Chapter 12

Did she need to explain herself again? No matter how much she tried to explain, he wouldn't believe her. So, there was no point in explaining. The last hope Linda had for William in her heart was extinguished. She should've realized earlier that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't touch the heart of someone who didn't love her. She was stubborn and willful to think that she could. In the end, it was merely self-deception. Her eyelids lowered as tears streamed down like pearls from a broken necklace. "Whatever floats your boat." Linda gave up struggling. He wouldn't believe her no matter how she explained it. Her words were useless, so it was better to say nothing. … The car drove into a villa that Linda knew of but had never been to. "William, are you trying to restrict my freedom?" Linda's face was streaked with tears as she looked incredulously at William beside her. "Yes. What can you do about it?" William was still as arrogant as ever, and he had the right to be. "Until the police confirm that you are not a suspect, you will stay here until I'm sure you're not the culprit." "William, do you really think I'm such an evil person? Do you think that I would harm your mother just to get your attention?" Linda laughed self-deprecatingly. "But then again, there has never been any trust in our marriage. I guess it's normal for you to think that. William, don't make me hate you, okay?" William sneered. "Go ahead and hate me." Linda was escorted by Jay into the villa. Before leaving, Jay said to her, "Ms. Felix, I believe you, but the current evidence points toward you, so I'm sorry. Boss said if you insist on leaving, you should think about your sister in Flomont." With that, Jay left the villa. Linda sat dazed on the cold, hard floor. She thought that after letting go of William, she'd be free of all attachments. She didn't expect that William would target Chloe. She had no choice but to compromise. A bird flew to the window. It had a piece of paper in its beak which read, "Linda, your good days are coming to an end." … In the following week, the Wilson family was gloomy. That day, when they arrived at the abandoned factory, the kidnappers had already left. Perhaps they knew that the police had been contacted. William sat in the living room. Ida's eyes were red and swollen from crying non-stop. At that moment, Jay's phone rang. It was a video call. "Boss, the kidnappers want to video call us." "Answer it," William replied. The call was connected, and the other end showed an unidentifiable location. Joanne was tied up, and a voice altered by a voice changer sounded. "Mr. Wilson, your mother is eating and drinking well here with no major problems." "What do you want?" Wilson asked gloomily. He didn't like being threatened. "Indeed, Wilson Group's president is so straightforward." The man laughed and continued, "Mr. Wilson, a smart person would have more than one trick up his sleeve. "Last time, you gave me money, but you called the police. I only want money, not to lose my life." "So, how much do you want?" "100 million dollars. I'll release her when I get the money." Hearing this, everyone present gasped. It was such an exorbitant amount! William, however, was extremely calm. "Fine. 100 million dollars is nothing to me." "Mr. Wilson, you truly are a good son. Tomorrow morning, in the city's outskirts." … In the villa, Linda lay on the bed. A burning smell filled her nostrils. She got up and opened the door to see flames down the hallway. It was on fire! Linda's first instinct was to look for water. She quickly went back into the room and forcefully turned the faucet, but no water came out. The fire was spreading fast and soon reached outside her room. Through the gap under the door, she could see the flames. Linda anxiously tried to open the windows, but they were locked. She had no way to escape. She collapsed helplessly in a corner of the room, full of despair. She had no will to live anymore. Ida and Joanne wanted her dead, and William ended up being the final push toward her death. … Early in the morning, William took the money and headed toward the outskirts, but the kidnappers had yet to show up. On the way back, he received news about the fire in the villa. "What happened?" It was not William's intention for Linda to die. Jay shook his head. "We don't know yet. A chain car accident blocked the only road to the villa, and the fire trucks couldn't get through. The current situation is unclear, but we may have to prepare for the worst…" The worst outcome would be Linda dying in the fire. William was silent for a moment. Out of nowhere, the driver suddenly swerved, causing his head to hit the window. In an instant, the memories that caused his throbbing headache flooded into his mind. He saw a dilapidated, smelly fishboat, and a thin girl holding his hand as they jumped into a river. Before jumping, she said to him, "Mister, don't be scared. I'll bring you to shore." She struggled to swim to the shore with him. He had promised to marry her when she grew up. The person who saved his life wasn't Ida but Linda! "Quick, go to the villa immediately!" William clutched his head in pain, and Jay didn't know what to do. The driver could only speed toward the villa. … By the time William arrived at the villa, it had already been burned to the ground. The surroundings were in ruins, and Linda was nowhere to be seen. Linda was dead—killed in the fire. The rescue team leader regretfully walked over and said, "Mr. Wilson, I'm sorry. We tried our best, but Ms. Felix… My condolences." William couldn't accept the news and tried to rush in but was stopped by Jay and the rescue team members. He knelt on the ground, muttering, "Linda, didn't you say you wanted me to remember? I remember now, but where are you?" Samson rushed over. Seeing this scene, he went up to William and punched him. "William, where's Linda?" William didn't fight back. He just sat there in a daze. Jay spoke up, "Mr. Lynch, we tried our best." Samson laughed bitterly. "You indeed tried your best. If she had gone to Novena with me then, wouldn't the outcome be different?" Samson burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. "William, you owe Linda for the rest of your life." With that, he threw down a document and left. The document contained everything Linda had done for William and Wilson Group over the years. William couldn't believe what he saw, but it was the truth. His eyes were filled with desolation. All this while, he had misunderstood her! She had never done anything wrong. After the fire, there was a snowstorm. Snow covered the entire city. The wind blew, carrying away with it Linda's life. In the countless nights that followed, William looked at all the unanswered messages and held the clothes she made, enduring one sleepless night after another.