6
The black SUV drove into a deserted factory in the suburbs. Vivian Thorne was dragged out of the car, having already wet her pants in fright.
A chair was placed in the center of the factory. She was forcibly seated on it, her hands and feet bound. Julian Hayes calmly put on a pair of gloves. “Do you know why I brought you here?”
Vivian shook her head frantically, tears and snot blurring her face. “Julian, please, for my
father’s sake…”
“This was Claire Reynolds‘ father’s factory back then,” Julian ignored her, picking up a steel pipe and continuing to speak to himself. “Eight years ago, he died here. Now, so will
you.”
At this, Vivian shrieked. “You can’t do this to me! My father is the CEO of Thorne Corp.!
He’ll bankrupt you!”
Hearing her, Julian laughed. “Forgot to tell you. As of today, Thorne Corp. no longer exists.” He took out his phone and played a recording. It was Vivian’s father’s voice: “Mr. Hayes, my daughter is yours to deal with as you please, I only beg you to spare the Thorne
family…”
Vivian’s face instantly turned ashen.
“Now, let’s settle accounts.” Julian raised the steel pipe, veins bulging. “This one is for my
son.”
The steel pipe landed heavily on Vivian’s knee. The sound of bone shattering was clearly
audible. “Ahhh!” she screamed.
“This one is for Claire Reynolds.” Before she could recover, the steel pipe landed heavily
on her other leg.
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Vivian convulsed in pain, saliva uncontrollably drooling from her mouth. “Kill me… please
kill me…”
Julian crouched down, gripping her chin. “Want to die? Not that easy!”
“Claire suffered much more than you ever will.” He stood up, instructing his bodyguards, “Send her to the worst brothel in Africa. Tell the madam I want her to live to be thirty!”
Vivian’s eyes widened in horror. She shook her head frantically. “No! Don’t! Julian, you used to love me, didn’t you?”
Julian sneered. “Love? You? You’re not worthy.”
He turned to leave, but Vivian suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. “Julian Hayes! Do
you think torturing me will absolve your sins? Claire Reynolds will never forgive you! She
hates you! She-”
*Bang!*
Julian spun around and kicked her in the mouth. Half her teeth shattered, and she
couldn’t utter another word.
“That’s what you owe her.” He finished, then turned and left.
By the time he walked out of the factory, it was already dark. Julian looked up at the starry sky, suddenly remembering Claire Reynolds saying that people turn into stars after
they die. Was his son up there, watching him now?
A sharp pain shot through his heart. Julian fell to his knees, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His bodyguards rushed to help him, startled. “Mr. Hayes!”
He waved them off, wiping the blood from his mouth. “Find Claire Reynolds.”
“But…”
“Search the whole world, bring her back!”
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