Chapter 881 Kill Me and Your Baby!
Brendan snorted contemptuously, and a cold gleam flashed across his eyes. “Did you ever stop to consider that she’s a consenting party?”
“Humph!” Christopher refuted hotly, “If so, why do you have to place the bodyguards all over the villa?”
Brendan had had enough of this farce. So, he turned to look at Yuri, beckoned her to come to him, and called out tenderly, “Come here.”
Yuri’s hand, hanging at her side, curled slightly before she forced herself to relax. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she walked straight to him. Brendan adjusted their posture so her body could block Christopher’s line of sight.
He caressed Yuri’s face with his large palm and played with her hair with his fingers. Although his actions and words were gentle, she could feel a hint of malice as he crooned, “Kiss me.”
It was an order and a warning. Even if he didn’t explain anything, Yuri knew what consequences she would have to face if she rebelled against him, especially now.
After Brendan said that, he took a step back and stood in place with a kind smile on his face. He looked so mild-mannered and gentlemanly, but only Yuri knew how terrifying the man behind that persona was.
Despite Christopher not being a part of their play-by-play and thus didn’t understand Brendan’s schemes, he was worried enough about Yuri’s safety that he said reassuringly, “Yuri, don’t worry. Just tell him what you’re thinking. I’ll help you!”
When Brendan heard his words, the hatred he felt for Christopher flashed across his eyes for a split second. Although he had an iron-clad control over his facial expression and suppressed the emotion almost immediately, Yuri keenly spotted the minute change in his demeanor.
She knew Christopher would suffer from the consequences of his actions if she didn’t dance to Brendan’s tune.
At the thought of this, she inhaled as she balled her fists, tiptoed, and kissed his lips lightly. Then, she hurriedly turned to the side and lowered her head to hide the resentment on her face.
Then, in order to dissuade Christopher, she feigned composure and demanded coldly, “Mr. Edwards, please leave and don’t disturb us again.”
“Yuri!” Christopher shouted in shock. He had no idea that Yuri would do whatever Brendan pleased. No woman in the 21st century would be so submissive as she was.
This was coercion through and through, and Brendan was the typical psychopathic control freak.
He was powerless to do anything, and Yuri had lost her basic reasoning and judgment. Nevertheless, it seemed impossible to take her out of here forcibly at the moment.
Christopher walked to Brendan and warned gravely, “I won’t let this go so easily. You’d better make sure that Yuri would never come to harm under your care. Otherwise, when I take her away and trust me, that day will come eventually. Then, I’ll make sure you pay for your actions!”
After he said that, he looked at Yuri deeply before leaving reluctantly. As soon as the door closed, Yuri fell on the sofa and wiped her lips as though by doing so, she could remove the memory of kissing Brendan willingly. When Brendan saw her actions, he interpreted them as an apparent provocation.
His calculative glance became gloomy instantly. He gripped her neck fiercely and pushed her back against the sofa. “Do you hate me that much? You want to kiss Christopher, don’t you? You want to leave with him and stay as far away from me as possible, don’t you? Answer me!”
Yuri’s face flushed due to the chokehold he had on her. She could feel slightly dizzy as her breath came in short pants, but she refused to give in. “Yes, just kill me! Just kill your baby and me!”
The veins on his hands rippled as he applied more force. There was a brief moment when he considered dying with her so no one could ever take her away from him.
Still, at the last moment, he couldn’t bring himself to kill her. He released her and left the room, leaving her laying limply on the sofa as she struggled to regain her breathing.
When he got to the door, he took his anger out on the bodyguards and slapped anyone who came to greet him three times in a row.
“If you let anyone in again, I’ll kill you myself!”
That night, Adam called Alexander. He told him that something had happened at home and requested him to come home.
The minute Alexander walked into the living room, he saw Christopher and an officer in police uniform sitting on the sofa, both looking grave.
Nevertheless, the office’s attitude toward Alexander was rather courteous. He offered his hand and greeted him, “I’m sorry for inconveniencing you, Mr. Griffith. I hope you understand that it’s the protocol that you have to come by personally.”
“It’s quite alright.” Alexander shook hands with the officer briefly. “How do I refer you, sir?”
“Detective Fowler would do,” the officer introduced himself.
“Perfect.” Alexander gestured for the officer to take his seat. What is the occasion for your visit, Detective Fowler?
“Well, I have some questions that I need to ask Mr. Brendan in person.” Detective Fowler chuckled politely and stated the reason for his visit as he did not dare to provoke such an influential figure.
As soon as he finished speaking, Brendan leisurely strolled into the living room from the main door.
“That’s him!” Christopher immediately shot up from his seat as he pointed at Brendan and bellowed, “He is the control freak imprisoning Yuri! Yuri is in his house now!”
