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Watch The Scarlet Healer Fantasy Healer Revenge: Complete EPS
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00:01After I was reborn, I spent $13 million to secure the services of Italy's most expensive male estort.
00:08The money was well spent. He was flawless, allowing me to experience pleasure in ways I had never imagined.
00:15The following morning, while I rode him, a familiar man suddenly showed up.
00:20It was my husband, at Jeffrey Della Cruz, a mafia boss.
00:25He ordered his men to drag the escort out of the room, then asked coldly,
00:30Where did he touch you?
00:31My mind was foggy, my voice langual and mocking.
00:34My lips, my bosom, my thighs. Everywhere you used to like.
00:39Rage flickered in his eyes, and veins bulged in his neck.
00:44Cut him into eighteen pieces and feed him to the dogs.
00:47I stripped off my soaked clothes and walked into the bathroom.
00:51Do whatever you want.
00:52In my previous life, I was married to him for seven years.
00:56I was known as the Scarlet Healer, striking with deadly precision and merciless intent.
01:02I helped him eliminate countless enemies, standing by his side as he rose from an illegitimate nobody to the most
01:08powerful figure in the underworld.
01:09But after he inherited the family empire, he became obsessed with Amelia Melendez, a nurse working in the black market.
01:16She was a gift, sent to Jeffrey's bed by a rival.
01:20She was sweet and innocent, untainted by the world's cruelty.
01:24Jeffrey took her into his private clinic, instructing her himself on medicines and syringe handling.
01:30Then one day, I found a finalized divorce agreement in his private safe.
01:34When I confronted him, he only sneered.
01:40Amelia's too innocent for this world.
01:42Being my wife will keep her safe.
01:45You're already recognized as Mrs. Delacruz, so why bother with the paperwork?
01:50I burst into the clinic in a fury, slapping the syringes and medicine box out of Amelia's hands, right in
01:56front of everyone.
02:01That night, my critically ill mother was dragged out of her hospital bed.
02:05Right in front of me, they shattered her hands, and threw her into an abandoned foot factory to be mauled
02:11by stray dogs.
02:12Geraldine, this is what you get for messing with Amelia.
02:15I fell to my knees, begging him to stop, but he was relentless.
02:19Mom passed out from the pain and never woke again.
02:23Suddenly, I felt a warm rush between my legs, pain tearing through my abdomen, and then everything went black.
02:33When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that day when I found out at my status change.
02:38This time, I didn't make a scene or confront him.
02:41I quietly sold all the rare herbs I had secretly collected and booked two plane tickets.
02:45All I wanted was to take mom and escape this twisted world that revolved around Jeffrey.
02:52After finding the divorce papers, I went to the courthouse with my ID.
02:58Mrs. Leonard, the system shows you're divorced, the clerk said.
03:02Hearing that, I was finally sure that my past life was real.
03:09The divorce was finalized on my birthday.
03:12That day, Jeffrey was swamped with work, as usual.
03:15So I booked the city's highest rotating restaurant and arranged for a fireworks display.
03:20I waited from sunset until way past midnight, and he never showed up.
03:24It turned out he was busy signing some papers, completely wiping me out of his life.
03:29I snapped out of my thoughts.
03:32I returned to the casino, and Jeffrey's black Mayaka was parked by the entrance.
03:37I quickly stepped aside and hid in the shadows behind a column.
03:41The car door opened, and Jeffrey got out first.
03:44He walked round to the passenger side and opened the door himself,
03:48moving with a kind of patience and care he'd never shown before.
03:51A young woman in a pale blue dress stepped out, nervous and out of place beside the luxury car.
03:56It was Amelia.
03:58Jeffrey took off his suit jacket and draped it over her thin shoulders.
04:02Then he wrapped an arm around her waist, as they headed toward the casino.
04:07Jeff.
04:08Amelia stopped in her tracks, looking torn.
04:11You're all I have now.
04:13I can't afford to take any chances.
04:18Jeffrey held her closer, his voice full of confidence and tenders I'd never heard before.
04:22Don't be scared.
04:23From now on, you're the mistress of this place.
04:27No one dares to mess with you.
04:30If you don't like it here, I'll build you a resort somewhere quiet, just for you.
04:39The casino staff who had offered me their obstitious devotion were now bowing to Amelia,
04:45their voices loud and fanging.
04:51Nice to see you, Mrs. Delacruz.
04:54They surrounded Amelia, who looked as skippy-ish as a frightened fawn,
04:58and walked into that flashy, evil den.
05:03Clutching my belly, I waited until they were inside, then staggered out from the shadows.
05:09Brushing away my tears, I was left with nothing but absolute resolve.
05:18I went to the hospital alone and scheduled an abortion.
05:22The doctor frowned at the ultrasound screen.
05:26Mrs. Leonard, your body is quite delicate.
05:30You've been unable to conceive for seven years.
05:33If you terminate this pregnancy,
05:36you might never be able to get pregnant again.
05:38I gave a faint, bitter smile.
05:42I'm divorced.
05:44I don't want my child to be born without a father.
05:48Cold fluid seeped into my veins as the anesthesia took hold,
05:51pulling my consciousness away.
05:54In the haze, I saw flashes of the past.
05:57Jeffrey pressing his ear to my belly,
06:00smiling as his son would grow up to be a master gambler,
06:04and that he would personally teach him to read cards.
06:06He had said our boy could also learn medicine from me.
06:10Take over the title of the Scarlet Healer one day.
06:15He had called a fortune teller to pick the luckiest name possible.
06:19He had held me close, promising that once he found a successor,
06:23he would take me and our child away from the casino and travel the world as a family.
06:28All those tender memories had turned to dust the moment he told Amelia,
06:32only you deserve to be the mistress of the casino.
06:38When I woke up, I dragged my hollow body to mom's ward.
