Chapter 735: His Evil Nature

Susan was terrified by Henry's sudden aggression. She couldn't believe he was trying to force her into something she vehemently resisted. For years, he had shown her the utmost respect for her autonomy; he had never before pressured her into anything she found repulsive. What had happened to him?

Disappointment and intense fear overwhelmed her. She hated his touch, struggling with all her might. Worse, she found it utterly disgusting when he used his strength to restrain her. She fought relentlessly, but as a woman against a man, she was too weak to break free.

Manuel's face flooded her mind. She worried he would despise her if Henry raped her. The answer seemed clear: Manuel's feelings for her were gone; her potential rape was inconsequential to him. She would only earn his disdain.

The longer she dwelled on it, the more agonizing the pain became. Her heart felt shattered. The man she loved no longer loved her, while the man she most trusted was hurting her. For a moment, she felt her life was a cruel joke. How had it come to this?

"Are you feeling bad?" Henry abruptly stopped.

Susan's vision blurred with tears. She could barely make out his expression.

"That's what I'm talking about," his chillingly cold voice, stranger than she'd ever known him to be, sent a shiver down her spine. "Now you can feel how I feel!" He viciously bit her shoulder.

Despite the sharp pain, Susan suppressed a cry. This retribution, she thought, was deserved. It was her fault; this was the price she had to pay.

"You have no idea how much I've sacrificed for you! Now, I want it all back!" Henry snarled, his face contorted with rage. He ripped off the last of her blouse.

Trembling with fear, she felt pressed down by this man, a demon in her eyes, a monster.

Then, a loud crack echoed.

Susan looked into his eyes, a chaotic blend of disbelief, anger, sadness, rage, and desperation. His body collapsed. Susan still clutched a broken vase, her hand trembling. A moment before, she had grabbed a vase from a nearby table and smashed it over his head.

Henry lay unconscious on the ground, bleeding. Had she killed him? She had become a murderer!

Terror paralyzed her. What if he was dead? Would she go to jail? Was he already dead?

Sobbing uncontrollably, she struggled to calm herself and push him off. Henry was bleeding profusely.

She frantically searched for her phone. Instead of calling the hospital, she instinctively dialed Manuel's number. He didn't answer. Call after call went unanswered, driving her to despair. She knew of Manuel's usual indifference towards her; perhaps his attempt to protect her in the elevator had been an act of kindness, a kindness he extended to everyone. She had hurt him, and she had no right to ask for his forgiveness.

Slowly, she lowered her phone. What should she do? Call the police? An ambulance? Perhaps he had bled to death. Though trying to regain her composure, she still shivered. Ignoring her scruples, she picked up her phone, ready to turn herself in. She felt responsible for whatever sentence she deserved for murder.

But before she could dial 911, she was gagged from behind. Henry was still alive; there was no one else there. She would probably be killed, she thought, struggling fruitlessly. Then, she fainted.

Just before losing consciousness, burning resentment consumed her. She thought she was dying, but she woke up. She was alive, though tightly bound. Her throat burned with thirst, her body ached.

Susan opened her eyes, disoriented. She was trapped in a dark space, thick with the smell of dust. Was she dreaming? Was this a nightmare? She closed her eyes again. Then, a familiar voice: "I know you're awake. Stop pretending to sleep."

Startled, she looked up. Henry sat emotionlessly in a chair beside her, his head bandaged. He'd apparently tended his wounds himself.

"You're still alive?" Susan blurted out.

"You wanted to kill me, huh?"

Gritting her teeth, she struggled, but found herself bound tightly by rope, immobile. Her eyes blazed with fury. "Henry, free me!"

"I'll lose everything if I free you."

"What do you want?" she snarled. She deeply regretted not killing him. Only then could she have escaped this evil man.

"I want the Phillips property!" Henry declared.

Susan paused, incredulous.

"Of course, I want more than that," Henry said, a cruel gleam in his eyes, savoring her distress. "I want your family ruined!"

"Henry, are you insane? You want to kill my family because I refused you? You're a beast!"