Ch. 161..165: Begging For A Reconciliation Chapter 161-165

Chapter 161

As soon as Han walked into the hall, he noticed Leah beside Ron. Immediately, his face darkened.

Ron was big and brawny. At that time, he was sitting sideways with his left hand supporting his chin, and when Han walked in, he was putting some food on Leah’s plate.

Leah was wearing a black dress and looked rather petite next to Ron. Her slim-fit black dress not only revealed her delicate collarbone but also her slender neck. She was holding a plate with one hand and a fork with the other. It seemed that she would eat whatever Ron served her. Somehow, she seemed docile next to Ron. It was different when she was with Han. In Han’s eyes, she was like a hedgehog with thorns.

The hall was quiet with the appearance of Han. Ron suddenly felt the quietness and raised his head when he met Han’s cold eyes.

Ron was stunned for a moment. With a gleam of uneasiness in his eyes, he lowered his head and whispered in Leah’s ears, “Your ex is here.”

Leah, on the other hand, was lost in thought. From the beginning, she felt awkward. Hearing what Ron said, she raised her head subconsciously. Then she saw Han with a shy girl. However, the girl kept avoiding eye contact with her.

Leah was surprised the girl was not Molly. Why did Han bring this girl instead of Molly? she wondered.

“Look, who’s here? It’s Mr. Howard! ” Ron did not stand up. He was still sitting lazily on his chair, showing no respect for Han at all.

However, Han was not a bit angry. He strode in and found a place to sit down. Nonetheless, he fixed his eyes on Leah for a long time.

Leah, on the other hand, was not looking at Han. She kept looking at the girl beside Han instead. Although the girl looked ordinary, Leah felt she looked familiar.

“Boss, there is someone else coming,” one of Ron’s subordinates said again.

Hearing that, Ron was not surprised. Since Han showed up, a lot of big shots might show up as well. “Who is it?” he asked.

Ron’s subordinate wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. “It’s Mr. Shawn Ford.”

Right then, Shawn walked in. He was wearing a shirt and a pair of glasses. With a gentle and implicit expression on his face, he exclaimed as he strode in, “Congratulations, Ron! I’m so proud of you. You made it in less than two years!”

However, Leah felt her body stiffen when she heard Shawn’s voice. From Shawn’s appearance, one might think he was a friendly and nice guy. Only Leah knew how terrible he was.

Nonetheless, Ron could sense that Leah was tensed. With an expressionless face, he turned his body sideways and slightly blocked Leah behind him. He then replied to Shawn casually, “Thank you, but it seems that you haven’t made any progress in the past two years.”

Hearing that, Shawn’s face darkened. However, since all the guests present were veterans in business, Shawn had no choice but to control himself. He regained his composure and replied, “Ron, you’re the boss now. Don’t make fun of me.”

Finally, everyone took their seats. However, Leah felt so uncomfortable the moment Han and Shawn arrived.

It seemed that most people at the party knew about what happened between Han and Shawn. In fact, they were all waiting to see a good show.

As expected, Shawn began to tease Han after he sat down. Shawn was eyeing the girl beside Han and asked, “Han, is she your ex-wife?”

Hearing that, Han’s face darkened. It was not a secret in Linkville that he had divorced.

He knew Shawn was making fun of him and gave him a murderous look. However, before he could say anything, the girl beside him spoke first.

The girl muttered in fear, “No, no… My name is Regina Simmons.”

Hearing that, Leah’s eyes lit up. She finally knew why the girl looked familiar to her. Regina was her high school classmate. They looked alike and were both quiet and shy.

How did Regina know Han? When did they get together? Leah could not help but wonder. Although Regina came from a rich family, there was a huge gap between her family and Han’s. She could not have known him.

Thinking of that, Leah was confused.

“Shut up!” Han interrupted Regina all of a sudden. “Let’s eat.”

Nonetheless, Shawn could not help but snigger hearing Regina’s answer. He glared at Han and asked again, “So Han, you’ve found yourself a substitute so fast?”

Han glared at Shawn coldly again. However, Shawn was used to it and was not a bit bothered. Not only that, he was exhilarated seeing Han getting angry.

