Chapter 256: Life or Death, The Choice Is Yours

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Life or Death, The Choice Is Yours

"Damian Morgan?"

’It really was him!’

Vianne Kane looked helplessly at Timothy Quinn. "You two have been working together all along, haven’t you?"

"That’s right. It was Damian Morgan’s idea to send you to the hotel last time. He even told me to pin the blame on your stepsister."

Vianne Kane’s eyes widened in disbelief. What Alaric Blackwood had told her was true after all. It wasn’t Sophie Shaw who had sent her to Conor Sullivan’s bed—it was Damian Morgan!

’That man has been plotting against me all along.’

"Your grandfather’s death..." Timothy Quinn chuckled, deliberately trailing off.

But his pointed, unfinished sentence and the smile on his face were enough for Vianne Kane to understand exactly what he meant.

Vianne Kane’s whole body began to tremble, whether from fear or fury. He reached out and stroked her head. "Now you see, don’t you? That man never loved you. All he loved was your identity as the heiress of the Kane family."

"But my love for you is real. It’s never changed." ℯℯ𝑙.

The smile in Timothy Quinn’s eyes was utterly unsettling, forcing her to recall what he had done to her the year she turned eighteen.

"You call that love?"

Timothy Quinn’s hand slid down from the back of her head to grip her nape. "Why wouldn’t it be? If you had just submitted to me back then, none of this would have happened, would it?"

"Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? Did you think I wouldn’t take responsibility? You got rid of the child, and on top of that, you sent people to break my legs, leaving me a cripple. I could have killed you to vent my hatred."

He leaned in as he spoke, pushing his face right in front of Vianne Kane’s. "You’re the one who ruined everything. The Kane and Sullivan families could have been joined by marriage, but you and your mother were too ruthless."

"You raped me first. It was your fault."

"But I love you! After all these years, I still love you. Have you ever thought about it? If you had chosen to accept me back then, if you had told me the truth about the pregnancy, our families would have been united. You and I could have had a complete and happy family."

"Who would want to start a family with you? Take a good look in the mirror at what a degenerate you are. Are you even worthy?"

Vianne Kane’s words struck a raw nerve with Timothy Quinn.

He suddenly remembered her eighteenth birthday party, how she had acted so high and mighty, looking down on him just like this.

It was true that her family was better off than his, and that his family’s business dealings weren’t clean. But he had been serious about Vianne Kane. To possess her, he’d taken a desperate risk, drugging her drink. He’d assumed that once the deed was done, she would have no choice but to be his. But everything that followed had spiraled completely out of his control.

The Sullivan family was reported, investigated by the authorities, and had all their illegal activities exposed. His family was ruined, buried under a mountain of debt. Hounded by public opinion and unable to pay it back, his parents secured a future for him, then snuck into Kane Tower late one night and jumped from the roof together.

Their bodies were discovered by a sanitation worker early the next morning. The incident caused a huge sensation at the time.

He thought that was the end of it, that the bitter feud between their families would finally be over. After all, the Sullivan family had paid a price in blood. But he never imagined that Bianca Kane would then send men to abduct him and try to kill him.

"Your mother is one ruthless woman."

He stared at Vianne Kane. Even as his prisoner, she still looked at him with disdain and contempt. A cold smile curled his lips. "You know, I could easily go to the police and tell them everything—how your mother had me kidnapped and thrown into the sea."

"Would you dare? If you do, the fact that you raped me will come out."

"If it really comes to that, do you think I’d still care about that charge?"

Vianne Kane was panicking. She was terrified that Conor Sullivan, having nothing left to lose, would decide to take the Kane family down with him.

"What is it you really want?"

"I want to marry you."

"What?"

"After you divorce Damian Morgan, you will marry me."

Vianne Kane felt her stomach churn, so disgusted she wanted to vomit.

"If you don’t agree, your entire family will die."

A violent shudder ran through Vianne Kane. Timothy Quinn’s words had scared her half to death. "What did you say?"

"Life or death. The choice is yours."

Timothy Quinn’s fingers kneaded her slender neck, his expression one of complete control. "I’ll let you go. You’ll go back and process your divorce with Damian Morgan. But if you and that mother of yours try any funny business, I’ll release your compromising photos and explicit videos online for the world to see. I’ll also post them to the dark web and offer a massive bounty for your head."

Vianne Kane’s heart sank. "You—"

"Instead of having all your secrets exposed, getting posted on the dark web, and ending up dead, you’d be much better off just obediently coming to me."

"You’re despicable."

"We’re all bad people anyway. Why not just shack up and get on with life together? Wouldn’t that be nice?"

Vianne Kane realized the man before her was targeting the Kane Group. The beneficiary on the share transfer agreement he’d forced her to sign was someone named Timothy Quinn.

She didn’t know any Timothy Quinn, but it dawned on her in that moment: Timothy Quinn must be Conor Sullivan.

"You’re Timothy Quinn?"

"Slow on the uptake, aren’t you? Only figuring it out now?"

"I will never marry you. Don’t even think about it."

Timothy Quinn’s expression remained unchanged. "Then just wait to die. I’ll drag your mother and your half-brother here to join you. The whole family can set off on the road to hell together and keep each other company."

With that, Timothy Quinn said no more. He straightened up and limped out of the room, leaning on his cane.

The iron door clicked shut. Under the dim, yellow light, Vianne Kane trembled uncontrollably.

’She had a feeling he was truly capable of killing her entire family...’

「Meanwhile.」

Joel Kane was brought to the hospital by Alaric Blackwood’s men, and the admission procedures were completed. His room was right next to Sophie Shaw’s. Bianca Kane was with him.

"Mom, I don’t want to donate bone marrow. I’m scared. I’ll get sick and die."

He grabbed Bianca Kane’s arm, tears streaming down his face as he spoke.

Bianca Kane felt a headache coming on. She was now forced to explain away the very fears she had instilled in her own son, to convince him that donating bone marrow wasn’t so terrible.

Technology had advanced, and medical science had improved. All it required was a few days in the hospital for mobilization injections, followed by a blood draw. It wasn’t as complicated as it once was. The process was almost painless, and all he’d need was proper rest afterward to recover.

Joel Kane had his check-ups every year and was in perfect health. He was capable of saving Sophie Shaw.

She spent a long time soothing Joel’s emotions. Just when she had finally coaxed him into a calmer state, someone appeared at the door.

It was Alaric Blackwood.

The man leaned against the doorframe and gave her a meaningful look. She tucked the covers around Joel, then got up and walked out.

Closing the door to the room behind her, she asked Alaric Blackwood, "Is there any news about Vianne?"

"It’s highly likely she’s in Conor Sullivan’s hands."

"You’ve found her?"

"More or less."

Bianca Kane frowned, her patience wearing thin. "What do you mean, ’more or less’? If you’ve found her, then hurry up and save her. This can’t wait."