Chapter 6

When Jaime woke up, he was greeted by the familiar ceiling in his bedroom. There was a faint scent of medicine in the air.

His parents were watching over him from the bedside and looked like they had been crying.

Upon realizing he was awake, Marcus took his hand and cried out emotionally, “Jaime, you're finally awake! We’re going to have that brat Eden pay for what she’s done to you!”

Elisa seemed distraught as well when she informed Jaime, “I’ve gotten someone to investigate Jericho already, and we’re going to make Eden give us a proper explanation! Eden wouldn’t have gotten as far as she did today if it weren’t for our family helping her in the past! How dare she treat you like this? Talk about being ungrateful!”

Jaime was just about to say something when the bedroom door opened. It was Eden.

Her eyes were still bloodshot. It was evident she had not gotten much sleep all night either.

“Marcus, Elisa.” She spoke first, without being prompted, “Jaime has been holding a grudge against Jericho. A few days ago, he hired someone to attack Jericho at the hospital, and then he tried to attack him again today. I understand you two are trying to protect him, but that doesn’t mean you can just let him hurt someone innocent. I had to do something to put him in his place.”

“That’s a load of crap!” Elisa immediately retorted, “We know what kind of person Jaime is. It's clear to me that Jericho is the one who has been instigating!”

Eden proceeded to show them a blurry surveillance video on her phone while stating, “There is evidence to prove who the instigator is.”

The footage showed Jericho suddenly tumbling down the stairs when Jaime turned around. However, whether he was shoved or not remained rather ambiguous.

“Jericho is still in the hospital. Even now, there’s no telling if the surgery would even be successful or not,” Eden remarked while putting away her phone.

Then, an icy look surfaced in her eyes. “I understand that you two have helped me in the past and I respect you for that, but there are boundaries too. If you insist on defending Jaime, I’ll have to do something even after considering our history.”

Marcus and Elisa were struck dumb by her hardly subtle declaration.

They were aware that Eden had access to the majority of the construction materials and technology in Hartow City. She was no longer the naive girl who had to rely on the Barthes in the past and was more than resourceful enough to stand up for herself.

Marcus was shaking with rage at this point. He jabbed a finger at her to rebuke her. “You… you ungrateful wretch!”

Eden replied dully, “I’m only doing what’s right and protecting the one who needs protecting.”

When she cast a look at the pale-faced Jaime, a conflicted look surfaced in her eyes.

“Before Jericho’s surgery is concluded, I want Jaime to stay inside the house so he can reflect on his actions. He will not be allowed to leave.

“In the meantime, I will have my people escort you two back to your house so you can get some rest. Please don’t interfere anymore.”

Marcus refused to give in. He gnashed his teeth and threatened her, “You can protect your boy toy all you want, but we’ll make him pay one way or another!”

Suddenly, an icy look glinted in Eden’s eyes. She announced stoically, “If you so much as put a finger on him, I’ll cut off all of Barthes Corporation’s investment funds.”

After Marcus and Elisa were so-called escorted back to their home, Eden had the house fortified with heightened security.

Though she claimed it was for their protection, it resembled imprisonment more than anything else.

Marcus and Elisa were not only forbidden from leaving the house, but they were also not permitted to call Jaime.

Meanwhile, Jaime found himself confined to Eden’s house. Bodyguards were stationed right outside his room, and the only person permitted inside was the housemaid delivering his food and drink. He was forbidden from any kind of contact with the outside world.

“Eden, let my parents go!” Jaime pounded on the door. He had been shouting so long that his voice was barely recognizable anymore. “Take it out on me if you’re angry, don’t drag them into this!”

Eden, who was inside the study, was in the middle of a phone call. She issued an order, “Suspend the joint development project we have with Barthes Corporation in the western part of town. Also, call off the ongoing negotiations for the financing of their overseas project. Don’t go overboard, we’re just teaching them a lesson.”

After hanging up, she went to the master bedroom and spoke to Jaime through the closed door, “Jaime, all you need to do is stop harassing Jericho. If you do that, I will let your parents go and help your company through the upcoming crisis.”

Jaime weakly slumped against the door. He felt as if his heart had been cut into a million pieces when he cried out, “Eden, do you really have to go this far? We’ve been together for a decade, doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“You were the one who started this.” Eden’s voice carried a faint hint of exhaustion, but she maintained her firm stance nonetheless as she continued, “I want you to think about what you’ve done, and speak to me once you see some reason.”

Jaime remained imprisoned for what felt like ages until the following day, when a housemaid secretly slipped him a note that read, [Your father collapsed from a heart attack last night and has been rushed to the ICU.]

Jaime broke down upon reading the message. He was beside himself and pounded on the door relentlessly while begging with tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Eden, please, spare my parents! I promise you I'll never mess with Jericho again! Please, have some mercy and let me see my mother!”

Eden's derisive voice filtered through the door, “Oh, so now you’re begging! Where was this attitude in the past? Don’t worry, I’ll let you see them once Jericho's surgery is successful.”

Jaime was overwhelmed by a wave of despair. However, he was resolved not to give up.

Jericho's surgery was scheduled today. Following the original plot, Eden would be caught in a fierce battle with the female protagonist after Jericho’s recovery, at which point she would be betrayed by Jericho. It would all culminate in her tragic death.

At the same time, this was going to be the day Jaime died.

He refused to let his parents get caught up in his wretched fate.

With that, he smashed the window with a vase and climbed his way out through the bars.

He had barely stepped out of the villa when he was stopped by the bodyguards who were already waiting for his arrival.

“Sir, Ma’am has given orders that you are not allowed to leave the villa.”

Despite Jaime’s persistent struggles, he was subdued.

When Eden arrived, her eyes were filled with disappointment. She was disgusted by his dishevelled hair and how haggard he looked. “Jaime, you will never learn!”

With a quick gesture, two bodyguards dragged Jaime into the basement.

It was dark and damp inside, with the only source of light being a bulb hanging overhead. There was also a persistent, moldy smell in the air.

“Since you won't admit your mistake, you can stay here until Jericho's surgery is over.”

With that, she turned and left, slamming the basement door shut on her way out.

A moment later, a woman dressed in black entered with a leather whip in hand.

“Ms. Hawthorn has given instructions that since you wouldn’t learn your lesson, you would be given a beating until you admit to what you’ve done.”

Following the crack of the whip, a searing pain spread across Jaime’s entire body. Though he was shaking all over, he adamantly refused to beg for mercy.

He stared at the ceiling vacantly and found himself filled with regret.

He regretted ever coming into this world. He regretted falling in love with Eden and sacrificing everything for someone who was not worth it.

After what felt like ages, the woman finally had enough of beating him and left him alone in the basement.

When he lay on the floor, darkness and silence enveloped him from every direction.

He was not sure how long he had been locked up at this point. The only thing he could be sure of was his throbbing wounds as well as the agonizing pain in his heart and lungs, which became more frequent with every passing second. He was oscillating wildly between the states of consciousness and unconsciousness.

The wounds had dried and formed scabs, which would flex with every slightest movement he made. He nearly lost consciousness from the pain several times.

Just as he was about to give up, Eden’s voice suddenly came from outside.

“Jaime, Jericho's surgery was successful. He’s out of the woods now.”

At the same time, Jaime heard the system’s mechanical voice in his ears again.

[The lifespan countdown has reached its end. You will be leaving this world, host.]

Jaime shivered. At last, it was all over.

Eden remained outside but continued speaking to Jaime through the door, “Jaime, quit being such a pain. All you need to do is listen and apologize, then I'll let you out and see your parents.”

The basement was filled with a deathly silence. There was nobody left to respond to her.