Shawn then glance at Leah, who was sitting next to Ron, and teased, “Han, what a poor guy you are. Your ex is sitting with Ron, and you can only find yourself a substitute. TSK! TSK!”

Bang!

Suddenly, Han threw his fork to Shawn. The fork bounced and hit Shawn’s mouth.

Shawn did not expect Han would throw the fork. His face immediately darkened.

Nonetheless, Han wiped his hands with a napkin with an expressionless face. He explained indifferently, ”Oops, it was an accident. I lost control of my hand just now.”

Hearing that, Shawn was speechless. “Your fork hit my lips, and you said it was an accident?”

Seeing what Shawn had done, Leah lost their appetite.

However, Leah’s eyes still fell on Regina. Is she really my substitute? she wondered. But Han hates women!

When Leah glanced at Regina again, her eyes met Han’s. His eyes looked so complicated that she almost fell into them.

Leah could not help but quickly look away. Was it her illusion? Why did she seem to see a hint of sadness in Han’s eyes just now?

“Mr. Howard, may I leave now?” Regina approached Han and asked cautiously. It seems that the look in Leah’s eyes made her nervous. She was afraid Leah would recognize her sooner or later. In the beginning, she was happy to follow Han to the party. However, as soon as she saw Leah, she felt so uncomfortable.

Han frowned impatiently and replied, “Okay.”

Hearing that, Regina quickly stood up and slipped away quietly.

Seeing Regina leaving, Leah frowned slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she murmured into Ron’s ears and chased after Regina.

Chapter 162

Regina walked so fast that Leah almost could not catch up with her. When they finally reached the garden, Leah called out to her loudly, “Regina, wait!”

Hearing the sound from behind, Regina halted. However, she began to run again.

“Even if you run away now, do you think I won’t be able to find you in the future?” shouted Leah.

Hearing that, Regina froze.

It seemed that Leah was not the same person as Regina used to know when she was in high school. She had Ron, and not only that, she seemed to have a strong aura. Such a domineering temperament really shocked her.

Seeing that Regina stopped running, Leah grabbed her hand quickly.

Leah was half a head taller than Regina. She looked down at Regina, and asked, “Regina, I know it’s you, and you recognize me from the beginning, do you?”

Leah had plastic surgeries before, and her appearance had changed drastically. However, judging from Regina’s reaction, Leah was sure that Regina recognized her. That was probably the reason she left in a hurry.

Regina could not help but look away. She knew she could not deceive Leah anymore.

“So, how did you recognize me, and how did you know Han?” Leah continued to ask.

However, as soon as Regina heard Han’s name, her face darkened. Everyone knew she was only a substitute for Leah. She really resembled Leah a lot.

“Han? How dare you mention his name in front of me? Who do you think you are, Leah?” Regina sneered and shook off Leah’s hand.

Hearing that, Leah was stunned. She asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Why? Leah! Why did you meet Han in high school, and why did he marry you? He is such an excellent young man, and because of you, his life was ruined!” Regina yelled hysterically, “You really know nothing, do you? I have feelings for him since high school, but I always thought he is the star in the sky. But why you can marry him?”

Leah frowned. She took a deep breath slowly, “But you never tell me when we were in high school. Besides, aren’t we friends in high school?”

“Shut up! Who is your friend? I approached you because of Han. He only cares about you. I just want to get close to him!” Regina screamed in despair. At that moment, she was hysterical.

Seeing that, Leah was stunned. She remembered she was only an ordinary girl in high school and no one wanted to be friends with her. Only Regina came to her. Regina was like a beam of light who came into her life. They went to the library and school cafeteria together.

“Now do you understand how I felt back then?” Regina looked at Leah in disgust.

Hearing that, Leah could not help but purse her lips.

Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Stay away from me that and you’d better stay away from Han too. The farther the better. You don’t deserve such a perfect man.”

“But…” Leah looked at Regina quietly. If she knew Regina got close to her because of Han two years ago, she would be very sad. However, she was disappointed now.

Leah tried to calm herself before she said again, ”Even if you and Han are together now, are you happy? Do you want to live in the shadow of me for the rest of your life?”

“It’s none of your business!” Regina interrupted angrily, ”I’m satisfied as long as I can be with him. You don’t understand what I want at all! Don’t you dare look for me again in the future!” With that, Regina left in a hurry.