06:42Thankfully, this time her injuries were minor, so she would recover soon.
06:46In my past life she had been torn apart by dogs right in front of me.
06:50This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake.
06:53I reached out to my black market tax and paid top dollar for two plane tickets to another country,
06:59leaving in three days.
07:00If I tried to leave through legal channels, Jeffrey would find out immediately.
07:05Then I called the only person I could still trust, Levi Wallace,
07:09gave him a stack of cash, and told him to arrange mom's discharge in secret.
07:14After all that, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
07:17I hailed a taxi and gave the driver an address a few blocks away from the villa.
07:22It was a habit of mine.
07:23The casino had too many enemies,
07:26and keeping my exact location hidden was a matter of survival.
07:31But just as I stepped out of the car, a man grabbed me from behind,
07:35clamping a hand over my mouth and dragging me backward.
07:38I fought with everything I had, and broke free,
07:41only to feel a sharp blide slash across my back before I could take more than two steps.
07:46Pain exploded through me.
07:48Warm blood soaked my clothes.
07:50I didn't need to guess to know it was one of Jeffrey's enemies.
07:53I reached for the knife hidden in my bag,
07:55but someone twisted my arm behind me.
07:57My phone was ripped away and smashed to pieces.
08:02Stay still, bitch.
08:05The man snarled, dragging me toward a waiting van.
08:08Just when despair was about to consume me,
08:10a familiar black Maybach turned the corner.
08:13It was Jeffrey's car.
08:15I summoned every count of strength left in me,
08:18screaming and struggling, desperate to make him notice.
08:21The car slowed just slightly.
08:23He saw me.
08:24But in the next instant,
08:26the Maybach accelerated past the intersection without hesitation.
08:30Through the window,
08:31I glimpsed him pulling Amelia into his arms,
08:33shielding her eyes from the scene outside.
08:35It was as if the woman being dragged away wasn't his wife,
08:39but something filthy and unworthy of her gaze.
08:42All the struggle drained out of me at once.
08:44Pain and cold swallowed me whole,
08:47and everything went dark.
08:50When I woke up,
08:52I was laying in a private ward.
08:54The door wasn't fully closed,
08:56and voices drifted in from the hallway.
08:58Mr. De La Cruz.
09:02Mrs. De La Cruz's injuries are serious this time.
09:06If she finds out about Mrs. Malenas again.
09:09It was Jeffrey's personal physician,
09:11Luciano Nunez.
09:12Before he could finish,
09:14Jeffrey's cold, sharp voice cut through the air.
09:17Watch your mouth.
09:19Your job is to treat her, nothing more.
09:21He paused,
09:22his tone low and detached.
09:24Geraldine has been in this business for years.
09:27She's seen every kind of vicious trick.
09:30She's an expert herself.
09:32Amelia isn't like her.
09:33She's clean like a blank slate.
09:35She would never stand a chance against Geraldine.
09:38Then, his voice dropped even lower.
09:40If she wakes up and starts carts causing trouble,
09:43bring her mother here.
09:45That's her only weakness left.
09:48She won't sit still if her mother's involved.
09:52I gripped the bedsheet tightly,
09:55biting my lip until I tasted blood.
09:57That night, years ago,
09:59when I helped him take down the head of New Jersey's largest casino,
10:03he had told me,
10:04Gary, from now on,
10:06no one in New Jersey's underworld will ever lay a hand on you.
10:09He had said the same words,
10:11made the same promise of protection,
10:13but the person he wanted to protect had changed.
10:15Once, I had been his most precious possession.
10:18Now, in his eyes,
10:20I was a dangerous, conniving woman who needed to be controlled.
10:24Footsteps approached.
10:25I shut my eyes and pretended to have just woken up.
10:29You're awake?
10:30He said flatly.
10:32We found out that it was that Brazilian gambler
10:34who got his hand broken last time for cheating at the casino.
10:37He tossed a flicklet onto the bed.
10:39Sign this settlement agreement,
10:41and they'll give up control of Trenton.
10:46Trenton by the sea was New Jersey's last clean haven,
10:49untouched by gambling or crime.
10:51And then I remembered what he had said to Amelia.
10:55I'll build you a quiet place,
10:56a resort where you can relax.
10:59So all my pain and scars had just become the price
11:02he paid to build a gilded cage for his new lover.
11:05My throat burned.
11:08Jeffrey, when did you make this deal?
11:10Was it the moment he saw me being dragged away?
11:13Or long before that,
11:14when he had already decided to pave the road for her with my suffering?
11:18He frowned, clearly irritated by my question.
11:21I forced a smile and said nothing more.
11:24The answer no longer mattered.
11:26Maybe to ease his guilt,
11:27he spent the next two days staying with me
11:29under the pretense of handling business.
11:31But his phone never left his hand.
11:34Even during meals,
11:35he would take photos to send to someone on the other end of the chat,
11:38his lips curving into a gentle smile I had never once seen before.
11:42I stared at his side profile,
11:44and for a moment,
11:45my mind drifted back eight years.
11:49The first time I met him was in at the casino.
11:52It was in a dark alley.
11:54He had been caught cheating,
11:56surrounded by seven or eight men with machetes.
11:58They dislocated his arm right there on the street.
12:01I stepped in,
12:03helped him fight his way out,
12:04and dragged him back to my apartment to patch him up.
12:07Later,
12:09Dad fell deep into gambling debt
12:11and was hunted down by drug traffers,
12:13who killed him.
12:14They came for me next,
12:16pressing a needle against my vein as collateral for his debt.
12:20It was Jeffrey who burst in with his men,
12:23saving me at the last second.
12:25By then,
12:26he had taken over a small casino
12:27and placed me behind the Golden Spiro,
12:29where I became his invisible weapon,
12:32the Scarlet Healer.
12:33I helped him swallow one casino after another,
12:36eliminate one rival after another.
