No, he should cherish Sister Serene even more!
893
It had been a full day that Jackie Leves had personally brought his men to look for Serene Silas, but he still hadn't found her.
Jackie couldn't find her and her safety was unknown. He could only feel as if his soul had been taken away, wandering in the valleys between the mountains.
Misty Mountain covered a vast area, it was impossible for Serene, an injured person, to get out of the forest alone... As he thought of her being injured, a thought flashed across Jackie's mind.
Just as he was trying to catch the fleeting thought, he was interrupted by Daryl Leves. Daryl had come over to report on the progress on the search.
He turned around and asked coldly, "What's the matter?"
Daryl said cautiously, "Young Master, there is a call from Mr. President. He wants to meet you."
Jackie turned his head and looked at Daryl coldly. He didn't say anything, but Daryl knew what he was thinking. He didn't have time to see anyone before he could find Serene.
In other words, nothing was more important than looking for Serene.
Daryl added, "Mr. President said they have found Miss Silas."
“What?" Jackie turned around and grabbed Daryl by the collar and growled, "What did you say? Say it again?"
Daryl was frightened by his master's expression. A few seconds later, he said, "Young Master, Miss Silas must have been taken by the President's people. He called to talk to you about Miss Silas."
When he heard that Serene had been rescued by Nathaniel Cooper's men, he knew that she was still alive, Jackie let out a sigh of relief, but soon his anger and jealousy erupted.
"Did his men take Serene back? How does his men know where Serene was?" Before this, Daryl had reported to him that Nathaniel had never sent anyone to keep an eye on Serene so how could he know where Serene was? He decided to give Nathaniel a chance to explain for himself.
Now it seemed that Nathaniel's words might not be credible.
“Young Master, do you want to meet Mr.
President?" Daryl asked carefully again. He shrank his neck, worried that Jackie who was in a rage, would twist his head off his neck in anger.
"Of course, how could we not meet?" Nathaniel took the initiative to come to him. This is his domain, who could he possibly hide from him? What else could they do if they didn‘t meet?
------
Nathaniel came to see Jackie this time as himself, not as the President, so only the driver, Jamie, and his personal bodyguard, Horatio accompanied him.
The car drove slowly on the winding road, and it took them almost half an hour to get to the villa.
Nathaniel had heard of the beautiful scenery on Misty Mountain and he thought that he could use this opportunity to experience it for himself.
it was true that Misty Mountain was a fairyland, now that they were halfway up the mountain, it felt like they were on the clouds.
"Sir, we're here." The one who spoke was the bodyguard, Horatio, who first got off the car and looked around to make sure that surroundings were safe before letting their President alight.
Horatio was particularly careful as his vision was severely limited by the massive fog. He stood close, next to Nathaniel and was constantly observing the surroundings.
"Okay." Nathaniel got out of the car and nodded. His tall body stood in the fog and looked up at the building in front of him.
“Sir, this is it." Horatio pointed to the building in front of him. Horatio frowned discontentedly because no one had came forward to welcome his master. Seeing that his master did not show any dissatisfaction, he quickly calmed down.
After Jamie had parked the car, he got out of the car and stood behind Nathaniel. Just like Horatio, every nerve in his body tightened as if he was ready to deal with any sudden attacks.
"Sir, I'm going to knock on the door." Horatio informed his master and stepped forward to ring the doorbell that can be found beside the gate of the villa.
After the doorbell had rang for some time, someone came out from the villa. This person was Daryl, Jackie's most trusted subordinate.
He said, "My master was exhausted and he is now taking a bath. If you're not in a hurry, Mr. Cooper, please wait in the study for a short while."
The President came in person, but he said that his master was taking a bath. To choose to take a bath at this time, in other people's eyes, he was being disrespectful.
Horatio and Jamie looked at each other and were very dissatisfied. They wanted to voice their dissent on their master's behalf, but Nathaniel opened his mouth first. "Please lead the way then."