Looking at Regina’s back, Leah could not help but sigh. Regina somehow reminded her of what happened in high school. At that time, she had a crush on Han, and Regina was the only one who knew about it.

Leah was so disappointed. With a heavy heart, she took out her phone and sent a message to Ron, telling him that she was leaving.

After that, Leah walked out of the villa. As she walked, she suddenly heard an angry shout, “Loser, don’t come to see me again if you can’t handle this.”

The voice sounded familiar. It was Shawn. He must be planning something devious, making calls in such a quiet place.

Leah tiptoed to the place where Shawn stood.

Shawn was standing under a tree and was talking on the phone with his back to Leah. Leah stood behind a wall and eavesdropped cautiously.

“You have to do it today. I can’t wait any longer. I can’t let Han get away with it!” Shawn berated angrily.

“Well, he will pass by there after the party. You can do it by that time,” answered Shawn again.

Leah frowned when she heard that. As expected, Shawn was plotting something against Han.

Seeing that Shawn hung up the phone, Leah tiptoed aside and hid herself.

After Shawn disappeared from her sight, Leah came out. Shawn was going to hurt Han after the party.

Shawn was a cruel and merciless man. What if he really succeeded?

Leah just started her job, and her contract with the Howard Group was not over yet. If Han died, the whole Howard Group would collapse.

Thinking of that, Leah gritted her teeth and decided to tell Han. She turned around and quickly ran back to the hall.

However, as soon as she turned around, a man appeared right in front of her. His glasses was glinting under the dim lighting.

However, before Leah could see who it was, she felt her vision go dark. Someone slid a black plastic bag on her head. After that, she was hit hard on the back of her neck.

With a groan, Leah collapsed and lost consciousness completely.

Chapter 163

Splash!

Leah woke up after being splashed by water. It was autumn, and the weather was so cold. Leah could not help but tremble.

Leah was kidnapped again. Why must they wake up the with cold water every time? she wondered. She shook her hair, trying to get rid of the excess water on her face before opening her eyes. Luckily, it was not a very dark basement. There was a dim light glimmering from above her head.

There was nothing else in the basement. Leah was tied to a chair with a rope. The chair was so heavy. It was impossible for Leah to stand up.

Next to Leah sat a strong man, whose upper body was naked, He had an iron basin in his hand. It must be him who splashed water on her just now.

“Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?” Leah asked calmly.

The man glanced at Leah and sneered, “You’ll know later. Don’t try to play any tricks. You can’t escape.” The man remained silent and stood aside.

The person who kidnapped Leah most likely had attended Ron’s welcoming party. Suddenly, Shawn came to her mind.

Suddenly, footsteps was heard outside the basement, followed by the rattling sound of iron chains. It seemed that someone was opening the lock outside the basement.

When the door was opened, a beam of light shone in. Leah could not help but squint her eyes.

“Has she woken up?”

Hearing that, Leah froze for a second. She squinted her eyes and saw Shawn walking in. Behind him were two strong men with another tied-up victim.

Leah gasped in disbelief. Did Shawn kidnap Han too?

Han was not an ordinary man. He had many bodyguards. How could Shawn kidnap him so easily? What happened when Leah was hit and fell unconscious just now?

Shawn seemed to have read Leah’s mind. He snickered and ordered his men to throw Han to one side.

“Are you wondering why I could kidnap Han so easily?” Shawn smirked and glared at Leah with his evil look.

Leah could not help but purse her lips.

Shawn then sat down next to Leah and glanced at Han coldly. “TSK! TSK! Poor Han. He gave up and surrender without resisting when I told him you are in my hand.”

Hearing that, Leah could not help narrowing her eyes. “It’s because of me?” She was startled.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel guilty? Haha!” Shawn could not help but snigger. “Well, don’t blame yourself. You will see each other in hell soon,” said Shawn with a vicious smile.

Shawn then winked at the strong man. The strong man understood him immediately and splashed a basin of water on Han’s head.

Han, who was knocked out, could not help opening his eyes. He was quivering.

Nonetheless, the first thing Han did when he woke up was to look for Leah. He was relieved to see that she was fine.

“Han, are you fully awake now? Why are you so quiet? Didn’t you talk a lot at the party just now?” said Shawn as he looked at Han defiantly.

