Chapter 211 Shouldn’t Have Saved You
Anyone with a brain wouldn’t engage in this losing business.
Calista thought about what Zachary mentioned yesterday regarding her mother’s inheritance. And then to
what happened today.
She picked up the business card that had fallen onto her lap, curious about which company was so quick to provide a two million dollar loan without even checking the borrower’s background, clearly setting a
trap to take the inheritance away from her.
It was obvious that they were in a hurry.
“We’re not concerned about Zachary’s reputation but yours, Mrs. Northwood. Although you’ve divorced, your relationship remains. The Northwood family has such a massive fortune. Your ex–husband won’t just watch you being chased down for debt and driven to your death.”
Calista responded coldly, “I don’t have the money to help him repay, and I’m not obligated to do so. You! can just go ahead and kill him.”
“If you don’t have the money, then we’ll have to call your ex–husband, mother–in–law, and any of their
relatives.”
This was a common tactic used by loan sharks, calling everyone around the debtor to squeeze out every last penny. After delivering their message, the two individuals left.
Calista was so furious that her hands trembled as she tried to call Zachary, but naturally, he didn’t answer;
his phone was turned off.
She decided to report it to the police, charging them with extortion. After giving her statement at the
police station, she didn’t think much about the situation anymore.
In the days that followed, she was extremely busy, often wishing she could live in her car. She had no
time to dwell on this matter.
It wasn’t until a week later, in the evening, as Calista was driving home, that she noticed a black car tailing
her.
There was a loud crash before she was suddenly thrown forward onto the steering wheel.
The car behind her remained still, and no one emerged from it, so she wasn’t sure if they were injured.
She didn’t take excessive precautions since it wasn’t too late and pedestrians were still around. She
opened her car door and began to approach but called the police first.
+15 BONUS
As Calista had taken just a few steps, a business car with tinted windows suddenly accelerated and stopped abruptly in front of her, its door swung open, and she was forcibly pulled inside.
The entire process took just a few seconds. The driver was one of the men who had come to see her that
day.
“Miss Calista, today is the deadline. Where’s the money?”
Calista was sandwiched between two burly men.
“I don’t have the money.”
“Well, since you’re so stubborn, we have no choice but to act. After all, we need to survive too. If everyone
behaved like your father and refused to repay their debts, we’d all starve.”
“What about Zachary? I want to see him!”
“We came to you precisely because we couldn’t find Zachary. That guy sure knows how to hide. It’s been
days, and it’s as if he’s vanished into thin air,”
Calista was taken to a leather goods company and forcibly seated on a chair.
“Your father had an agreement with us when he borrowed money, and your mother left you a substantial
Inheritance. I advise you not to be stubborn. Just repay the money and cooperate. We can be quite rough
if needed, and if you get hurt, it’s on you.”
Calista had already experienced these three years ago–the ice–cold water, the string of beads, and the
bright light bulb.
“I told you I don’t have the money, but I can give you his biological daughter’s number!”
Her phone had been left in the car, and she hoped the police at the scene would discover her
disappearance.
The man didn’t respond but grabbed her by the hair at the back of her head and plunged her head into the
icy water.
“Make the video clear, find the contacts list, and send it individually. I don’t believe no one would lend you
the money. After all, you’re Mr. Northwood’s ex–wife; you must have plenty of wealthy friends.”
Though Calista was prepared for this, she still choked. Before she could run out of breath, she was pulled
back up.
“Will you repay the money?”
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“I don’t have the money.”
“Damn it, you’re a tough one. Today, I’ll… ah…”
Mid–sentence, the man screamed in agony, released Calista’s hair, and covered his lower body. His face
twisted pale in pain.
“You bitch, how dare you attack me? Hold her down! I’m going to kill her today!”
Someone held down her hands as the man reached into a toolbox nearby and lifted a wrench high. In the
nick of time, someone kicked open the tightly closed door.
Lucian walked in, and the man dropped the wrench. Almost instinctively, Lucian reached out and took
Calista’s hand tightly in his palm.
The bodyguard who had come with him kicked the man away, but even so, Lucian’s hand was struck hard,
scraping off a large piece of skin. Blood rushed out and dripped onto Calista’s wrist.
Lucian wasn’t alone; he had brought the police with him and quickly subdued the group of lawbreaking
criminals.
Calista’s head had just been submerged in ice water, her hair dripping wet, her lips turned dark blue, and
her clothes soaked from the splashing water. She was shivering uncontrollably.
Lucian used one hand to cradle the back of her head. His fingers brushed through her wet hair, trying to
warm her with the warmth of his palm.
“Are you injured?”
She shook her head. Her throat was sore from the ice water, making speaking difficult.
“How did you get here?”
“Someone reported that you were kidnapped. Since you had made a police report earlier and your phone
was unreachable, they called me.”
A police officer arrived to take her/statement, but Lucian raised his hand to decline.
“I’m sorry, my wife is traumatized and soaked from the ice water. I’ll bring her to the police station for a
statement after she recovers.”
This wasn’t entirely in accordance with the rules, but Calista was the victim here, and her statement was
Just a formality. The police officer saw that she could hardly speak, so he agreed.
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The family doctor handed Calista a medication bottle at the Everglade Manor and left. Calista lowered
her head to apply the medicine to Lucian’s hand.
She had just washed and dried hair, so it was incredibly soft and cascaded down as she bent over,
brushing against Lucian’s hand, tickling him slightly.
The injury wasn’t bone–deep, but the wound appeared quite gruesome. Aside from the scraped skin, there
was a large bruise around it.
Calista’s voice was very soft, almost inaudible, as her throat was sore, making it difficult to speak.
“Thank you.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow. It was seldom to see her so compliant. He couldn’t help but feel like teasing
her.
However, Calista continued before he could say anything. “Thank you for last time too.”
“What happened last time?”
“The incident with Brian Jones. I heard from your mom that he hit you with a car.”
A few days ag
ago, she asked Paul about it, and he said he hadn’t seen her message for help. He didn’t know
anyone named Brian, nor was he aware of the harassment she faced.
He also didn’t recall not responding to her thank you message since it had been too long ago.
Lucian leaned against the sofa, allowing her to apply the ointment to his wound, wincing from the pain.
“I’ve saved you twice at least, and all I get is a thank you?”
“Then how should
“Then how should I repay you?”
Lucian lowered his gaze, only seeing half of Calista’s fair face. He spoke in a cold, indifferent tone, his
Intentions unclear.
“What if I wanted you to become my wife again?”
Calista fell silent, and after a few seconds, she replied, “I can reimburse you for medical expenses and
emotional distress.”
Even though she could barely speak, her determination to maintain a clear boundary with him remained
unyielding.
Lucian’s gaze fell on his injured hand, and he felt a dense, suffocating pain wash over him.
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After a while, he chuckled softly, withdrawing his hand before she could finish applying the ointment.
I should have known better than to save you.”
