Ch. 441..445: Begging For A Reconciliation Chapter 441-445

Chapter 441 Why Did You Betray Me

The sun was a little low in the sky.

Shawn had a very dark and gloomy expression on his face.

Leah was shocked to her core. It was only the second day. She had never thought he would appear in the open so soon.

"Sarah, why did you betray me?" he asked, expressionless. Then, with his eyes growing darker, he continued, "Why are you living with Han again?"

He honestly didn't want to accept that truth.

However, her every action proved to him that everything she'd said before was merely a ruse to manipulate him.

"As long as you tell me your hands were forced, I'll forgive you, and we'll go ahead with the wedding."

Now that things had come to this, there was no point in telling Leah how much he loved her. His only goal was to find some resolution—for the things he had always wanted but were always lost on him.

He approached Leah slowly, his eyes gradually becoming ablaze.

He didn't want her heart any longer. All he wanted was her body.

Leah became nervous as his oppression loomed, but she was also filled with long-simmering

resentment.

"You really don't know why?" she said solemnly, meeting his gaze.

"From the moment you attacked Serena to how you injured Lucy, kidnapped me forcibly, and placed me under house arrest in your home. You can't possibly believe that all of those deeds combined will result in love, can you?!"

Leah showed no restraint when it came to the people she cared about who had suffered because of her.

"You had dragged so many people in with your so-called plan, breaking the law in the process!" she continued.

"So you knew it from the start! Sarah, here I am, thinking that you're so easily duped, just like a little bunny. I can only blame myself for my carelessness. I never imagined you'd be as cunning as a fox!" Shawn said after pausing and breaking into a twisted smile.

It turned out that she had known about his plans from the beginning, which explained why she had avoided him the entire time.

He should have seen it the moment her attitude toward him abruptly changed.

It was his own arrogance that brought him and the Ford Group down.

"Shawn, you need to apologize to those you've hurt." Leah's imposing demeanor was unmatched by

his despite her slightly shorter stature.

Shawn shook his head, and his smile morphed into one with murderous intent. He scoffed, "Apologize? In my dictionary, the word 'apology' does not exist. I will make up for what I lost a hundredfold!"

"Sarah, you are the most disobedient of the bunch. Let us begin with you!"

Leah immediately fled after noticing something seemed a little off with him while secretly resenting herself for leaving the house.

She had been the one warning Sarah and the others against going out yesterday, yet it was she who had made the mistake.

Han would definitely mock her again if he found out.

Leah had little physical stamina. After only a few steps, Shawn caught up to her and grabbed her shoulders.

"I love you so much, Sarah, but you betrayed me. Aren't you going to make it up to me?" His voice was chilling—so much so that it hurt her bones.

Leah knew she couldn't outrun him, so she gave up on escaping.

She turned around and mockingly smiled at Shawn as she said, "You keep saying you love me, but if you really think about it, what you truly love is yourself and the Ford Group."

"From the beginning, you have frequently used me and put me in a bind by thrusting me up on the

Internet for marketing purposes, causing me to be insulted online time and time again. Would someone who truly loved me put me online to be publicly criticized?"

Leah was not stupid. She could still tell what love was and what wasn't.

Aside from the Ford family, he had also been very nice to her. So she couldn't help but feel bad when she had to play the role of an undercover by his side.

"Sarah, you are right. I'm feeling very rotten and unfair right now. I must snatch you back from Han!"

Shawn grabbed her hand and was about to drag her to his car.

Leah desperately tried to free herself while holding her phone in the other hand to call the police.

However, the moment she took out her phone, Anna, who had just turned up, snatched it away.

"Enough! Shawn, where are you taking her?! If you can't successfully take her away, the plan calls for you to kill her!"

Leah's brows knitted together, and she became increasingly uneasy.

Shawn, it turned out, had come here for her life this time!

Shawn still looked like he couldn't bear the thought of killing her. Despite this, he let her go because of Anna's words. "Go to a place where no one is and tie her up there," he said.

"We'll just wait until Han takes the bait."

