Imdiately processing what his uncle just said, Benedict was taken aback. His whole body stiffened as if the words had frozen his spine. It felt like soone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head. His brain struggled to make sense of what he was hearing.
What does he an by "death upon them"?
What does he an by "just three hours"?
Why was everyone acting like the world was about to end?
His mouth opened slightly, but no words ca out. His mind was spinning too fast to form a sentence. Then, like thunder rolling in from nowhere, his brother's voice ca crashing through the phone.
"You are a dead man if I land my eyes on you!" his brother roared, his voice filled with burning rage and fury.
"You really want to tarnish my career? You really want to spoil my career? You want to lose this perfect opportunity—this career path I've been working so hard to grow?"
Benedict's throat tightened. He could barely breathe, barely blink.
"Just know—if I see you… if I lay my hands on you i am going to break you! Destroy you! You cannot destroy and go scot-free! now send your location imdiately, or a place to see the lady!!"
Each word punched Benedict in the chest like a hamr. He stood there like a statue, his face pale, his hand trembling as he held the phone close to his ear. But nothing could've prepared him for what happened next.
Without warning, the call ended. Dead silence.
It was only then Benedict realized he hadn't taken a breath. His chest burned. His heart pounded in his ears. And as the final words echoed through his skull, the weight of the situation crashed down like a mountain.
Then… his hand almost gave out.
His phone nearly slipped from his grasp, but with a sudden jolt of panic, he caught it again—holding it tightly, as though letting it fall would break the last piece of control he had over his crumbling world.
Imdiately, Victoria saw the strange look on Benedict's face. His eyes had widened. His lips trembled, as if they wanted to say sothing but couldn't find the words. It was as though all the color had drained from his face in an instant.
"What the hell is going on?" Victoria snapped, walking toward him. Her brows were furrowed with concern but layered with rising irritation. "Why the sudden change in your mood? I thought you were about calling people that you know. What's going on?"
But Benedict didn't answer. He couldn't.
His mouth remained slightly open, his chest rising and falling faster than normal. His heartbeat felt like a hamr inside his ribcage. He could hear the echo of his brother's voice ringing in his head again — "You are a dead man…"
Instead of responding with words, Benedict did sothing that startled Victoria to her core.
He dropped to his knees.
Just like that, one minute he was standing, the next he was on the floor like soone who had just received a death sentence.
"Benedict?!" Victoria called in shock, but Benedict didn't respond.
His eyes slowly moved forward. And there they were the two figures he had tried so hard to underestimate. The man and the lady who stood calmly in the distance like nothing had happened. No fear. No surprise. Just calmness. Almost like they had planned it all.
Benedict didn't need to be told. He didn't need anyone to explain anything.
His instincts scread louder than his thoughts: They did this.
He bowed his head slightly, trying to hide the sweat that was starting to form on his forehead. They did this to . They're the reason my uncle is panicking, my brother is threatening, and my entire future is collapsing before my eyes…
And then he connected the final dots.
Cora.
She wasn't supposed to be important. She wasn't supposed to be powerful. She was just a target a lesson Victoria had planned to teach soone who had "no background." A young lady who was supposed to be made an example of.
But now? Now, everything was upside down.
If Victoria father — the man who once bragged about his influence was on his knees…
If his own brother a respected prosecutor was trembling and issuing threats out of desperation…If his uncle himself — who had once spoken so boldly was now shaking on the phone.
Then there could only be one explanation.
Cora.
Cora wasn't who they thought she was, she was more. Much more.
And the two people standing in front of them? They weren't just random. They weren't just bystanders.
They were the reason for all this chaos.
With a shaking voice Benedict face Lisa.
"Please… Miss, I'm begging you," he stamred, his words coming out in desperate waves. "I'm very, very sorry for everything I planned to do. I swear to you, I didn't an any harm, I didn't know it would go this far. It wasn't … it wasn't really …"
He clutched his hands together, pleading with every ounce of humility he could muster. His pride had long vanished. Fear had replaced it.
"It was Victoria!" he cried out. "She's the one who put up to it. She's the one who told to do it. She practically begged to go after her! I had no grudge against the lady. Cora—I don't even know her well! I don't hate her! I never did!"
His voice cracked as his breathing beca shallow.
"I'm very, very sorry," he repeated, over and over, like a prayer. "Please forgive . Forgive and my family. We had no idea who we were dealing with… We were blind. But I promise you, I swear—on everything I swear, we will never go near Cora again. We won't harm her. We won't plot against her. In fact, from now on…"
He paused, swallowed hard, then added with conviction, "From now on, we will protect her. We will defend her. We'll make sure no harm ever cos to her again. Please… just forgive us."
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