Chapter 1607
Hannah frowned, the crease between her brows deepening. âDoes my opinion even matter?â
âOf course, it does,â Steven replied earnestly.
âBut we agreed, remember? One child. Thatâs it. There was no chance of us getting back together. Ever.â Hannah reminded him, her voice steady but her eyes betraying a hint of vulnerability.
Steven fell silent, the weight of her words hung heavily in the air.
âIâm going to bed.â Hannah announced, breaking the tension as she stood up. Steven moved quickly, his arms encircling her in a tight embrace.
âLet go of me!â She demanded.
âI canât do that,â Steven replied stubbornly.e2
âSteven, you keep this up, and Iâll have no choice but to move out,â she warned him, her tone laced with finality.
At her words, Stevenâs arms fell away as if burned. âHannah, itâs not safe out there. You canât leave. Anywhere but here is too dangerous.â
Hannah cast a glance at him before turning away. She knew all too well the dangers that lurked outside.
The Salazar dynasty hadnât crumbled yet, and Daniela, that lunatic, was still at large. Certainly, she was still harboring a deadly grudge. Riverton was no longer safe, let alone Harbor City.
Hannah was acutely aware of the perilous situation she was in, which was why she had reluctantly agreed to return to Stevenâs home.
Steven watched her go, a bitter taste in his mouth as he thought to himself, âYouâve made your bed, now lie in it.â
Meanwhile, across town, Donny carried the documents Steven had entrusted to him and once again visited Danielaâs hideout.
Knowing that itâs time to choose between the interests and herself, Daniela took the news with a chilling calm. âWhatâs the plan for me then?â She asked, her voice devoid of
emotion.
Donny hesitated before speaking, âLook, you need to understand that both Dad and I⦠we care about you, butâ¦â
âNo âbuts,ââ Daniela cut in sharply. âJust spit it out.â
âDad asked me to personally take you in,â Donny confessed, the words heavy on his tongue. âYou canât blame him, Daniela. If the Salazar family falls, itâs not just you whoâs in trouble. All of us are sunk.â
Daniela laughed, though her laughter soon turned to tears. âThen please, deliver a message for me. Tell him I wish him a long and prosperous life.â
âDonny, you know Iâ¦â
Daniela interrupted, âIâve got one last thing to settle. Let me take care of it, and Iâll go wherever you want after that, no resistance.â
Donny knew what she intended. âDaniela, at the end of the day, that Hannah never did you any wrong. Your engagement to Steven was never something he agreed to. He married her only after you left to go abroad, and after he had made it clear he rejected you. She never sought to provoke you, so why the hate?â
âSteven rejected me for that tramp, and you ask if sheâs provoked me? Tell me, Donny, what do I lack compared to her?â Daniela demanded, her voice rising.
Without thinking, Donny blurted out, âLooks.â.
Daniela let out a shrill scream. âWhat did you say? Do you even know what youâre talking about?â
âYes,â Donny admitted reluctantly. âYou might surpass Hannah in every other aspect â family background, education, you name it. But the plain truth is, sheâs more beautiful. I canât deny that.â
âAre all men blind? How is she prettier than me? Sheâs nothing but a cheap woman, skilled in pleasing men. Thatâs all!â Daniela spat out venomously.
âDonnyâ¦â
Daniela cut him off, her voice cold and determined. âI want that woman dead. She has to die. Thereâs no way Iâll let her live a comfortable life.â
Confronted with Danielaâs irrational rage, any sliver of guilt Donny might have felt was slowly eroding away. âDaniela, get a grip,â he said, but whether she heard him was another matter entirely.