12:39I knew my hands were stained with blood
12:41that could never be washed clean.
12:43But even if the whole world thought I was filthy,
12:46he shouldn't have.
12:49After I was discharged,
12:51Jeffrey used business matters as an excuse
12:53and never showed up again.
12:55Tomorrow,
12:56I would be leaving.
12:57While he was away,
12:58I went back to the top floor of casino
13:00and treved my passport
13:01and several crucial identity documents from the safe.
13:04But as I stepped out of the elevator,
13:06my knees suddenly gave out,
13:08and I stumbled forward.
13:10Before I could fall,
13:11a pair of slender hands caught me.
13:13Are you okay?
13:14The voice was soft and gentle.
13:17I looked up into Amelia's clear eyes.
13:19She wore a nurse's uniform from the casino's VIP clinic
13:23but still looked painfully out of place here.
13:25She didn't recognize me.
13:27She probably thought I was just another gambler
13:29who had lost everything.
13:33I'm fine.
13:36I said quickly,
13:38trying to leave.
13:38But she didn't let go.
13:39Instead, she guided me towards the staff lounge.
13:43You don't look well.
13:44You should rest in the back for a while.
13:47For reasons I couldn't explain,
13:49I didn't refuse.
13:50She poured me a cup of warm water,
13:53then pulled a pack of dried fruit
13:55and some bread from her locker.
13:58Here, eat something.
14:00Losing money is not the end of the world.
14:02Go home early.
14:04Your family's probably waiting for you.
14:08When I didn't respond,
14:09she hesitated,
14:10then reached into her pocket
14:12and slipped a few bills into my hand.
14:14This should cover your cab fare.
14:17I wish I could help with your plane ticket,
14:19but I can't.
14:20Something logged in my throat.
14:23I wanted to tell her to stay away from Jeffrey.
14:25He had no heart.
14:27His tenderness was poison.
14:29It was poison wrapped in sugar.
14:32But the words died before I could speak them.
14:35If she found out who I really was,
14:37she would turn against him.
14:39And then,
14:40I would be the one responsible for her downfall.
14:43I had only one day left.
14:45I couldn't risk
14:46and my own lives for a moral victory.
14:48So I took the money she offered,
14:51thanked her,
14:51and walked quickly out the back door.
14:55The moment I stepped outside,
14:58something cold pressed hard against my temple.
15:01It was a gun barrel.
15:02I instinctively turned around.
15:05Amelia was already lying motionless on the hallway floor.
15:08I moved to react,
15:10but a sudden blow to the back of my neck
15:12sent everything into darkness.
15:16When I came to,
15:17both Amelia and I were tied up in an abandoned warehouse.
15:22She was sobbing softly.
15:24Who are you people?
15:27Why are you doing this to us?
15:29Kieran Doyle stepped forward and slapped her hard.
15:32To get back at your fiancé, Jeffrey!
15:34He stole my Newark territory,
15:36cutting off my business!
15:37So it was the Newark gang.
15:39That territory was the one Jeffrey had recently acquired
15:42using the settlement agreement I had signed.
15:47Fortunately, they didn't recognize me.
15:50To them, Amelia,
15:51the woman always seen at Jeffrey's side,
15:54was the target.
15:55I began working my wrists,
15:57using the microblade I kept hidden under my nail
16:00to saw through the ropes.
16:02Kieran thought I was a gambler and spit at me.
16:05You're just unlucky, lady.
16:08Wrong place, wrong time.
16:10Call your family.
16:12Get five million here,
16:14and we'll let you go.
16:17Amelia's tears streak down her pale face.
16:21Miss Leonard,
16:23I'm so sorry for dragging you into this.
16:26But don't be scared.
16:28My fiancé is powerful.
16:30He'll come for us.
16:32At the mention of Jeffrey's name,
16:34her eyes shone with unshakable trust.
16:37I didn't say a word
16:39and quicked the movement of the blade against the ropes.
16:42Kieran cursed at his phone when his call went unanswered,
16:45then kicked over a fuel drum in frustration.
16:56He picked up a knife from the floor,
16:59his eyes glinting with a sick grin
17:01as they swept over Amelia.
17:03I heard you two went to the hospital.
17:05You're carrying his child, aren't you?
17:07Perfect.
17:07We'll dig that little brap out and send it to him.
17:10So she was pregnant with Jeffrey's child.
17:12Amelia froze in terror,
17:14her face draining of color.
17:18No, please, don't hurt my baby.
17:22The men around her laughed crudely and reached for her.
17:28In that split second,
17:29I tore through the last of my ropes,
17:31sprang to my feet like a cornered predator,
17:33and drove my elbow into Kieran's jaw.
17:35I snatched the knife from his hand,
17:38cut through Amelia's bindings,
17:39and shoved her behind me.
17:41Damn it!
17:42Kill her!
17:43Kieran ballowed,
17:44clutching his bleeding chin.
17:46Five or six thugs rushed forward,
17:48swinging metal rods.
17:53I knew how to fight,
17:54but still,
17:56half recovered from my injuries,
17:57and facing too many at once,
17:59I was quickly overwhelmed.
18:01The blows landed hard,
18:03searing pain spreading through my body.
18:06Still,
18:07I grint my teeth,
18:08and used my body as a shield
18:10to protect Amelia in the corner.
18:12Kieran lost patience.
18:14With a click,
18:15he chambered a bullet
18:16and aimed the gun straight at me.
18:19Die, bitch!
18:21Just as he was about to pull the trigger,
18:23a deafening explosion
18:24blew open the warehouse doors.
18:31Jeffrey burst into the warehouse with his men,
18:34gunfire erupting instantly.
18:36He moved like a raging lion,
18:38charging straight toward us.
18:40Without a glance at me,
18:41he swept Amelia into his arms.