Leah had been abducted and was being held in an abandoned aquarium tank. Anna turned on the valve, and icy cold water continuously filled the tank.

"Whether Han comes or not, you won't make it out alive."

Anna smiled maliciously. Before leaving, Anna directed her subordinates to keep the aquarium's perimeter secure.

Shawn also gave her one last long look. He said, "I'm sorry, Sarah. I will marry you if there is another life after this one."

"No, I won't be with you in the next life, either," Leah sneered.

She could never love someone who had repeatedly hurt her friends and family!

Shawn strode away with a tense expression as a cold light flashed across his eyes.

Don't blame him, Sarah. He only wants to take back the Ford Group and crush Han.

He would do everything in his power to keep her from getting hurt this time while dealing with Han.

The aquarium fell silent after they had all left.

Leah was in a water tank, and the only sound was the sound of continuous water flowing into the tank and bringing with it bursts of icy mist.

Leah was feeling conflicted.

She didn't expect Han to come and save her. After all, all of his plans had now come to fruition.

Everything that was lost, as he said, was taken back one by one, with the Howard Group being reclaimed and the Ford Group being annexed.

He was in the spotlight now, so how could he be willing to take risks for someone as insignificant as herself?

She had been foolish enough to let herself be captured by Shawn and the others at such a critical juncture.

The water in the tank had reached her waist after twenty minutes, and the freezing temperature made her shiver.

She was gradually freezing out in the cold on this winter day. She was feeling very lightheaded as well.

Her mind kept replaying scenes from her time with Carlotta and Han.

She had been really happy the day they had gone to the amusement park together.

There were loud fighting sounds outside the aquarium just as she was losing consciousness.

The aquarium's door was soon pushed open forcefully.

As the bright light outside illuminated the dim aquarium, a tall, slender figure entered with the light

shining on his back.

Leah could barely make out the pair of eyes, which were cold and filled with murderous intent. Her heart began to pound violently.

Han actually showed up.

"Leah, you really didn't let me down. You're such a moron."

Han's face was ominous and menacing as he pulled her from the chilly water.

Leah didn't argue with him and sank weakly into his strong arms.

"What about you? Why did you come to my rescue... I'm already a worthless pawn..." Her voice was hoarse and weak.

Han's grip on her tightened abruptly, and he walked out with a sullen face, saying, "Think for yourself!"

Chapter 442 No Longer Return to the Past

Leah did not understand. She buried her doubts deep inside her. She thought it would not be for love. After how she ruined him, there was no way he still loved her.

As Han said previously, it was just for revenge.

After being soaked in the freezing water, she finally got a fever when she was brought back to Villa Victoria.

Han called a private doctor to give her an IV drip. Serena saw how gloomy Han was and quickly approached him to tell him she would take care of her, “Mr. Howard, thank you for bringing Sarah back. Just leave the rest to me…”

“Get out.”

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Han. Serena was shocked. It took her a while to realize she was being chased away.

Serena looked at Leah on the bed worriedly, “Sarah still needs someone to take care of her at night…”

Since Han rescued her from Shawn, he couldn’t leave her here when she was having a fever. “I will stay here.” Han approached Leah’s bed and put his hand on Leah’s burning forehead.

Han was really worried about Leah since she defied him when he asked her to stay at home.

When Serena saw how gentle Han was, she was stunned by what was happening.

When they met him as Hendrik, she realized how much he liked Leah. Now that the fake identity had been exposed, he just decided not to pretend anymore.

Serena quickly went out and left both of them inside. She was happy to see both of them still love each other after so many years. She only hoped they could be more honest with each other, so she no longer had to be worried for them.

Leah woke up in the afternoon the next day and locked eyes with Han.

She sat up immediately and asked, “You… What do you want?”

Han sneered, “Is that what I get for taking care of you the whole night?” Han was annoyed at how he was treated.

Leah was stunned, “You have been taking care of me the whole night?”

Leah wondered why Han would take care of her. She had forgotten everything that happened after he rescued her. Besides, Serena was there. She should be the one who should take care of her instead.

Han ignored her. He was going to leave and said, “Now that you’re fine, come and eat.”

