The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 94
“I know exactly who she is. What are you going to do, threaten me? The law abolished noble defamation a long time ago.”
“Don’t you know that too? Or do the concepts of defamation and slander not fit in that head of yours?”
“Oh, that’s funny. By that logic, I could say the Marchioness insulted me too.”
“Ah, sure. But if it went to court, who do you think would win? You seem awfully confident. Do you have some powerful backing?”
Nella’s sharp retorts were anything but ordinary, and Johanna, who had been consumed by anger, found herself momentarily stunned by her maid’s quick wit. How could someone this eloquent have been so shy when they first met?
Still, it was embarrassing to drag Nella into such a dirty argument. Johanna stepped forward, intent on stopping her.
“Nella, let’s just—”
Ding.
The bell on the door chimed. Reflexively turning toward the sound, Johanna froze in place.
Her heart dropped.
Why is he here…
“What’s going on here…?”
The man’s lazy voice filled the café as he surveyed the scene, smirking as he sauntered over. His cold, gray eyes—like the empty winter sky—locked onto Johanna’s, and her mind went completely blank.
“Nastasha, explain.”
“Huh? So, I can drop the act now?”
Johanna could hardly make sense of the conversation between the man—Ilian Rediess—and Tasha. Her thoughts scattered, a growing sense of dread gnawing at her, an almost primal fear.
“It went as planned. Here are the documents. That father-daughter duo was surprisingly gullible.”
Tasha handed Ilian the promissory note and contract that Philipp had signed and sealed just minutes earlier.
Ilian glanced over the papers before shifting his gaze to Philipp, who stood there blinking in confusion, and spoke with a casual, chilling tone.
“40,000 rubles. You owe me now, Mr. Lucerne.”
“W-What…?”
“Don’t you get it? The person you owe the debt to is me. Tasha works for me.”
Philipp’s eyelids trembled as he stood there, mouth agape and eyes wide in disbelief. He turned to look at Tasha, who met his gaze with a pitying expression, her eyebrows drooping as if truly saddened by the situation.
“Sorry, Philipp. My boss is a scary man. I have to do what he says, no matter what. I really wish it didn’t turn out this way, and I wish you luck. Oh, and by the way…”
Tasha paused, briefly glancing at the frozen Johanna before adding with a playful tone,
“Nothing happened between us that night. All I did was strip you down and toss you onto the bed. I have standards, after all…”
She giggled, clearly amused by the situation, and then playfully waved her hand before stepping behind Ilian.
Philipp’s face flushed red, his breathing growing heavy as if he couldn’t catch his breath.
“You tricked me…! Pretending to be kind!”
“Pretending? That’s not fair. I was genuinely kind, wasn’t I?”
Tasha, peeking out from behind Ilian, gave a mock-offended protest. Philipp, in his frustration, tried to lunge at her, but before he could, a large, pale hand gripped his shoulder tightly.
“Think carefully about what you’re doing, Mr. Lucerne.”
“I-I… ugh…!”
“You might get away with the money your daughter paid off before, but how do you plan to repay this 40,000 rubels? Hm? What skills do you have that’ll earn you that kind of money? This is quite a problem. Lending money that can’t be repaid is bad business.”
Ilian’s voice, low and mocking, was laced with an undercurrent of menace. Philipp, drenched in cold sweat, shrank like a frightened prey animal.
Cornered, his eyes darted around the room, desperately seeking help. His gaze landed on Johanna, who stood nearby, her expression unreadable. She wasn’t rushing to his aid this time.
“J-Johanna… my dear…”
Philipp’s voice trembled, and his pleading gaze turned desperately toward his daughter. He knew what awaited him if Tasha’s loan was from the loan sharks. His life would spiral into even deeper ruin. Johanna, the only family who might save him, was his last hope.
Johanna, who had been silent up until now, finally met her father’s eyes. She parted her lips as if to speak, then paused, looking up at the ceiling before letting out a deep sigh. Just as she was about to say something, Ilian’s voice cut through the tension.
“Oh, I just remembered, Mr. Lucerne does have a source of money.”
Ilian’s gaze shifted to Johanna, and the cruel amusement that flickered in his cold, gray eyes sent a chill down her spine. That same vicious interest she had seen once before was now directed at her, and dread settled deep within her chest.