18:44It's okay, Amelia.
18:46I'm here.
18:47She gave a faint sob,
18:49the shock finally overwhelming her,
18:51and passed out against his chest.
18:54He carried her carefully to the car outside,
18:57placing her gently inside
18:59before turning back towards me.
19:01Geraldine.
19:02His voice was cold as steel.
19:04Why are you here?
19:05I forced myself upright through the pain,
19:09meeting his glare with a bitter smile.
19:12You think I planned this?
19:14Before I could finish,
19:16his hand cracked across my face.
19:22The blow sent me crashing to the floor,
19:25blood filling my mouth.
19:33I knew it.
19:34He snarred.
19:36You've been trying to get rid of Amelia all along,
19:39haven't you?
19:39I spit blood onto the ground.
19:42I didn't.
19:49He grabbed a wounded man nearby,
19:52pressed a gun to his head.
19:53Who hired you?
19:55The thug trembled,
19:57darting a terrified glance at me
19:59as if clinging to his last hope.
20:01I, I,
20:03it was her!
20:04She paid us to rough up that woman!
20:08My entire body went cold.
20:11My veins felt like they had turned to ice.
20:14Jeffrey's lips curled into a cruel smile.
20:18Without hesitation,
20:19he pulled the trigger.
20:26The man's body hit the ground with a dull thud.
20:32Jeffrey stepped over him,
20:34crouched down,
20:35and ground his heel onto my hand.
20:40Pain shot through me.
20:42His tone carried a hint of mockery,
20:45almost pity.
20:47These hands used to obey me so well.
20:52Why are they hurting the person I love most?
21:03He pulled out a dagger,
21:04its blade gleaming with a cold,
21:06deadly sheen.
21:12I told you to never touch what's mine,
21:16Aunt Geraldine.
21:17The blade came down in a flash of silver.
21:21My breath stopped.
21:26The knife drove straight through my palm,
21:28pinning my hand to the concrete floor.
21:32A scream tore from my throat.
21:34Pain ripped through every nerve,
21:36blinding and steering.
21:38My body convulsed uncontrollably
21:40as darkness edged at my vision.
21:42Through the agony,
21:43I found my voice again.
21:46Jeffrey!
21:48Eight years ago,
21:49I should have left you to die in that alley.
21:51I should have never helped you get where you are!
21:53And with that,
21:54he destroyed whatever humanity
21:55still lingered between us.
21:57He gave a short,
21:59contemptuous snore
22:00and turned away.
22:01Without another look,
22:02he left the warehouse
22:03with his men following close behind.
22:06When the numbness finally dulled the pain,
22:09I used my left hand
22:11to reach into my bra
22:12and pull out a small,
22:14hidden tracker.
22:15My fingers trembled
22:16as I pressed the signal.
22:21Levi arrived quickly.
22:26The moment he saw me,
22:27his eyes filled with horror.
22:29He carefully pulled the knife from my hand.
22:33But my right palm was already mangled
22:35beyond recognition
22:36and completely numb.
22:45I later learned that Jeffrey stayed
22:47by Amelia's bedside
22:49in the VIP ward
22:50until she finally woke.
22:53Jeff.
22:55Her voice was faint,
22:57trembling with the fear of someone
22:58who had barely escaped death.
23:00He held her gently,
23:02brushing the cold sweat
23:03from her oarhead with his thumb.
23:06It's my fault.
23:08I should have done a better job
23:10protecting you.
23:13I am sorry for what you've been through.
23:16Amelia shook her head weakly,
23:18then seemed to remember something.
23:21Where is that lady?
23:23How is she?
23:25Jeffrey's gaze darkened for a moment
23:27before he looked away.
23:29You're too kind.
23:30I won't let anything happen to you again.
23:32He stroked her back smoothingly
23:34until she drifted back
23:35to an uneasy sleep.
23:40Then,
23:41his expression hardened
23:42as he gave his next order.
23:44Clean out the villa on the hillside.
23:46Throw out everything
23:47that shouldn't be there.
23:49Amelia will be moving in
23:50once she's discharged.
23:52One of his men nodded
23:53and handed him a document.
23:55This is the compensation agreement
23:56for Ms. Leonard.
23:59As you requested,
24:00two casinos
24:01and 20% of the company's shares
24:03have been transferred to her name.
24:05It's enough for her
24:06to start her own operation.
24:08Jeffrey gave a short nod.
24:12Send it to her
24:12and have her sign it.
24:17To him,
24:18this was already
24:19a grand gesture.
24:20An act of mercy and closure.
24:24After eight years
24:25by his side,
24:26he thought I should have
24:27known my place.
24:33But a day passed
24:35and there was no response.
24:40He diddled my
24:41my number himself,
24:42but there was no answer.
24:46He called the butler
24:47at the villa.
24:48Where's Mrs. Delacruz?
24:50Hasn't she come home?
24:52Mrs. Delacruz never returned.
24:55A flicker of unease
24:57stirred beneath
24:57at Jeffrey's
24:58growing inner irritation.
25:04Aside from staying
25:05by his side,
25:06where else in New Jersey
25:08could someone like me go?
25:09One of his men
25:10cautiously suggested,
25:12Mr. Delacruz,
25:14could it be that
25:15Ms. Leonard
25:15is still in the hospital?
25:17She was pretty badly
25:18hurt last time.
25:20Jeffrey froze
25:21for a moment,
25:23remembering that
25:23he had driven the blade
25:25through my hand
25:25just two days ago.
25:27He pushed down
25:28the ease in his chest
25:29and ordered his men.
25:31Find out which hospital
25:33she's in.
25:34Bring her the papers
25:35and have her sign them.
25:37The subordinate
25:38took the file
25:38but was stopped
25:39before leaving.
25:42When you find her,
25:44leave two men
25:45to keep watch.
