As soon as the taxi came to a halt, Estelle swiftly opened the door and stepped out. She said, “Just wait for me here. I’ll be back downstairs shortly after I grab my things.”
Victor remained silent but fixed his gaze on her with a distrustful expression.
“You can trust me. I won’t run away. The hotel only has one entrance,” Estelle reassured him.
Hearing this, Victor’s tension eased, and his stern expression softened. “Why would you think that? I’m just concerned for your safety. Go ahead, I’ll wait right here.”
With a nod, Estelle turned away and hurried into the hotel. Once she was sure Victor couldn’t see her, she quickly dialed Vincent’s number on her phone. When he answered, she said hurriedly, “Go to the Hans’ Residence immediately and take Gary and the children away from there.”
“Mrs. Hans, what’s going on?” Vincent asked, sounding puzzled.
“It’s a long story, and I don’t have time to explain. Just do as I say right away,” Estelle urged as she entered the elevator.
Hearing her urgent tone, Vincent responded, “Alright, I’ll do it right away.”
After ending the call, Estelle took a deep breath and rushed toward Room 1231. After the fingerprint lock chimed for a moment, the door unlocked.
As she was about to open the door after using her fingerprint, someone suddenly pushed her forcefully from behind, entering the room along with her. Before Estelle could react, the door slammed shut with a loud bang.
The room was dimly lit, and as Estelle’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw Victor in front of her, causing her heart to sink.
“Estelle, what are you suspecting me of?” Victor grabbed her wrists with one hand and pinned her against the door. He moved closer, whispering, “Who were you secretly calling just now? Why did you tell them to take Grandpa and the children away from the Hans’ Residence? I’m your Mr. Mysterious, your beloved. I only want to take what’s rightfully mine. Why are you trying to stop me?”
Pressed against him, Estelle struggled to breathe. She felt his warm breath on her face, making her uncomfortable. She knew Victor’s main concern was the Hans family’s wealth, and she feared he might say something to trigger Gary and cause him harm, so she had planned to have Vincent take Gary away first and then buy time to investigate Victor. She didn’t anticipate Victor would follow her.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here, right? The hotel has only one entrance but four elevators,” Victor remarked.
“You followed me?”
“Yes, so what? You doubt me, don’t you?” Victor continued, “I showed you the dog we had together, and I told you I could find the Malus Halliana tree. Why don’t you trust me? What are you suspicious of?”
“I…”
“Estelle, you disappoint me,” Victor said as his expression darkened. He then took a rope used for tying curtains and seemed to intend to bind her hands with it.
“What are you planning?!” Estelle exclaimed in shock.
“Don’t worry. I won’t harm you. I just want to record a video of us,” Victor explained.
Struggling desperately, Estelle shouted, “Let go of me! Let go of me! Stop it, or I’ll call the police!”
However, Victor ignored her and was not afraid at all. While laughing crazily, he tied her hands up and pulled her to the bedroom. Remembering that last night, he carried her into the bedroom and almost forcibly had sex with her, Estelle felt a chill all over.
“What are you going to record? Are you crazy? Mr. Mysterious will never do such a thing to me!” she snapped.
“Mr. Mysterious?” Victor stopped his steps and sneered, “You’ve been suspecting that I’m not Mr. Mysterious, haven’t you? I can see that you don’t want to take me to the Hans’ Residence. At first, you asked me to wait for you for three days and said that you would take me after that. But you broke your promise and tried to stop me from going there again and again. So, I can only try another way to get what I want.”
“What the hell do you want to do?!”
“Miss Hudson, what do you think Cristofer will do if he finds us sleeping in the bed you both used to share?” Victor’s words left Estelle stunned. “You…”
Before she could respond, Victor pulled out his phone, switched it to video-recording mode, and aimed the camera at her face. “I’ve heard that Cristofer has bipolar disorder, and the suicide rate among people with this condition is high. Do you think he might have a relapse and harm himself if I send him this video?”
“No! Please, don’t do that!”
“It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t have a relapse. As long as you’re with me, I can send countless videos of us together until he breaks down and possibly commits suicide. I’ll torment him until he can’t take it anymore!”
“You monster! Are you insane?!” Estelle yelled.
Ignoring her protests, Victor continued, “Once he’s gone, his grandfather will follow soon. Then everything from the Hans family will be mine…”
His words sent a chill down Estelle’s spine. She stared at him, horrified, and said, “They’re your family! If you want the Hans family’s wealth, you can ask for it, and they won’t deny you. Why do you have to harm them?”
“Because I want revenge!” Victor declared, his eyes red with a cruel sneer. “I want to see Cristofer suffer. I want to bring down the Hans family!!!”
With a cruel and complacent smile, Victor continued, “Miss Hudson, as long as you cooperate with me, I won’t harm you.”
His grip on her wrist felt like a vice, and Estelle knew he could crush it at any moment due to their vast difference in strength. She couldn’t break free.
“What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” Victor taunted, capturing her pained expression on camera. “Good. Your suffering will make Cristofer suffer, too.”
“You don’t have to do this. If you ask him for the Hans family’s properties, he’ll give them to you willingly,” Estelle pleaded.
“The Hans family’s properties are worth much more than you think. Miss Hudson, you’ve been born into privilege and don’t care about money, but I’ve suffered in poverty since childhood, and money means everything to me. The Hans family owes me, so I want not only what’s rightfully mine but everything else they have!” Victor said, his desperation getting deeper. With that, he pushed Estelle hard, causing her to fall onto the bed.
Thankfully, the bed was soft, and she wasn’t hurt, but her wrists were rubbed raw, causing sharp pain.