Chapter 843

Patti Yale arrived soon after, but instead of meeting him, she sent Hawthorne a

location pin. She emphasized again and again that he had to come alone. Following the GPS, Hawthorne drove his car to the seaside.

Patti had strapped Gwyneth directly onto the hood of a car. Hawthorne saw her and started to move forward, but Patti stopped him.

"Don't make a move. Let me show you something, and you'll understand."

The car's trunk was open, revealing it was packed with explosives. Hawthorne immediately froze.

"Patti Yale, you lunatic! Let me go!"

Gwyneth had woken up to find herself in Patti's residence, her hands and feet bound. Now she was tied to a car by the sea, with no idea what Patti was planning.

Patti shot Gwyneth a glance filled with disgust. "Don't worry, I'll let you go soon. But not now. A rich princess like you, you know nothing of real hardship. Besides having everything handed to you, what else can you do? Wipe that look off your face. It annoys me. If you piss me off, I'll send your whole family of four to meet your maker today."

Patti couldn't stand the worried look on Hawthorne's face as he gazed at Gwyneth. She didn't love Hawthorne, but he had once been good to her, and she couldn't bear to see him be good to anyone else.

"You men are all the same, scumbags who fall for every new face and then abandon them. And now you're putting on a show of deep affection. Do you see this, Gwyneth? This is your husband. But did you know he used to be this gentle with me, too? Oh, I forgot, you already knew, you just silently endured it, turning a blind eye. Otherwise, why would you two have fought because of me?"

Patti laughed loudly, holding a bottle of red wine and taking swigs as she spoke.

Gwyneth tried to say something, but Hawthorne's calm, steady voice cut through from across the way.

"Gwyneth, don't talk to her anymore."

The woman was clearly drunk, stumbling as she walked, her demeanor wild and unstable. Hawthorne was terrified that in a fit of anger, she would light the fuse, and Gwyneth would be blown to smithereens along with the car.

Patti stared at Hawthorne. "What's wrong? Are you worried about her, or are you just scared?"

Gwyneth hadn't expected

Hawthorne to be there. She was both furious and frightened. "Hawthorne, what are you doing here? There's nothing lett between us. You're not the father of my children, and I'm going to divorce you. I don't want to see you. Please, get as far away from me as possible."

Gwyneth knew Patti had lost control. Back at the villa, she had been spouting all sorts of crazy talk, even trying to force Gwyneth to call Hawthorne. But Gwyneth had refused, forcing Patti to contact him herself.

At her words, Patti smashed the wine bottle next to the car. The shattering sound made Hawthorne's heart leap into his throat. Gwyneth flinched Patti glared at her, her eyes bloodshot. "What kind of act are you putting on? Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. You want him to leave, don't you? Well, I'm telling you, neither of you is leaving today."

"Don't do anything reckless," Hawthorne said. "We can talk this through. Let my wife

go, and you can do whatever you want to me."

For the first time after days of cold silence, Gwyneth's eyes welled up with tears. "Hawthorne, just go! I really don't want to see you. You never loved me. I don't know why you married me, and I don't want to know. Just leave."

She didn't want him to risk his life.

"Gwyneth, you already said you don't love me, so why do you care if I live or die?" Hawthorne said, his gaze fixed on Patti. "Patti Yale, if you just want @hostage, then I'll trade places with her. If you want revenge for how I treated you before, then take it out on me. Don't make things difficult for her."

Patti watched them protect each other, and her smile only grew more cruel. "How touching. A love story for the ages. Fine, Hawthorne. I have a rope here. You want to trade? Tie yourself up and walk into the sea. And you can't turn back until I say so."