Addiction to Temptation: His Mischievous Sweetheart Captivates Him-Chapter 181: A Life for a Life
Natalie Vaughn noticed the red threads in Zane Thorne’s eyes and also detected the oddity in his voice.
"Loving your work is good, but you should also take a proper rest."
No more drinking, no more smoking, no more staying up late in sadness, no more making yourself sick.
Zane Thorne’s gaze at Natalie Vaughn grew increasingly intense, once again expressing his longing.
"Baby, I miss you so much."
Natalie Vaughn froze for a moment, meeting Zane Thorne’s deep gaze, her heart searing, and she spoke even softer.
"When you come back, how about I give you a gift?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
Zane Thorne softened his voice as well.
"You?"
Natalie Vaughn quickly understood Zane Thorne’s meaning. She truly didn’t expect Zane Thorne to become this enlightened.
He could say such romantic words.
Natalie Vaughn tried hard to suppress her rising smile; at that moment, she really wished she could fly to Zane Thorne, hug him fiercely, and kiss him fervently.
They were like a couple just starting to date, chatting on video with endless words to say, never wanting to hang up.
Yet it was really too late, and Natalie Vaughn had to film early the next day. Without enough sleep, she couldn’t manage the wire work.
After finally persuading Natalie Vaughn to go to sleep, Zane Thorne let out a breath, leaned on the back of the sofa, and raised his hand to rub his temples.
He made a phone call.
"Investigate Vera Underwood’s situation over the past few years in detail, as detailed as possible."
Five years ago, after Vera Underwood heartlessly left Gideon Sheffield, Zane Thorne understood that Gideon Sheffield would always think about this woman. Over the years, he had asked people to check Vera Underwood’s movements, but not thoroughly enough.
Even knowing Vera Underwood’s tough situation, he felt it was entirely her consequence, with no desire to extend a helping hand.
After making the call, Zane Thorne went to Gideon Sheffield’s hospital room. The door was not fully closed, leaving a crack with the lights on inside.
The man pushed the door open and entered, only to find that Gideon Sheffield, who should have been eating inside the room, had disappeared, and the meals on the table remained untouched.
Zane Thorne frowned and pressed the nurse call button.
The window was wide open; Zane Thorne walked over and looked down, where two children were playing.
The nurse quickly arrived. Seeing Gideon Sheffield gone, she looked flustered and began searching frantically, with one of the responsible parties explaining nervously in front of Zane Thorne.
Zane Thorne didn’t listen to a word; he was thinking about where Gideon Sheffield might go. It only took him a minute to walk out of the room towards the elevator.
It was peak elevator time, so Zane Thorne didn’t wait, opting to take the stairs, taking three at a time, then four.
Reaching the top floor’s rooftop, seeing the open door, Zane Thorne’s expression turned grim, his face taut.
Gideon Sheffield was on the rooftop.
Zane Thorne couldn’t figure out how he got up there, but he saw Gideon Sheffield lying in the snow, next to an overturned wheelchair.
His boiling anger found no outlet upon seeing Gideon Sheffield struggling to sit up, only to fall again and again.
He stepped forward, squatted in front of Gideon Sheffield, silently trying to help him up, but Gideon Sheffield pushed him away.
Gideon Sheffield didn’t even glance at him, trying again and again to get up by himself and sit back in the wheelchair.
But the snow was too slippery, he simply couldn’t.
In the end, Gideon Sheffield screamed heart-wrenchingly, frantically pounding his amputation site.
"Why are you so unworthy?"
"Who’s going to take a liking to you in this pathetic state?"
"No wonder even your wife and child left you."
Gideon Sheffield’s movements were large, sending snow scattering onto Zane Thorne’s body and face. The man didn’t care, but his expression changed upon hearing the word ’child.’
Recalling the scene just now of the children playing, Zane Thorne thoroughly understood Gideon Sheffield’s Heart Demon.
He disregarded everything, regardless of how Gideon Sheffield’s struggle pained him, he directly picked up Gideon Sheffield and placed him back in the wheelchair, then pushed him to the edge of the rooftop.
The railing wasn’t high, sitting in the wheelchair, Gideon Sheffield wouldn’t have his view blocked.
"Thinking of dying?"
Gideon Sheffield spat at Zane Thorne.
The man looked coldly at Gideon Sheffield in the wheelchair, leaning against the railing.
"Died once five years ago, twice isn’t enough?"
Gideon Sheffield said nothing, just glared fiercely.
Zane Thorne spread his arms wide.
"You just need to push me back a step to take revenge, a life for a life."
This hospital’s tallest building had eight floors; falling from the rooftop, Zane Thorne would surely die.
The railing wasn’t high, with Zane Thorne spreading his arms, Gideon Sheffield only needed to give a strong push, and Zane Thorne would fall off.
Zane Thorne’s life was now in his hands.
Gideon Sheffield stared at Zane Thorne incredulously, panting, his chest heaving violently, looking at Zane Thorne like he was staring at a madman.
"Think I’m crazy?"
"Aren’t you too?"
"Having a life saved but not cherishing it, thinking about how to die every day, for five years."
"Do you hate me or yourself?"
"If you hate me, you’d want me to die, not think about how to kill yourself every day."
Not knowing which sentence triggered Gideon Sheffield, he suddenly raised his head and glared at Zane Thorne.
"Think I don’t dare?"
Zane Thorne lifted his arms a bit.
"Then push, just once, it’s simple."
Gideon Sheffield locked eyes on Zane Thorne’s eyes, realizing he wasn’t joking; he seriously put his life in his hands.
Gideon Sheffield’s head suddenly started to explode with pain.
Hate him or hate himself?
It was a question he’d thought about a long time ago.
It was because of self-hatred that he felt such pain, hating his own worthlessness, hating his own cowardice, trying to vent his internal pain by hating Zane Thorne.
If it weren’t for his vanity, why would he participate in that competition? It wasn’t Zane Thorne’s request; he was instigated.
Although he was as famous as Zane Thorne, everyone in the circle believed Zane Thorne to be superior. Hard work was nothing compared to natural talent; they chose the latter without hesitation.
Just being with Zane Thorne, his glow would be overshadowed.
He wanted to prove he wasn’t inferior to Zane Thorne, even wanted to prove he was stronger, which is why he entered that competition.
If he won that championship, would he gain their praise, would he be able to step on Zane Thorne?
That’s how he was instigated, blinded by desire.
He hated himself, felt inferior to Zane Thorne, resented himself for betraying his brotherly bond with Zane Thorne, hated himself for so many things.
His character was poor, so much so that even when Zane Thorne was so good, he was still jealous and shamelessly blamed Zane Thorne for the situation.
Clearly...
Back then, in Zane Thorne’s inevitable...
He was involved too...
Clearly, he brought this situation upon himself.
Yet he was unrepentant, even using this five years ago to destroy Zane Thorne’s hand.
His heart was already twisted, already perverse.
He didn’t dare let a psychologist treat him, afraid the truth would be revealed.
Zane Thorne, why does Heaven favor this man? Making him so dazzling, so unsurpassable.
Jealousy drove him mad.
As he kept his thoughts, Gideon Sheffield’s mind blurred again, watching Zane Thorne’s raised hands, the not-so-high railing, and those sinister thoughts rose again.
He suddenly reached out.
