Chapter 173: Innocent Lives
Raylee, following the directions, arrived at a courtyard house located seven kilometers away. The entire courtyard was filled with dilapidated buildings, and the one Layla wanted Raylee to go to was tucked away within winding, narrow alleys. The road conditions were dark and damp, making Raylee feel uneasy as she walked. She didn’t understand why Layla had chosen to meet in such a place.
Upon reaching her destination, Raylee could hear intermittent sobs coming from beyond the rusted iron gate. It sounded bleak and desolate, stirring one’s emotions. Upon recognizing the voice as Layla’s, Raylee didn’t hesitate and pushed the iron gate open.
The courtyard, which was fairly tidy, was adorned with white streamers. Continuing into the house, in the very heart of the living room, hung a memorial portrait of Jeremiah. In the memorial portrait, he was captured with a slight smile, revealing eight of his teeth, looking handsome and radiant. Jeremiah was undeniably handsome, and Raylee had never denied his striking good looks.
Staring intently at the memorial portrait for a while, Raylee felt a sudden realization. Unbeknownst to her, a veil of tears had formed in her eyes. After a brief moment, she finally said in a soft tone, “Ms. Layla, I’ve arrived.”
Layla didn’t respond, continuing to kneel in front of the memorial portrait, quietly sobbing. Upon seeing the situation, Kaylee also stood before the memorial portrait, bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
“Fake sympathy,” Layla turned, glaring at Raylee with a burning hatred that blazed like fire in her eyes. It was a chilling sight; she was ready to tear Raylee apart.
Raylee wasn’t nervous, nor was she scared. She calmly locked eyes with Layla. Since she had chosen to confront the situation, she was mentally prepared to be the outlet for someone’s frustration.
Just as expected, an emotionally charged Layla suddenly lunged at her. Like an enraged lion, Layla fiercely gripped Raylee’s neck with both hands. Her seething anger distorted her features.
“You’re actually ballsy enough to appear here! You’re seeking your own demise! I demand you join Jeremiah in his grave! Jeremiali is dead, and don’t you dare think you can continue to drag out an ignoble existence. Go to hell!”
Layla lost control of her emotions, her voice growing hoarse from her furious tirade. She was like a madwoman, driven by a single-minded desire to destroy Kaylee. Layla’s sharp fingernails pierced Raylee’s skin.
Instead of resisting, Kaylee endured the pain and closed her eyes, exuding a sense of resignation that signaled she was at Layla’s mercy, ready to face whatever fate she chose for her. In no time, she felt an overwhelming sensation of suffocation, and her face turned a ghastly shade of purplish red.
The sensation of being on the brink of death felt like she was ensnared in a massive web, and that was all there was to it. In the end, Layla let her go. Even if she was losing control, she wouldn’t forget Victor’s warning. Victor had warned her not to harm Raylee.
Having escaped from the jaws of death, Kaylee clutched her aching neck, gulping in lungfuls of fresh air.
“What kind of deal did you actually strike with my father that he would personally step in to protect you? However, don’t get shield you forever!” Layla glared at her intently, wishing she could bore a hole through Raylee with her stare.
Raylee didn’t mention anything about the chip. After regaining her composure, she deftly changed the subject.
“You and Jeremiah really are siblings. Even your actions and styles are so similar.”
“What are you implying? When you went to Musmeynia, Jeremiah was still alive, right?” Layla asked anxiously.
Kaylee blinked her tear-soaked eyes, her thoughts drifting back to that night. “I saw him as soon as I arrived in Northern Malatopia. He also wanted to strangle me to death. He said that it would be better to strangle me directly than to let me fall into the hands of those people and suffer torment.”
“Jeremiah, even in such a situation, was actually considering your well-being!” Layla said, unable to hide her resentment. “However, you are unworthy of Jeremiah’s affection. You should have remained forever in that earthly hell, living your entire life in agony!”
Shaking her head, Raylee sighed before saying, “That’s right… Why did he bother to concern himself with my well-being? Sometimes… I struggle to wrap my mind around it. He clearly wanted me dead long ago, so why would he care about me when his life was hanging by a thread?”
Layla’s emotions gradually settled, and she ceased her sobbing. Her tear-filled eyes were brimming with sorrow when she said, “Jeremiah was very kind-hearted. He had never been the wicked person people made him out to be! You all labeled him as evil, yet he had never taken the lives of innocent people! You may assume that as the children of the Lorimer family, we must have lived a life in the lap of luxury. However, due to our status as illegitimate children, we have endured nothing but exclusion and bullying within the Lorimer family and this social circle since childhood! When I was five, my mother passed away. We had no one to protect us, and Jeremiah’s strength was forged out of necessity! He truly was a good man, with a passion for music and art. He reminded me of those refined gentlemen from the olden days. He was so gentle that he wouldn’t even harm an ant…”