Brendan remained standing and didn’t seem the least bit panicked as he commented, “Not bad. You’re quite persistent, and you have even come all the way here. Unfortunately, it seems that I have underestimated your feelings for Yuri.”
“Cut the crap! You’ve violated the law by restricting Yuri’s freedom for a long period of time and preventing her from participating in social activities. Detective Fowler, arrest him!” Christopher felt even more confident than he was in the morning now that an officer was here to back him up.
“I know what to do.” Detective Fowler slowly stood up with an impartial attitude. He truly hoped that Brendan could prove himself innocent. Otherwise, things would get messy. Plus, he could already imagine the building migraine if things were to blow up. “Mr. Brendan, please ask Miss Fox to come and explain her situation to us in person.”
Brendan remained unflappable, but it was clear that he wasn’t about to cooperate. There was even a trace of mockery in his tone as he said, “Detective Fowler, it seems that you don’t know that Yuri is pregnant with my child, and we will soon be engaged.”
“You’re lying! Yuri is afraid of you! How could she possibly agree to marry you?!” Christopher’s already short fuse was immediately lit.
Brendan shrugged as he chuckled and taunted, “She has met my family, and my family knows that we’re getting married. Just ask around.”
Detective Fowler turned to look at Alexander and Adam for clarification. “Gentlemen, is it true? Are they getting married?”
“Yes, they are.” Adam asserted, “My wife likes Yuri, and we even plan to hold the weddings of our two sons together, but we haven’t managed to announce the news because we’re caught up with a lot of things. I didn’t expect that it would cause such a big misunderstanding.”
“You’re lying!” Christopher expressed his disbelief, “All of you are his accomplices! How can you ignore Yuri’s safety just to protect Brendan? What if something bad happens to her? How could any of you sleep at night?!”
“Hey, just what do you mean by that?!” Madeline, who had been silent all along, finally lost her temper. “I haven’t even begun questioning you! You glared at us as soon as you barged in and treated us as though we were criminals. Who do you think we are? My son can have all the women in the world! He doesn’t have to use such a despicable method to get a girl. If you hear another word coming out of your mouth, I’ll sue you for slander and ensure you get sentenced to jail!”
Don’t Judge the Book by Its Cover
“I’m telling the truth! Brendan, if you really are innocent, release Yuri, and let her talk to the police herself!”
Christopher refused to give up because he was confident that Yuri was locked up against her will.
“Alright.” Brendan shrugged indifferently. “As you wish.”
He took out his phone and dialed the villa’s number. A few seconds later, Yuri’s voice resonated from the other end of the line, “What’s the matter?”
Brendan raised the phone with a smile and uttered flatly, “Yuri, Mr. Edwards came to my house with a police officer. He insisted that I have imprisoned you. Please talk to them, will you?”
Christopher snatched the phone out of Brendan’s hand and shouted agitatedly, “Yuri, are you listening? It’s me! Don’t worry. I’ve called the police. Just say that you’re locked up against your will, and we’ll get you immediately. You don’t have to be controlled by him ever again!”
Unfortunately, it seemed like a cry for help was not in the cards for one Yuri today.
“Yes, I can hear you.”
Her tone of voice was light with a tinge of irritation. “I told you this morning. We broke up long ago, and Brendan treats me very well. My life is great. So, please stop pestering me.”
“You’re saying that the police officer is also there, right? Sir, please listen carefully. Brendan is the father of my child, and we’re going to get married soon. I don’t want anyone to ruin our relationship. We may be influential, but we are still citizens and obey the law just as citizens do. Please respect our privacy, and don’t believe in Christopher’s nonsense.”
Christopher was up in arms as he yelled into the phone, “No! Yuri, wake up! I’m helping you! If you go on like this, you’ll lose yourself. Yuri!”
Beep! Beep!
All that awaited Christopher was the merciless dial tone as Yuri ended the call.
Christopher stared at the screen in utter disbelief as he squeezed the phone tightly. He was clutching onto it so tightly that his hand began to shake.
He gritted his teeth as he tried to face the harsh reality for what it was before finally losing it. He pounced at Brendan swiftly and aimed a fist in his direction. “B*stard! What the hell did you do to Yuri?!”
As he shouted, he lunged at Brendan. Nevertheless, Brendan had nimble reflexes as he defended himself, quickly grabbed Christopher by the neck, and shoved him against the sofa, successfully restricting him.
Madeline was so shocked by the abrupt fight that she shrieked and clutched her chest in fright. Then, she turned to the officer and reprimanded, “Detective Fowler, this is the man you brought to our home! Based on the circumstances, I think it’s only right for me to assume that you’ve come here with ill intentions. Tell me which precinct you are from. I want to speak to your superior!”
