Chapter 430
All tender affection vanished. Richard stared, stunned. He looked down to see his white shirt stained with blood; an extremely sharp dagger was plunged into his heart. Tiffany stood before him, her eyes cold and distant. Her internal struggle and desperate resistance were hidden from view.
She wished it were a dream, but it wasn't. She had stabbed him, and was slowly pushing the dagger deeper, inch by inch. She felt the dagger ruthlessly pressing into Richard's heart, cutting his flesh, blood oozing out. She pressed harder, relentlessly.
Richard remained motionless, his dark eyes filled with disbelief. "Tiffany…" he cried out, a sound of pain and shock.
John and the guards outside sensed something was wrong. They burst in to find Tiffany smiling serenely, Richard standing tall, seemingly an idyllic scene marred only by the dagger piercing his chest. Bright red blood trickled down the knife's handle, staining the carpet. The warmth was gone, replaced by chilling coldness.
John's eyes widened in shock, quickly replaced by anger and worry. He rushed forward with his men. "Mr. Hampton!" he cried.
"Get out!" A powerful gust of wind flung John and his men across the room, smashing them against the walls. The room was in chaos.
Richard's demeanor shifted dramatically. His handsome face contorted with rage, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. The room's temperature plummeted. John, lying on the floor, felt a tightening of his nerves. The king's rage—a massacre will follow. The brutal demon has returned, he thought.
Tiffany remained unharmed by the gust of wind. Despite his fury, Richard couldn't bring himself to hurt her.
Tiffany closed her eyes, her remaining consciousness tearing at her. Her heart ached, as if clasped in an invisible, suffocating grip. Yet, her body was beyond her control. She heard herself say, "Richard, do you think I really like you? You're just a tool."
"A tool?" Richard murmured, his gaze burning into Tiffany. "Do you really mean that?"
Her body betrayed her mind. "Yeah," she whispered. "I hated you from the beginning. I only wanted revenge on Kenneth. Now I've achieved that, the only thing left useful is your blood—to open the Treasure Box."
Her smile bloomed like a rose, her flawless face radiating triumph. "Mr. Hampton's untouchable, so I thought, why not see for myself?" she said, leaning close, her voice dripping with mockery. "Didn't think you'd be so easy to break."
As she spoke, Richard grabbed her neck. Tiffany didn't struggle. "You won't kill me," she said firmly, "because you can't."
He couldn't. The man with no weaknesses was defeated by the woman he loved. He could have killed her, but couldn't bring himself to do it.
"You know me well," Richard said, slowly releasing his grip. The poison spread quickly, his hands turning black. What a ruthless woman. The dagger was poisoned. A plan B, he realized, his foolishness evident in letting himself fall for her. Defeated, he stumbled backward and fell.
John rushed to his side. Richard's wound was deep, the bleeding uncontrollable, the poison spreading rapidly. He looked like he was dying.
John's eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Tiffany. "Miss Kelley," he said, "if Mr. Hampton hadn't prevented it, I would have killed you myself!"
He carried Richard away, his men following. "Where's Mr. Pauley? Find him! Hurry!"
Felix emerged from the next room, stroking Tiffany's cheek approvingly. "Not bad," he said. "In return, I've sent your family home. Don't worry, they won't know what happened." He left, smiling.
The engagement party was ruined. News of Richard's stabbing spread quickly. His survival was doubted. Melody and Morwen, however, were pleased.
Melody had anticipated this, ever since helping Felix locate the Treasure Box. She had learned from Lorenzo of Felix's plan to ruin the party. It was even more spectacularly disastrous than she'd imagined.
"Who would have thought Tiffany would do this? She'll be the target of public scorn—the ungrateful bitch!" she sneered.
Morwen, who had repeatedly failed to get rid of Tiffany, was ecstatic. Tiffany had destroyed herself.
"How wonderful! Hank will reject her, and Richard will abandon her. Then I can hurt her without worry!" She asked, "Where is Mr. Hampton?" "He's been sent back to Royal Bay. His condition is critical."
"Get my car ready," Morwen said, a faint smile playing on her lips. It was time for her to act.