Nathaniel spoke politely, without a trace of anger on his face. If it were someone else, Nathaniel would definitely make him pay for taking up his time.
However, this man was his best friend since childhood. Although they were not really brothers by blood, but they were closer than any real brothers could be.
Besides, when the Leves Family was exterminated a year ago, it was indirectly related to him, so how could he ever get angry at Jackie?
They entered the house, went upstairs, and arrived at Jackie's study. Horatio and Jamie never left Nathaniel's side, they were afraid that he would be in danger.
"Wait for me outside." Nathaniel gestured with his hand, indicating them to leave.
“Sir, no!" Horatio and Jamie said at the same time. They were worried about leaving their master alone in this dangerous place.
However, Nathaniel insisted on doing so. He said indifferently, "Are you going to defy my orders?"
Of course not.
They wouldn't dare to disobey Nathaniel's orders. It was because they were too loyal that they were worried that Nathaniel would be in danger, that was why they didn't want to leave.
Nathaniel had spoken twice but Horatio and Jamie was still standing by his side, like a mountain. They did not move at all.
"He is my best friend. Anyone in the world may hurt me, but not him." A man who was born at the exact same day as him, grew up together with him, and even his family was destroyed because of him. Even if that person wanted to take his life, he would let him do it. Moreover, he was absolutely sure that that person wouldn't do that.
Over 20 years of brotherhood, 20 years of going through thick and thin, he knew that person more than he knew himself.
Horatio and Jamie looked at each other and didn't say anything. They nodded and withdrew themselves from the entrance of the study room.
As soon as the two of them closed the door, there was a loud applause in the room. A man who was wearing a black suit and half of his face hidden under a mask said, “I've heard about Mr. President for a long time. You are really fearless to have come to meet me."
Nathaniel looked around and saw a man with a mask. Half of his face that was exposed was unfamiliar to Nathaniel, he had not seen this face before.
His voice was also unfamiliar to him, he had never heard of it before. But the man's figure was almost the same as the person he had in his memory.
He thought that this man with the unrecognizable features was probably the man he was looking for, but Nathaniel was not sure. He just looked at him repeatedly.
"Sure enough..." Jackie sneered. No matter how close they were before, he still couldn't recognize him.
894
Serene Silas, who used to be closest to his heart, and was even pregnant with his child, couldn't recognize him either.
Even the President, who claimed to be his best friend, couldn't recognize him.
Before Nathaniel Cooper came, he already knew who the person he was going to meet was, but he still couldn't recognize him. It could be imagined how thoroughly his face had changed.
Jackie curled his lips and a cold sneer appeared on his face. He looked at Nathaniel without blinking an eye and observed every subtle change in his expression. "Mr. President, what can I do for you?"
At the same time, Nathaniel was also staring at the man before him. He was dressed in black, and the mask on his face was also black.
Not only that, the theme of the room was mainly black. The decorations and the furnishing in the room were all in black.
In Nathaniel's memory, Jackie hated the color black the most.
Jackie often said that black made people feel depressed, which also represented the color of death. This was why all the furnishings in Jackie's residence were always bright in colour.
However, not only he was wearing black clothes now, but the decorations in the study room was also in the colour that he had hated the most.
What did he suffer the past year, that not only his face and voice changed, but also his preferences?
Perhaps it was not that he liked black now, but the color could hide his true feelings, which made him undetectable by the enemy as he hid in the darkness.
He had no choice but to hide in the darkness.
After looking at each other for a long time, Nathaniel restrained the surging emotions in his heart and shouted out the name that he was so familiar with, "Jackie Leves!"
When he heard the name, Jackie's body trembled a little, he looked at Nathaniel with a different look in his eyes.
Nathaniel walked up to him and punched him in the chest, just like the way they usually greeted each other when they met. "You're finally back."
He had been waiting for him for a year, and he was finally back!
Jackie was stunned again! Nathaniel recognized him?
Jackie did not hide. He was still looking at Nathaniel. He could see that Nathaniel was very certain when he called out his name. There was no trace of doubt in his voice.
