Even though she had saved a life by doing a good deed, Aoife found herself inexplicably locked up, unable to leave. She began to question whether she had done something wrong.
Afraid that Aoife might be overthinking things, Ethan softly reassured her, “Kindness is never wrong.” It was because of her kindness that he had fallen for her.
There’s a saying that goes, “Let kindness prevail as fate decides.”
It’s not easy to be a villain, but being a good person is even harder. Those who are inherently kind should not be called foolish by others.
Ethan didn’t want the cold and indifferent society to corrupt Aoife. Even if something happened, he would be there to support her.
In this world, no matter how many hardships one faces, when kindness meets tenderness, it becomes an ideal in human society.
…
In theory, the matter should be settled now, and they should be released.
A police officer entered with an official demeanor, “Sir, the reporters want to interview you.”
Ethan didn’t want to agree, but if he refused, some reporters might persist or even secretly take photos and post them on online news platforms.
It’s better to be transparent than secretive. With a better attitude, suggestions could be made, such as blurring their faces in the interview.
Ethan sighed at the thought of dealing with reporters. Besides them, the hospital’s nurse also wanted to see them.
Reluctantly, Ethan agreed, but he remained vigilant.
He instructed the police officer that he was willing to be interviewed, but Aoife was not.
Without much consideration, the police officer agreed.
Ethan didn’t tell Aoife about the interview, fearing that she might worry or be scared. He only told her that he was going to visit the nurse and complete some paperwork before coming back soon.
Feeling uneasy, Aoife suddenly grabbed his sleeve when Ethan was about to leave. Without saying a word, with teary eyes, she shook her head, not wanting him to go.
“Can I come with you?”
“I’ll be back soon.” Ethan sighed, “I suddenly fear unexpected events. If one day I’m not around, who will take care of you?”
Aoife didn’t want Ethan to worry and quickly let go, saying, “I can take care of myself.”
“As long as you can take care of yourself.” Sometimes Aoife cared too much about others, neglecting her own feelings.
In the end, Ethan left with the police officers, leaving Aoife behind. She stood at the door, watching Ethan’s back, with a feeling that he might not come back.
Clutching her hand and looking at the ring on her finger, Aoife reassured herself: it’s impossible. Ethan had just proposed to her; the baby in her belly was already six months old, about to come into the world. Soon, they would be married and become a family.
Ethan was just going to see the nurse, he would never lie to her. If he said he would be back soon, he would definitely be back.
Aoife stood on tiptoes, watching Ethan’s retreating figure, wishing she could call him back but afraid of causing trouble. In her heart, she silently screamed for Ethan to turn around and take her with him, promising not to be a bother.
…
Finn’s hair had grown longer, tied in a small braid that reached his back. Stray hairs fell around his temples, his narrow eyes and slender figure resembling a reserved anime character.
Aoife had been missing for five months, and Finn couldn’t believe how well she had managed to evade capture; disappearing without a trace.
The saying, “A crafty rabbit has three burrows,” wasn’t without reason. Finn had raised a cage of rabbits, the more he raised them, the less exciting it became.
One day, he caught a rabbit from the cage, trembling in his hands, struggling to escape.
Finn gently grabbed the rabbit’s ear, placed it on a table, and with a surgical knife, he slit its throat, bled it, skinned it, and diced its meat. The diced rabbit meat was thrown into a pool to feed the snakes. As soon as the meat was thrown in, the snakes, attracted by the smell of blood, surfaced with open mouths to devour the flesh.
It was impossible to count how many snakes were in the pool; sometimes, they appeared like a tangle of water plants.
Snakes, unlike rabbits, were quiet and easy to care for. They had no smell and didn’t shed.
If they were happy to devour rabbit meat, what would happen if a person was thrown in…
Thinking of the scene, Finn’s lips involuntarily curled upwards.
Covered in blood, Finn washed his hands at the sink, rubbing them with soap and then disinfectant. Seeing the rabbit skin in the trash can, he couldn’t help but think of Aoife – timid, elusive, always running away, and just like the rabbit, afraid of snakes.
An unruly “rabbit” needed to be disciplined, to learn from the lesson.
Although Aoife was afraid, she quickly forgot the pain, a typical behavior of the weak. If she couldn’t be convinced or cajoled, she would be broken.
He had to make Aoife fear him, to the point of no escape, where even if she had a way out, she wouldn’t dare to leave; she would remain a useless plaything in his hands for life.
As he harbored these malicious thoughts, Finn’s assistant brought some good news.
Finn had dozens of assistants, each assigned to different tasks. The assistant responsible for investigating Aoife’s whereabouts was named Tang.
Collins rushed over, his voice reaching Finn before he did, “Mr. Snearl, there’s news about Mr. Snearl.” He was out of breath from running.