Nonetheless, Han pursed his lips and ignored Shawn. Han’s body was not tied up by a rope. There was still a chance for him to escape. However, he could not leave Leah alone.

“Hey! Are you ignoring me? Shawn went up to Han and gave him a kick.

Han’s face darkened. He squeezed Shawn’s neck and berated, “You’re courting death and asking this for yourself.” Han’s voice so cold. Nonetheless, Shawn was not scared at all. He was even smiling.

“What are you laughing at?” Han frowned.

Shawn raised his hands above his head and pointed at his back. “Take a look.”

“Ah!” Leah was screaming.

When Han turned his head, he saw one of the strong men was pressing Leah under his body. All of a sudden, Han’s face darkened. He let go of Shawna and quickly ran over. He then gave a kick to the strong man.

Leah panicked. Her face turned pale, and she could not help trembling.

Seeing that, Han silently took off his coat and covered Leah’s body. He then stood in front of her as if to protect her. “What on earth do you want?” he asked Shawn.

However, Shawn smirked as if something interesting happened. In fact, he happy to Han panicked.

“Beg me!” Shawn looked at Han condescending. “If you beg me, I might let her go.”

Han thought Leah was scared. He held her hand back and comforted her, “Don’t worry. You will be fine.”

“I beg you, Shawn. Let her go.”

Hearing that, Shawn could not help but burst into laughter. ”What? Did I hear you wrong? Are you begging me just now? Is that how you beg me? Han, do you know you should kneel down before begging someone? Do you understand what I mean?”

“Kneel down?” Leah gasped. she could not help gritting her teeth and berated, “Shawn, don’t go too far.”

“Why don’t you ask him what he has done to me? He deserves it!” Shawn sneered.

“Okay, I’ll do as you said,” interrupted Han expressionlessly.

“What?” Leah could not believe it.

Thud!

The next second, a thump was heard in the quiet basement. Han knelt in front of Shawn.

”Shawn, get up.” Leah shouted anxiously.

Raising his head, Han asked, “Are you satisfied now?”

“Haha, Han, Do you know you look like a dog now?” Shawn laughed unscrupulously.

Chapter 164

Han was completely wet with tiny droplets of water slid down his forehead to the corner of his jaw. He knelt down and was half a person shorter in front of Shawn.

Han had to raise his head to look at Shawn. His jaw tightened, and it seemed that his temperament was colder than the temperature in the basement. Even if he was kneeling, he exuded a domineering aura as if the person kneeling at the moment was not him, but Shawn instead.

Shawn’s eyes darkened. He hated Han’s arrogance the most. Han always made everyone feel inferior. Shawn was the one who had the upper hand now, but why was Han still looking conceited? Thinking of that, a furious look appeared on Shawn’s face. He was so exasperated that he wanted to rip Han apart.

Suddenly, Shawn lifted his leg and gave Han a kick. Han was caught off guard and fell down. However, he quickly wiped the water on his face and looked up coldly.

Shawn gave Han a vicious smile. Seeing that, Leah could not help but think of him as a beast. An ominous premonition rose in her heart.

The next second, Shawn said, “Well, Han. You care about this woman, right? All right, if that’s the case, I’ll let you see how the woman that you loved getting tortured in front of you!”

Hearing that, Han struggled to get up. “How dare you!” he bawled.

However, Shawn kicked Han so hard that his leg was seriously injured. In addition, two strong men stepped forward and held Han tightly. It was impossible for Han to get up at all.

Seeing that, the expression on Leah’s face suddenly changed. The damp black dress stuck on her body, and one could roughly see her body curves. The strong men gasped and looked at Leah’s fair body with evil thoughts.

“Shawn, how dare you!” Leah bit her lip and glared at Shawn.

However, Shawn sneered, ”You deserve it. Who asks you to keep messing with my plans?”

As Leah stepped back, she put her hands on her chest. However, how could she fight against such strong men if they pounce on her together? Soon, one of the strong men came forward and grabbed her leg before pulling her forward.

Rip!

Leah’s dress was ripped apart. “Let me go!” Leah struggled.

Seeing that, Han’s eyes turned red. He struggled violently. Soon, his suit was torn apart too.

