Chapter 747: A Deal
On the rooftop, Susan’s demeanor shifted dramatically. "Everybody dies," she mused, the thought oddly calming. The previous fall from a great height, a near-death experience, had somehow desensitized her to the present peril.
Everyone watched, tense. Henry struggled to maintain his balance, a rickety fence his only buffer against the precipice. The aging buildings offered minimal safety; the fence was far too low. Susan's continued struggle threatened to send them both tumbling.
"Susan!" Henry shouted.
Susan sneered. "Henry, you want me to die, don't you? What's the difference? I'll die with you!"
Henry's face paled. He'd never imagined the timid Susan displaying such defiance. His gaze flickered to her thigh; then, with a swift motion, he plunged the knife from her neck into her leg.
Susan screamed.
Manuel watched, fists clenched, his face contorted with rage.
"Susan, if you resist, I can think of a hundred ways to torture you!" Henry threatened.
Tears streamed down Susan's face. She longed to die with Henry, but the pain paralyzed her, rendering her helpless.
"I warned you," Henry said coldly, then addressed Emily's nearby phone. "Edward, kill yourself now!"
"You bastard! What have you done to Susan?!" Edward's worried voice crackled through the phone.
"What have I done? Something truly terrible!" Henry declared. "I'll give you half an hour. If you're not dead in half an hour, she dies."
"Edward!" Manuel shouted. "If you die, Susan dies too!"
Susan heard him, the thought of her father's death a crushing weight. Yet, the urgency of the situation seemed to elude her, clouded by pain and fear.
"Don't listen to him!" Manuel urged.
Edward, surprised by Manuel's presence, hesitated. Henry seized the opportunity. "Edward, have you forgotten what I said? Manuel's true intentions!"
Edward went pale, clutching the phone.
"He only wants Phillips Bank. Think about it—if Susan and I die, he's the sole beneficiary. Are you really going to listen to him?"
"Henry, I'll accept the consequences. I caused your parents' accident. I'll kill myself, but you must let Susan go," Edward offered, attempting a desperate bargain.
Manuel's eyes were glacial. He'd anticipated Henry's threat. Quietly, he texted his mother, instructing her to go to Phillips Manor and keep watch over Edward. Edward mustn't die; his death would replay the tragedy of a past life, a fate Hannah had foreseen. Manuel believed that as long as Henry still loved Susan, she could be saved.
Despite this conviction, uncertainty gnawed at him. Had he made the right choice? Would things have been different if he'd exposed Henry's plot sooner? He'd feared Susan would side with Henry if she knew the truth. Her emotional nature, despite her outward carelessness, made this a real possibility. Furthermore, Manuel believed controlling Phillips Bank would thwart Henry's ambitions. Perhaps, with time, Henry's hatred would fade, and he and Susan could find happiness together. A happy ending for everyone.
But he hadn't foreseen Susan's ultimate rejection, Henry's profound hurt. He watched them, a brutal edge creeping into his gaze. Susan's bleeding thigh, her tears, her pallor—all bore witness to her suffering.
"Manuel, are you hoping Susan and I jump?" Henry asked suddenly.
"No, I want to save her."
"I don't feel it," Henry retorted sarcastically. "Are you really the Manuel we know? You're colder than any of us. Anyone else would panic, but you're unnervingly calm."
"Panic doesn't solve problems."
"No, it's because she's not important enough to you," Henry concluded, then addressed Susan. "See? He doesn't love you that much. Do you still think he's worth this?"
"That's enough, Henry!" Susan fought back, defying the pain. "My life is my own business. You have no right to judge me!"
"Ashamed?" Henry sneered. "I enjoy seeing you break."
"Susan, shall we test Manuel's love one last time?" Henry suggested.
Susan stiffened, her nervousness palpable to Henry.
"Afraid? Afraid he doesn't love you anymore?"
"Henry, you're insane!"
"And that's thanks to you," Henry said coldly.
He turned to Manuel, who was calculating the odds—would he reach them first, or would Henry succumb to desperation and jump? Their gazes met.
"Manuel, let's make a deal," Henry said, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
Manuel stared back, impassive.
"If you jump, I'll let her live."
Susan shivered. The cruelty of his words was almost unbearable.
"You'll kill her regardless," Manuel responded calmly, his tone devoid of emotion.
"True, even if Edward dies, I won't change my mind about Susan. But your death might change things," Henry said viciously. "You can't be with her anymore, and Edward's death means her family is gone. She'll lose her family and her loved one—a perfect revenge!"