“I need water.”
“Endure it!”
“If I had died of thirst, I wouldn’t have been able to witness your sister’s wedding.”
Johnny impatiently stared at her, then reluctantly picked up the bottle of mineral water from the ground and slowly fed it to Josie. “Didn’t get enough rainwater last night, did you?”
After finishing her drink, Josie finally felt a bit more at ease. She looked at Johnny and suddenly burst into genuine laughter.
Confused by her laughter, Johnny exclaimed, “What are you laughing at?”
Josie was delighted. “You’re so young. Why do you always pretend to be fierce and intimidating? You can’t even pull it off convincingly.”
At first glance, Johnny appeared to be someone who had experienced the hardships of life at a young age. His face bore the marks of struggle, yet it was clear that he was not particularly old.
After being teased, he gave a forceful kick, sending the stool flying. “Stop trying to get close to me,” he barked, “It’s none of your damn business!”
“In a hurry, aren’t you?” Josie pursued, “You haven’t done anything life-threatening before, have you? Just by looking at your knife, which doesn’t even have a sharpened edge, I can tell it’s only for show.”
Johnny was once again the target of mockery, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face. “If you’re looking for trouble, I can draw my blade right now!” he threatened.
“Are you Heather’s university classmate?” Josie looked at him, analyzing, “But it doesn’t seem like it. You don’t appear to have received higher education.”
“You really have the nerve to say that. Don’t you value your life?” Johnny was furious, gripping her throat tightly.
“She must be someone you met off-campus, right? She must have done something significant for you, a huge favor, that would make you go to such lengths for her, correct?” Josie couldn’t stop herself. A picture was already forming in her mind.
She wasn’t sure if her guess was correct, but Johnny’s gaze held a certain complexity. His grip tightened as he retorted, “What’s it to you?”
“You hold my life in your hands. How could it not matter?”
This sentence served as a reminder to Johnny.
Heather had instructed him that she must not die.
He abruptly let go. Josie coughed a few times and said, “You never thought Heather would have the status she has now, did you? I guess she must have been quite timid and very kind. Did you ever imagine she would turn out like this, wishing she could kill me?”
Johnny’s face bore a menacing glare as he stared at her fiercely. “It was you who first took everything from her. You deserve to die!”
Josie flashed a smile.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Did she promise you that even if you killed me, she would find a way to ensure your safe escape? You knew this place wouldn’t be discovered by anyone, so you trusted her even more, didn’t you?”
Josie understood clearly. “I urge you to think this through carefully. This is murder we’re talking about. If you truly get your hands dirty, your life will be over. Why go to such lengths for the sake of one person?”
“Shut the hell up, and don’t pretend to know me so well!” Johnny stuffed a piece of cloth into Josie’s mouth, silencing her. Then he said, “I’ve seen plenty of people like you, all fake righteousness and hypocrisy.”
He’s quite loyal.
On the surface, Josie appeared calm, but in reality, she was quite frantic and worried.
She was completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world. The only thing she could be certain of was that she was at Olsen Residence.
As night fell, the cold returned once more, leaving the surroundings devoid of any light. Josie’s stomach growled with hunger. She overheard a few lackeys whispering amongst themselves, “Boss, we haven’t eaten yet. We’re starving.”
“Shut up! It will be delivered.”
Just as he had said, it wasn’t long before Heather appeared, flashlight in hand. She was also carrying a large bag of packed food, which she handed to Johnny, saying, “You’ve worked hard. How is she?”
“Her fever has subsided. She was talking too much, so I told her to be quiet.”
Heather revealed a playful smirk. She walked. up to Josie, removing the cloth from her mouth. “It seems you’re quite defiant.”