“No, please don’t, Mrs. Griffith! I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I should have investigated the case better before I came here. Please forgive me,” Detective Fowler apologized profusely. “Don’t worry. I’ll look into this case carefully and clear your name. Please forgive me and allow me to make up for my mistakes.”
The Griffith Family was highly affluent. Just from their company’s revenue alone accounted for a large percentage of the country’s GDP. So, it was only a logical conclusion that they’re also a family that the government highly respected. Hence, if Detective Fowler received a complaint from them, it would ruin his career and life.
“Don’t think you’re getting away so easily! I refuse to accept your apology. Hurry up and call your superior!” Madeline had been up in arms the whole time and finally had a chance to vent her anger, so she seized the opportunity like a shark scenting blood.
On the other hand, Brendan had no intention of putting the police department in a difficult situation. Thus, he grabbed Christopher and handed him over to the officer. “Detective Fowler, I believe you’re not on Mr. Edwards’ side. Today, you and I are the victims of his false accusation. Please take him back to the station and question him.”
Detective Fowler heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Brendan was giving him an out of his situation. For that reason, he immediately handcuffed Christopher and avowed, “Don’t worry, Mr. Brendan. I’ll solve this case as soon as possible and ensure that this kind of thing will not happen again!”
“Since we’ve solved the problem, I’ll take him back to the station. Excuse me.”
Rightly fearing that Madeline would insist on talking to his superior, Detective Fowler nodded at Brendan and escaped with Christopher in tow.
Madeline rolled her eyes in annoyance as she glared at their departing figures. “Christopher looks like a gentleman, but I didn’t expect him to stoop so low! They’ve broken up, yet he is still bugging Yuri to this day! The people of old are wise by saying that we can never judge a book by its cover!”
Then, she bustled over to Brendan, cupped his face, and checked on him. “Let me see. Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine.” Brendan pushed her away and said dispassionately, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Yuri is alone at home. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
“Wait up.” Alexander stopped him. “Can I have a word with you?”
Brendan lowered his eyes and thought for a while before nodding in agreement.
“Let’s talk while we walk.”
Alexander patted his shoulder and strolled out with his brother side by side.
After he ensured that Madeline was not in hearing range, Alexander advised, “Sometimes, you can’t push a woman too far. Things may backfire when you are obsessed with the results.”
Brendan nodded absent-mindedly. “I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry.”
“Good.” Alexander nodded and changed the subject. “By the way, I think you should have received the news that the royal family of Yveltalia will be visiting our country soon. At that time, the prince and princess will select the most outstanding fashion designer and establish a brand for them as the first business collaboration between the two countries.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard a little about that,” Brendan remarked lightly.
“Yveltalia and Cittadel just established diplomatic relations last year, and both countries are trying to find a balance in this relationship, which means that both sides will be lenient no matter how much money they pour in to make the collaboration work. The profit of this project is huge. I want you to win the hearts of the royal family. Can you do that?” Alexander asked seriously.
Brendan stopped in his tracks and sighed heavily. “Well, I wish I could give you a confident answer, but the designers from Yveltalia will be participating in the selection too. The competition is very intense.”
Alexander placed his hand on Brendan’s shoulder and encouraged, “Our country’s fashion designers are equally as brilliant as the foreign designers in clothing design. You’re a brilliant designer. I’m sure you’ll be able to snag first place.”
Brendan shrugged. “To be honest, I would have agreed immediately if Elise had been around.”
Alexander’s eyes flickered slightly. Then, after a moment of silence, he continued, “You’re now the best fashion designer in the country. Have some confidence in yourself. Take this as a challenge for you to reach better heights!”
Although Elise’s identity was about to be made public, Alexander decided to boost Brendan’s confidence first since he seemed to be in low spirits recently.
“Alright, I’ll do my best.”
The following day, Yuri hid under the covers and poked her head out to look at the clock on the wall.
It was already 9.30AM, but Brendan was still at home.
She frowned in frustration because she desperately needed to use the bathroom.
“If you’re awake, get up and wash up. Then, after breakfast, get changed. You’re going out with me today.”
Brendan’s voice echoed across the room, and he ruthlessly exposed her for feigning sleep.
Yuri scowled in embarrassment at her predicament. But, alas, there was nothing she could do but obediently follow his instructions.
As she walked past him, she stopped and asked curiously, “Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we get there.” Brendan took a sip of coffee leisurely and refused to give her a straight answer.
Bang!
Yuri made a face at his back, rushed into the bathroom, and slammed the door with a loud bang, expressing her dissatisfaction.