25:46She's unpredictable.
25:48If she tries anything
25:50against Amelia,
25:51deal with her mother first.
25:53Let her suffer a little
25:54if you have to.
25:55She'll get the message.
25:58That night,
26:00Jeffrey returned
26:01to the top floor
26:01of the casino.
26:04That used to be
26:05our private haven.
26:07Beyond the vast
26:08floor-to-ceiling windows
26:10stretched New Jersey's
26:12most dazzling night scheme,
26:14neon lights flickering
26:15beneath a sky
26:16full of inverted stars.
26:20I used to stand
26:21beside him,
26:23point down
26:23at the skyline,
26:24and laugh.
26:29This is our empire.
26:31He yanked off his tie
26:33and tossed it aside,
26:34irritation burning
26:35through him
26:36until a faint noise
26:37came from the bedroom.
26:40Is Geraldine
26:41back already?
26:43He thought.
26:45That's right.
26:46Where else can she go?
26:48With my temper,
26:50returning quietly
26:51never meant surrender.
26:52It meant I was
26:53plotting something.
26:56Either
26:56I was here
26:58to make a scene
26:59or I had a plan
27:00and Amelia
27:01was my target.
27:03His eyes turned cold
27:04as he strode to the door
27:06and pushed it open.
27:10Neon lights
27:11spilled in
27:12through the windows,
27:13outlining a slim,
27:14graceful silhouette.
27:20But when she turned,
27:21his voice dropped to ice.
27:24Who told you
27:25to come here?
27:29Amelia flinched,
27:30a delicate nail charm
27:31trembling
27:32between her fingers.
27:34Jeff?
27:36Her voice shook
27:37like that of a frightened dew.
27:39I just wanted
27:40to look around.
27:42The guard said
27:44no one lived here anymore.
27:45Please don't blame them.
27:47Jeffrey's gaze
27:48fell on the nail piece
27:50in her hand.
27:54I knew that nail charm.
27:56It was one of mine.
27:58Razor thin,
27:59deceptively beautiful,
28:00designed to slice
28:01through flesh
28:02or even sheet metal.
28:05Every piece I wore,
28:06my earrings,
28:08my hairpins,
28:09even my lipstick,
28:11could be a hidden weapon.
28:13The scarlet healer
28:14had never been
28:15just a name
28:16for the gambling table.
28:19For a moment,
28:21the fury
28:21in at Jeffrey's chest
28:22softened
28:23as he looked
28:23into Atom
28:24Amelia's uneasy eyes.
28:26He stepped forward
28:27and pulled her gently
28:28into his arms.
28:31I'm not angry.
28:33It's just that
28:33these things belong
28:34to my late-went wife.
28:36If you like them,
28:37I'll have new ones
28:38made for you.
28:41Amelia looked up.
28:42Her eyes shimmering
28:43with emotion.
28:45It seemed to me
28:46that she thought
28:46she hadn't chosen
28:47the wrong man after all.
28:49Someone who could be
28:50so devoted
28:51to his late wife
28:52would surely make
28:53a good husband
28:53and father.
28:56In the early hours
28:57of the morning,
28:58a shrill phone ring
28:59shattered the silence
29:00and woke at Jeffrey.
29:02The voice on the other end
29:04was tense,
29:05panicked.
29:06Mr. Delacruz,
29:07Mrs. Delacruz gone.
29:09We checked every hospital
29:10in New Jersey,
29:11but she's nowhere
29:11to be fossing.
29:12You should have a look
29:13at her old medical records.
29:15She knew about the divorce.
29:17She found out a while ago
29:19and even went to the courthouse
29:20to confirm it.
29:31I later heard
29:32that Adamelia woke
29:33to the sharp
29:34thring of cigarette smoke.
29:35When she walked
29:36into the cliving room,
29:38the floor was littered
29:39with cigarette butts.
29:40Did something happen
29:41at the casino?
29:43She asked softly.
29:45Jeffrey came to himself,
29:47but,
29:47unlike usual,
29:48didn't bother
29:49to put out the cigarette.
29:52It's nothing.
29:53He rusped.
29:55Just a small issue
29:57at work.
29:57It's handled.
29:59He didn't realize
30:00how bloodshed his eyes were
30:01or how utterly drained
30:03he looked.
30:04His men had told him
30:05that I had gone
30:06to a hospital
30:07for an abortion.
30:08That day was the same day
30:09he had brought
30:10Aunt Amelia to the casino,
30:12parading her
30:13through the empire
30:13he and I had built together,
30:15as if to announce
30:16its new queen.
30:18And while he was doing that,
30:19I had been lying alone
30:21on an operating table,
30:22killing our child.
30:24I could only imagine
30:26how furious
30:26he must have been.
30:28Outside,
30:29dawn crept in,
30:30its pale light
30:31illuminating
30:32Adamelia's delicate,
30:33spotless face.
30:34It was a stark contrast
30:36to the blood-stained woman
30:37who had dared
30:38to erase his bloodline.
30:40Perhaps it was
30:41for the best.
30:42We were divorced anyway.
30:44If I wanted to weigh,
30:46he would let me.
30:47It would only save him
30:48the trouble.
30:49It's fine.
30:51He muttered,
30:52crushing the last
30:53of the cigarettes.
30:54I'll take a shower.
31:00He stepped into the bathroom
31:02and called one of his men.
31:08Clear out those bastards
31:09from Trenton.
31:10Not one stays alive.
31:12Do it clean
31:13and feed what's left
31:14to the sharks at the port.
31:16Amelia soon moved
31:17into the villa,
31:18becoming the new
31:19mistress in Maine.
31:21Jeffrey had tailored gowns
31:22and jewelry made for her
31:23and even arranged
31:24a comfortable,
31:25respectable position
31:26for her at the casino.
