To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 97

“Wh-who are you?”

Isaac struggled to break free from Noah’s grip.

“Did my mom send you? Are you here to take me?”

“…….”

“Let go. Let go! I’ll go on my own.”

Isaac told a lie so obvious no one would believe it. When Noah didn’t let go of his collar, Isaac pulled a magic self-defense tool from his pocket.
A powerful light burst out, lighting up the alley.

The light even leaked outside the alley, making it look as if a messenger of God had descended.

Isaac didn’t miss the moment when Noah covered his eyes with his arm against the blinding light.

He threw the glowing magic orb on the ground, knocked away Noah’s hand, and ran toward the other end of the alley.

“Argh!”

But Isaac didn’t get far.

Before he could even leave the alley, Noah used magic to grab Isaac by the back of his neck and dragged him back.

“Argh! Let me go! Let me go! I’m not going home!”

Isaac threw himself on the ground and kicked and flailed like a little child throwing a tantrum.

Noah clicked his tongue and was about to knock Isaac out—until he saw Isaac’s face.

‘Ah…’

Noah gasped without thinking.

Isaac, still just a young teenager, had a face that reminded him so much of Scarlett.

His slim jawline and his overall appearance still kept traces of his childhood self—almost too much so.

Especially those sharp, sensitive eyes. They looked just like hers, and Noah hesitated about kidnapping Isaac.

Protect Isaac.

He heard her voice.

‘Damn it.’

Even now, Scarlett still controlled him.

As Noah’s grip loosened for a moment, Isaac quickly slipped away and ran to the end of the alley.

Coming back to his senses, Noah chased after him. He couldn’t just let Isaac go.

Isaac ran toward the alley’s end, where one of his friends waved and shouted.

“Isaac, over here! Hurry!”

Behind his friend was a waiting carriage. Isaac jumped into the open door, and once his friend climbed in after him, the carriage took off.

Noah, who had missed the carriage by a hair, narrowed his eyes.
He recognized the men clinging to the back of the carriage.

They were middlemen who had once bought him when he was sold as a slave.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Isaac, catching his breath, spoke to his friend.

“Wow, Johnny. You saved me.”

“Eh, no big deal. But was that guy sent by your mom?”

“Probably. Ugh, it’s so hot. If I’d been caught, I’d definitely have been grounded.”

“Isn’t that basically already the case? Your allowance got cut off too.”

As Johnny harshly reminded him of reality, Isaac laughed.

“I even raided my cousin’s piggy bank. If I go back now, my mom might actually kill me.”

“Well, you deserve it. You’re still a minor, but you’re always sneaking drinks, and you’ve already been expelled from two schools.”

“Ugh, stop it. Are you my mom or something? As if you’re any better.”

Grumbling, Isaac fanned himself. The summer night air was thick and sticky.

Meanwhile, Johnny kept glancing out the window and checking his watch.
In his usual careless tone, Isaac asked,

“By the way, did the loan on your family’s Moonie Park property get settled?”

“I don’t know. At this rate, my family’s going to go broke.”

Isaac noticed Johnny’s face looked unusually pale, but he figured it was just because his family was having a tough time.

“Rich people can lose everything and still last three generations. Plus, my mom said she’d try to find a way to help your family. So don’t worry too much.”

“Yeah, not worried.”

Isaac didn’t notice the odd tone of Johnny’s dazed reply. Instead, feeling sick, he grabbed his stomach.

“Ugh. Stop the carriage. I’m gonna be sick.”

“No, don’t.”

“I’m gonna throw up.”

“Hold it.”

“I can’t.”

As his heart settled, his stomach churned harder. Isaac’s face turned pale, and Johnny panicked.

“Ugh!”

Isaac covered his mouth. Johnny screamed out the window.

“Pl-please stop the carriage!”

But the driver ignored him and kept going. Johnny shouted again.

“Stop, I said! Hey, don’t throw up! Hold it in!”

“Uugh!”

Johnny stuck his head out the window and yelled at the top of his lungs.
Finally, the carriage came to a stop.

Isaac burst out, grabbed a tree, and started vomiting.

It was dark, with no streetlights, but even so, the bitter taste in his mouth told him he had thrown up stomach acid.

“Bleegh!”

After emptying his stomach, Isaac realized something was wrong.

Johnny’s house was on 127th Street, a busy residential area.
But here, they were surrounded by a forest so dark they had to rely on the moonlight.

‘He never said he had a cousin living in the countryside.’

He wanted to believe they were visiting some relative.
But instincts weren’t that simple.

“Are you done?”

“Uh… no, give me a second.”

Pretending to be sick, Isaac looked around.
He spotted a coachman smoking and a stranger sitting next to him.

It was too dark to see clearly, but Isaac knew right away these two weren’t Johnny’s family coachmen.

‘Something’s… wrong.’

