He pulled out a knife and pressed the cold blade against my cheek.
A sharp sting split my skin as the tip sliced a fine, shallow line.
Ridley’s eyes went wide. “Let her go!” he roared. “Stop! All of you, stop right now!”
The hall fell into a heavy, ringing silence.
Every gaze was locked on us.
Thiago’s grin widened, his voice dripping with malice. The knife’s edge traced a slow path along my face.
“Oh, so you do care about Agnes. Right—if not for her, you wouldn’t have taken the Perlmans so easily, leaving us in ruins.”
He turned that cruel glare on me. Then, catching the tension in Ridley’s expression, Thiago broke into loud and mocking laughter.
“I hear today’s your bastard son’s fifth birthday,” he sneered. “Tell you what—let’s celebrate with a little game. You get to decide who dies.”
He shoved me toward the spiral staircase.
The tall, winding steps led straight down to the marble floor below. If I fell… my life—and the life of the child in my womb—would end instantly!
Panic clawed through me; I thrashed harder in his grip.
Annoyed by my resistance, Thiago whipped his hand hard across my face.
“Ridley!” he barked. “Choose—trade your mistress and your bastard for Agnes, or I will throw her down these stairs right now!” he asked heartlessly.
Meanwhile, Lynzee clutched Ridley’s hand, her voice trembling. “Ridley, let me go to Agnes's place. Just me. Please. I’m carrying your child too—this way, at least, we’ll be giving him what he wants.”
A flicker of shock crossed Ridley’s face. He hadn’t known she was pregnant again.
Seeing his hesitation, Lynzee stepped toward us.
But before she could get too far, Ridley suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
Agnes’s POV
It was as if he forced the words out from between clenched teeth.
“You’re pregnant. I can’t let you go.”
With that, he yanked Lynzee back toward him.
Seeing this, Thiago threw his head back and let out a twisted, mocking laugh.
Then—before Ridley could even process what was happening—Thiago shoved me hard, sending me tumbling down the steep staircase.
I rolled down several steps before instinctively latching onto the banister’s post, my fingers clinging for dear life.
“Agnes!” Ridley’s eyes widened in horror, his voice ripping through the air as he charged toward me.
But in the very next second, Lynzee was suddenly grabbed from behind by Thiago.