Leah’s heart was beating faster and faster. She jumped out of bed quickly. There was one thing she needed to be sure of.

“Do you like me?” She tugged on Han’s sleeves and stared at him.

She could not get along with Han with her complicated feelings anymore. Even if he hated her, she needed to know. However, Han’s actions did not feel like he hated her.

Han was shocked. He turned around and said to Leah, “Say it again.”

Leah was very nervous. However, she still looked into Han’s eyes and asked him seriously, “Do you like me?”

Compared to her calm appearance, her palms were sweaty. She did not know how to describe her emotions then. She was nervous and afraid, yet she was expecting something.

Han’s pause felt like a decade.

“That’s right.” When Han admitted his feelings for her, Leah felt it was surreal. She was stunned and speechless. All she could hear was her own heartbeat.

“Why? Is it surprising for you?” Han teased, “Do you think you can fool around for so long if I don’t like you?”

Leah had always been doing foolish things. Without Han protecting her from the shadows, she would have already been dead.

This time, Leah realized the truth. Han finally admitted that he liked her.

Her blood was boiling, and her head was spinning. However, she remained silent.

It was a result that was surprising yet within expectations.

“Didn’t you say it was to take revenge on me for making you lose everything?” Leah’s gaze shifted as he said that.

Han found what she said funny, “Do you believe everything I say? I used to beg you to live with me. I told you so many things sincerely, yet you chose to ignore them all. Instead, you remember every word I said about hating you.”

Leah felt upset. She had complicated emotions. How she treated him was due to wanting to get revenge for how he tortured her during their marriage.

However, the proud man no longer had anything left because of her. Even so, Leah wondered if he would still love her.

When she heard him admit it in person, she did not feel as happy as she imagined she would be. Instead, she felt like crying.

In Leah’s opinion, Han was a cold man. She wondered if he would really love someone that much.

After seeing Leah saying nothing for some time, Han lifted Leah’s chin and forced her to look directly at him.

“You are not as foolish as I thought. I thought you won’t notice it forever.” Han was talking about Leah asking him whether he liked her.

“Now that you know about my feelings, what do you plan to do?” Han broke the silence once again.

The choice was Leah’s. She looked at him for some time before pushing away his hand that was grasping her chin, “We are living our own separate lives now. Let’s keep it that way.”

“I will return the 70 million dollars to you as soon as possible.”

She did like him but that’s all. She never thought about having a future with him.

Leah also felt guilty about how she made him suffer right now. She was sure Han would not be able to love her unconditionally. Many things had happened and they could no longer return to how they were before when they first met each other…

Chapter 443 Her Decision

Leah had made her decision. A decision that made Han angry. He raised his arm and pinched Leah’s cheeks, “Leah! I’m giving you another chance to answer again!”

He admitted his own feelings honestly, but they got crushed once again. The anger resting within his heart swallowed his rationale.

Leah was scared after seeing him acting that way, but she still answered seriously, “I said we should keep our relationship as it is. We will be friends.”

In the future, she would also suppress her love for him. They had been hurting each other from the start and were not suitable for each other.

Leah still had a long future ahead of her. She did not want her life to be filled with pain, so she decided not to begin a relationship.

She paused and added, “I hope you can find someone better…”

Han could not stay calm. Before she could finish, he pressed his lips against hers with rage. Soon, Leah’s lip was bleeding. Leah felt uncomfortable and struggled to escape from Han, but she was pinned down on the bed instead.

“Listen to me…” Leah wanted to stop Han when she got a chance to breathe. However, her lips were sealed again. She could only accept his ferocious kiss as her consciousness slowly seeped away.

Suddenly, the door opened. Carlotta saw what was happening and blushed. She covered her eyes and

said, “Mommy. Daddy. It’s afternoon. Please get a room! You can’t fill your stomach by kissing. Come down and eat.” She ran away after saying that.

Han let go of Leah. He wiped away the blood on her lip with his fingers and said, “Leah, I did not plan to let you go this time whether you like it or not.”

