Chapter 48: Belinda's trap
2685words
On the other hand, Ramona has just finished dropping Esther off at school. Driving his own car, he followed the address given by Belinda. However, there was something that felt awkward from the start. Why did Belinda choose a place like this to meet? Ramona thought. Not in a fancy café, not in his magnificent mansion, but in an old warehouse in a former fire area. His instinct said something was wrong, but he decided to come anyway. After all this is done, he plans to meet Rafle who has just arrived from Los Angeles.
Ramona's car stopped in front of the warehouse. He stepped down with a confident step, wearing a white shirt and black trousers that made him look elegant despite the shabby and creepy atmosphere around him. When approaching Belinda, Ramona had time to catch a faint smile full of meaning from the woman. But before he could say anything, several large, cold-faced men appeared from various directions, surrounding him. His heart was shaking. It's a trap! he thought.
Ramona looked at Belinda sharply. "You framed me?" he asked in a cold tone, without any attempt to hide disrespect.
Belinda gave a faint smile, her eyes full of pride. "Hunter is only for Laura, not for you. I've warned you many times, but you never listened. So, I was forced to use this method. I won't let you destroy my son."
With a hand gesture, Belinda ordered her bodyguards to arrest Ramona. However, Ramona did not rebel. Instead, he looked at Belinda with a small smile full of sarcasm. "You'll regret doing this to me," he said quietly. "You think this will make me give up? Not. In fact, this will only make Hunter love me even more. You know that, right? You're only making the situation worse."
Belinda fell silent, her expression turning cold. But before she could reply, Ramona added in a calm but emphatic tone, "If only you had listened to my words first to free me from your son's bondage, maybe things wouldn't have been this complicated. But now? Hunter can't live without me."
The words made Belinda's blood boil. Quickly, he raised his hand and slapped Ramona in the face. The slap was hard, but Ramona remained upright. Instead of being angry, he just smiled obliquely, a smile that made Belinda even more angry.
"We'll see after this," Belinda said in a cold tone. "I'll make sure you never get to see my son again."
Ramona just chuckled softly. "I really can't wait to see you destroyed by your own son's hands."
Belinda squinted her eyes sharply, ignoring Ramona's provocation. He immediately picked up the phone and spoke to someone at the other end. "I've brought him to your place. Do what you have to do."
Without another word, Belinda ended the call and turned away, leaving her men to carry Ramona with her. Belinda didn't want to get involved further. For him, this is no longer his business. All she wants is the end result: Ramona disappearing from her son's life.
In a dark, gloomy room, Ramona sat tightly tied to an old chair. His hands and feet were shackled with thick ropes, making him unable to move. The humid air and the smell of burning wood enveloped the place. At first glance, the sound of high heels echoed, until Jeseline and Laura finally appeared. Their faces looked full of hatred and arrogance.
Ramona looked at the two casually, even though the situation was far from safe. He already knew this was a trap and had even heard Jeseline's name before from Hunter. Now, Laura's presence beside Jeseline only makes her even more convinced that this is not an ordinary meeting, but rather an angry confrontation.
Laura approached, observing Ramona's face with a contemptuous look. "So this is a lowly servant who managed to seduce Hunter? Not bad either," said Laura in a sarcastic tone, then chuckled while combing her neat hair. However, Ramona remained calm, only smiling obliviously, an attitude that made Laura even more furious.
Jeseline immediately approached Ramona without further ado, and slapped her hard in the face. The slap repeatedly hit Ramona's cheek until it turned red and the corners of her lips began to hurt. "How dare you flirt with Hunter!" yelled Jeseline emotionally. Meanwhile, Laura gripped Ramona's jaw tightly, then threw her face roughly to the side.
Laura took out a small knife from behind her dress and played it with her hand. "How about we ruin this beautiful face first?" he said in a cold tone. Jeseline chuckled, agreeing. "Yes, that's a good idea. Let's make sure he never teases Hunter again," Jeseline replied cruelly.
However, Ramona instead chuckled, making Laura and Jeseline look at each other in confusion. "What are you laughing at, huh?" snapped Laura, bringing her face closer to Ramona.
Ramona let out a slow breath and looked at the two of them sharply. "You guys can kill me, but that won't change the fact that Hunter will never choose you. She's already blinded by my love," Ramona teased in a confident tone. "Even if I die, the two of you will only be meaningless shadows in his life."