Did Nathaniel really recognize him?
Jackie asked himself as he stared at Nathaniel's face to look for the answer he wanted.
"I'm sorry!" Nathaniel said again.
These simple words contained so much apology. A year ago, the Leves family was exterminated because of him.
Jackie had gone missing for a year, and Nathaniel hadn't been able to find him. He had thought multiple times that Jackie might had already died in that big fire.
But what he believed more was that Jackie would survive the fire, and that he was not dead. That was why he had taken care of his beloved woman for him until the day he is back again so that he could hand her over to him safe and sound.
That was the only thing he could do for his brother who was willing to give up his life for him.
He had been Jackie's brother for more than 20 years, but he had made Jackie suffer so much. It was really not something that could be made up with just a mere apology.
However, except for these words, Nathaniel really didn't know what else he could say to Jackie at that instant. No matter what he said, it still wouldn't make up to him and the Leves family.
"Sorry?" Jackie withdrew his thoughts and said with a faint smile, "We are only meeting for the first time. What is there for you to be sorry about, Mr. President?"
Because he wanted to be the president, so he had joined hands with the others to wipe out the Leves family?
Or was it because he took advantage of his best friend's absence, and snatched his best friend's woman?
What was Nathaniel sorry for? Why did he apologize?
Jackie was still curling its lips, but his smile gradually got colder. His smile was like a poisonous sharp sword that could pierce through a person's heart.
Did Nathaniel really think that what had happened more than a year ago could be forgiven by saying "I'm sorry"?
Of course not! Was he stupid or too naive? Perhaps both.
He thought of these, thought of the dozen lives of the Leves family, and thought of the living hell he had gone through the past year.
Jackie threw his fist at Nathaniel's face. He sneered and said, "Mr. President, how does this fists taste like? Is it good?"
They practiced martial arts together ever since they were children. Not only was Nathaniel smart, but he also worked harder than anyone else.At a young age, he was already much more capable than his peers.
In the past, when the two of them fought against each other, Nathaniel would win every time. Jackie would rarely win.
Therefore, when Jackie punched, Nathaniel would be able to dodge it easily, but he did not.
He owed more than a dozen of lives to the Leves family, and Jackie had only punched him. When the two things were put side by side, this punch was nothing.
He did not dodge, which made Jackie even angrier. Jackie swung his fist again and it landed hard on Nathaniel's face.
Nathaniel's face was bruised from the punch and his teeth were almost shaken loose. However, Nathaniel still did not dodge any of them.
Nathaniel didn't dodge any of his punches nor did he fight back, which provoked Jackie even more. Jackie continued to punch him at the same place as his anger multiplied.
His face was punched several times and he could taste the blood in his mouth while the corner of his lips was bleeding. Although he was punched for so many times, he did not waver at all, he even looked at Jackie with a smile.
"Nathaniel... Don't think that I don't have the guts to kill you!" Jackie was even angrier than before. He swung his fist again, but this time, his fist did not land on Nathaniel's face.
He couldn't do it, then Nathaniel smiled again. "No matter how long has it been, no matter what you have become, you are still the brother who grew up with me."
If Jackie wanted to take his life, he would not have used his fists only. Nathaniel would have already been gunned down once he stepped foot on the mountain.
"Brother? He he..." Jackie sneered, and his eyes were red, like a mad beast. " Nathaniel, are you sure that you have regarded me, Jackie Leves, as your brother?"
He was angry with Nathaniel and even angrier at himself. He was angry at himself because he could only bring himself to give him a few punches on the face but couldn't do anything else to him.
"You're my brother! You'll be my brother for the rest of my life!" Nathaniel said every word clearly and carefully as he watched Jackie gritted his teeth.
Jackie stared at him with his fierce eyes. It seemed like he was sizing Nathaniel up, as if he wanted to swallow Nathaniel up at once.
Did Nathaniel really regard him as his brother?
Nathaniel really didn't collude with anyone to commit the massacre of the Leves family?