Leah finally breathed a sigh of relief after Han left. She fell on her bed and recalled what Han just said. She wondered if he was being serious.

In the dining room, Carlotta and Serena were watching Han and Leah closely.

Carlotta could not hold it in anymore and said, “Daddy. Mommy. I don’t think both of you are officially married! Since you love each other so much, go and sort out the paperwork and let’s become a real family.”

Leah never thought it would be her own daughter to rush her into marriage. She was speechless.

Before she could say anything, Han’s cold voice interrupted her, “She still has other men in her heart. She wanted to find another father for you.”

He was not supposed to care, but what he said would make people angry.

Ben, who was waiting to take him to work, was surprised by his childish comment too. He thought Han did not feel like himself after one night.

Leah also choked because of what he said. She suddenly regretted asking that question. This would

not have happened, if she did not try to find out the truth.

“Even a toddler doesn’t choke.” Han gave Leah a glass of warm water, and she quickly drank it.

Carlotta was relieved to see that Leah was fine. Then, she turned to look at Han again, “Daddy, stop using me. Mommy won’t be happy. Besides, I’m no longer a toddler.”

Serena also realized there was something different between Leah and Han, so she asked seriously, “So, what happened between you two?”

After remembering how vicious Han was, Leah chose not to speak this time. Han also stayed silent.

It was an awkward atmosphere. Serena shook her head helplessly and started to talk about business with Leah.

“Sarah, Ms. Victor called me last night. She said she would be in Linkville in two days. She wanted to talk to you about sharing an office. She asked me to remind you to keep the next few days free.”

Leah panicked when she remembered how many design drafts she owed Susan, “Tell her that I’m always free for her.”

She was no longer managing things at White Group, and she had settled the issue with Shawn anyway. All she needed to do was focus on designing.

Serena said, “Fine. I’ll inform the staff to take a few days of paid leave. When the Dream Designs moved to a new office, I’ll inform them to start work again.”

Then, Han interrupted and said no.

Leah and Serena were both confused. They wondered if he was stopping them from moving to a new office.

Before Serena wanted to accuse Han of being domineering, Han said, “You can’t share an office with Susan.”

Leah was confused and asked, “Why?”

She had never heard of any feuds between Han or Hendrick with the HJ Corporation.

Han had a gloomy look and said in a cold voice, “No reason is needed. I dare you to ignore my warning.”

Leah was angry, but she could only agree to it. She knew she should not enrage Han who was already angry. If she wanted to stay in the city without any troubles, she should not offend Han. Leah had succumbed to the power of capitalism.

Serena also said helplessly, “I’ll find another place then. I have a few backups anyway.”

After Leah agreed, Han was in a better mood, “I have a vacant unit in the city center. I can lend it to you temporarily.”

Before Leah could reject, Serena smiled happily and thanked Han for his offer.

Then, Leah had no choice but to thank him as well, “Thank you. How much is the rent every year?”

Han looked at her and said, “You owed me a lot of money, I don’t really care about this.”

Leah was speechless. Since he said that, it would be too much to reject him.

After lunch, Leah received a call from Susan. She said she would be arriving the next day and asked Leah to pick her up at the airport. They would then have a meal together.

After that, they chatted before ending the call.

Then, Han approached her again and warned her, “You better not meet Susan alone in private.”

Leah was nervous when she saw Han’s face, “What’s wrong with her?”

Chapter 444 She Likes Women

In a silent yet luxurious room, Leah was wondering what had happened between Susan and Han.

“If you don’t want to be hurt, you better stay away from her,” Han warned her again.

Leah did not really care whether she could share the office with Susan since it was given to her by Han. However, she must have a meal with Susan tomorrow.

The next day, Leah went to the airport to pick up Susan. They went to a high-class steakhouse for lunch.

“Ms. Victor, it’s been a long time.” Leah took a sip of wine from the glass given to her by Susan. She was not sure if it was an imagination, but the way Susan looked at her was peculiar. It was different from when she was in Qustraebar.

Susan brushed her hair on her forehead and said, “Ms. White, you have become prettier. Ever since we worked together, I have been very impressed by your skills. I have been wanting to meet you again. Now that I’m finally here, we can meet more often.

