Max was silent, listening to Gabriella. His hands were clenched into fists as his jaw throbbed with anger. It wasn’t the words that pierced Max’s heart, but the woman’s tears.
“Stop crying! I don’t like to see it,” the man said, suddenly changing the meaning of his wife’s blink.
Gabriella sighed in disbelief. That wasn’t the response she expected. After clutching her head for a moment, she returned the man’s gaze.
“You still don’t understand, do you? I hate you from the beginning. And now-”
“Your hatred has turned into concern,” Max interrupted, successfully making his wife lost for words.
“But, if hate can keep you by my side, keep hating me. That way, you won’t push me to divorce you.”
Without giving Gabriella a chance to speak, the man stepped outside with his shirt. He couldn’t bear to argue any longer, worried that he might do something out of control.
“Max!” the woman screamed, trying to stop her husband. However, the man had already disappeared behind the door.
Staring at the void, Gabriella couldn’t help but sigh in resignation. Her effort had met with failure.
“Why don’t you listen to me?” she said in a thin voice before looking down and wetting her parched throat.
After the confusion subsided a bit, the woman’s gaze was fixed on the suitcase standing on the side of the cupboard. After a few moments, she grabbed it.
“If Max doesn’t want to divorce me, then I’m the one who get out of here.”
Hastily, Gabriella opened the suitcase and started gathering things. There was no doubt this time. The desire to free Max from the threat was far greater than the fear of being abandoned on the streets.
“I won’t be a burden anymore.”
***
“Where are we going?” the driver asked when he got behind the wheel.
“Julian’s house,” Max replied as he started flipping through the sheets of paper in his hand. “I have to ask him a few things.”
“Is he at home? It’s weekend, Sir,” the driver said before starting the engine.
“Let’s check it,” the man said lightly as he focused on the names on the guest list.
Max had turned the paper several times. There were only the names of Amber, Julian, Sebastian, Herbert, and the doctor.
“Tsk, could there be a guest who is not on the list?” he muttered as he looked out the window.
“Dad and Julian couldn’t have slept with that servant. As for Sebastian, there is no good reason for him to be the mastermind. Even if I fall, Julian will fill the CEO role,” thought Max, tilting his head.
“But, Sebastian is the most likely. He knows what I did with Gaby in the car, at home, and at the hotel.”
Suddenly, the man’s eyebrows rose and his eyes widened. Something had crossed his mind. Wasting no time, Max pulled out his cell phone, calling someone to prove his conjecture.
“Sebastian, all my access is blocked again. Can you check my inbox? Supposedly, there is an important message from the investor I met two days ago.”
“Can’t you say hello first? It just surprises me,” the secretary said in a displeased tone.
“It’s urgent. Please do it for me.”
“Alright, alright. Wait a moment. I’ll call you again.”
Without further ado, the secretary hung up the phone. A second later, the CEO’s brows began to furrow.
“As it turns out, Sebastian had access to my email, even though it’s blocked?” Max muttered before snorting. “No wonder nothing was missed when he took my place.”
After two minutes, the CEO’s cell phone vibrated again. The secretary’s name appeared along with a message.
Knowing that no important message was found by Sebastian, the CEO’s admiration was suddenly heard.
“He’s able to access my email so quickly?” he sighed in disbelief. “Could it be that Sebastian is the mastermind behind all this trouble?”
Before Max could think further, a message vibrated his phone again. As soon as the CEO checked, his face automatically tightened.
“How are you, Mr. CEO? Do you feel that your day is very hard? I see Gabriella has given up. She is so excited to drag her trunk towards the fence.”
With jaw clenched and breath rumbling, Max clasped the phone as if his hand was gripping the mastermind’s collar. Then, without thinking, he ordered the driver to turn around.
“Did something happen, Sir?” the old man asked as he checked the rearview mirror. The CEO’s face was filled with worry.
“Gabriella is planning to run away.”
Without further questioning, the driver stepped on the gas. He knew they had to get there quickly.
As soon as the car came to a stop, Max got down and stormed in. Minnie who had not had time to approach was forced to ask from afar.
“What is wrong, Sir?”
The man’s steps suddenly changed course. “Where’s Gabriella?” he asked, causing a deeper frown at the butler’s brow.
“In the bedroom, Sir. Madam hasn’t been out since breakfast.”
An incomprehensible sigh spontaneously escaped from Max’s mouth.
“Did the mastermind trick me?” the CEO mumbled with quivering eyes. He really couldn’t guess what the mastermind was planning.
A second later, the man returned the questioning gaze of the butler. “Thank you, Auntie,” he said before rushing up the stairs.
As soon as he opened the door, Max was immediately wide-eyed. Gabriella had just grabbed a suitcase, about to drag it away.
“So, you really intend to run away?”
Looking at her husband was blocking the way, the woman spontaneously gulped. Even though her eyes widened, she tried to answer casually, “Why do you come back? Aren’t you avoiding me?”
Max hissed, trying to stifle the annoyance. After regaining senses, his head began to fumble around the room.
“There must be a camera around here. There’s no way the mastermind could find out about your plans to leave,” the man said as he started to check.
The brief explanation succeeded in making Gabriella’s cold expression change meaning.
“Hidden camera?” she murmured with high arched eyebrows.
“Yes. I think your guess was right. The mastermind has eyes everywhere. I shouldn’t have ignored what you said,” Max implied as he continued to search around the dressing table.
Gabriella was silent watching her husband busy. After a while, she finally took off the suitcase and joined in observing. Her eyes moved swiftly through every corner of the room, until she stopped on the table beside the cupboard.
“Is this a camera?” the woman asked as she drew closer to a black sphere that resembled a screw. Without wasting any time, Max joined her.
After only two seconds of observing, the man already detached it.
“Really a camera?” Gabriella sighed in disbelief.
The man nodded seriously. In just an instant, the no-longer-hidden camera crumbled under his shoe.
“This is weird. The mastermind didn’t have a chance to set it up here. Neither Julian nor Sebastian ever stepped past the dresser. Did the little mouse set it up?” Max muttered as he looked at the debris on the floor.
Instead of agreeing, the woman’s brows furrowed. “But…, isn’t this table where the interrogator put his toolbox?”
Max’s blinking suddenly turned stiff. “Sharp Knife?”
“Yes. I remember he put the box on this table.”
The man immediately checked the memory. After a few seconds, with a roaring breath, he rushed towards the door. However, at the fifth step, Max stopped and turned to get his wife’s suitcase.
“Our conversation isn’t over yet. We’ll continue after I get back.”
Gabriella was astonished at the speed her husband closed the door and locked it. When her consciousness was fully charged, the woman approached the door and tried to open it.
“He really locked me up?” Gabriella sighed in disbelief.
After pressing the lever several times, the woman finally stepped back and let out a resigned sigh.
“I shouldn’t have been distracted by that hidden camera,” she grumbled while biting her lip and closing her eyes for a moment.
“How can I get out now?”
After a moment of silence, Gabriella’s eyes opened wide. With hasty steps, the woman walked towards a drawer.
When she pulled it out, a key still attached to the necklace chain was visible. Suddenly a sigh of relief was heard.
“He must have forgotten that he ever gave me this freedom,” Gabriella said as she took the key. Then, without wasting any time, the woman opened the door, locked it again, and walked away.