Winning Her Heart Back

 Do You Hate Me That Much?

William reached out and took Emelie's hand.

Jodie immediately stepped forward, ready to object, but Emelie didn't pull away. After a moment of hesitation, Jodie quietly stepped back behind Emelie.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

William started to undo the Velcro on Emelie's glove. Since she arrived in Capebatt City, Emelie had always worn gloves in public. Because it was winter now, no one questioned it.

Only William was concerned. He had wanted to take off her gloves multiple times and find out what happened to her hand. Now, he was carefully removing the glove, finally revealing the truth.

Her skin was as white as snow, and her hands were delicate. Her nails were neatly trimmed and painted with a natural pink.

If it weren't for the scar on her ring finger, her hands could rival those of the hand models in jewelry stores.

William frowned as he gently touched Emelie's ring finger. The scar was jagged, a sign of stitches. He had suspected this, but even now, he found it hard to believe. He swallowed, his heart aching.

Emelie said slowly, "I manage the Filo Group's jewelry line, and the jewelry designers explained the design principles of Eros to me.

"They claim that it's impossible to remove the ring alive because of its special design. Once it's on, it gets trapped by the finger joints and can only be removed after death when the body decomposes."

She continued, "In other words, as long as the ring doesn't have to pass through the finger joints, you can remove it while alive."

William said softly, "It's not possible to remove it without passing through the joints."

Emelie smirked. "You don't need to go through the joints if you cut off the finger and remove it."

William felt his heart squeeze. He had considered this possibility but couldn't believe it was the actual method she had used.

He was holding her hand, so Emelie could feel him trembling slightly. She felt a strange sense of vindictive satisfaction.

She teased him, "Don't worry, I had surgery to reattach it before the nerves died. It's fully functional now, though it hurts a bit when the weather changes. Though I would rather go through the pain than wear that ring for life."

William lowered his head and rested his forehead on the back of her hand. After a long while, he finally managed to force out the words, "Do you really hate me that much?"

Emelie replied, "Of course."

It was as if a sledgehammer had struck William. Strength drained from his body, and his usually upright shoulders slumped.

The night was cold. In the silent room, only the word "angel" said with pain and in a hoarse voice could be heard. Unfortunately, there was no response.

Long after William had left, Emelie was still lying on the living room sofa and staring blankly at the ceiling. She seemed to be in a daze, or perhaps she was just thinking.

Jodie warmed up a cup of milk for her. When she noticed her darkened expression, Jodie couldn't help but ask, "Ma'am, are you okay?"

Emelie sat up and smiled slightly. "I'm fine."

She picked up the glass of milk and took a sip. Some honey had been added into the milk, making it sweet. She didn't like sweets, but she drank it anyway.

Jodie said, "I understand what you told me in the forest, but I still think that you should teach him a lesson. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have those two scars."

One scar was on her chest while the other one was on her finger. Both of them were because of William.

Emelie remained silent, her gaze appearing hazy behind the steam coming from the milk. Jodie continued, "You also suffered from such severe mental..."

"Jodie," Emelie interrupted her as she put down her glass of milk. She had calmed down now.

Emelie continued, "The encryption key is already with Charles. Follow the instructions I gave you. He has a choice to make, the consequences of which he has to bear. We just need to wait and see."

Jodie moved her lips, wanting to say something. In the end, she just acknowledged Emelie's orders. "Yes."

"You may rest." Emelie picked up the ring box from the table, went into the bedroom, and placed it on the dressing table.

While she undressed for a bath, she glanced at the ring. It sparkled under the light. There were still traces of blood on the main stone and the band of the ring that she had deliberately left there.

After she "removed" the Eros ring, she had a replica made by a craftsman. Ashlyn had worn the replica on her wedding day. If she had worn the real one, removing it later would have been just as difficult for her.

Emelie looked away. She tossed her clothes onto the sofa and turned to enter the bathroom.