Magnus was released after only three days of investigation.
Jasper suddenly flipped, swearing that Weston had fabricated the evidence.
Weston's face turned pale as he knelt before me. "Ms. Rothschild, I truly didn't know Jasper would play me like that." I had warned Weston to be careful, but his ambition had inflated too quickly. His desires had clouded his judgment.
I had only been missing for half a month, yet Magnus had become as uncontrollable as a wild horse, wreaking havoc without restraint. I sat by the window, gazing at the tall buildings outside, wordlessly.
Now, Magnus was turning the tables, using Weston' malicious tip-off to throw the Rothschild Corporation into a credibility crisis. Relevant authorities had already intervened with an investigation.
Meanwhile, Magnus had begun his revenge against the Rothschilds. His successive maneuvers caused the company's stock price to plummet. In an instant, the entire company was teetering on the brink of collapse.
People came in and out of my office, and the lights were on all night.
A few days later, one of my subordinates came in with a pale face and said, "Ms. Rothschild, Magnus has hit us hard. We can't withstand it any longer."
"He said if we want to save the company, you'll need to personally beg him."
...
After days of exhausting work, I caught a severe cold.
When I dragged my sick body to Magnus's office, I was told he was in a meeting and I had to wait.
There were no chairs around.
I had no choice but to stand outside his office.
It had cooled down a few days ago, and the hallway windows were open. It was as cold as an ice cellar. I felt terrible, barely managing to lean against the glass wall of his office to catch my breath. I didn't know how long I'd been waiting when the door suddenly swung open from the inside. Magnus's frosty face appeared in my line of sight.
Even his words lacked warmth. "What? Is Miss Rothschild's sincerity so cheap?" I couldn't hold on any longer and gently collapsed against his shoulder. Magnus's hand gripped me so tightly it hurt. His voice was cold and hard, full of disgust. "Stay away from me! Do I look like a fool?"
"Magnus…" I interrupted him, my voice hoarse. "I feel awful, just let me lean on you for a while." In that instant, the room fell into an eerie silence.
I was burning with fever, and with the wind, my body was shaking uncontrollably. Magnus picked me up and carried me to his resting room. When the doctor took my temperature, Magnus stayed outside with Jasper.
"Magnus, are you out of your mind? How cold was the hallway?"
"…"
"She just threw up, is she pregnant?"
"…"
Magnus pushed the door open. "Sir, she—"
"Get out."
Magnus closed the door again, his voice tinged with irritation. "Stop talking."
"Mr. Everstone, in our line of work, it's most taboo to fall in love with—"
"Get lost."
My throat burned with fever, and my voice had become hoarse. The doctor prescribed some medicine.
After I took it, I lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
In my dream, I found myself back at that fire. I watched my parents, through a window, walking away from me, and I cried until my voice was gone. Later, they said, "Don't blame us, the huge family fortune needs someone to hold it up."
To them, I was nothing but a useless burden.
There was no reason for them to risk their lives to save me.
For many years after, I became someone who valued profit above all else.
I began calculating every gain and loss.
I never made a losing deal.
I woke up from the dream, the room dim, and the clock in the corner ticking slowly. My body was drenched in sweat and sticky, so I got out of bed. Outside was Magnus's office.
He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, the faint neon light casting a shadow on his profile. His expression was murky.
Magnus turned his head, locking eyes with me, like a predator staring at its prey.
"I suggest you lie down in the room for two more days."
I crossed my arms lazily and glanced at him. "Restricting personal freedom is illegal." Magnus's eyes were dark and silent, as cold as an ice cellar.
I had expected him to say something like, "Go wherever you want, just don't die here." But instead, Magnus said, "That's right, I'm locking you up. Even if you die, you'll die here."
