To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 98

Isaac, who had escaped on horseback, went straight to find his mother, Susan, as soon as he arrived at the mansion.

Isaac raised his hand to knock on her door but suddenly stopped.

‘If I tell her about the kidnapping, she might forbid me from going outside to play.’

At the same time, he wanted to give Johnny a chance to apologize.

He knew it well.

His friend probably got involved in the kidnapping because he listened to the adults. And even if Isaac stayed quiet, it didn’t mean the kidnapping didn’t happen.

‘Just for today…’

Just for tonight, he decided to pretend nothing had happened. To mourn his broken friendship, he would act like he didn’t know for a little while.

Having decided that, Isaac turned away from his mother’s door and headed to his uncle Scott’s room instead.

This time, he knocked without hesitation. A voice from inside told him to come in.

“Uncle, are you awake?”

“You know I’m awake, so why ask?”

Scott greeted Isaac in his pajamas. He was reviewing some papers with a monocle over one eye.

“Are you working?”

“Almost done. Did you just come in?”

Scott lifted his eyes from the papers and only then noticed his nephew’s condition. Isaac’s clothes were covered in dust, and there were clear tear marks on his face.

Scott quickly checked him over. When he saw the scrapes on Isaac’s wrists and ankles, his face grew fierce.

“Does your mom know?”

“Know what?”

“Don’t try to fool me. Do you really think I wouldn’t notice you were kidnapped?”

Seeing his uncle’s angry face, Isaac realized he had no choice but to tell the truth.

Isaac was afraid of Scott. It was understandable. Aaron was rough outside but easygoing at home, while Scott could turn into a beast wherever he was if things went wrong.

“S-Someone helped me. That’s how I managed to escape.”

“Tell me everything.”

Isaac mixed a little lie into his story, saying he had gotten drunk and gotten into the wrong carriage, which led to the kidnapping. He had no choice but to leave Johnny’s name out.

Scott listened seriously while treating Isaac’s wrists and ankles with medicine from the drawer.

“…They lent me a horse, so I rode home. And the reason I came straight to you was because I want to know that person’s name.”

“Listen carefully, Isaac. What you need to know right now is that you were in real danger. We have to find out who tried to kidnap you.”

“…”

“As for the person who helped you? We can thank them later. But the ones who tried to take you — we have to dig them out and burn them down so they never try again.”

Isaac thought his uncle should have first asked if he was okay or scared. He lowered his head gloomily.

He couldn’t understand the rough and bold nature of the White family.

Especially his uncles Aaron and Scott, who often dealt with mafia and terrorists because of their work. Over time, they had only become harsher and more ruthless.

Isaac hated that part of his family. That was why he liked his aunt Scarlett the most — she grew kinder every year.

“His name was Theo Grisham.”

“…What? Theo Grisham, you said?”

“Yeah…”

When Isaac answered weakly, Scott jumped up and grabbed Isaac’s shoulders.

Theo Grisham was the name Noah Ashford used when he changed his identity.

“U-Uncle?”

“He didn’t do anything strange to you, did he?”

“No. He didn’t do anything.”

“Was he blond with blue or purple eyes?”

“I-I didn’t see that. Do you know him?”

Only then did Scott realize he had scared Isaac and quickly let go of him. He shook his head like it was nothing, while Isaac tried to remember the person who had saved him.

It had been dark and chaotic, so he hadn’t seen his face clearly.

He only remembered one thing: the cold voice. The deep, clear sound of it stayed in his memory.

“He looked normal. Nothing special about him.”

Isaac lied without meaning to, feeling he had touched on a sensitive topic.

Scott looked like he was ready to grab a gun and run out any second.

“Normal… you say?”

“Yeah. Just an ordinary man. Had a bit of a belly…”

Thinking about Noah’s voice, Isaac suddenly felt he had seen him somewhere before.

But since so many people came and went around the White family, he thought maybe they had just crossed paths sometime.

So Isaac brushed it off and spent the night listening to Scott’s warnings.

Noah returned to the hotel only when the night had turned into early morning. Since he had lent his horse to Isaac, it had taken time to come back.

On the table in the hotel room was a report about a mafia company expanding its casino business.

Noah skimmed the report, then washed the dirt and sweat off his body. His wet hair dripped, but he just roughly brushed it back.

He thought of Scarlett, who used to dry his hair on rainy days. He always remembered her gentle touch, her scent, her warmth, and how hard his heart had pounded next to her.

“My next target is John.”

“John White, sir?”

“We need to officially request a re-investigation into the Eric Thayerton murder case from a few years ago.”

“That case…”

Peter’s face grew serious. The case was quite famous even in Natalia.

The Eric Thayerton Murder Case was about a bar owner in Wifland, Catherine Fisher, who killed Eric Thayerton, a laborer from Natalia.

Catherine claimed that after an argument, Eric threatened her.

John White defended Catherine for free and won the case by claiming self-defense.

On the surface, it looked like a normal case, but several suspicious details made it famous.

“Eric Thayerton had a phobia of women because he was abused by his mother as a child. And there were no signs that Catherine had been attacked.”

Winning a self-defense case under such bad conditions made John White’s skill as a lawyer famous.

Also, many people in Natalia were furious, saying Wifland’s courts were biased against foreigners.

“We’re going to focus on the destruction of evidence. And, of course, use public anger in Natalia.”

“It could become a diplomatic issue.”

“We won’t push it that far. Just enough to cause John White trouble.”

Noah smiled coldly and continued.

“Six years ago, Scarlett was kidnapped. Loan sharks who borrowed from the mafia thought they could make quick money by kidnapping an important figure.”

