Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dexter’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. He turned around, his lips tightly pressed together, his complexion a shade of pallor that was hard to discern.
Once again, Arnold raised his gun, his face devoid of any emotion. “So, should I let her die?”
That time, the barrel of the gun was pointed directly at Josie’s forehead.
The latter was equally pale, unable to control her trembling, causing the calm surface of the water to ripple slightly.
In the end, Dexter couldn’t hold back. “What do you want?”
“The money, all of it, returned,” demanded Arnold.
“Dexter!” Josie shouted with all her might. “I don’t need you to bear the burden of my actions!”
Dexter stood tall, his back to the light, and he did not respond to Josie.
Struggling against the water, Josie tried to catch Arnold’s attention. “I’m the only one who knows where the money is. If you dare to kill me, you’ll be just as dead. Mr. Dalton surely wouldn’t keep a useless person like you around.”
Chuckling in disbelief, Arnold said to Dexter, “Even on her deathbed, she still threatens me. What a woman! However, tell me, Dexter. Is there any truth to her words?”
Dexter immediately pulled out his cell phone and switched it to speaker mode. “Notify the Russell family. We must put all our efforts into finding the whereabouts of that money. Once found, it must all be returned.”
Arnold was filled with doubt. All he heard from the other end of the phone was a voice asking, “Really…?”
“Do it.” Dexter ended the call, seemingly a bit helpless. “I’ve taken care of it for you. Let’s release her first.”
Josie’s voice was hoarse and strained. “Dexter!”
With a cold gaze, Arnold said, “This is merely an additional condition. I never said I would let anyone go.”
“Of course, it’s not impossible,” he said, repeating his earlier sentiment. “You can take her place. Otherwise, you’ll have to watch her drown.”
One was a profound abyss of black, the other a vibrant bloom of color. Once again, they stood their ground, each formidable in their own right, with no clear superior.
For a moment, Dexter suddenly chuckled softly, “Do you really think I would give up my own life for her? Do you think I’m that noble?”
His laughter was eerily unsettling, causing Arnold’s body to tense up. “Isn’t that so? No one knows you better than I do, Dexter. All these years, she has been your only weakness. Haven’t I hit the nail on the head?”
Dexter did not agree.
Arnold let out a cold huff, then suddenly said, “The night she left Wavery two years ago, you were speeding on the highway and got into a car accident. The doctors issued two critical condition notices. You were laid up in the hospital for half a year. Although you’ve recovered, your body hasn’t. You’ve damaged your internal organs and heart. As far as I know, the accident was entirely your own doing.”
As Dexter’s expression gradually cooled, Josie’s expression also shifted from anger to surprise, eventually settling into calmness.
“Dexter, you have to admit that you wanted to leave with her that night, even considering departing from a world that didn’t include her. Isn’t that love enough?”
Dexter looked on with a cool gaze, even managing to crack a joke. “Two years ago, weren’t you struggling and striving in Rivodia, going to great lengths to find out about me? Seems to me like you were the one who was more in love.”
Gradually, Arnold grew impatient.
Josie stared unblinkingly at Dexter. She had a strong hunch that what Arnold had said was probably true.
“The car accident was unexpected. You’re really overthinking this,” said Dexter.
“Then I let the water flow, and you can watch her drown. How about that?” That was a blatant provocation from Arnold toward Dexter.
“Perhaps I once cared for her deeply, but love can fade. I would do anything within my power for her, but if it required sacrificing my life, I wouldn’t. Clearly, you still don’t understand this principle.” Dexter didn’t even blink. He made a ‘please’ gesture with his hand.
