Chapter 512

From behind a bush, the rustling of leaves broke the silence. Maurice looked up instinctively, his sharp gaze catching a figure at the top of the slope from which the Fuller couple had fallen. It was a young woman in a black windbreaker. Her features were strikingly delicate, her expression cool. In her hand were two small stones.

“Well, look who we have here,” Maurice said, grinning and whistling playfully.

Felicia's sudden appearance left the Fullers wide-eyed in shock, their disbelief quickly turning to tears. They never imagined that Felicia would be the one to follow them into this treacherous rainforest. But she was just one girl. How could she possibly face so many opponents?

Myra cried, “Felicia, run! Forget about us!”

Dexter thrashed, shouting, “Get out of here! Save yourself!”

It was a touching scene, though the reason for their emotion wasn't entirely clear.

Felicia's eyes twitched slightly as she ignored their pleas. She quickly assessed the height of the slope; a manageable jump. She called out with mock concern, “Careful!” Then, she leaped. Mid-jump, Maurice shouted, “There’s a snake!”

“What the—” Felicia’s alarm disrupted her landing, causing her to stumble. Before she hit the ground, a hand caught her waist, pulling her forward into Maurice's chest.

She heard his triumphant chuckle. “See? I told you to be careful.”

Speechless, she shoved him away. “You did that on purpose!”

“So what if I did? At least I stopped you from falling,” Maurice replied, his grin shameless. He was utterly smug.

Felicia decided he wasn't worth arguing with. She glanced at the battered Fullers. “I’m taking these two with me. I’d appreciate it if you’d let them go, Mr. Glovers.”

Maurice had connected the pieces. The Fullers were Felicia's parents, and he, Khopend, knew everything about her past. He couldn't understand why she bothered saving them. Letting them rot seemed far preferable.

He voiced his thoughts, believing he could help Felicia. “They’ve been cruel to you. Why not end it here? I’ll even do it for you. Quick and clean. What do you say?”

His suggestion left Felicia speechless. She took a deep breath. He wasn't joking; the cold cruelty in his gaze made that painfully clear.

“No thanks. This is my problem. I’ll handle it myself.”

Maurice seemed disappointed. He stepped closer, coaxing, “Don’t you hate them? They abandoned you, hurt you. Don’t you want revenge? To make them suffer?”

Felicia met his gaze steadily. His manner was unhinged; he was like a psychopath. She decided to be direct. “Maurice, you murdered your father, stepmother, and half-siblings. And now you want me to follow in your footsteps? I’m not you, and I certainly don’t want to be a lunatic like you.”