Chapter 322
“…” Madeline began, but her words got stuck in her throat. She had thoughts to express, but couldn’t find where she should begin with as she was haunted by her terrible, horrendous mistakes. Eventually, she muttered, “Will you still be able to… begin again?”
Without turning back and responding, Alexander grabbed the documents and left. Yet, in his mind was nothing but resolute answers. No matter what happened, Elise would stay Elise-the woman he would never give up on.
Before Alexander got into his private jet, he received a call from Quentin. “Are you Griffiths handling the Matthew situation, or should I do it for you?” Apparently,
Quentin, too, was informed about Matthew’s capture of Elise.
“I’ll handle it,” Alexander coldly replied. Since Matthew was also one of the Griffiths, it was only right for him to settle the family affair.
In the meantime, Matthew boasted before Elise, “Did you know? Alexander decided to transfer the shares under his name to me in exchange for your freedom. Your grandparents are also begging me. I know that they tensely wished for your release, but what are they gonna do if I’m not going to let you go?”
At that moment, Elise couldn’t find the words to describe her own feelings. Alexander knew that she was confined under Matthew’s grasp. With how deranged Matthew was growing, Alexander must have figured out what his brother did to her. She was aggrieved, incandescent, but unfortunately, she was no match for Matthew. There was nothing she could do for the time being as he was threatening her with her grandparents. “Do you think you own everything after getting what you want, Matthew? You’re a wanted man. Do you seriously think you can run from this?” she questioned with an icy gaze.
Her words pierced right through Matthew’s heart. The term “wanted man” felt like a smack to his face.
“What do you know? You think I chose this? Do you know what Madeline did? My mother’s life was forced out of her because of that witch! Do you know what she’s been doing under the radar all these years: If it weren’t for my luck, I, Matthew Griffith, would have died in her hands!” Matthew, whose emotions were stirred, was screaming his words as if he was in hysteria while clutching Elise’s shoulders and violently shaking them.
If this was in the past, she would have sympathized with him. But that was no longer
the case. “Why do you think others should pay for your agony? Alexander let you off the last time. If you’re truly grateful, restarting wouldn’t be an issue, you know?” Elise leered at him.
Matthew scoffed at her words. “Restart? As if it’s that simple! Tell me, Elise, if you were in my shoes, would you still be able to forgo this grudge of mine?” After all, only two that had undergone the same torment could truly relate to each other.
But at this point, Jonah had already passed away. Alexander was innocent, but so was she, so why was she the one that was dragged into the matter? “Alexander and I already broke up. There’s no use taking me hostage. Do you really expect you can lead him by the nose with what you’ve done?” Elise snickered as she provoked Matthew.
The Alexander she knew was extremely vengeful, especially toward Matthew, who had repeatedly tilted him. Even if Alexander wouldn’t lay a hand on him out of family ties, she herself wouldn’t forgive him so easily.
Matthew was shocked to see the hatred and determination in her eyes as he was reminded of the first time she revealed her real self. He was the one who saw her first, and their beginning was so pleasant. How did things turn into such a disaster? The thing that disturbed him the most was the fact that everything he set his eyes upon and everything he could have had were all taken away by Alexander. “You wish to kill me? Even under this circumstance, you wish to kill me?” Despite knowing the answer, Matthew persistently shot the question, and felt a tingling soreness in his throat while he was at it.
“Does a scrub like you even deserve to live?” Elise hit him with a piercing gaze. She never confronted him back when Jonah was in trouble, and she even treated him as a friend. Later when Matthew asked her out, she thought he could still redeem himself. However, she now finally understood that a pitiful man’s devastation was only brought forth upon him by himself.
Matthew was aware of Elise’s grudge for him, and how much she wanted him dead. Yet, he decided to live, to live until the day where both Alexander and Madeline would eventually kneel before him.
At that moment, Heather walked in carrying a bag of lunchboxes. Without speaking a word, she placed the bag down and headed out.
As she was leaving, Elise quickly stopped her. “Wait a minute, Heather. I need your help. Can we go to the bathroom for a sec?”
However, Heather did not stop walking. She had no intention to help Elise, to which
Matthew voiced. “Help her out
Elise was the unobtainable gem to Matthew’s life as Matthew was to Heather, and Heather deeply hoped for her to thoroughly disappear from the universe. Nonetheless, she had no choice but to listen to Matthew’s order. After entering the bathroom, she grew impatient at Elise’s stillness. -Cut the crap, Elise. Just tell me what you want” She hated even imagining them being together-Matthew putting himself down just to please Elise.
“Why are you following after Matthew so pettily? Are you going to raise his kids after he has one: Have you ever stopped and thought about how your parents would feel: Elise countered with a series of questions.
Disconcerted, Heather replied, “F*ck off with your sentiment cards. You just want a way out from me. Forget it, Elise. That’s impossible.”
Elise stared at her and continued to interrogate, “Then what? Do you think you, the accessory to murder, can escape this once Matthew kills: Think about your parents before you do anything stupid. You’re the only daughter they have, aren’t you?”
Heather was around Elise’s age. If it weren’t for Matthew, she would still be living her lavish life with her family in her parents’ loving arms. Nonetheless, she was now living a nomadic, unstable life, so not missing home was indubitably a lie. Sadly, to her, giving up on Matthew would be much more excruciating than dying. “Stop talking. You can’t change my mind.”
At once, Heather turned around and left, but was immediately grabbed by Elise. “If you’re not leaving Matthew, are you willing to sacrifice your own life for him? And if you die, how are your parents gonna feel? There’s still time to pull out from this, Heather.”
“But I can’t just stand idly and watch him die right in front of me. It has come to this, Elise. There’s no way back. And you should know that.” Heather understood Matthew had made peace with death before he decided to do all this. She had spent too much time and effort to keep herself by his side, willingly, and regardless of the insignificance of assistance she could provide.
“You can’t change her mind. So I suggest you spend your time on things that matter more. A perfect wedding, for instance.”