Jackie had doubts in his heart, but he chose to believe in Nathaniel.
Otherwise, just like what Nathaniel had said, Jackie would not have only used his fists to solve the problem.
if he really wanted to harm Nathaniel, he could have used a gun. Guns were the best weapon to take someone's life since the opponent might not be able to fight back.
Both of them were very clear about this.
895
Bang!
Jamie and Horatio barged through the door.
They were worried for their master's safety as they could hear the commotion that was happening in the room. They couldn't care about their master's order anymore, so they crashed the door open.
Horatio was ready to take any action against Jackie Leves when he saw that Nathaniel Cooper's face was covered in bruises and stained with blood. At that instant, he heard Nathaniel shout, "Get out!"
At usual times, their President looked gentle and refined. Even if he wanted to kill somebody, he wouldn't even say anything harsh.
Upon hearing this, Jamie and Horatio were both stunned. They suddenly didn‘t know what to do.
"Do you need me to escort both of you out?" Nathaniel raised his eyebrows as he said in an authoritative tone, like how a President would speak.
After receiving the cold gaze from Nathaniel, Horatio and Jamie did not dare to stay any longer and retreated from the room.
The room was left with only the two of them again. Neither of them spoke. For a moment, they were so quiet that they could even hear each other's heartbeat. Both of them looked at each other.
After a long pause, Nathaniel took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I will make those who hurt you pay a thousand times of the price for what they have made you suffer in the past year."
"You'll make those who hurt me pay the price?" Jackie raised his eyes and stared coldly at Nathaniel. His eyes were still as cold as ice. "Aren't you the one who should take the blame for what I have suffered?"
Nathaniel couldn't refute. Jackie was right!
If it weren't for the fact that he, Nathaniel, fought others for the position of President, and if it wasn't because the power of the Leves family wasn't on his side, the Leves family wouldn't have been exterminated.
When he tracked the source, even though Leves family was not killed by him personally, but it was also because of him that they died. He was indeed the culprit.
Nathaniel did not retort, which meant that he had tacitly admitted to it. Upon seeing Nathaniel's response, Jackie frowned, and the anger in his chest rose. "Nathaniel, do you want me to shoot you to death?"
As soon as he finished saying that, Jackie pulled out a gun from the inner pocket of his jacket. He raised the gun and aimed it at Nathaniel's forehead.
It felt like if Nathaniel didn't give him a satisfactory answer, he would really shoot him at the head so that he would not have another chance to speak again.
Nathaniel did not hide nor panic. He looked calmly at Jackie's partially covered face.
He changed his face, changed his voice, and changed his personality... What kind of life was he living in the past year?
There was no need to think about it. Nathaniel knew that the days that Jackie had spent in the past year were far beyond his imagination.
Click! It was the cooking sound of the hammer of his gun.
This was how Jackie warned Nathaniel. He wanted Nathaniel to give him a satisfactory explanation, or else he would immediately shoot him to death.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a cold voice, "Nathaniel, is there nothing else you want to tell me?"
Nathaniel wanted to say so much to him, but when he finally saw him, he didn’t know what to say.
How did Jackie survive the past year? If he asked this, would it just remind Jackie of his painful past? What use could it do?
What he needed to do was to make the people who did that to him to pay the price for making Jackie live like this.
Therefore, after thinking for a while, Nathaniel gave Jackie a very simple answer. "I've already said what I wanted to say."
"Nathaniel Cooper! Do you really think that I won't fire the gun?" Jackie roared as he raised his hand and shot at the ceiling.
Bang!
When the gunshot sounded, Horatio and Jamie, who were outside the study room immediately barged into the room again. This time, they also held guns in their hands, and they were aimed at Jackie. When they saw that their master was safe, they did not pull the trigger.
This time, Nathaniel glanced at both of them coldly and they left the room obediently without another order from their master.
In the end,deep down in Jackie's heart, he was willing to believe in Nathaniel.
