After speaking, Robert Peters reached out and grabbed Ivy Taylor’s chin, smirking. “You’re quite beautiful. I heard that after your husband died, you haven’t been with another man. You must be very lonely, right?”
“Dad!” Bruce Peters exclaimed excitedly from behind him. “Dad, I love widows with kids the most. They’re… fiery. How about I teach her a lesson first? Once I’m done, we can all take turns, and then make her sign the contract.”
Slap! Robert Peters raised his hand and smacked Bruce across the head, glaring at him fiercely. “And what about me? Do I just stand here and watch?”
Bruce froze for a moment before nodding hurriedly. “Oh, right, right. You first, Dad. You go first!”
“Bad people! Don’t bully my mom! My dad is coming!”
Suddenly, a weak yet defiant voice interrupted them. It was Vivian, standing her ground.
Both men turned to look at her. The burly henchman, John, stepped forward hurriedly. “Boss, this little girl slipped out earlier and made a phone call. It was to her dad. She didn’t say much before I snatched the phone and smashed it.”
“Her dad?” Bruce Peters asked, puzzled.
Vivian, her face streaked with tears, spoke firmly. “My dad is a hero. He’ll defeat all of you bad people. He will!”
Bruce burst into laughter, pointing at the little girl. “Dad, I thought this woman was some virtuous widow, but it turns out she’s just a cheap tramp secretly raising another man’s kid. And she even teaches her daughter to call someone else ‘Dad.’ Who knows, maybe she told her to do it while she was in bed with him. This woman’s got skills!”
With that, Bruce walked over to Vivian, grinning maliciously. “Come on, you can call me ‘Dad,’ too. I’ll give you candy. And I’ll make your mom feel real good.”
“Ahhh!”
Suddenly, Bruce let out a scream. Vivian had bitten down hard on his hand, refusing to let go. Bruce winced in pain, his face twisted, and with a furious smack, he slapped Vivian across the face.
Vivian fell to the ground, dazed and nearly unconscious.
“You little brat! How dare you bite me! Are you tired of living?” Bruce roared, pointing at her furiously.
“Bastard! Don’t touch my daughter! Don’t you dare touch my daughter!” Ivy Taylor screamed, her face filled with rage as she lunged toward Bruce.
“You think you’re so tough, bullying a child? If you’ve got the guts, come after me!” Ivy’s voice cracked as she shouted.
Robert Peters seemed to have realized something. He walked over to Vivian, who was barely conscious, and picked her up by the collar. He placed her on a table in the room, his face twisted in a sinister grin. “Your daughter must be very important to you, huh?”
Ivy’s voice trembled as she asked, “What are you going to do? What do you want?”
John stepped forward. “Boss, this girl is her weak spot. Earlier, no matter how we tried to get to her, she wouldn’t give in. But the moment we grabbed her daughter, she folded. Targeting the kid is the right move.”
Robert grunted in agreement, then sneered. “Alright, I’ll give you one more chance. If you sign the contract, after we’ve had our fun with you, we’ll let you and your daughter go.”
His tone darkened. “But if you keep being stubborn, I’ll torture your daughter to death right in front of you. I’ll make sure you see every moment of it. They say daughters are a mother’s heart and soul. I want to see how you react when I destroy her!”
As he finished, Robert pulled out a knife.
“No! No! Please don’t!” Ivy Taylor felt like she was losing her mind. Robert Peters was a man who had done every despicable thing imaginable. She didn’t doubt for a second that he would follow through on his threat.
“I’ll sign! I’ll sign! I’ll sign!” Ivy Taylor screamed frantically.
Robert Peters grinned, his smile twisted and demonic. He relished the feeling of power-the ability to control someone’s life completely. To him, this was the ultimate pleasure. Especially when those who once held themselves so high were reduced to helpless, pitiful creatures in his hands.
This was what power felt like. Absolute dominance. Sometimes, he thought of himself as a god, or even a devil.
Looking at Ivy’s broken spirit, Robert chuckled darkly. “Too late now! Whether you sign or not, it doesn’t matter. I can just forge your signature. All I need is your fingerprint. Even if you’re dead, I can press your lifeless finger onto the paper.”
He laughed cruelly. “You thought you had a choice? No. I just wanted to toy with you. To let you think you had a chance, only to snatch it away. Who told you to ignore me before?”
“Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!” Both father and son laughed maniacally, their laughter echoing through the room like a nightmare.
“Ms. Taylor, enjoy the show. Watch closely as I deal with your daughter!” Robert leaned toward Vivian with the knife in his hand, his face contorted into an evil grin.
“No! No!” Ivy Taylor completely broke down.
“Stop! If you have any humanity left, come after me. Leave my daughter out of this!”
Vivian suddenly opened her eyes. Crying, she said, “Daddy, save me. My daddy will come save me.”
“Wake up, kid! Your dad isn’t coming. He’s dead! And even if he weren’t, he wouldn’t save you!” Robert sneered coldly.
Vivian shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, my daddy’s not dead. He’s a hero. He’ll save me. He’ll save my mom. He will!”
Ivy Taylor’s heart shattered at her daughter’s words. She felt as if she were dying inside.
“Oh? A hero, is he? Let’s see if your ‘hero’ shows up. How about this: I’ll count down from three. If he doesn’t show up, you’ll call me ‘Dad.’ Deal?” Robert taunted Vivian.
He began the countdown.
“Three.”
“Two.”
Vivian bit her lip and cried out, “Daddy! Daddy, save me!”
“One.”
Bang!
Before the final word fully left his lips, the door to the room was kicked open with a deafening crash.
A figure stood in the doorway.