Husband

Carlos’s eyes darkened, and a cold smile slowly spread across his lips. “But I still got you, didn’t I?”

A shudder went through Vera. “What do you mean?”

Carlos went on, “Ramon cares a lot about you. He would do anything for you.” Carlos would let Ramon pay the price for flaunting his affection for Vera.

So that was it. That was why Vera was brought here. Vera was the tool used to threaten Ramon into obedience. Vera gritted her teeth resentfully. “You’re despicable!”

Carlos grabbed Vera’s chin, pinning her with a cold stare. It felt as though he wanted to see into her soul. “Tell me, why don’t you like Ramon?”

Carlos had used the same condescending tone when speaking to her years ago. voice still sounded as piercing to Vera’s ears.

His

Vera met Carlos’s eyes and, with a mocking smile, questioned, “How do you know I don’t like him?”

Carlos’s heart s**d a beat. His fingers gripped her harder. “Don’t you have a son? Do you think the Ford family will let you marry into their family with a son?”

Vera endured the pain, stubbornly keeping her smile on. “It’s a freebie. Of course, he’s happy. Why do you care so much about who I like, Mr. Monroe? Could you have also fallen for me?”

“Shut up!” Carlos tightened his grip, towering over her. Vera’s head hit the bed. Carlos looked as though he would crush her jaw if she spoke again.

Vera’s jaw hurt so much it went numb. “I was just joking. Everyone knows you love Miss Powell. You grew up together. You’re childhood sweethearts. If it weren’t for your car accident, you might even be married to her, isn’t that so? Poor Neil. Do you truly want him to be cured? Or do you want him to vanish quietly so he doesn’t get in between you and Miss Powell?”

“I told you to shut up!” Carlos released Vera’s chin and wrapped his hand around her neck.

Vera couldn’t breathe. Her pretty face turned purple.

III

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<Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

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Carlos had be

mastermind i

ruthless. “Who sent you? Why are you here? Tell me.” The anted many people around Carlos over the years, but none had made him as uneasy as Vera, and he had only met her thrice. He had to rule out any suspicion about Vera before allowing her to treat Neil. He wouldn’t allow anything to happen to Neil.

Carlos continued, “There’s no point pretending anymore. You came up to me deliberately at the cemetery. I sensed something was wrong then.”

Veins rose on Vera’s forehead, but she still smiled. ‘Did Carlos only realize it now? What a fool!’

Carlos wasn’t done. “Did you set up the second meeting too? Do you want me to see you save your son? Do you want me to see you as a pitiful and noble single mother? What about the third time? You showed up as Ramon’s ex-girlfriend. Your previous tactics didn’t work, so you thought you’d make me jealous seeing you with other men?”

Vera nearly lost consciousness from being strangled. Her heart was encased in ice. She thought, ‘What a narcissist Carlos is. What gives him the confidence to make such assumptions?’

“Tell me the truth, and I’ll let you go.” Carlo’s heart softened when he saw Vera couldn’t hold on anymore. He wanted to release Vera. However, logic dictated him to force more information out of Vera.

The sound of a toy gun suddenly approached. A small figure dashed in.Carlos knew it was his son without looking. Neil would aim a toy gun at Carlos every time he did something to anger Neil.

But Carlos was about to get the truth and had no intention of stopping. Instead, Carlos told his son, “Neil, go out first. This is not a place for you. Ah!” Carlos’s words ended abruptly with a pained gasp.

Neil had bitten the back of Carlos’s hand hard.