However, Han did not care at all. His eyes were fixed on Leah.

Caught off guard, the two strong men were pushed down by Han finally. Without delay, Han stepped forward and held Leah in his arms.

Shawn looked at them coldly, and his face gradually became ferocious. “TSK, TSK. You guys are really affectionate. Well Han, since you want to protect the woman with your life, I’ll fulfill your wish.”

Shawn then ordered the strong men, “Beat him to death first, and then we’ll deal with that woman later.”

As soon as Shawn finished speaking, the strong men’s faces turned hostile at once. They had borne their anger for a long time. They stepped forward and tried to separate Han and Leah forcibly. However, Han held Leah tightly in his arms.

Thud!

One of the strong men kicked Han in his chest. Han could not help and loosened his grip. However, he got up and hugged Leah tightly again the next second. One punch after another was hit on Han’s body. However, Han still held Leah tightly.

Leah raised her head. At that moment, Han was very close to her. It seemed that their lips were so near that they could kiss each other.

Han’s face was so pale. Not only that, there was blood on his forehead. In fact, Han was in great pain and had no choice but to close his eyes. Seeing him like that, Leah almost burst into tears.

“Let me go, Han!” Leah begged.

Han opened his eyes but his vision turned blurred.“No. I will never let you go.”

“You will die if you don’t let go of me!” Leah shook her head, crying.

Nonetheless, Han stared at her and said, “I… I’ll never let go of your hand again.”

Two years ago, Han let go of Leah’s hand on the edge of the cliff. Five years ago at the wedding, Han let go of Leah’s hand, and he never saw her again. It seemed that in Han’s memory, he had never held Leah’s hand tightly. This time, he won’t let go of her no matter what.

Tears welled up in Leah’s eyes.

Seeing her crying, Han frowned slightly. He raised his head and wiped her tears. “I’m sorry.”

Leah shook her head and sobbed. “No, you don’t have to apologize.”

Hearing that, Han sighed again. “I’m sorry. I always make you cry.”

“Don’t say that. You are Han Howard. How can you kneel down? How can you admit defeat? How can you apologize?” Leah exclaimed.

Confused, Han opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing that, Leah panicked. She looked up at Shawn and pleaded, “Ask them to stop now. I can give you anything you want. Please, tell them to stop!”

“Haha, Han, you are such a loser. You can’t even protect the woman you love!” Shawn sniggered.

Biting his lip, Han scowled. “I’ll kill you no matter what.”

Shawn was stunned hearing that. However, he still smiled contemptuously, “Let’s see if you can walk out of here alive.” However, as soon as he finished speaking, he heard footsteps outside the basement.

Shawn’s expression darkened. Someone was here.

“Mr. Ford, Ron brought his men here,” someone reported from outside the basement.

Hearing that, Shawn’s face turned gloomy. He stared at Han and Leah. He could not help gritting his teeth. After a long time, he said fiercely, “Kill him now and retreat as soon as possible.”

With that, Shawn left in a hurry, leaving the three strong men behind. The three strong guys knew Ron was not easy to handle. They could not let Ron knew they had kidnapped Leah.

Thinking of that, one of the strong men took out a dagger from his pocket and said, “Kill her to save our troubles!”

The other two nodded.

At that moment, Han had completely lost the ability to move.

One of the strong men pushed Han away and pointed the dagger at Leah. Leah raised her head and was stupefied.

Chapter 165

When the dagger was about to stab into Leah’s body, a black shadow suddenly appeared in front of her.

Leah’s hands and feet turned cold, and her mind went blank. She lost the ability to think. When she came back to her senses again, Han, stood in front of her.

Stab!

The dagger stabbed into Han’s back. Blood gushed out, staining Leah’s shirt.

“Han!” Leah shouted in a trembling voice. She then wrapped her arms around Han’s body.

In a daze, Han tried to open his eyes and looked at Leah’s face. “I’m in pain…” he gasped. Suddenly, he recalled the past when Leah was pushed into the pool and had a miscarriage.

Han wanted to raise his hand to wipe Leah’s tears. He did not want to see her cry. However, he felt sluggish as his hands gradually dropped to the side.

