As Victor tightened his grip on her throat, Estelle began to feel suffocated, and fear coursed through her.
“If you… kill me… you won’t… get away…” she managed to say, her voice strained.
Hearing this, Victor chuckled and said, “Have you forgotten that I look just like Cristofer? If I kill you, the police will think Cristofer did it, not me.”
His words sent a shiver down Estelle’s spine. She thought, ‘No wonder he’s so ruthless. Very few people know that Cristofer has a brother. If he kills me, he can simply hide, and everyone will assume Cristofer is the murderer!’
“Are you concerned about him?” Victor inched closer and wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye with his free hand. “Wow, you care about him so much that you even shed tears for him. Are you regretting defying me now? Too bad! It’s too late. If you had come with me to the Hans’ Residence and helped me secure the Hans family’s assets, I would have let you and your children go after Cristofer and his grandfather were dead.”
At this moment, the air felt increasingly thin to Estelle. She kicked and fought back, trying to break free, but Victor remained strong.
“Argh… Uh…”” But you ruined my plans. Estelle, this is on you,” Victor continued.
“Uh…” Estelle couldn’t speak anymore. Her eyes dulled from the lack of oxygen, and gradually, she lost the strength to struggle. Just when she thought she might die, Victor suddenly released his grip on her throat.
The next moment, she slumped to the ground. Weakly leaning against the wall, she coughed violently and greedily inhaled fresh air.
Victor then crouched down in front of her and issued another warning, “Did you hear what I just said? If you dare to ruin my revenge plan again, I won’t only end your life, but I’ll also commit other grave crimes and frame Cristofer. Then your children will face discrimination and bullying, leading to a miserable life like I once endured.”
Estelle was still catching her breath, and it took her a while to fully regain her senses. Victor’s face grew clearer, filling her field of vision.
Victor and Cristofer shared an identical appearance, and someone unfamiliar with them might have trouble telling them apart. However, Estelle could distinguish between them because she noticed that their expressions, especially in their eyes when looking at others, were completely distinct.
Cristofer always had sincere eyes. Although sometimes he was aloof and challenging at times, his eyes conveyed goodness, making people see him as a fundamentally good person. In contrast, Victor’s eyes were the opposite. They always held a cold and vicious look.
Estelle speculated that perhaps years of enduring a harsh life at the bottom of society had twisted his nature, causing his eyes to reflect such an expression when he looked at others constantly.
‘I can distinguish between Victor and Cristofer, but other people may not. But it doesn’t matter. I won’t let Victor frame Cristofer up.’ Thinking about this, Estelle puckered her face in a smile.
Seeing her smile, Victor felt a sudden surge of anger and roared, “What are you laughing at? Aren’t you afraid I will kill you? Aren’t you afraid of death?”
“I’m scared, but you can’t kill me,” Estelle said, pointing at the window. “We threw two things out, and they made a loud noise when they hit the ground. The hotel staff must have heard it, and they’ll be here soon.”
Victor stared at her coldly and said, “I can kill you before they come.”
“Sure, you can. But if you do, the phone and lamp we threw will have your fingerprints on them. It will prove you’re the killer,” Estelle explained. “You may look like Cristofer, but your fingerprints differ from his. If you’re arrested for murder, everything owned by the Hans family stays with Cristofer, and you won’t get a cent.”
Victor, furious, tightened his grip on her neck. “You…”
Despite the pain, Estelle smiled and continued, “Victor, you’ll lose either way. Kill me, and the police will catch you. Spare me, and I’ll call the police once I’m out of here, reporting you for kidnapping. You’ll end up in prison.”
“Are you trying to provoke me? Think I won’t dare to kill you?” Victor said through gritted teeth.
“If you want to survive, listen carefully,” Estelle said, slowly freeing his grip on her neck. “Cristofer promised you half of the Hans family’s assets. Forget revenge, take the money, and leave Hadale. It’s enough for a comfortable, wealthy life.”
Victor smiled and remarked, “Not many women are as clever as you. And you even dare to negotiate with someone desperate like me. Impressive.”
“Because I know you’re smart,” Estelle replied. “You’ll weigh the pros and cons and choose what benefits you the most. I’d be dead by now if you were foolish and ruthless.”
“Haha! Your logic makes sense,” Victor chuckled.
“You have two choices now. One is to commit murder and become a fugitive. The other is to get countless money and live a peaceful and rich life. Cristofer and I will keep everything about you a secret from other people, and no one will know what happened here today. What’s your choice?” Estelle said calmly.
****
In the hospital, Cristofer received a call from Vincent shortly after Estelle hung up on him. He answered the phone quietly and asked, “Vincent, what’s up?”
“Mr. Hans, I’ve located Mrs. Hans. She’s at the Grand Hotel!” Vincent said with urgency.
“I already knew that,” Cristofer replied.
“Is Mrs. Hans in danger? Should we call the police immediately?” Vincent asked hurriedly.
“Let’s not involve the police,” Cristofer advised. “We can’t risk upsetting Victor. I just talked with Estelle on the phone, and she’s safe for now. Victor hasn’t harmed her.”
“Then… What should our next step be?” Vincent wondered.
Cristofer closed his eyes slowly, his thoughts in turmoil. He had anticipated that Estelle might distance herself from him upon discovering his identity as Mr. Mysterious. Despite his mental preparedness, her hurtful words still pained him deep inside.
In his heart, Estelle was kind enough not to hate him anymore. But when she said that the past between her and Mr. Mysterious was meaningless, he felt as if a dagger had cut deep into his heart. ‘It feels like I am doomed to lose her…’ he thought.
“Mr. Hans! Mr. Hans?” Vincent repeatedly uttered his name anxiously.
Wrenching his mind back to the present, Cristofer took a deep breath and said slowly, “I’m listening.”
“An incident happened at the Grand Hotel!”
Hearing this, Cristofer immediately opened his eyes and asked, “What happened?”
“It’s said that someone threw objects from the high floor of the hotel and smashed a person’s car. The owner of the car called the police and went upstairs to look for the person who threw them. I’ve checked the photo sent by the hotel receptionist. The car… is directly below Room 1231.”