Chapter 8 The aftermath went more smoothly than I'd imagined . [ ] Zoey's case was airtight . [ ] The restaurant's security footage , my medical reports , the $ 200K transfer records , plus testimony from those two security guards - she had no way to deny it . [ ] She got three years . ] They said in court she was still screaming Dante's name , saying he'd save her . [ ] Too bad by then , Dante could barely save himself . [ ] After I kicked him out of the villa , he was penniless . [ ] Those friends who used to orbit around him vanished without a trace . [ ] 〃 He went to our father , but Dad had always harbored resentment about that old affair and , intimidated by my authority , turned him away at the door . [ ] He tried returning to the company , only to be stopped by security in the lobby like a stray dog . ] He finally tasted what it meant to fall from the heaven into the hell . [ ] Later , he somehow got Celeste's number and called frantically , begging her to arrange a meeting with me . ] Celeste told me about it . ] I had her pass along one message . [ ] " If he wants to see me , he can kneel at my mother's grave for three days and hights . " [ ] My mother had died young from the heartbreak of discovering him and his mother's existence . [ ] This was what he owed her . [ ] I thought he couldn't do it . ] After all , he was such a spoiled , selfish brat . ] But surprisingly , he actually went . [ ] Celeste sent someone to check - he really was kneeling at Mother's grave , not eating , drinking , or sleeping , perfectly straight On the third day , it poured rain . ] He was soaked through , running a high fever , swaying as he knelt but still refusing to leave [ ] Chapter 8 Celeste asked me : " Won't you go see him ? At this rate , someone's going to die . " [] I sat in my warm office , watching the drizzle outside the window, sipping hot coffee . [ ] " He won't die . " ] I didn't soften . ] What was this compared to the pain he'd inflicted on me ? ] This was just the first installment on his debt for being stupid and vicious . [ ] Three days later , he couldn't hold on and collapsed at the cemetery . A patrolling guard found him and took him to the hospital . When he woke up , his first act was to keep calling me . [ ] I finally answered . [ ] His voice on the other end was weak and hoarse , carrying a hint of humble hope . ] " Sis … I did it … can you … can you forgive me ? " [ ] " Forgive you ? " I laughed softly . " Dante , are you confused about something ? " ]] " I didn't make you kneel so you could earn my forgiveness . " [ ] " I wanted you to recognize who you really are and how everything you had came to be . " ] " Now , do you understand ? " ] There was long silence on the other end . [ ] I could imagine his despair . ] " I never wanted you dead . " [ ] I continued calmly . " I've had my assistant rent you a small apartinent in the suburbs and put two hundred thousand in your account " [ ] " That money will last you a while . " ] " From now on , whether you live or die has nothing to do with me or the Blake family . " [ ] " From here on , you go your way , I'll go mine " ] " Don't contact me again . " { } Chapter 8 Without giving him a chance to respond , I hung up and blocked his number . [ ] The world was finally quiet . [ ] ( 0 )