Belle had spoken very well.
But Weston merely glanced indifferently at her and asked, âYouâre willing to do anything?â
âYes!â Belle nodded repeatedly. âAnything! But I really donât want my feet chopped off, Mr. Ford...â
Weston lit up another cigarette, his fingers rubbing against each other lightly as he looked over to Nicole.â What about you?â
Nicole suddenly collapsed to the floor as if her soul had just escaped her body. Only then did she realize that it had all been a trap.
She had assumed Weston had been kind to her and even paid off all her debts because he had taken a fancy to her, or that at least he harbored some feelings for her.
Never did it occur to her that he had done all that just to provoke Guinevere , subsequently causing her to attack them, which in turn, forced them to work with Weston in exchange for their own safety.
In their current position, they had no other choice but to do what Weston wanted. How else would they escape Guinevereâs clutches otherwise?
This man truly was terrifying, a thousand times more terrifying than Guinevere Cohen, in fact. âHow could you do this to me?!â she asked tearfully.â Never mind Belle, but what have I ever done to you to deserve this?!â
Even then, Nicole still thought of herself as a class above Belle or those other women like her.
It would be perfectly understandable for Weston Ford to use and manipulate women like Belle, but Nicole was different. She was pure and innocent. Why would he help her and build her up, only to shove her down and drag her to hell?
Weston was in no mood to humor the naive sentiments of an immature woman. The cloud of smoke curled upwards from the tip of his fingers, amalgamating with the facial features that made him seem even more striking and intimidating He narrowed his eyes and said, âIâm sure youâve both heard of the oleander poisoning case.â
âYâYes...â Belle and Nicole answered simultaneously.
Weston paused.
âBelle,â he began again in a perfectly calm voice, not unlike a prowling lion slowly luring its prey, âyou have a history with Guinevere that made you hate her. That was why youâve always been planning to kill her son...â
As soon as she heard this, Belleâs eyes were as wide as saucers. Her face turned sickly white, and she felt a chill down her back.
âBâBut, Mr. Ford...â
Weston seemed oblivious to Belleâs horrified face. He turned to Nicole and told her, âAnd you needed a big sum of money to settle your debts. It just so happens that a sum of money has been transferred to you from Belleâs account. Thatâs because youâre her helper and her witness.â
Nicole was stupefied. She knew that Weston had given her a large sum of money so that she could go back to school, but she had never thought about where that money came from, She had always assumed that it had come from Weston without giving it much thought.
Belle was suddenly struck with a realization. She crawled forward on her knees and asked, âMr. Ford, are you saying that you want us to take the blame for Stella Sealey?â
Weston raised his hand and massaged his eyebrows.
âYouâd be taking the blame for her if she was guilty,â he corrected her in an impatient tone, âbut she is not guilty.â
He glanced over at the two women on the floor and added, âIf the situation ever gets too perilous for her, I want both of you to keep her safe, understand?â
âYou meanâ¦â Belle said with trembling lips, finally understanding the whole situation, âYouâll try to get the lightest sentence for her, but if that fails, then you want both of us to take the blame. Is that correct?â
Westonâs true intentions were plain to see. He did not answer any more of their questions. All he did was brush the ashes off his body and casually say, âDonât worry. Even if youâre both needed in the end, my team of lawyers will do whatever they can to fight for you. The worst that could happen is staying in prison for a few years, thatâs all.â
With his piercing eyes, he raised his head and swept a glance over Belle and Nicoleâs faces.
âThatâs still a lot better than losing your limbs, right?â