He took the initiative to meet with Nathaniel, because he believed in him and was willing to give him a chance to explain for himself. However,Nathaniel didn't explain anything. How could he not be angry?
"Jackie, Serene is waiting for you. She needs you." Nathaniel said to Jackie after they had stared at each other for a long time.
The name "Serene" had a great impact on Jackie.
It was not easy for Jackie to calm down a little, but as soon as Nathaniel mentioned Serene's name, his emotions became unstable again.
"Isn't she your fiance, why would she wait for me?" it was sarcastic and rhetorical. But in the end, Jackie still wanted a clear answer.
Nathaniel frowned. "Don't you know why she became my fiance?"
Jackie sneered and asked, "My President, do you think that a nobody like me would know why did Miss Silas become your fiance?"
Because Jackie had been hurt so badly, Nathaniel was not surprised that he would be so hard headed. He patiently explained, "Jackie, I know that you have lived a very miserable life during the past year. But have you ever thought about Serene? What kind of life has she lived?"
Jackie clenched his fists, his mind was filled with a mixture of emotions.
D*mn! What an a**hole! He was scolding himself.
The evidence of what Serene had done was right in front of him. At this time, he was still hoping that Nathaniel could tell him that Serene had never betrayed him, nor had she ever done anything to betray him.
If he wasn't an a**hole, then what was he?
Nathaniel sighed. "Not long after the Leves family was killed, Old Master Silas wanted to marry Serene off to a person who she doesn't like. It was Old Master Silas' arrangement and do you think that Serene could do anything to go against him?"
They all knew too well what kind of person Old Master Silas was and they knew that he always had a way to get what he wanted.
If Old Master Silas wanted Serene to marry someone else, of course Serene would oppose to it, but her fight against Old Master Silas was useless.
No one in the Silas family could ever stop Old Master Silas from doing the things he wanted.
Jackie was speechless. He also understood this.
Nathaniel added, "The Silas family only regarded her as a pawn. They wanted to make use of this pawn to its greatest potential."
Jackie snorted and did not reply to Nathaniel's words.
The Leves family's destruction should be Serene's proudest work, Jackie thought.
Old Master Silas asked her to do it, and she completed it so perfectly, without any flaws.
Not knowing that Jackie had already misunderstood him, Nathaniel continued, "Serene became my fiance so that this identity can protect her, so that she will no longer be threatened by the Silas family and so that she can wait for you to come back in peace.
896
Waiting for him to come back, in peace!
These few words to Jackie were more destructive and powerful than the explosion of an atomic bomb.
During the past year, whenever he was in a surgery, on a hospital bed, or back on Misty Mountain, he would always imagine the scenes with Serene Silas.
He would imagine that Serene would be there waiting for him.
She would smile at him, snuggle into his arms, and tell him with her warm voice, "Jackie, I will be your wife for the rest of my life. Unless you don't want me, if not, I will never leave you."
In the past, she used to be so arrogant in front of him. Sometimes, she would even be a little domineering. When she was unhappy, she would glare at him, secretly pinch him, and even curse him with her mouth pouting.
But just when he was finally back, and brought her back to his side, everything had changed.
He changed.
His appearance changed. She also changed.
Her personality changed.
She became silent and he could no longer see the smile that she used to have when they were together.
The saddest part was that she no longer recognized him.
She couldn't recognize him. But when he heard that she was waiting for him to come back, he regained hope.
It felt like the extermination of the Leves family never happened. She was still the Serene, who was simple, kind and innocent.
Jackie was a little confused and muttered, "She was waiting for me to come back?"
Then why did she take away so many lives of the Leves family?
Could it be that the evidences were deliberately fabricated by someone else to cause a discord between the two of them?
Jackie looked up and stared at Nathaniel. He stared at him but at this time without the fierce look in his eyes, his gaze became softer.
Nathaniel's heart ached again as he could see the traces of his sworn brother in Jackie's eyes.
Nathaniel’s mother, his sworn brothers, and his whole family had suffered such a catastrophe because he was not capable enough at that time.
if he had been powerful enough at that time, there would not have been such a tragedy.
