Tears streamed down my face as | shook my head, my heart aching for Colin.
"Do you know why... Henry bailed you out but refuses to let you near the Langley Group?" Colin's laughter was cold, tinged with a trace of bitterness.
His arms were restrained, the blood at the corner of his mouth a stark contrast to his pallid complexion.
"Because... aside from you, he has another son, a shining star in finance from Sea City State University, the real... clean, unblemished heir," Colin said, his laughter taking on a carnivorous edge.
From the start, Julian was just a pawn Henry was prepared to sacrifice.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt1 wasn't fully clued in on the Langley family dynamics, but Julian's sudden breakdown, his aggression towards me and Colin, must have been sparked by something.
If Henry's people were behind this, they would have just killed
us in the car crash, not gone to the trouble of kidnapping us.
"So the old man's sacrificing his pawn to save his king, huh...
Thinks he can pin all the sins on me?" Julian sneered.
Clearly, he had realized he was just a pawn.
"All this was your doing, wasn't it? Deliberately fanning the flames of discord within the Langley family, pushing us to take out Samuel Langley, to take out Brendan Langley... Then sitting back as father and son tore each other apart... watching the Langley family crumble bit by bit," Julian said, stepping back with an epiphany, his eyes wide with a mix of realization and fear as he gazed at Colin.
Was he actually afraid of Colin? Impossible. Colin was a drifter all this time...
"You truly are insane." Julian's eyes were thick with fear as he gripped his bat tighter. "All | have to do is kill you, and it's over." I watched Julian in horror, wriggling desperately, my hands working the ropes behind my back. "Julian! What are you thinking? Colin's been drifting; he couldn't possibly have plotted against you! The Langley family has reaped what
they've sown, so why blame Colin? Don't hurt him!" Julian let out a cold laugh, glanced my way, and yanked my hair. "Since he's a madman, I'm curious if he has any weaknesses." Aflicker of panic crossed Colin's eyes as he struggled violently.
"Julian! It's me you want. | masterminded this, and | targeted the Langley family. Come at me!" Julian's laugh was tinged with madness, the laugh of a man who knew he was cornered. Without the Langley Group to launder his image, he'd always remain Henry's dark pawn, forever in service to Henry's legitimate offspring.
Was he expected to live on the edge of a knife, all for the illegitimate son's glory? Hell no! "You care about the baby she's carrying, don't you?" Julian's bat hovered over my stomach.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMy breath caught in terror at the sight of Julian.
Colin thrashed like a cornered beast on a fierce surge of adrenaline. "Julian... touch her and | swear, | swear I'll make
you wish you were dead." Julian raised an eyebrow. "Show me what you've got." He raised the bat high and brought it down with a brutal force towards my stomach.
"Julian!" Colin, like a crazed animal breaking free, knocked the hands off him, his face a ghastly white smeared with blood, and landed a punch square on Julian's face.
"Impossible..." Julian muttered in disbelief as Colin punched him.
Colin was supposed to be drugged, powerless to resist or struggle.
I was in so much pain that | couldn't speak, curling up, my forehead slick with cold sweat.
Tears had soaked my cheeks without my noticing, as | gasped for breath, desperately trying to calm myself down.
| knew the baby was gone.