Chapter 17
The entire venue erupted in terrified screams as guests scattered in panic, the scene descending into chaos.
Eli was so frightened his little face went pale, clinging desperately to Thane.
Magnus ignored the surrounding chaos, stepping forward with the gun barrel pressed steadily against Thane’s forehead, his voice squeezed through gritted teeth.
“Give me back my Sierra, my Eli.”
“Magnus, stop this!” Sierra tried to rush forward but was firmly blocked by Thane’s arm.
Facing the dark gun barrel, Thane showed no fear, even patting Sierra’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid.”
The calmer he was, the more manic Magnus became.
What right did he have to earn Sierra’s love? What right did he have to gain Eli’s trust?
“I said give them back to me!” Magnus roared, his finger already on the trigger.
“Magnus, put the gun down first, and I’ll talk to you!” Sierra broke free from Thane’s restraint and stepped forward.
Magnus’s gaze finally shifted from Thane, the madness in his eyes slightly receding.
“Fine, come with me.” He slowly lowered the gun but kept it gripped tightly in his hand.
“Sierra, don’t go!” Thane caught her arm, his eyes full of worry.
“Don’t worry, I can handle this,” Sierra gave him a reassuring look, then said to Magnus, “The coffee shop next door. I don’t want Eli
to see this.”
Magnus nodded obediently.
The coffee shop had been cleared, leaving only the two of them.
“What do you want to talk about?” Sierra spoke first, her voice ice-cold.
“Sierra, come back with me,” Magnus said urgently. “I know I was wrong. This past year, not a day has gone by that I haven’t
searched for you, haven’t regretted everything. Please forgive me. Let’s take Eli back to New York, and we can be like before…..”
“Like before?” Sierra laughed softly. “Magnus, have you forgotten? The Sierra you’re looking for is already dead.”
She met his stunned gaze. “She died when you used Eli’s life to force me to end that livestream. She died completely when you allowed Odessa to flush those ashes down the toilet and had me slapped 99 times. The person sitting here now is a complete stranger you don’t know at all.”
With a thud, Magnus left his seat and fell heavily to his knees on the floor tiles before Sierra.
The man who controlled New York’s business world, who once stood above all others, now knelt without dignity, looking up with tears filling his eyes.
“I’m sorry… Sierra, I’m sorry…” He choked, reaching to take her hand, but she recoiled in disgust.
Sierra looked down at him condescendingly, her eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.
She mocked him lightly, “Is this something you learned from Odessa? Did you used to kneel and beg her like this too, letting her train
Chapter 17
you like an obedient dog? Too bad, Magnus-what worked on her doesn’t work on me.”
“That’s not… Sierra, as long as you’ll forgive me, I’ll do anything. If you want me to die, I’m willing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Magnus, you’ll do anything? Then can you bring my mother back to life? Can you retrieve all her ashes that were flushed down the drain?”
Magnus grabbed her skirt hem. “Odessa… she’s been sentenced to death, to be executed next month. She harmed your mother, and she’ll pay with her life.”
He thought this news might bring her some small comfort.
But Sierra laughed-laughed until tears flowed.
“Her paying with her life is what she deserves. But what about the harm Eli and I suffered? Who will pay for that?”
She walked to the door, dropping her final words.
“Magnus, I’m warning you-don’t harass me and my family anymore. In America, breaking and entering and threatening with a gun is enough to put you away for life.”
Sierra thought her warning would work, but she underestimated a madman’s obsession.
The next morning, when Sierra went for her jog and opened the door, she saw an unbelievable sight.
Magnus was actually kneeling on the lawn in front of their villa, covered in dew and grass.
Hearing the door open, he raised his bloodshot eyes and did something that made even Sierra’s skin crawl.
He raised his hand and slapped himself across the face with all his strength.
SLAP!
The crisp, loud sound was particularly jarring in the quiet morning.
“One.” His voice was hoarse, as if he were counting.
SLAP! Another blow.
“Two.”
He alternated hands, each slap harder than the last.
Soon his already haggard face was grotesquely swollen, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
As Magnus continued hitting himself, he mumbled incoherently, “Sierra… watch… I’ll make up for everything… bit by bit… I owe you… I’ll pay it all back…”
After 99 slaps, he was somewhat delirious, his face swollen like a pig’s head, his speech slurred.
Sierra watched his self-mutilating performance coldly until he stopped, gasping for breath.
“Finished with the show?” she asked flatly.
Seeing her response, hope flickered in Magnus’s eyes.
“Sierra, I truly repent. I’ll make up for everything, bit by bit. I hid my marriage from you before-now I’d be willing to be your secret
lover!”