Susan’s appearance and short hair made her look like a man.

“Your hair is shorter as well.” Leah blushed from her praise. She was glad to meet someone that appreciated her. Susan was one of her few female friends apart from Serena.

When Susan saw how Leah was blushing, she finished her glass of wine and asked, “Can I call you Sarah in the future?”

Leah did not find it strange and nodded with a smile, “Of course.”

Susan looked at her smile as she was gripping her wine glass tightly as if she was suppressing some kind of urge.

“Sarah, what are you doing after this? Should we go visit the office?”

Leah finally remembered that she was not going to share the office with Susan. She quickly apologized and explained herself, “I’m sorry, Ms. Victor. I found another suitable office building, so I won’t be sharing a building with you.”

There was a hint of disappointment in Susan’s eyes as she said, “It’s all right. We will be in the same city anyway. We can always meet for lunch.”

“Sure.” Leah was touched by how gentle and magnanimous Susan was. She felt very lucky to have met a friend like her.

After the meal, Leah wanted to show Susan around.

“Ms. Victor, this city has beautiful scenery. It has a stunning sunset as well. When you are free, let me show you around…”

While she was introducing the city to Susan, she did not realize the steps in front of her and fell.

“Look out!” Susan caught her quickly and held her in her arms.

Leah was still in shock after realizing a sharp corner that was waiting for her had Susan not caught her. It was all thanks to Susan. Otherwise, she figured she would have to spend more days in the hospital once again.

“You looked smart, but you are actually clumsy.” Susan touched Leah’s nose but did not let her go.

Leah felt something was wrong, but she was not sure what it was. She escaped Susan’s embrace and said, “Yes. I was careless just now.”

Before she could finish, her face was kissed by Susan. She was stuttering, “Ms. Victor… What are you doing…”

She finally knew what was wrong. Susan was looking at her in a similar way to Han. It was possessive and domineering. Suddenly, Leah had a guess. Perhaps Susan was…

“Leah!” As she was deep in thought, a voice called out to her. She felt guilty when she saw Han appearing in front of her. She was praying for Han to not see what Susan did just now.

“What is it?” Susan pretended to be calm.

Han grinned as he approached Leah. Then, he viciously shook Susan’s hand away that was holding Leah’s waist.

“Ms. Victor, I advise you to stay away from this woman.”

Susan was upset when she saw Han, “Mr. Howard, I’m just trying to be friends with her. You are too controlling as her ex-husband.”

Susan seemed to know a lot about them. The term “ex-husband” hurt Han.

“It seems like you are determined to stay by this woman’s side.”

Leah frowned when she saw Han getting angry, “I’m just making a new friend. I’m sure it’s fine. Are you going to restrict my social interactions as well so I can become your caged bird?”

Leah’s cold voice calmed Han’s annoyance. Leah thought Han would get angry and drag her away as usual, but he was very gentle this time. He looked at her and said, “We’ll talk when we get back. Let’s go.”

Leah did not plan to anger him anymore since he was in a good mood. She said to Susan, “Ms. Victor, let’s meet again.”

Susan glared at Han before smiling gently toward Leah and said, “Sure. Let’s go to a place where we won’t be disturbed by people like him.” Then, she left.

Han said, “What a joke.”

Back at home, Leah asked, “What happened between you two?”

As she recalled, this was their first time meeting each other. Why would they argue with each other?

“There was no feud between us.” Han stood in front of Leah. He was towering over her.

Cold winds were blowing, and Leah rubbed her hands together. Han covered her ice-cold hands with his large and warm hands and said, “Because she likes women.”

“I see… What?” Leah was stunned. She wondered if Han really told her that Susan liked women.

Chapter 445 Making Him Angry

Leah’s heart felt warm from having her hands held by Han. She was still stunned from hearing Han say that Susan was interested in women.

Han hugged her and said, “That was why I told you to stay away from her.”

“Not only does she like women, but she is also very possessive. She will do anything to get someone she’s interested in.” Han regretted giving them a chance to meet back in Qustraebar.