The deep wrinkles on his forehead showed he was remembering that terrible day.

“Those men didn’t get punished by law. They simply disappeared. Aaron White, who worked with the mafia, and Scott White, who handled Cravitz, made them disappear. We need to expose them for working outside the law.”

“Do we have evidence?”

“Only me. Everyone else involved is dead.”

“Then it might just end as a suspicion.”

“I know. But even suspicion will hurt the White brothers. Especially John White, who needs political honesty, and Aaron White, who’s already under watch for ties to the mafia.”

“Well… we might be able to get circumstantial evidence if we find the families of the dead mafia members.”

“And tip it off to the Norton newspaper. They’re the only ones bold enough to go against the Whites.”

After quickly making his plans, Noah took a sip of the alcohol Peter had brought him. He couldn’t sleep properly anymore without drinking or medication.

“But, Your Majesty…”

“What is it?”

“Will you… regret it after all this revenge?”

“Regret?”

If there was any regret, it was that he hadn’t been there for his mother when she needed him most.

If he had been, she wouldn’t have been killed by the people Scott White sent.

“I’ll regret it if I don’t take revenge.”

If he couldn’t erase his feelings for Scarlett, he would live with a heavy heart even after revenge.

But he would never regret loving Scarlett.

It was the best thing he had ever done.

At that time, Scarlett was sipping fruit juice with Wilhelm.

He had heard from his coworkers during the day that Scarlett had visited. It was easy to guess that she had run away, scared after hearing that Noah had come.

That was why, after finishing his late-night work, Wilhelm didn’t go home to rest but came straight to see her.

“Did Teddy have a good day at school?”

“He fought with his friends. I guess they made fun of him, saying his mom was dead.”

“Oh no. But, well, don’t worry. Teddy has a good nature. He’ll get along fine.”

“I’m more surprised at how those young kids even know my name.”

Though she said that, the name ‘Scarlett White’ was often mentioned in the Norton newspapers.

They always gossiped about how her fortune would be handled after her death.

“You must have… felt really uncomfortable because of me.”

She was talking about him meeting Noah. Instead of pretending he was fine, Wilhelm spoke honestly.

“It was a little uncomfortable. But I’ve been waiting for this day, thinking it would come eventually. More importantly, Scarlett, calm down and listen carefully.”

“What is it?”

Scarlett bit her lip in nervousness. Wilhelm pretended to take a deep breath to calm her down.

“Just say it already.”

“First, take a breath.”

“I’m okay.”

“Noah… knows you’re alive.”

“…Noah? How?”

Scarlett’s face turned pale with fear. Wilhelm gently held her hand to comfort her.

“I don’t know either. But he already knows. I guess someone like Emperor Natalia can break through Cravitz’s information network.”

“Teddy… Does he know about Teddy?”

Scarlett trembled as she fell into a small panic.

Her chest tightened, and she struggled to breathe. It felt like she might have a panic attack for the first time in a long while.

Wilhelm quickly handed her a drink, and she sipped it to calm herself.

Scarlett thought of her son.

Teddy. Theodore White.

His rosy cheeks, and the laughter in his voice.

“No. It didn’t seem like he knew.”

“Then, after finding out I’m alive, what did he say? How did he react? Was he angry? Sad? Or…”

At her questions, Wilhelm’s eyes softened. Scarlett herself didn’t seem to realize what it meant that she cared so much about Noah’s reaction.

“Calm down. Shhh. It’s okay. Scarlett, everything will be fine.”

“…I’m calm now. I’m okay.”

When Wilhelm looked at her worriedly, Scarlett squeezed his hand that was holding hers, showing she was really fine.

Their fingers intertwined, and only then did Wilhelm speak.

“Noah invited me for a meal.”

“…”

Scarlett lowered her trembling eyelids.

She had always thought a day would come when Noah would find out she was alive, but it came faster than she expected.

It was something she had prepared for, but the casual meal invitation was unexpected.

Her heart trembled. A strong storm was coming. A huge wave was trying to swallow her.

But she had to endure it.

Even if today the sky stormed and the sea roared, tomorrow would be sunny again like a lie.

Just like when Noah returned to Natalia and she found peace.

“Take me with you… as your partner.”

“You don’t have to.”

“No. If I avoid him, it’ll only make him angrier. He’ll try to find out more about me, and then he might find out about Teddy. I signed the papers today… They’ll be submitted to court in a few days, and in a month, Teddy will officially become my son, but of all times…”

Hearing her choked-up voice, Wilhelm gently patted her back.

The timing was terrible.

Just when Noah came to Wifland, Scarlett started showing up because of Teddy’s school matters.

She thought if she quietly went back and forth to school, neither she nor Teddy would attract attention.

She also thought the press wouldn’t bother a little child. But Noah seemed to be gathering information much more thoroughly than expected.

At this rate, she would really have to pretend to be just Teddy’s aunt to protect him.

“No matter what… we have to hide Teddy. Let’s match the wedding date with the finalization of Teddy’s custody, so everything is settled at once. Even if Noah tries to claim custody, he won’t be able to… Yes, that’s the best way…”

She said that, but Scarlett looked like she was about to cry, upset about having to deceive Noah. She bit the inside of her mouth to hold back her tears.

Just knowing that Noah knew she was alive made it feel like he still missed her.

Then, the hard wall of longing, love, and memories she had for Noah crumbled like a sandstorm, scattering everywhere. It blinded her eyes and blocked her nose.

It was hard to ignore her own heart, and Scarlett really wanted to cry.

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