Chapter 204

Jonathan didn't see it. The ocean view on his screen suddenly went black. The last thing he saw was Cynthia leaning over the railing, shouting his name in a hoarse voice, each word filled with despair and pain.

Nina was shocked. She hadn't expected Cynthia to jump. She ran to the deck, leaned over, but saw only darkness. Her heart pounded. "Was Cynthia really gone?" she gasped, looking up at the hologram.

Jonathan showed no reaction. Whitney urged him to choose. "Jonathan, stop testing my patience. Who are you trading the card for?" she demanded.

Jonathan didn't hesitate. "Cynthia!" he declared.

Nina froze, feeling ice-cold, as if submerged in a freezing ocean. She never thought Jonathan would choose Cynthia. "In the end," she thought, "Mr. Bennett didn't care about my fate. All those years of protection and care were an illusion, not worth as much as a temporary girlfriend from a small town!"

Nina offered a self-mocking smile. Cynthia had already jumped; Jonathan's feed had cut out, so he hadn't seen it. "Perhaps Whitney intentionally prevented him from seeing it, to force him to face reality," Nina mused, her laughter growing louder, tears streaming down her face. "Mr. Bennett why did you lie to me? Why deceive me for a while if you couldn't deceive me forever? If you were going to leave me, I wish you'd never appeared in my life that year I was twelve. From the moment I saw you, you were the most important person. But it was all just a dream—a fleeting dream!"

Desperate, Nina leaped over the railing.

Meanwhile, on the hologram, Jonathan paused after speaking, then said, "Fifteen percent of the Bennett Group's shares, all the family shares I hold, in exchange for Nina's life."

Whitney was shocked. She hadn't expected such lengths for Nina. The family shares, fought over for years, were his most valuable asset, his weapon. Giving them up was surrender, hindering his future competition with her. Yet, he was willing to sacrifice everything for Nina.

Whitney chuckled. "I'd have agreed, but I forgot to mention: both of them jumped into the sea a few minutes ago."

The hologram flickered back on, showing only a lone yacht drifting in the darkness.

10:59 Mon, Nov [Day missing]

Chapter 204

Jonathan stiffened, his blood running cold. "Whitney!! You killed them!"

Whitney remained indifferent, as if two lives meant nothing. A helicopter appeared on the screen. "Relax," she said. "The rescue team is nearby. With your sincerity, I can't leave you with nothing."

Jonathan watched the helicopter's searchlight scan the ocean, finding nothing. After an indeterminate time, the crew reported, "We've spotted someone, preparing to land!"

Jonathan's nerves frayed. He watched intently as a slender figure was secured by the rescue line. The helicopter ascended, revealing Nina's face. She was weak and exhausted, but alive, her face filled with despair.

Jonathan's heart ached. "Cynthia Cynthia don't die please" he mumbled. A helicopter landed on the rooftop.

Susanna and Claude emerged, Susanna rushing to Jonathan. "Jon, don't worry. I'm here."

Jonathan remained fixated on the screen, muttering Cynthia's name. Then, he raced to the helicopter.

The helicopter took off, disappearing into the darkness. Claude's expression was grave. "We were too late"

Susanna understood. Whitney had devised a cruel torment. Hearing Jonathan whisper Cynthia's name, Susanna realized the girl was in danger. She slapped Whitney. "You treat lives like they're nothing!"

Whitney didn't flinch, laughing hysterically. "Mom! I've been treated like dirt! This world owes me! The way I was tortured I'm making him feel it all!"

Susanna sympathized with her daughter's past, but also ached for Jonathan's suffering. "Get a grip. Jon isn't like them. He's your own."

Whitney screamed, "Mom!" (Note: there's a repeated section here; I've removed the duplicate.)

10:59 Mon, Nov 11 Chapter 201 (This chapter seems out of place here. It should be placed earlier or later depending on the overall narrative structure.)

Whitney seemed to anticipate Susanna's words, screaming to stop her. "He's not!" she cried. She stumbled backward, eyes filled with fear. "No, he's not, I hate him, he's a monster! I want him dead! I want him in hell! I want them all in hell!" She staggered off the rooftop.

Susanna instructed Claude, "Quick, find Jon. Make sure nothing happens to him!"

After everyone left, a figure curled up behind a trellis, eyes wide with fear, body shaking uncontrollably. Preston slowly lifted his eyes to the full moon. But tonight, it seemed the moon had teeth, gnawing at the tranquility of his twenty-one years

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