Leah’s tiredness was cleared by Han’s embrace, but she found what Han said funny since there was no one more possessive than him.

“I understand. I will keep my distance from her in the future,” Leah nodded.

If Susan was interested in women, Leah could no longer treat her as a normal friend since a small action would cause a misunderstanding and create unnecessary trouble.

Seeing how obedient Leah was, Han smiled and said, “What do you want for dinner?”

It was a normal question, but it shocked Leah.

“Anything will do.”

All his actions made her want to spend the rest of her life with him, but they have been hurting each other for so many years. Leah could not see any hope in their future. She could only see the love that

was mixed with pain and sadness. She figured she should just leave this relationship slowly.

Han realized her emotion shift. He said, “Go and rest upstairs. Carlotta said she wanted to eat ribs. I’ll make that for her.”

Han walked into the kitchen and started cooking. Leah was surprised and touched to see Han do all that. She was wondering if it was all a dream.

Then, her phone rang. It was Susan. Leah quickly answered the call, “Ms. Victor, what is it?”

She thought there was something wrong with her design. However, Susan only laughed and said, “Han must have told you about my sexual orientation.”

“Yes…”

“I want to apologize for kissing your cheeks at the restaurant today. I couldn’t hold back because you were too cute!”

Kissing her cheeks was nothing to Leah since Serena usually does that.

“It’s all right.”

Susan was relieved to see that Leah was not angry. They spoke for a while before she ended the call.

Coincidentally, Serena returned to Villa Victoria as well. She heard their conversation and was very unhappy, “Sarah! You were seduced by another woman when I left you alone for one day! I wanted to

tell you that I’m going back home tomorrow since things have settled down and Shawn and Anna aren’t planning anything else, but I have changed my mind! I’m going to stay here!

Leah quickly explained, “That was an accident. I almost fell, and she held me…”

“I don’t care! If another woman has it, I want it too! You will always be my first wife!” Before Leah could finish, Serena held her face and started kissing her cheeks.

Carlotta, who just came in with the butler, saw the scene and was shocked, “Aunt Serena, control yourself. Don’t be such a pervert. Everyone is here! It’s bad if Daddy sees this! He gets jealous easily…”

Carlotta stopped talking when she looked towards the kitchen and saw Han who was coming out. She said nervously, “Aunt Serena, run away! Daddy is jealous now!”

Leah did not know what to say. She was quite impressed with Carlotta’s imagination sometimes. She figured Han was not jealous. Instead, he did not like it when someone was showing interest in things or people that belonged to him.

“Serena, come and eat dinner.” Leah pulled Serena over and wanted to take her to the dining table, but Serena dared not move.

“No, thanks. I’m full. Eat without me.” Said Serena. Only a person with a death wish would share a meal cooked by Han. It was a meal made for Sarah only.

Leah knew what Serena was thinking. She brought her to the dining table and asked Han, “Can Serena join us?”

Ben was impressed with Leah’s move. She only asked Han when both of them were already sat down at the dining table. Since Han was pursuing Leah, he could not refuse.

As expected, Han glanced at Serena and agreed.

Serena was amazed by how Leah got Han to compromise in a calm manner.

Before Serena wanted to eat, she heard Han say in his cold voice, “If you dare kiss her again, you’ll have to bear the consequences.”

Serena stayed silent.

Leah was speechless. She did not expect Han to care about her female friends getting overly intimate with her.

Before she could say anything, Han said to him, “Leah, are you trying to make me angry purposely? You finally got rid of all your pursuers, but you have a woman chasing after you now.”

Leah was dumbfounded, “No way! Susan did not say she likes me…”

Meanwhile, in the Fetriybia Palace.

“From now on, you are no longer Shawn. You will be Prince Ricardo of Zardova.”Owen gave Shawn a document.

Shawn accepted the document and nodded with a smile, “Yes, Mr. Lancaster.”

Owen reminded him, “I’m giving you an opportunity right now. There’s a price to pay for becoming the prince. You must marry Anna and ally with our country to strengthen Fetriybia…”