31:28With each passing day,
31:30an indescribable
31:32exosgety began
31:33to seep into his bones,
31:35or so I later heard.
31:37Every time he came back
31:38from the blood
31:39and chaos outside,
31:41facing at Amelia's
31:42innocent,
31:43unblemished eyes
31:44made him feel
31:44as if he were being
31:45split in half.
31:47Half of him
31:48was the ruthless king
31:49of New Jersey's
31:50underworld.
31:51Cold,
31:52commanding,
31:53and merciless.
31:54The other half
31:55was just a facade,
31:57a polished mask
31:58of the successful
31:59businessman,
32:00just the way
32:01she imagined him
32:02to be.
32:03Just then,
32:04he thought of me.
32:06Only with me
32:07could he be himself.
32:08I had never feared
32:09the darkness in him.
32:11I had aided him
32:12in plotting,
32:14executing,
32:15and wiping out
32:16their enemies
32:16with ruthless efficiency.
32:18A golden boss
32:19invitation
32:20to the Grand
32:21Casino Championship
32:22jersey
32:22sat on his desk,
32:25addressed to him
32:25and his wife.
32:31Once upon a time,
32:32he wouldn't have
32:32even glanced at it.
32:34With me beside him,
32:36every gambling table
32:37had been just another
32:38stage for our
32:39joint conquest,
32:41another game
32:42we always won.
32:44But now,
32:46he couldn't even
32:47remember the last time
32:48he had sat at a table.
32:50Years spent
32:51expanding his territory,
32:53hiding behind
32:54power and blood money,
32:56had dulled
32:56the edge
32:57of his skill.
32:59Even when he
33:00humored at Amelia
33:01with a few rounds,
33:02it felt like
33:03playing cards
33:04with a child.
33:09He had developed
33:10a habit of returning
33:10alone to the top
33:11floor of the casino
33:12late at night.
33:14There,
33:14surrounded by the
33:15remnants of our past,
33:17he could almost
33:18see the confident
33:18me again.
33:19He had once
33:20saved me from
33:21drug travelers
33:22and gave me shelter.
33:24But after that,
33:25I had been the one
33:26saving him,
33:27winning key battles,
33:28eliminating rivals,
33:29staining my hands
33:30with blood so his
33:31wouldn't have to.
33:32What we had shared
33:33had never been charity.
33:35It had been survival.
33:37Two predators
33:38walking side by side
33:40through hell.
33:41Without me,
33:42there would be
33:43no jeffrey.
33:48So why had he
33:49turned on me?
33:50Was it because
33:51my hands were
33:52stained with blood?
33:53Or was it because
33:54of the rare moments
33:55when I showed my
33:56dependence and temper
33:57that started to make
33:58him resent me?
33:59But why did those
34:01same traits
34:01in At Amelia
34:02stir tenderness
34:04instead of contempt?
34:06I could only imagine
34:07the pain he felt.
34:08as if something
34:10had clamped
34:11around his heart
34:12and twisted hard,
34:13sending a sharp,
34:15splintering pain
34:15through his chest.
34:17He rose to his feet
34:18in a rush.
34:20No, he had to find me.
34:23The Golden Sparrow
34:24couldn't exist
34:25with its true queen.
34:27And he couldn't
34:28exist without me.
34:30Turn New Jersey
34:31upside down
34:33if you have to!
34:34He barked
34:35into the phone.
34:36Find Geraldine.
34:37I want her found
34:39dead or alive.
34:41Mr. Delacruz,
34:42we've searched everywhere,
34:43even the hospitals,
34:44docks,
34:45and underground clinics,
34:46but there's no trace of her.
34:47Find your mother then!
34:49He roared,
34:50slamming his fist
34:51on the desk.
34:52That sickly woman
34:53was hurt last time!
34:55She must be
34:55in a hospital somewhere!
34:57Grab her!
34:57I don't believe
34:58Gerald will stay hidden
34:59if her mother's in danger!
35:01He slammed the phone down,
35:03his chest heaving,
35:05the veins at his temple
35:06pulsing in barely
35:07contained fury.
35:18Jeff?
35:20Amelia's timid voice
35:21came from the doorway.
35:23Who are you looking for?
35:26He turned sharply.
35:28The fury in his eyes
35:29made her flinch.
35:32Taking a deep breath,
35:34he forced his voice low.
35:36It's just business matters.
35:38You don't need to worry.
35:39Amelia stepped closer,
35:41hands clasped nervously.
35:43I made you some dessert.
35:45It'll help with the stress.
35:47He took a bite,
35:49saying nothing.
35:50It was sweet.
35:52Glowingly so,
35:53just like her.
35:54But that sugary softness
35:56couldn't come close
35:56to drowning out
35:57the restless storm
35:58churning inside him.
36:03Half a month passed,
36:05and there was still
36:06no trace of me
36:07or my mother.
36:09Jeffrey's temper
36:10had grown
36:10increasingly volatile,
36:12and everyone
36:13as you know
36:14walked on eggshells
36:15around him.
36:16He couldn't understand
36:18how a gravely injured woman
36:19and her frail mother
36:20vanished right
36:21under his nose.
36:29That night,
36:30he was on the top floor again,
36:32drunk out of his mind.
36:34When Amelia arrived,
36:36one of his men
36:37was still giving a report.
36:39Jeffrey cursed,
36:40grabbed the nearest bottle,
36:41and hurled it
36:42across the room.
36:44The man fell silence
36:45immediately
36:46and fled
36:47when he saw
36:47Ademilia at the door.
36:49She pushed down
36:50her unease
36:51and stepped closer
36:52to help him up.
36:53Jeff,
36:53why are you drinking
36:54so much again?
36:56Let me help you
36:57back to bed.
36:59His unfocused eyes lifted,
37:01and suddenly
37:02he grabbed her wrist.
37:04Gary.