Nathaniel felt that he had said enough about Serene. The misunderstanding between the two of them had to be resolved by Jackie himself. The more he talked about it, the worse it would get.
He stepped forward and patted Jackie's shoulder. "Not only was Serene waiting for you to come back, I was too. Come back to Coast City with me. Don't stay in this dark place anymore."
"Dark place?" Jackie, who had just calmed down, became emotional again after hearing this sensitive word, "Oh... The current Jackie could only stay in the dark. Where else can he go except here?"
The things that happened already happened, he could never go back to the past. Jackie knew it too well. Even if he said that he was Jackie, no one would believe him.
He didn't want to appear in the eyes of the world with another identity, but he couldn't return to the Leves family to continue his life as Jackie. He was put in a difficult situation.
"You can also wait here, wait till I finish off those people, and then I will come and get you." Nathaniel wanted to bring his brother back majestically. Jackie was still Jackie, and no one could change that.
"Wait for you here?" Ridiculous, if he chose to come back, he would not just sit there and wait for death to arrive. He would take out those people one by one and slice up their bodies.
Nathaniel continued, "I've said what I was supposed to say. I'll go now."
"Where is she?" In the end, the person that Jackie cared about most was Serene. Even when he was chatting with Nathaniel, all he had in his mind was Serene.
He wondered if her injuries were severe?
He wondered if she had caught a cold when she walked barefooted in the cold mountain?
He thought of all kinds of possibilities in that short period of time, but it was all immediately denied, because Nathaniel's men took her back, so she must be fine.
He still asked even though he knew that she was fine.
"Coast City Hospital, Block 1, Level 2, Room 809." Nathaniel replied.
Nathaniel knew all too well how it feels to love somebody.
Sometimes he restrained himself from thinking about her. He would pretend to ignore her, but he could not help but to observe every slight change in her facial expression.
Even if that person frowned, he could not bear it. Perhaps, this was love.
……..
At Moon Bay.
Janell Joy Carter couldn't stand Serene begging her. Finally at Serene's request, Janell Joy secretly took Serene home.
Janell Joy, who had never done any house chores, cleaned up the guest room by herself and let Serene stay in it.
She poured a glass of warm water for Serene. "Sister Serene, you can feel safe to stay here. Although it is not as secure as the Silas home or the North Palace, it is still not that easy to take a person away from here."
"Janell Joy, thank you!" Serene laid on the bed, took the warm water from Janell Joy and took a sip to wet her throat. "Please don't tell them where I am. Give me some time to think."
"Sister Serene, don't be so polite with me. As I said, I will respect any of your decisions. If you don't want to see them, I will block them out for you." Janell Joy was not bragging.
After observing her for a while, she gradually understood that the number of man her petty father had sent to protect her was not petty after all.
Not only could the White family protect her, but they were also like an encyclopedia, if she had ever wanted to know about something, it wouldn't take long for them to deliver the information to her.
With the three of them by her side, she felt that it was much more convenient, seeing that they could fulfill any of Janell Joy's request.
Speaking of the three of them, Janell Joy felt that her father was the most powerful one. The White family was very capable, and to be able to make such a capable family loyal towards him, it was certain that Janell Joy's father was even more powerful.
"Janell Joy, you are really a kind person. You deserve to be cared for by Nathaniel." Serene said sincerely.
"Sister Serene, I'm sorry..." Although she knew that Nathaniel and Serene's relationship was only contractual, Janell Joy still felt a little guilty when Serene mentioned about this matter.
After all, no matter how she looked at it, it was not justifiable for her to be together with Brother Lucas. It was as if she had taken away Serene's fiance.
"Silly girl, why would you be sorry?" Serene curled her lips and showed a faint smile. "The person whom Nathaniel loves is not me, and the person in my heart is not him. We were engaged because he wanted to protect me. Speaking of which, the person who should really apologize now, is me. It was I who took the place that belongs to you."
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