Ramona's words provoked Jeseline's anger. Full of emotion, Jeseline thrust the small knife into Ramona's stomach. The knife pierced Ramona's skin, making fresh blood flow instantly. Jeseline pulled her knife out roughly, laughing contentedly. Laura smiled widely, as if enjoying Ramona's suffering.
However, even though the blood continued to flow, Ramona was still smiling obliviously. "You guys are really funny. Killing me won't get you Hunters. So, who will have it after I die? You, Jeseline? Or you, Laura?" asked Ramona in a mocking tone, making Jeseline even angrier.
Jeseline raised her knife again, intending to stab Ramona in the chest, but suddenly the sound of gunfire broke the tension. Jeseline screamed in pain as her hand was shot. The small knife fell to the floor.
Hunter appeared with a face full of anger, his gun still aimed at Laura and Jeseline. "Bring them!" he shouted to his bodyguards. Quickly, the guards arrested Jeseline and Laura. Hunter then unties Ramona's hands and feet, finding fresh blood flowing from her stomach.
Hunter swore softly, his face full of worry. "Damn!" he muttered, then lifted Ramona's body into his arms. Despite almost losing consciousness, Ramona can still see Hunter's tense face. She couldn't believe that this man could be so cruel to Laura and Jeseline.
Hunter runs out, leading Ramona to his car. "Let's go to the hospital now!" he ordered in a stern tone, while the two women who attacked him were now lying helpless under the close watch of his bodyguards.
***
Hunter was seen pacing in front of the operating room, his footsteps fast and full of anxiety, making Jess, Liam, and Snowi glance at each other with desperate expressions. They each held their heads, trying to stay sane amidst Hunter's behavior that was like a joke going back and forth endlessly.
"Can you stop pacing and sit quietly? My head is really dizzy looking at those feet of yours," Liam muttered in an annoyed tone, while sighing deeply.
Hunter just snorted, glancing from behind the glass of the operating room while tickling. "Then just throw your head away if you're dizzy," he replied sharply, without slowing down the rhythm of his steps in the slightest.
Liam let out a long sigh, looking at Hunter with a half-frustrated look. "As long as we've been together, I've never seen you so panicked. Even when I was hurt, you were never like a demonic madman. Are you still my friend?" teased Liam with a small smile, trying to melt the atmosphere.
Jess just shrugged her shoulders with a faint smile, enjoying Liam's jokes even though Hunter didn't respond.
However, Snowi tilted her head, looking at Hunter with a questioning look. "Laura, who you used to adore as your future wife, turns out to be evil too, huh? You even reluctantly shot him earlier. You're not afraid of Godes coming and beating you? Didn't he also invest a large stake in your company? How many lives did you have to have such great courage?" he asked, half astonished and half amazed.
Hunter stopped his pace for a moment, looking at Snowi and the others with a cold sharp gaze. "I don't care about anyone anymore but Ramona," he said firmly, every word sounding like a hard punch. "I can let go of everything, as long as I can be with Ramona. What stocks do Godes plant in my company? There is not a quarter of my wealth. Why am I afraid of him? There are many other companies vying to plant shares in my place. Even if I discard Godes, I won't be poor," he continued, his tone full of confidence.
Jess and Liam exchanged glances, surprised at how serious Hunter's statement was. Meanwhile, Snowi only gasped in amazement while raising his eyebrows. They all knew that Hunter was serious, and it made the atmosphere quiet again amid the worries that enveloped them. Hunter, even though he looked like he no longer cared about the world, continued to stare at the door of the operating room with eyes filled with anxiety and determination.
The four of them immediately clapped their hands together until Elors stammered, "No wonder we were left on the street, it turns out that in her eyes there is only Ramona who is visible to the naked eye." The three nodded compactly, making Hunter snort again.
That night, the atmosphere in the inpatient room felt so tense and exhausting at the same time. Hunter and his friends had been waiting for almost three hours, staring at Ramona's beautiful face who was lying calmly. He looked so excited, as if he was reluctant to open his eyes even though everyone in the room seemed to be losing his temper.
Hunter, who couldn't calm things down for a minute, became the center of attention. Every ten minutes, he called the doctor to check on Ramona's condition, even though the doctor repeatedly assured her that everything was fine and that Ramona just needed time to regain consciousness. Jess, Snowi, Liam, and Elors don't know what else to do. They could only look at the door of the room that kept open, with doctors and nurses going in and out non-stop.
