Chapter 739

When the man saw Tyler walk away, a smug, almost gleeful grin spread across his face. He tilted his head back and let out a laugh that bordered on madness.

“Hahaha! You see that? How dare you mock someone else? At least I truly loved my girlfriend. Look at yourself. The man you like doesn’t even like you back! He won’t even look at you! If you ask me, you’re even more pathetic than I am.”

This time, it was Anne’s turn to break down. The stab wound no longer felt like the worst of it. It was the man’s words that hurt like hell.

Her face turned pale, and she pursed her lips tightly. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from arguing back.

“You don’t know anything. I’ll make him be with me! If it weren’t for you, I might become his girlfriend by tomorrow!”

The man laughed again, his laughter mocking not only Anne’s naivety but also himself.

He leaned down close to her ear.

“You know what? I used to think the same way as you. I thought if I just kept trying, she’d be touched by my love someday. But let me tell you something–if someone doesn’t love you, nothing you do will ever make them love you. You can force anything else in life, but love? Love can’t be forced!”

Anne scoffed. “That’s something only weak people say. The strong find a way to get what they want, instead of…”

She stopped herself mid-sentence. She had been about to say “instead of being like you,” but she realized that provoking him again might earn her another stab wound.

Strangely enough, after being stabbed once, her fear had dulled. It was replaced by a strange calmness.

Deep down, she knew why. Her shift in emotion wasn’t bravery. It was because Tyler had walked away. His leaving had crushed her last shred of hope.

Suddenly, a chilling thought crossed the man’s mind. He ran the knife across Anne’s body, making her tense up. She felt a chill down her spine. Her trembling voice broke the silence.

“D–Don’t do anything rash! We can talk this out.”

“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you right now. I just want to play a little game with you. I’ll make you see for yourself that love can’t be forced.”

Anne’s unease spiked.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll know soon enough,” the man replied, his tone unsettlingly mysterious.

Tyler soon returned and stood by Rachel’s side. “I’ve already spoken with the police. They’re out looking for his girlfriend now.”

Rachel wasn’t convinced this would go smoothly. Her brows furrowed with concern.

“Don’t get your hopes up. He’s too agitated right now. Even if his girlfriend shows up, there’s no guarantee she’ll be able to calm him down.”

Tyler sighed, knowing she was right. “There’s nothing else we can do for the moment. We have to at least try.”

The man tightened his hold on Anne and suddenly shouted at Tyler.

“Hey! You! You want to save her, don’t you?”

Tyler instinctively turned to face him and nodded. “What do you want?”

“It’s simple. Trade her for the girl standing next to you. You bring her over, and I’ll let this one go.”

Tyler’s gaze darkened. “She’s too timid. She wouldn’t make a good hostage. If you want a hostage, take me instead.”

The man rejected the offer without a second thought.

“No! You’ve got two choices–either bring that girl over here, or things stay as they are. And make sure the cops stay the hell out of this!”

Seeing the man’s emotions spiraling again, Tyler quickly stepped in to calm him.

“Relax. The police are already outside. No one’s coming in. If you want to walk out of here, you can, but don’t hurt her. She never really did anything to you, did she?”

The man ignored Tyler’s words and looked down at Anne instead. “See? This man doesn’t like you! It’s obvious. He’s already chosen someone else.”

Anne’s eyes filled with tears. Veins bulged at her neck as her body trembled.