Chapter 165: Chapter 165: One of us must die, who do you choose?
“It’s ti to eat.”
Six dishes and a soup, a combination of at and vegetables, elegantly plated by Hope Williams, looked especially appetizing. Hope happily set the dishes on the table, her face wearing a sweet smile, clearly in a good mood.
Luke and Willow ca over imdiately upon hearing Mommy’s call. Hope looked around the living room, but Waylon Lewis was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is Waylon Lewis?”
Luke and Willow shook their heads indicating they didn’t know.
Hearing so noise towards the balcony, Hope headed that way and smiled as she asked, “What are you doing here?”
Waylon stood on the balcony, smoking one cigarette after another.
Hope noticed the expression on Waylon’s face and sharply sensed sothing was off, her smile fading slightly.
“What’s the matter?”
Waylon gave her a fleeting glance, his dark, ink-like pupils tinged with a mist that made it hard to read his emotions.
“You know Liam Cloud, right?”
Hope’s pupils contracted, her expression freezing on her face due to Waylon’s words.
The sudden interrogation left Hope uncertain about how to respond.
“You better answer honestly,” Waylon spoke in a grim tone.
Hope’s eyes darkened, “By asking this question, don’t you already have an answer in your heart?” Why bother interrogating her here.
“Hah.”
Waylon sneered coldly, pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“No wonder every ti he is ntioned, your expression is always off, always hiding sothing. So, that’s it, Hope, what is your relationship with him?”
“…Friends,” Hope answered.
“Friends? What kind of friends?”
“What else can it be? What do you an, what are you suspecting, Waylon?”
Hope was getting annoyed by his accusatory tone.
Waylon, frustrated, extinguished the cigarette in his hand and took a deep breath, “Do you really need to spell it out? Hope, have you been with him all these five years that you were away?”
Hope clenched her fists tightly, “Yes, what’s the problem?”
During her years abroad, it was Liam who had been protecting her, which Hope couldn’t deny.
“Fine, very fine, Hope,” Waylon gritted his teeth, “I’m warning you now, cut all ties with him imdiately.”
“Why? Can’t I have friends?”
Waylon’s cold voice carried an exceptionally icy laugh, “Friends? Hope, do you even realize how dangerous Liam Cloud is? How much do you really know him?”
“Dangerous?” A mocking laugh escaped Hope’s lips, anger stirring inside her, “Waylon Lewis, please don’t talk about my friend like that.”
The man he terd dangerous had saved her life multiple tis after she was abandoned abroad by him, fiercely protecting her when she faced dangers.
Waylon had never seen her defend soone so vehently, as if she couldn’t allow anyone to speak ill of that person.
It was clear how important Liam was to Hope.
Tears began to fill Hope’s eyes.
Waylon’s eyes closed briefly, realizing his tone had been too harsh and had upset her. He forced himself to calm down and after a few seconds continued, “What do you know? Why do you trust him so completely?”
“Whom should I trust if not the person who has repeatedly risked his life to save ?”
He spoke of soone who had never hard her, rather had been her lifesaver ti and again. What right did he have to speak like that?
And why shouldn’t she trust him?
If it hadn’t been for Liam, Luke and Willow wouldn’t have survived, nor would she have escaped the raging fire.
A dull pain throbbed in Waylon’s chest, as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, waves of shock surging through his eyes, but he forcefully suppressed them, “Are you really protecting him like this?”
She was really defending that man!
Thinking of the five years she had spent daily with Liam, Waylon felt like going insane.
Hope gritted her teeth and looked away, her voice cold, “This is my business, it’s none of your concern.”
Waylon clenched his jaw tightly, his forehead veins bulging, hands gripping her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.
“Fine, I ask you, if one day I end up fighting him and one of us must die, who will you choose?”
Hope Williams deeply furrowed her brow, staring into his eyes with no anticipation of such a tricky question being posed to her.
He was the man she loved.
Liam Cloud was her lifesaver, whom she regarded as family.
She wouldn’t want either of them to die.
“I won’t choose.”
“You must.”
“Why? Why must one of you die? Can’t Waylon Lewis settle this peacefully?”
“Hope Williams.” Waylon’s voice was filled with anger, “He killed my brother. He must pay with his life. There’s no peaceful resolution between us. I’ve marked his life, and he won’t spare mine either. You can’t stop this.”
Hope’s eyes were filled with complex pain.
“Now I’m telling you, first, stay away from him and cut all ties, second, don’t get involved in this, you just need to firmly stand by my side, firmly believe in .”
“Enough, enough, stop talking,” Hope Williams took a deep breath, “You go first, I need so quiet.”
Waylon stared at her intensely, his cool deanor squeezing out a cold smile, then he turned and left.
With a “bang,” the front door violently shut, trembling the door fra.
Hope Williams squeezed her eyes shut, regardless of how hard she breathed, her chest still felt suffocated.
After two minutes, Hope stepped out.
Luke and Willow stood by the dining table, unsure of what to do.
Hope looked at the table full of dishes and four sets of bowls and chopsticks, her eyes full of irony and bitterness.
…
The next day, as always before, Hope Williams went to work at the hospital until the end of her shift, and Waylon Lewis still hadn’t contacted her.
Hope felt down all day long; even Aurora Wood noticed and couldn’t help but ask when it was ti to leave, “Hope, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?”
“You seem in a really bad mood.”
“It’s nothing, just a bit tired,” Hope picked up a cup and took a sip of water, casually finding an excuse.
“I don’t believe that. You, a workaholic, would never complain about being tired even after several major surgeries in a row, don’t use that excuse on ,” Aurora wasn’t convinced.
Hope slightly tugged at her lip, still not good at complaining about her family issues to others, “Really, it’s nothing. You should head ho, you’re off work, aren’t you? Go on.”
Seeing that Hope really didn’t want to talk, Aurora didn’t ask further, “Alright, alright.”
Aurora took a chocolate bar from her bag and handed it to Hope, “Here, have sothing sweet, it might brighten your mood.”
Hope smiled and accepted it, “Thanks.”
“I’m off then. You’re on the night shift, so drive ho slowly tonight.”
“Got it, go on, or stay and check a few more dical records,” Hope joked.
“No, no way!” Aurora quickly left.
Hope shook her head helplessly and got back to work.
It was half-past ten by the ti Hope got off work. She sat in her office, opened her phone, then closed it, sighing softly.
…
As the car entered the underground garage, Hope took her handbag and keys out of the car, walking towards the elevator when she sensed sothing was off.
Soon, footsteps echoed behind her.
The dim lighting cast several tall shadows…
Hope imdiately quickened her pace towards the elevator, the footsteps behind her also picking up speed.
A fist whizzed past her cheek, and Hope swiftly dodged back, turning to face a pair of extrely fierce eyes, the figure exuding a murderous aura.
Clearly, this was no ordinary assassin.
“Who sent you?”
“That’s sothing Miss Williams needs to ask herself, considering who she has offended,” the man said sinisterly.
“Hope Williams.” A cold female voice spoke, as Joy Ward, wearing a black veil, erged from the shadows.
“Joy Ward? Lucky you, not yet killed by Weston Morris.”
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