Chapter 83
***
A small village called Grotter lay between Ronfei and Carspen.
Derek Grenville had rented a farmer’s house there and arrived a day before Ethan reached Ronfei.
His reason was simple—revenge. Revenge on Elisa Leslie, who had dared betray him, and on Ethan Estevan, who had stolen what was rightfully his.
If that bastard had just stayed a slave, I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.
Whether brother or sister, it seemed none of them could stomach what was offered to them. Their mother had been the same.
And Count Leslie—he hadn’t been any better.
Derek had even sent investors to give him one last chance, yet the old man had stood firm like an unyielding pillar.
What was there to love so much about a daughter who had thrown away her family and title for a man? Derek would never understand.
To make matters worse, Camilla had told him she was done and would obediently marry Prince Raus, driving him nearly mad with anger.
In the end, Derek had no choice but to play his final card—Noah Leslie.
When Camilla learned of Noah’s existence, she was furious, believing Elisa had used the child to tie Ethan down.
In her outrage, she changed her mind again, ready to cooperate.
Thus, Derek had used Camilla to find the men who would kidnap Elisa and Noah.
It was Camilla who wrote the letters and provided the money.
That way, if things went wrong, he could throw all the blame on her.
Camilla, being a princess, could always slip out of trouble—but Derek couldn’t. One wrong move, and he’d be branded a criminal, his life sinking into filth and ruin.
Of course, the best thing would’ve been not to do such things at all. But the thought of Elisa, living happily with that man who had stolen everything from him, was unbearable.
Just imagining her laughing brightly at Ethan’s side made his blood boil. Sometimes he’d wake in the middle of the night, grinding his teeth.
So yes, he had to have revenge.
Still, revenge wasn’t the only thing on his mind. Since Elisa and Ethan hadn’t officially registered their marriage, there was still a chance left—for both of them.
This is the last chance—for me, and for her.
Depending on Elisa’s choice, the story could still end differently.
Hoping his hands wouldn’t have to be stained with blood, Derek placed a cigar between his lips.
A messenger he had stationed in Ronfei sent him updates every hour through carrier pigeons.
The latest note said that three hours ago, Ethan had reported Elisa and Noah’s kidnapping to the authorities and was still desperately searching for them.
Good. They’re doing their job well, Derek thought, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
But it wasn’t time to relax just yet. Not until he received the “goods” at the meeting point.
He was to meet the kidnappers at dawn—five-thirty a.m.—on the bridge connecting Carsten and Ronfei. The bridge was under construction and nearly deserted, making it the perfect location for a secret exchange.
Just in case things went wrong, Derek didn’t bother undressing. He sat there smoking cigar after cigar, checking the messenger’s notes every hour.
About an hour before the arranged time, James emerged from the inner room where he’d been resting.
“You haven’t slept, sir?”
Derek nodded, stubbing out another cigar into an ashtray already piled high with butts.
“Couldn’t sleep. Looks like you couldn’t either.”
“Ah, yes. I… couldn’t, either.” James scratched his head awkwardly.
“It’s almost time to leave, sir.”
“Right. Let’s go.”
Before departing, Derek read the last message from his informant—Ethan was still searching all over Ronfei without finding Elisa and Noah.
Looks like Lady Luck’s finally smiling on me.
Grinning smugly, Derek stepped outside. Behind him, the pale light of dawn crept across the sky.
***
Arriving twenty minutes early, Derek and James tethered their horses a little distance away and hid behind separate trees.
Before long, a carriage emerged through the morning fog. A black ribbon tied to its pillar marked it as the agreed signal.
The carriage stopped in front of the half-collapsed bridge. Derek gestured to James.
Taking a deep breath, James approached cautiously.
Two men sat on the driver’s seat, their faces hidden beneath deep hoods. One of them climbed down, revealing a hideous scar across his cheek.
“What flowers bloomed on your way here?” James asked.
“Lavender. They were lovely,” the man replied curtly—the coded phrase confirming the mission’s success.
“I’d like to see those flowers myself.”
“Then you’ll have to pay the rest of what’s owed.”
“You expect payment without showing me the goods?”
“Take it or leave it,” the man said with a shrug, clearly unbothered. The other man, still on the seat, echoed his words, insisting they’d reveal nothing before payment.
Realizing negotiation was useless, James glanced toward Derrick’s hiding spot. Derek thought for a moment, then gave a small nod.
James reluctantly took out a heavy pouch filled with gold coins. The kidnappers’ eyes gleamed as they took it.
“Good. Take a look, then.”
James cautiously opened the carriage door. Inside were Elisa and Noah—blindfolded, gagged, and bound tightly hand and foot.
His face darkened. He’d joined this scheme only under the order of his superior, but seeing it now filled him with disgust.
He had warned Derek multiple times that this was madness, that it was a crime. But Derek Grenville had never listened.
How did it come to this…
Suppressing a sigh, James composed his expression and signaled to Derek that everything matched.
“Yes, that’s what I was looking for. You two can go now.”
“If you need anything like this again, you know how to reach us,” one of the kidnappers said with a smirk before disappearing with the gold.
Only then did Derek step out from hiding.
Moving leisurely toward the carriage, he took James’s place and looked down at the two captives—especially Elisa—with a sneer.
So this is what relief feels like after pulling a rotten tooth.
He didn’t have time to savor it for long. The longer they lingered, the greater the risk.
He removed Elisa’s blindfold.
Her eyes flashed the instant she saw him.
“Don’t look at me like that, Elisa,” Derek said with his usual calm, affectionate smile.
“All of this happened because of you. If you hadn’t abandoned me—if you hadn’t chosen that damn slave—I wouldn’t have had to do this.”
The venom in her glare deepened, as if shouting at him to stop spewing nonsense. Derek chuckled softly.
“Workers will be coming soon, so I’ll keep this short.”
He pulled a paper from his coat and held it out to her. A marriage certificate.
Elisa’s eyes widened when she saw the bold print—and the names written upon it.
Husband: Derek Grenville.
Wife: Elisa Leslie.
“Sign this, and come with me to submit it to the city hall. Then both you and Noah will be safe.”
At least for a while, he added silently, smiling faintly.
Elisa stared at the paper without a word. Her refusal was written all over her face.
“Please don’t say no,” Derek murmured. “Otherwise, I may have to stain my hands with blood.”
His gaze flicked toward Noah. Realizing the unspoken threat, Elisa’s face contorted in horror.
“You were going to marry me once anyway,” he continued lightly. “Just think of it as setting everything back where it belongs.”
He placed a pen in her bound hand, smiling cheerfully.
“You can still sign, even like this, right?”
When she twisted away violently, he reached to steady her hand—only for her to shove him back.
Stubborn as ever, he thought, sighing deeply. Just as he lifted his head—
“…I won’t sign, you bastard.”
Her furious voice rang out above him. Derek’s eyes widened when he realized the gag was gone.
“How did you—”
“Sir!”
James’s panicked voice came from behind him.
And before Derek could turn, something cold and metallic pressed against the back of his neck.
“If you don’t want to die,” a familiar voice said quietly, “stay still, Derek Grenville.”
