Chapter 24: Which Hand Do You Want to Lose?
Caroline was caught off guard as she heard the deep, unmistakable voice of David from behind.
Startled, she turned around to face him. Why was he here? At this hour, he should still have been at the office. But standing nearby, Paul looked down, avoiding her gaze. The realization hit Caroline like a ton of bricks—someone had tipped him off.
David’s cold, raspy voice cut through the tension. “I warned you,” he said, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto Caroline. “Not to touch her. Did you take my words as a joke?”
Elizabeth, sensing David’s arrival, immediately switched gears. Her previously haughty attitude melted into a delicate, fragile facade.
“Mr. David…” she gasped, collapsing to the ground and propping herself up with her hands. “I came to see my sister, hoping to clear the air between us. But before I could even speak, she started cursing at me–and then she hit me.”
She crawled over to David’s side, throwing herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
“It’s my fault,” she sobbed. “Caroline has every right to be upset. Please don’t blame her, Mr. David.”
Her act was flawless, and Caroline couldn’t help but feel a sickening sense of disbelief. This was all a sham—a carefully orchestrated performance. Elizabeth had turned the situation on its head, making herself the victim.
David, standing stoically, glanced down at Elizabeth. His lips tightened as if he wanted to push her away but ultimately restrained himself, the weight of his own promises holding him back.
“I only wanted to help you, Mr. David,” Elizabeth continued, her voice soft and dripping with sweetness. “I didn’t want to trouble you with everything. I thought I could share some of the burden. But Caroline’s temper… it’s just too much for me to handle.”
David’s only response was a noncommittal “hmm.”
Caroline watched the scene unfold before her, dumbfounded. They were embracing? Just like that? Elizabeth had managed to get this close to David, and he didn’t push her away? The audacity, the betrayal—it was infuriating. No wonder Elizabeth had been so smug and confident. She had David’s backing all along.
“My wrist hurts, Mr. David,” Elizabeth whimpered, holding out her hand toward him. “Caroline twisted it.”
David arched a brow, his gaze turning cold. “Should I have her wrist broken to even the score?” he asked, his voice chilling.
Elizabeth’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction, though she pretended to hesitate. “No, that wouldn’t be right…”
She had succeeded in manipulating the situation, and now she relished in her victory.
David’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “With me here, no one can bully you, not even Caroline.”
At his signal, two of his bodyguards stepped forward, grabbing Caroline and forcing her to stand before him.
David’s cold eyes locked onto Caroline. “Which hand do you want to lose? The left or the right?”
Caroline stared back at him, disbelief mingling with fury. “You’re going to cripple my hand… For her?” she demanded, her voice trembling with rage.
“Yes,” David replied flatly, without hesitation. “The fact I’m not taking both is already a mercy.”
The words hit Caroline like a slap to the face. His betrayal stung deeply, but the anger in her heart burned hotter.
Elizabeth, perched smugly in David’s arms, watched the scene with glee. She was savoring every moment of this twisted show.
Caroline clenched her fists, her entire body trembling with rage.
When Caroline didn’t respond immediately, David turned his attention to Elizabeth. “You pick for her,” he said coldly.
Without missing a beat, Elizabeth dropped her act. “The right hand,” she said with a wicked smile. “That’s the one she uses the most. Without it, she won’t even be able to hold cutlery.”
David nodded curtly. “You heard her,” he said to the bodyguards. “Do it.”
“Yes, Mr. David,” one of the bodyguards responded, stepping forward.
Paul, standing quietly off to the side, hesitated, speaking up timidly. “Sir, if Madam Harper and Mr. Richard find out about this, they might…”
David’s sharp voice interrupted him. “Hmm? Too much talking.”
Paul sighed, stepping back into silence.
Caroline’s heart sank. This was the moment she had dreaded. Her own husband was cradling her stepsister while ordering her hand to be destroyed. It was almost too much to bear.
But Caroline wasn’t going down without a fight.
Summoning strength from somewhere deep within, Caroline suddenly wrenched herself free from the bodyguards’ hold, her movements fueled by sheer willpower.
“Stop!” she screamed, her voice cracking with desperation. “You’re not taking my hand!”
Her pulse raced as she stood there, staring at David—her husband—the man she had once trusted, and now, the man who was prepared to destroy her.
