“Ajax, I have to handle some business. I’ll explain when I get back.”
She was trying to calm me, to find words. I said ‘OK’ even though I did not mean to be calm.
Blood from my nails stained the sheets, but Larissa didn’t even look. She used to change the sheets herself. Instead, she told the servants to clean and hurried to put on her shoes.
Her phone rang again. This time, I wasn’t beside her. She answered at once. The soft voice she used sounded real.
“I didn’t mean to hang up on you … Be good, don’t cause trouble.”
“What do you want to eat? Okay, I’ll be there. I’ll stand in line and buy it for you.”
“I’ll only be with you tonight. Don’t cry.”
I knew she would not come back tonight. And I knew what I had said was true in one way. I would find Richard. I wanted him dead.
Not long after that, I watched the CCTV footage. On that footage, I saw how Miss Larissa Hamilton, one of the most powerful businesswomen in New York, standing in line at a street food stall.
Since Larissa often showed up in the financial-related news, lots of people recognized her. Passersby raised their phones and filmed, whispering about what they saw.
“Oh my god! Rich people also eat from street stalls?”
“She must be buying food for her husband. People said Miss Hamilton really loves her husband. I heard she bought a pair of emerald rings from a former prince at Sotheby’s. The bracelet that came with them is worth ten million dollars!”
On the dressing table lay that golden bracelet I had polished until it was smooth. Larissa had said it looked perfect on her and had spent a long time taking photos of it. In the end, it had been an unnecessary showpiece.
Larissa bought what Richard wanted, got into the car and drove as she dodged several CCTVs to his home. But he was not there. The CCTVS Richard had installed for Larissa’s convenience had already been hacked by the men I hired.
I smiled to myself as I said, “Larissa, you don’t need to look for him. I already invited Richard to tea.”
Her graceful shape froze.
“Ajax, don’t be impulsive!” she cried.
But no matter how she shouted, I ignored her.
I shut off the CCTV footage and had a servant hold Richard’s mouth so he couldn’t make noise.
“He’s too loud! Give him a few slaps to wake him up.”
Richard’s eyes were full of anger. After being slapped many times, he spat out the bloody rag.