Elors, who seemed the most bored, began to count the number of doctor's visits very carefully. "It has been 18 times since this doctor entered the room," he said while supporting his chin. "Should we be the ones acting now?" he asked in a joking tone, although there was clearly a sense of frustration behind his words.
Snowi blinked, looking at Elors with a flat gaze. "What we have to do is Hunter or Ramona? I'm starting to get angry right now."
Liam, who was usually calm, responded spontaneously this time, "Why would I want to take some water and pour it on Ramona's face so that she would wake up quickly? Let this crazy man stop humiliating us!"
Jess, who had already run out of energy to respond to the chaos, only took a deep breath. "It's better to just push Hunter out of here. He's the real source of the problem," he muttered in a flat tone.
Meanwhile, Hunter really didn't care about their comments. His gaze continued to be fixed on Ramona, who showed no signs of coming to his senses. He stood by the bed, holding Ramona's hand tightly, as if afraid that he would lose her.
"Ramona... Wake up," he whispered softly, almost like a prayer, but still there was no response from the woman.
In the corner of the room, Jess, Snowi, Liam, and Elors exchanged glances with faces that showed despair mixed with confusion. To them, the night felt longer than usual, and seeing Hunter relentlessly like this made them even more convinced that the man had really lost his mind due to infatuation.
Around one o'clock in the morning, the atmosphere in the inpatient room felt quiet and peaceful. Ramona, who was previously unconscious, began to move her fingers slowly. He felt a tight grip on his hand, as if someone didn't want to let go. Slowly, her eyelids opened, and her gaze began to catch the white ceiling of the room, the typical smell of the hospital, and the smell of medicines. Instantly, he realized that he was in the hospital.
Ramona gathered her consciousness and slowly turned her head towards the hand that felt tightly grasped. There, Hunter fell asleep sitting on an iron chair, still holding his hands tightly, his face looking tired but calm. A faint smile rose on Ramona's lips when she saw the man. Slowly, he tried to pull his hand from Hunter's grasp without wanting to wake him, but that small gesture was enough to wake Hunter up.
Hunter opened his eyes wide, instantly got up from his chair with a worried look on his face that immediately turned into happiness. "Honey, you're conscious," he said in a relieved tone. Ramona nodded softly, smiling warmly at him. Without hesitation, Hunter immediately hugged her tightly, a sense of happiness that she couldn't hide. He kissed Ramona's forehead repeatedly gratefully, as if to make sure that the woman in front of him was really okay.
Hunter grasped Ramona's hand tightly, then kissed her repeatedly gratefully. "Thank you for sticking by for me and Esther," he whispered in a voice that sounded trembling, his eyes teary with tears in his emotions. Ramona just smiled slightly and nodded. However, his expression turned anxious as he asked in a worried tone, "What about my son?"
Hunter tries to calm Ramona. "I told him that you still have work to do. I panicked and didn't know what to say. Tomorrow I'll explain everything to him," he replied calmly. Ramona nodded softly, trying to understand the situation.
Hunter then climbed onto the hospital bed, sitting next to Ramona. Softly, he tucked his hand under Ramona's neck, hugging her lovingly. His other hand gently caressed Ramona's cheek, his eyes looking at her with love. "Sleep. I'm sorry, I'm late until you have to get hurt like this," Hunter said in a tone full of regret.
Ramona shook her head softly, looking at Hunter with a gentle smile. "You've saved me. That's more than enough," he replied sincerely. Hunter kissed Ramona's temples gently, letting her lips rest there for a moment, expressing all his love and gratitude.
Ramona grasped Hunter's hand tightly, then leaned into his hug that felt so comfortable. Hunter just smiled, gently stroking Ramona's hair while continuing to express gratitude in his heart, feeling that his happiness was now immeasurable because the woman he loved had finally opened his eyes again.
Jess and the others compactly opened their eyes.
"Will there be an adult scene after this?" asked Snowi guessing in a quiet voice observing Hunter's burly back with his back to them.
Elors casually replied, "This kind of thing is my daily meal at the office." Everyone immediately looked at Elors in disbelief.
Elors then looked at the three of them and whispered, "The one in the mansion must be Liam who knows more." Liam directly hit Elors' head with a pillow.
"Let alone seeing it, even entering the mansion now, the crazy bandit has taken all my things out of his mansion since Ramona came, so I want to find a wife who can support my life," Liam soon got a slap on the sofa cushion on his head by the three of them.
The three of them got off the sofa and went out cautiously. Liam took a deep breath and took a quick look at Hunter's back before getting off the couch.