“Han, don’t sleep. I’ll take you out now!” Leah cried so hard that her voice became gruff. She stretched out her hand to cover Han’s wound and tried to help him up. However, she was too weak.

Leah could not lift Han up. She wrapped her arms around Han’s neck, and for the first time, she sobbed like a child.

”Help! Can anyone save him? He can’t die…” Leah screamed.

Seeing that, the three strong men were so scared that their faces turned pale. They knew they could not afford to mess with Han.

“What should we do now?”

“What else can we do? We can’t let Ron and his men catch us. Let’s run!”

The three men left in a hurry, leaving Leah behind.

With her forehead against Han’s shoulder, Leah cried out loud. In fact, she did not want to cry, but if Han died in order to save her, she would never forgive herself.

Right then, hurried footsteps came from outside the basement.

Ron came in and saw the blood all over the ground. Leah looked so disheveled with Han in her arms. He hurried over and shouted, “Leah! Are you okay?”

With tears all over her face, Leah raised her head and pleaded, “Ron, please save Han. Send him to the hospital now. He can’t die.”

Seeing the blood all over Han’s body, Ron frowned. “Don’t worry! I’ll send him to the hospital now!” Ron then ordered his men to send Han to the hospital at once.

Finally, Leah was relieved. However, as soon as Leah stood up, she felt dizzy. She blacked out and collapsed to the floor.

“Coff! Coff!” Leah was huffing as soon as she woke up. It seemed that she choked the minute she woke up and began to cough violently. She covered her chest and felt pain all over her body. Tears stained the corner of her eyes. She lay on the bed and looked at the white ceiling above her head for a long time before gradually came to her senses.

“Han!” Leah gasped and struggled to get up. She was in a ward and was hooked up to intravenous drips. It was very quiet in the ward. There were no nurses or doctors around, and she did not know where was Ron.

Leah unplugged the drips and got out of bed. The last thing she remembered was Ron taking Han out of the basement and she fainted. Han should be in the same hospital if her guess served her right.

When Leah walked out of the ward, she stopped a nurse in the corridor and asked, “Where is the patient who was sent in after being stabbed?”

“What?” The nurse glanced at her and looked confused. However, she thought for a moment and answered, “He is in ICU.”

Hearing that, Leah nodded and said, “Thank you.”

Leah then staggered to the door of the ICU ward. Right then, several doctors and nurses were standing at the door. She walked over and asked, “How is the condition of the patient who was stabbed by a dagger?”

The doctor glanced at her and asked, “Who are you?”

Leah’s face was pale. She thought for a while and replied, “I’m his friend.”

“Oh,” the doctor nodded and leafed through the medical record in his hand. “You mean the patient who was sent here three hours ago? His back was stabbed, and it happened to be near his heart.”

Hearing that, Leah felt her heart clenched. It took a long time for her to regain her voice. “How is he now…”

Before Leah finished speaking, the doctor interrupted her, “He is dead. Are you a patient here? You’re wearing a hospital gown. You don’t look well. You shouldn’t run around like this…” the doctor continued to chatter.

However, Leah did not hear a word from the doctor at all. Her mind turned blank. Her legs became weak and could not help sagging to the floor.

“Han’s dead?! How could he die? No, I don’t believe it!” Leah shook her head in disbelief. She raised her head and said, “I don’t believe it. Let me see him.”

The doctor glanced at her and thought she was insane.

“But you are not the patient’s family. You’re not allowed to see the deceased’s body! We have informed the family. Even if you want to see him, you have to wait for his family to be here first,” the doctor explained impatiently.

“I don’t believe he’s dead. You lied to me!” Leah exclaimed. Her eyes were red and swollen.

Leah stumbled to her feet and walked toward the ICU ward. “I want to see him. I don’t believe he’s dead. How can he die?”

Seeing Leah like that, the nurses looked at each other.

“What are you waiting for? Stop her!” The doctor ordered.

“Let go of me. Please let me see him. He can’t die. He is Han. How could he die? He said he wanted to make up for me. How could he die?” Leah yelled and wanted to rush inside the ICU. The nurses could not even stop her.

“Han, I know you’re still alive. Come out. I’d rather you keep torturing me!” Leah cried so hard that her voice became hoarse.

Right then, a hoarse voice was heard. “Leah, why are you here?”