Chapter 5

Upon hearing the commotion, Eden showed up out of nowhere and went up to Jaime to explain, “Jaime, Jericho has surgery in two days and needs a quiet place to rest. It’s a little too noisy in the hospital, and he’s afraid of being alone. He’s terrified that you’re still upset with him and you’d be sending someone to attack him again.

“I figured I’d bring him home so he could rest while I look after him. He’ll leave after the surgery."

The terrified Jericho quickly got up from the couch and turned pale. He went up to Jaime and expressed in a frail voice, “Mr. Barthes, I’m sorry for the disturbance. I’ll only be here for two days and will get out of your hair immediately after the surgery.”

Jaime was too exhausted to bicker with them anymore. All he did was dismiss him with a faint look, “Sure, stay if you want.”

It was only two days, anyway. He decided that being upset about something like this was simply not worth the effort anymore.

Eden was somewhat taken aback by Jaime’s response since she expected an outburst from him. At the very least, Jaime would have had something mean to say rather than just oblige without any resistance.

Then, she turned to comfort Jericho, “Jericho, don't worry. No one’s going to pick on you when I’m around.”

Jaime felt an awful feeling turning over in his chest. Just as he was heading up the stairs to go to his bedroom, he heard faint footsteps behind him.

It was Jericho coming up behind him. Jericho deliberately slowed his pace so he would remain only a step behind Jaime.

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Jericho suddenly drew closer. He lowered his voice so Jaime was the only one who could hear him. He taunted, “It doesn’t matter how hard you try. Eden is still going to choose me.”

Jaime was already upset enough at that point. When Jericho deliberately taunted him, he was successfully provoked into turning around sharply to respond.

As soon as he did so, the look in Jericho’s eyes widened. Jericho intentionally stumbled backward, throwing himself down the flight of stairs.

“Ah!”

His piercing cry shattered the relative peace inside the villa. When he landed at the bottom of the stairs, he curled up with his hands clutched over his stomach.

Eden rushed to him like a bolt of thunder. Seeing how pale his complexion had become, she embraced him tightly and asked in a trembling voice, “Jericho, are you alright? Where does it hurt?”

Jericho clung to her while looking at the top of the stairs with his brows furrowed in pain. He then gestured upward with his hands shaking the entire time and his voice weak, “Eden… it was Mr. Barthes… He pushed me... He told me he hated me because I took everything from him and that he was not going to let me follow through with the surgery…”

Meanwhile, Jaime, who stood at the top of the stairs, had to watch the wretched scene unfold before him.

He felt a terrible throb in his heart as well, which was growing stronger with every passing second. At one point, he clutched a hand over his chest and felt like he was going to faint at any moment.

Despite that, he forced himself to explain, “I didn't push him. He was the one who threw himself…”

Before he could finish explaining, an enraged Eden howled at him, “Jaime, enough is enough!”

She cast a bloodshot look at Jaime. All the love and guilt in her eyes had been replaced by a burning look of anger and disappointment.

When she spoke, each word hissed between the gaps of her clenched teeth. “Have you seen the state Jericho is in already? How could you be so cruel? When are you going to leave him alone?”

Her deafening shout echoed throughout the house. She held onto Jericho as if to protect him from Jaime, whom she had imagined to be a ruthless beast.

“How could I have been so blinded in the past to not realize how much of an evil man you are? Did you truly think you could do anything you want just because of your family name? Did you think even murder is permitted?”

Jaime looked at the seething hatred in her eyes, then at the way she was protecting Jericho. In an instant, a chilly, absurd feeling washed over him.

That was when he decided there was no use defending himself.

Just as he was turning to leave, Eden cried out after him, “Stop right there! Since you’re not going to change, I’ll teach you a lesson so you can learn!”

A murderous glint flashed in her eyes as she shouted in the direction of the entrance, “Get in here!”

Immediately after that, two bodyguards dressed in black burst into the room. The one leading the charge addressed Eden solemnly, “Yes, ma’am.”

Eden gestured at Jaime, “Take him to the courtyard and make him reflect on what he’s done. He’ll only be allowed to come back in once he comes to his senses and admits that he was in the wrong!”

With that, the bodyguards went up to Jaime to seize him.

Despite his furious struggles, he was no match for them in his sick and weakened state. All he could do was shout and protest with tears in his eyes, “Eden, let me go! I told you, it wasn't me! Why are you doing this to me?!”

When the housemaid tried to intervene, Eden sharply rebuked her, “What do you think you’re doing? Call an ambulance!”

Then, she looked at Jericho, who was cradled in her arms. Her voice was filled with sorrow when she spoke to him, “Jericho, don't be scared. I’ll be with you. The paramedics will be here soon, you will be alright. The surgery will proceed smoothly, and nobody is going to hurt you.”

With that, she helped Jericho out of the house without sparing Jaime so much as a glance when she walked past him.

Meanwhile, Jaime was forcefully dragged into the courtyard by the bodyguards.

It was midday. The heat of the sun had been baked into the concrete.

Whenever he tried to get up, the bodyguards would forcefully shove him back down, slamming his knees against the concrete in the process and hurting him.

The bodyguard instructed without mercy, “Sir, Ms. Hawthorn has instructed us to use force if necessary. Don’t make things difficult for us.”

Jaime was beyond exhausted. The terrible pangs of pain in his heart and lungs were combined with the shooting pain in his knees. Large beads of sweat started to form on his forehead before dripping down. At one point, his vision began to blur.

In his half-conscious state, a series of images flashed through his mind. Soon, a familiar metallic taste swarmed his mouth until he could no longer hold on.

After one last wave of dizziness washed over him, he passed out.