Cold sweat trickled down Isaac’s back.

Not from the heat—this was sweat from pure fear.
The summer night air, strangely, felt warm.

“J-Johnny, did you guys change coachmen? That’s not the usual guy.”

“Ah… yeah. Mr. Hans got sick and went back to the countryside…”

“R-right.”

Isaac wanted to believe his friend.

The White family had trained him to deal with things like kidnappings and threats.

He had heard that his beloved aunt Scarlett had once been kidnapped too, back in her school days.

But this was Johnny—his close friend from elementary school.

“Maybe the new guy just doesn’t know the way yet. That’s why he’s taking a weird route.”

“Y-yeah. Let’s just go.”

“Uh…”

The coachman and the stranger looked over at them.
Instinctively, Isaac took a step back.
Johnny, standing close, asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I think I should go home. My aunt must be worried.”

“We can’t turn the carriage around.”

“I’ll walk.”

“…….”

Johnny’s face darkened. His lips dried up from tension.

While Isaac hesitated between trusting his friend and trusting his instincts, the coachman flicked his cigarette and started walking toward them.

Johnny muttered under his breath,

“I’m sorry, Isaac… I’m really sorry.”

Isaac heard it clearly.
Fear gripped him tighter than betrayal.

“N-no, Johnny?”

“I had no choice. If I didn’t, my family would lose everything.”

They said if the kidnappers saw your face, your chances of surviving dropped a lot.

Isaac regretted ignoring the adults’ advice to always have bodyguards.

He stumbled back, trying to escape, but the men moved faster.

“D-don’t come closer! I said don’t come!”

Tears streamed down his face. He pulled out his magic self-defense tool.

It sparked with magic, but the kidnappers easily overpowered him.
The tool rolled on the ground.

Isaac struggled, but there was no way a fifteen-year-old boy could fight off grown men.

The kidnappers punched him in the stomach, grabbed his hair, and dragged him to the carriage.

Tears and snot mixed as they poured down his face.
Dirt got into his mouth, but he didn’t even notice.

All he could think about was staying alive.
And at that moment, a miracle happened: the sound of horse hooves echoed in the night.

“Pl-please save—mmph!”

They covered his mouth, and he thrashed wildly.

Another brutal blow hit his stomach.

Isaac was shoved into the carriage, which then sped off.

His hands and feet were tied, and a gag was shoved into his mouth.
He stared at Johnny with tearful, betrayed eyes.

The sound of many horse hooves roared behind them.
The carriage shook violently as it raced forward.

Hyah! Hyah!

Through the window, Isaac glimpsed a man on horseback chasing them, silhouetted by the moonlight.

Soon, the sounds of whips and gunshots filled the air.
Then, the carriage came to a sudden stop.

The fight between Noah and the kidnappers ended shockingly fast.

Moonlight streamed through the carriage window, lighting up Isaac’s crying face.

Save me!

The door opened.

Through the dim backlight, Noah appeared. His hat had flown off during the fight.

He jerked his chin at Johnny, telling him to get out.
Johnny looked back at Isaac once, then ran away.

“Mm! Mmm!”

Noah’s boots stepped inside the carriage.

He moved slowly, like a ruler who controlled everything.

Terrified, Isaac whimpered behind his gag.

Noah’s cold gaze landed on him.

In the moonlight, Noah looked like the messenger of death.

‘Damn it.’

Noah ground his teeth.

He had saved Isaac only because he planned to kidnap him himself.
But really, it was because of the vow he had made to Scarlett.

That vow clung to his heart like a brand he could never erase.

Especially because Isaac looked so much like her.

‘It’s been six years… I thought I’d be fine by now.’

That’s why he had gone after Isaac.
But in the end, he was still completely trapped by Scarlett.

Noah irritably cut the gag and untied Isaac’s hands and feet.
Isaac, still covered in tears, begged desperately.

“P-please save me. Please.”

His voice, cracked from puberty, barely resembled Scarlett’s.
Even so, Noah found traces of her in Isaac’s face.

It was so natural that it made him sick.

Noah grabbed Isaac roughly by the collar and dragged him out.
Isaac, believing Noah was sent by his mom, stammered in fear.

“Wh-why are you doing this? Please save me.”

“Listen. I’ll lend you my horse. Now shut up.”

Noah held out the reins.

“Take it and go home.”

Isaac blinked blankly.
Noah lightly smacked the back of his head.

“Get a grip. I’m only saving you this once.”

Wasn’t he sent by my mom?
Isaac almost asked but swallowed the words.

Asking might get him killed.

Isaac grabbed the reins and got ready to ride.
Cautiously, he asked Noah,

“Y-your name… What’s your name?”

Noah stayed silent for a moment, then answered.

“Theo Grisham.”

Go and tell your aunt.

Theo Grisham saved you.

I kept my promise.

Support