37:05His voice cracked,
37:06pausing and pleading.
37:08Don't go.
37:10I was wrong.
37:11Come back to me.
37:13Amelia froze.
37:16She must have wondered,
37:18didn't Jeffrey say
37:19I was dead?
37:20She looked around
37:21the room,
37:22the vanity,
37:23the wardrobe,
37:24the night stain,
37:25and realized
37:26there wasn't
37:27a single photo
37:28to be found.
37:29What kind of man,
37:31who claimed
37:32to have loved his wife,
37:33kept not even
37:34a picture of her?
37:40The next day,
37:42Jeffrey took her
37:43to a prenatal checkup.
37:45On the drive back,
37:47Ademilia ventured tentatively.
37:49Jeff,
37:50when will we have
37:51our wedding?
37:52If we wait much longer,
37:55I won't be able
37:56to hide my pregnancy.
37:57In the past,
37:59Jeffrey would have
37:59been ecstatic.
38:01But now,
38:03irritation prickled
38:04beneath his skin.
38:09I'm too busy with casino
38:11affairs right now,
38:12he muttered.
38:13We'll talk about it later.
38:16Amelia lowered her head.
38:19If it's too much
38:20trouble for you,
38:21I can leave.
38:23He was silent
38:23for a few seconds,
38:25then sighed.
38:27Don't overthink it.
38:29Once the casino matters
38:30are settled
38:31at the end of the month,
38:32we'll have our wedding.
38:33Back at the casino,
38:35while Jeffrey was
38:36in a meeting,
38:37Ademilia slipped
38:37into the records room.
38:39The guards
38:40didn't dare stop her.
38:42She searched
38:43through file
38:44after file
38:45but found no document
38:46related to me.
38:50Mrs. De La Cruz,
38:52what exactly
38:53are you looking for?
38:54One of the young men
38:55asked hesitantly.
38:58I want to see
38:59Geraldine's file.
39:00The guy blurted.
39:02Her file?
39:03Mr. De La Cruz
39:04ordered everything
39:05destroyed after she left.
39:07The man next to him
39:08elbowed him hard
39:09but the damage
39:10was done.
39:11Amelia's face
39:12drained of color,
39:13her heart gripped
39:14by an icy,
39:15visible hand.
39:20She stumbled
39:21out of the archives
39:21in a daze
39:22and somehow
39:23wandered all the way
39:24to the basement entrance.
39:27Faint, inhuman screams
39:29echoed from deep inside.
39:31Inside,
39:32Kieran was chained
39:32to the ground,
39:33his body pressed
39:34against shards
39:35of broken glass.
39:36Mr. De La Cruz,
39:37please!
39:37I was wrong!
39:38We'll stay out of Trennan!
39:40Just let me go!
39:41Jeffrey's laugh
39:42was low and cold.
39:43You think that
39:44worthless piece of land
39:45compares to my wife?
39:47Kieran knew
39:48there was no way out.
39:49Pain twisted his features,
39:51mingled with a strange,
39:52mocking grin.
39:53Your wife
39:53had Jeffrey
39:54drop the act!
39:55I saw you clearly
39:56holding your new woman
39:57in the car!
39:58And now you're pretending
39:59to be some lovesick saint!
40:00You're absolutely disgusting!
40:02Jeffrey's eyes
40:03narrowed
40:04as he said calmly,
40:05Cut his tendrils.
40:07The moment
40:08he finished speaking,
40:09his gaze
40:10caught a flash of fabric,
40:12a skirt
40:12disappearing
40:13by the doorway.
40:20Amelia froze
40:21in terror
40:21and turned to run,
40:22but he caught up
40:23in just a few strides
40:24and seized her wrist.
40:25She trembled violently,
40:28tears streaming down
40:29her face.
40:30Jeffrey pulled her
40:31into his arms,
40:32his tone firm
40:33yet oddly smoothing.
40:35Don't be afraid.
40:37I'm just teaching them
40:38a lesson
40:38so no one will ever
40:39dare touch you again.
40:42No!
40:43Amelia sobbed.
40:45It's not like that!
40:46Through blurred vision,
40:47she stared at him.
40:48That day,
40:49it was Gary
40:50who protected me.
40:51She was badly hurt
40:52but still shield me
40:53with her body.
40:53She was kind
40:54and brave.
40:55How could I ever
40:55betray her?
40:56A storm of emotion
40:58flickered in his eyes.
40:59Amelia knew everything.
41:01He tried to explain,
41:03his voice low
41:04and urgent.
41:05That's all in the past.
41:07Now,
41:07there's only you.
41:09Amelia shook her head
41:10desperately,
41:11breaking free
41:11from his arms.
41:12But Gary never hurt me!
41:14She saved my life!
41:15How could you do this
41:16to her?
41:17How could you not
41:17treasure a woman like that?
41:19Her outbursts
41:20left her pale and shaking,
41:22her strength nearly gone.
41:26For the first time,
41:27a crack of something
41:29almost desperate
41:30appeared on
41:31Aunt Jeffrey's face.
41:33He clearly didn't know
41:34how to cherish
41:35what he had.
41:42In a quiet foreign city,
41:44Dunce was settling
41:44when I stepped out
41:45of the supermarket
41:46planning to have fondue
41:47with mom that evening.
41:48My right hand still
41:49wasn't strong enough
41:50for heavy things.
41:51But after several surgeries
41:53and rounds of rehab,
41:54I could at least
41:55manage the lighter ones.
41:57Just then,
41:58my phone rang.
42:00It was mom calling.
42:01I had just lifted
42:03my phone to answer
42:04when an arm suddenly
42:05clamped around my neck
42:06from behind,
42:07dragging me backward
42:08into an alley.
42:09Instinct took over.
42:10I dropped my weight,
42:11slammed my elbow
42:12hard into the attacker's ribs,
42:14and stopped down on his foot
42:15with all my strength.
