Chapter 5. His greatest foe

Courtney’s POV

Almost thirty minutes have gone by since I ordered Oliver to assist Adeleine. That woman is unbelievable. The fact she entrusted her life to me is the most unforeseen thing I’ve ever encountered. Now I’m fucking accountable for her safety.

I must admit that the moment I first looked at her, I glimmered something unfathomable. She’s just so damn beautiful. Her beauty is different than all the other women I’ve known. However, judging the scenario earlier proved her life in the hands of her husband was in dire straits. Unfortunately, I knew our encounter would soon end because my life was not a game. I have a cruel fate, and someone like her doesn’t deserve to be part of it. I need to send her to a safe place as soon as possible to ensure she will not be involved in any danger.

Right now, I have a serious mission to focus on.

I stood facing the man who killed the former president of Viasco Corporation, Macario Alejo—the man who had done so much for me and our town. Macario had been a father figure to me when I lost everything, teaching me how to survive during those dark days when it felt like demise was inevitable. He gave me a purpose when I was nothing but rubbish in the eyes of many, but now he’s gone because this man in front of me betrayed us all. His name is Fredrin Harrington. He was once our ally, but his greed blinded him and made him commit such a horrendous thing for his selfish gain.

He was sitting in a chair with an ugly scar on his face that went from ear to chin. The stain of blood seeped into his white shirt, and he had a huge gash on his right cheekbone while his hands and feet were tied down with thick rope. His hair was disheveled with glassy eyes from weariness.

With my burning gaze at him, I ambled to the right corner where the long table was set up. In it are two bottles of champagne with two guns and some weapons. I took the knife and wiped it with the white towel hanging off the table’s edge. It glowed under my touch as if ready to penetrate through flesh in one fell swoop. After a fleeting moment, I put it down on the table, grabbed my bourbon glass, and poured myself some of the bubbly.

“Thought you stopped drinking.”

My eyes darted toward the voice and met Fredrin’s cold stare. “Figured it wouldn’t kill me.”

“You’re still a pompous ass even after all these years.” He sneered, eyeing my weapons.

“Actually, I prefer to think of myself as a pragmatist—quite reasonable, if you ask me,” I replied, taking a sip of my drink. “Unlike you. I have to give you credit for coming up with such a ridiculous plan. Slow and predictable. You’ve really shown how foolish you can be.”

He laughed evilly as if my words were humorous, but it soon vanished.

“Oh, you think so? Then why didn’t you save him?” He asked, with his grin slowly stretching. “Or perhaps the truth is I’m just smarter than you, that you failed to read my plan.”

I only gave him a smirk before I took another sip of my drink and grabbed the gun from the table. “Not really hard. You’ve cooked up a terrible scheme that isn’t worth my time.” I stepped closer, noticing the vein throbbing on his forehead and the pulse in his neck as he glared back at me.

I halted right in front of him and delivered a punch hard enough to make my knuckles throb. He bent forward, blood trickling from his mouth and nostrils, and shot me a furious glare, but words failed him. Straining against his restraints, he struggled to sit up, causing his chair to rattle violently.

I stepped back, relishing the moment, then leveled my gun at him. “You should be ashamed, Fredrin. How could you kill the man who raised you? You let them play you for their own selfish gain, all in the name of some twisted loyalty. And now you think you’re clever for it?”

With no hesitation, I pulled the trigger, firing twice—one bullet in his right arm and the other in his left. His scream echoed off the walls, a raw sound that twisted my lips into a cruel grin as I listened to his cries bounce around the room.

“Shit!” He yelled as the agony took over his features with the blood oozing out of his wounds. “Screw you!”

“Your life is screwed because you chose to chase after glory, but all you’ve ended up with is nothing!” I squeezed the trigger again, creating another hole in his shoulder. The second shot landed perfectly on his knee. “You killed innocent people, but don’t think of any moment it will change what you are, loser.”

After I spoke, I chose to leave him there, bleeding in the chair, picturing his body decaying without a hint of mercy until nothing remained but a carcass. I don’t want to kill him just yet or put an end to his suffering. I wanted him to wallow in despair with every drop of blood he lost because, even in death, the damage he inflicted couldn’t be undone.

I walked into the restroom and splashed some cold water on my face, trying to shake off the weight of my thoughts. But as the droplets fell, memories rushed back to me: the day I stumbled upon Macario’s body in his office. Blood was everywhere, pooling around him in a horrific scene that felt like a nightmare. It was hard to believe at first, but the reality hit hard—Fredrin had taken his life. And for that, he deserved to suffer. His greed had torn us apart, and I yearned for the moment he’d be gone for good. Only then could I finally breathe easy, free from the haunting image of his face looming over my head. But that day was not today.

After a minute of brooding, I caught a glimpse of Oliver’s figure in the reflection behind me. He was panting heavily.

“Sir! Ms. Adeleine is missing.”

My eyes turned to him sharply before my feet took hold of their own pace to find her.