He sneered. “Shifting the blame, are we? Fine. If you don’t want to give me the box, then there’s no meaning to this meeting. Your daughter is on her own now.”
A frown creased my forehead. “I have no idea where the box is right now. It’s always been in the villa and guarded by Ashton.”
He gave me a nod and squinted. “So that means you can retrieve it.”
I frowned again. “I cannot,” I denied.
He chuckled. “Well, the box isn’t the only chip you have, but I wonder if you’ll accept the deal.”
I hesitated for a moment before asking, “What’s your price?”
He pointed at me. “You.”
I frowned at him, flabbergasted and waited for a further explanation.
He smiled. “Haven’t you realized? I’ve been interested in you for a while now.”
I almost spewed the water out, then I stared at him in shock.
He ignored my surprise and continued, “The first time I met you was at J City’s auction. You weren’t exactly beautiful, but you were attractive. Maybe it’s because Ashton was beside you, so I only had eyes for you then. And then the meeting at the cemetery. You probably didn’t know this, but I was the one who sent the guy who attacked you. Anyway, I wasn’t planning to hurt you, and I just wanted to have a reason to talk with you. Fortunately, we got to know each other after that. Then, I wanted to get closer to you, and you gave me a chance. You were in A City then, and coincidentally, you were in my company. Also, you know Savini and that’s one great coincidence. Whatever it is, we got to know each other after that.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re the president of Animus?”
He nodded. “Murphy Corporation has a lot of subsidiaries in A City. Some are just newly acquired, so they aren’t named after the corporation yet.”
I felt a chill running down my spine as I recalled everything that had happened. Then, I grabbed his hand. “So you were the one behind the night I was arrested because of kyanine possession? Those cops are your henchmen?”
He paused for a moment, surprised. “Wow, you’re getting smarter.”
No, I was not. I just remembered seeing him that night at the hotel, and I was falsely accused not long after that. I couldn’t understand why I was the one who was targeted out of everyone there. I thought Savini was behind it, but he didn’t seem surprised when I met him after coming back from Venria alive. And he was all ready for my questioning.
When I thought back to those hellish days, I realized there were a lot of loopholes that couldn’t be explained. Tabitha and Laurel came from normal families, but Nora wasn’t. But even so, Channing didn’t say a word about her kidnap.
I must have looked concerned, but all Armond did was throw me a dark smile. “Are you thinking about the happy days we had in Venria and Western Europe?”
My face fell, and I got ready to leave before the waiter came back with our coffee, but he stopped me. “Your daughter can’t wait around any longer, Ms. Stovall. Stop throwing a tantrum and take my offer.”
He was smiling when he said that, as if Summer’s life was just a chip for him to play with. Disgusting. I glowered. “What do you want?”
He gave me an eerie look. “Why don’t you start dating me?”
“Are you mad, Murphy? I’m married! And I won’t date you even if I’m not! If you don’t love Nora, then tell her! Don’t make her wait!” The man was not just a hypocrite. He could act like a gentleman, a scheming b*stard, a cold warlord, and a shameless per*ert. Suddenly, I realized I never knew this creature—he’s a demon in human skin.
“I won’t make it hard for you.” Then, he pinned me down on the seat. “Why not give me a chance? If you date me, I’ll get your daughter the kidney that she needs so desperately.”
I glared at him incredulously. He was making the source of kidneys sound like something within his reach. Then, he sat back before me. “All you have to do is nod. I’ll make sure your daughter gets treated immediately.”
I looked at him. He’s already beyond disgusting. Any description is going to be an understatement. I took the coffee the waiter served and splashed it on his face. “Get professional help if you have a mental illness. You’re going to hurt someone sooner or later.”