42:17He grunting in pain,
42:18his grip loosening
42:19just enough
42:20for me to twist free.
42:21A flash of cold steel
42:23glinted between the fingers
42:24of my left hand
42:25as the tiny blade
42:26hidden in my knuckles
42:27pressed precisely
42:28against his throat.
42:31It was Jeffrey.
42:34He stared at me,
42:35then gave a low laugh.
42:39Honey,
42:40you've still got
42:41the same moves, huh?
42:42Even if you kill me,
42:44I'd die willingly.
42:47A wave of nausea
42:49and furies
42:50twisted my stomach.
42:51My voice came out
42:52cold and sharp.
42:54Jeffrey,
42:55we're divorced.
42:56Get out of my life.
42:58I never want
42:59to see you again.
43:00He leaned forward
43:01until the blade's edge
43:02sliced his skin
43:04and a thin line
43:05of blood appeared.
43:06Come back with me, Jerry.
43:08Let's start over.
43:09The casino can't run
43:11without its queen,
43:12and I can't live
43:13without you.
43:14I lowered the knife.
43:15My answer like steel.
43:17Keep dreaming.
43:19I'll hate you
43:20until my last breath.
43:22His eyes reddened.
43:23Gary,
43:24I know I was wrong.
43:26Everything that happened
43:27was all my fault.
43:28Please,
43:29let's try again.
43:31Footsteps sounded
43:32behind me.
43:33He hadn't come alone.
43:35I took a step back,
43:36slipping my right hand
43:37into my pocket
43:38until my fingers
43:39found a tiny button
43:40and pressed it.
43:42It was the emergency
43:43signal transmitter
43:44mom had given me.
43:48Jeffrey shoved me
43:50into the car
43:50and sped toward the airport.
43:56Then,
43:57his phone rang
43:57with a video call.
43:59Amelia was tied
44:00to a chair.
44:01A baby clutched
44:02in her arms.
44:03Levi held a knife
44:04to her throat.
44:05Let her go, Jeffrey,
44:06or you'll never see
44:07your wife and child again.
44:10Jeffrey didn't even flinch.
44:11He let out
44:12a short,
44:13merciless laugh.
44:15Do whatever you want.
44:17Those two together
44:18aren't worth
44:18a single strand
44:19of Gara's hair.
44:21On the screen,
44:22at Amelia's eyes
44:23widened in horror,
44:24all hope draining
44:25from her face.
44:26Jeffrey ended the call
44:28and turned back to me,
44:29his gaze dark
44:30and feverish.
44:31Now,
44:31no one can come
44:32between us.
44:33He was completely insane.
44:35Just as the car
44:36pulled up
44:37at the airport entrance,
44:38several vehicles
44:39screeched in
44:39from different directions
44:40and surrounded us.
44:42The car door
44:44swung open
44:44and my mother
44:46burst out
44:46with a group of people
44:47right behind her.
44:49Jeffrey,
44:50let go
44:51of my daughter!
44:56Gunfire erupted
44:57almost instantly.
44:59No one knew
44:59who fired first
45:00and in the next second,
45:01chaos exploded
45:02all around.
45:04Jeffrey lunged
45:06in front of me,
45:07shielding me
45:07from the bullets.
45:08A muffled groan
45:09escaped him
45:10as a red stain
45:11spread across
45:12his shoulder.
45:15But he didn't stop.
45:17Ripping my wrist,
45:18he tried to pull me
45:19towards the terminal.
45:22Gary,
45:23don't be afraid!
45:24I'll take you home!
45:25I tore myself free
45:26with all the strength
45:27I had left.
45:27Jeffrey,
45:29there's no home
45:29left for us.
45:31Not anymore.
45:32His face went white,
45:33yet he still reached
45:34out to me,
45:35desperate.
45:36Gary,
45:37come back.
45:39We can make it
45:40right again,
45:41just like before.
45:44I met his eyes steadily.
45:46If I had come back
45:47out of spite
45:47and gone after Amelia,
45:49would you have killed
45:50Mom in front of me
45:50before finishing me off too?
45:52His pupils contracted.
45:54His lips parted
45:55as if to protest.
45:57I would never do that!
46:01As always,
46:02his hypocrisy
46:03never changed.
46:04He lied to me
46:05the same way
46:05he lied to Amelia.
46:07Mom stepped forward,
46:08aiming her gun
46:09straight at him.
46:12Let me end this.
46:14I took the gun
46:16from her hands,
46:17raised it,
46:18and aimed
46:19at his right hand.
46:27I fired a shot
46:28without hesitation.
46:31Jeffrey jerked,
46:33staring in disbelief
46:34at his bleeding,
46:35mangled hand.
46:36His wide eyes
46:37lifted to me,
46:38full of shock
46:39and heartbreak.
46:40You ruined
46:41one of my hands.
46:42I said evenly,
46:43I've returned the favor.
46:45From now on,
46:46we're even.
46:48Gary, don't go!
46:50His shout was raw,
46:51broken,
46:52almost inhuman.
46:53I didn't look back.
46:55Two years later,
46:57on a warm afternoon
46:58in Paris,
47:00I ran into Amelia.
47:02She looked slimmer
47:03than before.
47:04In her hand
47:05was a little girl,
47:06no more than
47:07two or three,
47:08who gazed up at me
47:09with wide,
47:10curious eyes.
47:11I came back
47:12to finish my degree.
47:13Amelia said softly,
47:15the fear and fragility
47:16were gone
47:17from her voice.
47:18replaced by peace.
47:20I smiled back
47:21and nodded to her
47:22and the child.
47:23The storms of blood,
47:24betrayal,
47:25and love
47:25that had once
47:26consumed us
47:27finally faded
47:28without a trace.
47:29and the other way
47:33I'm just going to do this
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