Chapter 79: She Is Worth Fifty Million

He believed her, and for a moment she saw him flounder. The threat he had tossed at her earlier had been meant only to frighten her.

"You are shameless," he said, trying to wound her with his words. "Are you asking me to have you? Put a little effort into begging, and I might indulge you."

She said nothing. She sat quietly on the floor, counting the seconds in silence.

He was clever. He checked his phone and confirmed that she had not called for help. Only then did he step back in front of her, seize her face, and force her to transfer money.

"Tell me the truth, and I'll give you money."

Enraged, he struck her again and knocked her to the ground.

"Don't you dare take my kindness for weakness!"

She looked at him with the calm of someone who had resigned herself to death. "If you have the guts, just kill me."

With no other choice, he threw his phone to her. "You're right. I knew Yao a long time ago. The reason I ended up drifting from place to place was that I gave everything to her."

He had lost his property and all his wealth to Yao's deception. Yet he did not hate her; instead, he thought her pitiful.

When they met again and he saw her being bullied by Wen, his first instinct was to protect her.

Yao had told him that North had taken her by force, driven her to break up with him, and seized her parents and younger brother. As for Wen, she had helped the wicked and repeatedly targeted and hurt her.

"Not a single one of you is worth anything. Just because you're rich, you think you can do whatever you like," he said bitterly, his resentment of the wealthy sharpened by envy of North. "Once I have your money, Yao will run away with me and never look back."

"You're too naive." She gave a cold laugh. Those men had been made fools of by Yao, yet they were still willing to die for her. "Her goal is to become the wife of the richest man in Dragon City. No matter how rich you are, if your standing isn't above North's, she will never leave with you."

"That's bullshit!" he snapped.

At that moment his phone rang again. Yao told him to take her away immediately.

He did not ask why. He simply seized her from the floor and dragged her toward the door.

She silently vowed that from now on she would eat more and exercise more. If she had been even a little fatter, even a little stronger, he would never have been able to lift her as easily as a chick.

The moment they stepped outside, they saw the security guards. He tried to drag her back inside.

"Help! Help!"

She shouted several times, drawing the guards' attention as they hurried over.

He pulled a dagger from his pocket and pressed it against her throat, forcing the guards to stop. "Back up. Don't come any closer, or I'll stab her to death."

"We've already called the police. You won't get away."

The instant he heard that, panic seized him completely. He had no idea when she had managed to send out the warning.

At that same moment, North and Yao arrived as well. The instant Yao saw him, a flicker of alarm flashed through her eyes.

He saw her too and was about to speak, but she stopped him with a shake of her head.

"She won't save you."

She understood at once. Her tone was cool, with a trace of regret. "Your devotion was never worth it."

"Shut up. You know nothing!" Even now, he still believed Yao loved him.

She did not understand such foolish persistence, but she knew how hard it was to give up someone you loved deeply.

She did not want to see North again, yet when danger came, he was still the first person she thought of.

When she had his phone, she quickly sent him a distress message. Because the number was not saved, he had not noticed.

What she sent was a string of nonsense characters. She had been brainwashed by all those syrupy little pep talks and, in a burst of superstition, came up with a code and sent it to North, telling him it was her signal for help. From then on, whenever he saw that nonsense string, it would mean she was in danger.

To make sure he remembered, she sent it to him dozens of times. Most of the time he did not even look at it before deleting it.

In that instant just now, that same string of code had flashed through her mind, and she had sent it without hesitation.

North had come. Did that mean he really remembered?

Her heart stirred uneasily as she looked at him.

"Let her go!" North stepped forward, but he was immediately stopped.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill her."

"You want money? I'll pay. Will fifty million be enough?" North's face was dark with fury, his eyes blazing. "This is your last chance."

Fifty million.

She could not help but twitch her brows. To North, she was worth fifty million.

He was worth hundreds of billions, and that was the price he had placed on her.

"Don't you dare act recklessly," Yao said, stepping forward. "Let go of my sister. I'll replace her. I'll take you somewhere safe."

North frowned. Seeing that, she gave a cold smile.

"North pities you, but I wouldn't dare let you take my place. Fifty million? I can pay that myself. There's no need to trouble Mr. North."

Before North could say anything, Yao had already started toward her, and she sensed danger immediately.

"Don't come any closer!"

Yao acted as though she had not heard her and kept walking. When she was almost in front of her, she even lifted her brows in a small, knowing挑衅.

"Sister, don't be afraid. I'm here to save you."

She forced herself to stay calm. If she lost control now, she would fall right into Yao's trap and make North think she was deranged.

And if she did nothing, Yao would surely have more tricks waiting.

"North, take your little girlfriend away. I don't want her saving me, or I'll hate you even more!"

Taking a deep breath, she looked at North, her eyes full of desperate hope, begging him to understand her just once.

"All right."

He strode forward at once, pulled Yao back, and shielded her behind him.

The movement stabbed at her eyes. She turned her gaze away and quietly let out a breath of relief.

"I'm sorry, Mr. North. I was too anxious," Yao said, hiding behind him with her head lowered.

Just then, sirens sounded in the distance. Panic seized him. He glanced at Yao, and she lifted her head to meet his eyes.

Seizing the moment, she stepped hard on his foot. He lashed out with a violent kick, sending her crashing forward into the table.

"You brought this on yourself. Don't blame me!"

"Ah!"

Her lower abdomen slammed into the metal edge of the table, leaving her doubled over in agony.

He still held the dagger and was about to stab her back, but North kicked him away at once. The guards rushed in and subdued him.

Yao was the first to run to her side. She grabbed her arm and pressed down with all her strength, trying to steady her body. "Sister, what's wrong?"

She was in too much pain to speak. Sweat beaded and fell in heavy drops as she clenched her teeth and tried to hold herself together. She wanted nothing more than to slap Yao several times, but she had no strength to lift her hand.

North hurried over and gathered her into his arms. She clutched tightly at his clothes.

Blood spilled from between her legs, soaking through his shirt. She closed her eyes, and a single tear slipped down her face before consciousness left her.

When she woke, her parents were sitting beside her. Her mother had cried herself red-eyed and was stroking her face with heartbreak.

"Mom, what happened to me?" She remembered bleeding the whole time, even more heavily than after her miscarriage. Now her lower abdomen was wracked with unbearable pain. "Tell me. What happened to me?"