Chapter 17
“Love me?”
Matteo grabbed Joannie’s long hair and yanked it back violently, the chestnut–colored strands tangling into messy knots between his fingers.
The enormous chandelier’s light pierced directly into Joannie’s eyes as she was forced to look up, meeting the man’s ice–cold, venomous gaze.
The phone screen was almost pressed against her face, the glaring text flickering with the movement of his hand.[]
“I told you from the beginning that you’d eventually have to get lost. I gave you what you wanted, and what happened?“[]
“You secretly contacted Yunia to provoke her? How dare you?!”
“Joannie, have I been too indulgent with you? When you told others I was an ATM, was that also because of love?“]
Matteo’s voice was terrifyingly low, yet his tone carried a slight tremor.
Joannie’s tears streamed down from the pain, but she still struggled to defend herself: “That… that was to… make them jealous of me! You’re the only one in my heart, Matteo!“]
“Is that so? Besides these things, is there anything else you’re hiding from me?“]]
“No, nothing else…“]
Joannie shook her head frantically.
Matteo picked up a fruit knife from the side, the cold blade lightly touching her face.
She stared in terror, watching Matteo casually play with the knife. The blade made a circle in the wine glass, flicking amber whiskey into tiny arcs of light like blood droplets.[]
“Hold her down.“]
Matteo rolled up his shirt sleeves, the veins on his arms clearly visible.
Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, their iron–like arms gripping Joannie’s shoulders tightly.
She screamed and twisted her body, her off–shoulder dress torn to expose large patches of skin. “Matteo! You can’t do this to me! I’ve done so much for you…”
The blade flashed down.
Joannie’s piercing scream penetrated the bar’s soundproofing.
Her ring finger fell onto the crimson carpet, blood gushing from the wound like a fountain. An inconspicuous ruby ring still gleamed coldly on the severed finger.
Matteo flicked the blood off the knife and crouched down, gripping her chin: “I’m asking one more time–what else are you hiding from me about Yunia? Now’s your chance to speak!”
“Ah! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!“[]
Chapter 17
Joannie’s whole body convulsed with pain, her face covered in snot and tears.
“I was jealous of her! I couldn’t stand seeing you care about her… I approached you by deliberately imitating her style, wanting you to only have eyes for me!“]
“Including all those previous incidents–I deliberately framed her to torture her.“]
Hearing these words, Matteo was furious beyond control. He could no longer contain his emotions, pulling her up and gripping her throat with both hands.]
The intense suffocation made Joannie ignore her severed finger’s pain as she desperately struggled.[]
But Matteo showed no mercy, continuously applying pressure with his hands.
Only when her face turned from red to blue, slowly showing purple, did Matteo suddenly release his grip.[]
Joannie collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud.
She suddenly began laughing maniacally, blood foam spilling from the corner of her mouth.
“You think she really loves you? She knew long ago that you were pretending. This time leaving was her final decision…“[]
“Enough.”
Matteo’s expression changed drastically. He kicked the collapsed Joannie away, grabbed the red wine from the table and splashed it on her face, then turned to wipe the blood that had splattered on his sleeve.
“Throw her out. If she ever appears in my sight again, chop off her remaining fingers too.”
Joannie’s cries gradually faded as she was dragged away, and the bar returned to silence.]
Matteo stared at the bloodstains on his palm, suddenly remembering Yunia’s disappointed eyes when she had been wrongly accused.
He grabbed the entire bottle of whiskey and drank deeply, the harsh liquor mixing with the metallic taste as it burned down his throat.[
flis heart ached uncontrollably.]
