Frederick frowned when he saw a black horse without a bridle and without a saddle galloping toward them. Its speed is extremely fast, it seems that it is out of control so it keeps running off course. The horse handlers seemed extremely frightened and tried everything to bring the horse back.
"Esther, get out of the way."
Frederick yelled and shoved me so hard that I fell to the side. At that moment, I witnessed a horrifying scene. The black horse ran madly towards Frederick causing him to be sent flying into the sky and then fell to the ground with great force.
The subordinates were also surprised, but they quickly reacted, pulling out their guns and shooting the horse dead. That's the only way to keep it from harming anyone further.
Frederick was hit by a horse and was seriously injured. His head was bleeding profusely, his stomach was bruised, and many bones were broken. Despite his severe injuries, Frederick was not completely unconscious. He gasped, every time he breathed like that, blood gushed out of his mouth. I rushed over to him and helped him up, urging everyone to hurry up and call an ambulance.
Frederick tried to tell me something, but he uttered only a few words.
"Don't... go... with... Dominic... I... don't... want... lose... you..."
Before I could reply to him, his subordinates quickly picked him up and took him to the hospital.
"Lady Esther Joan, let me take you back to the boss's mansion." One of Frederick's subordinates remained behind to take care of my safety.
It was only then that Dominic walked slowly out of the small room, his cigar almost half-burnt. He could only use one hand to lift my whole body. I was still shaking so much that I couldn't even stand up straight and had to lean on him.
"You can go back there and rest."
I looked at him with surprised eyes, I even wondered if after all that had happened he had changed his attitude and became easygoing?
"...but you should remember, I can give you freedom and safety, but I'm not sure if the people around you can."
"I... what are you talking about?" I shivered when I looked at him.
"This is just the beginning Esther. Enjoy your trip, when you come back I will always welcome you."
I can't believe what Dominic just said. He seemed to have just admitted that he was the one who drove the other horse crazy and rushed towards us. Everything was arranged by him, he could easily hurt anyone if he wanted to. And then Frederick's reminder rang in my head again, that Dominic was callous and manipulative.
Frederick and Dominic, between the two of them, who is the scarier and more dangerous? Right now I don't know either.
Dominic hasn't left yet. He stood looking at me with normal eyes, as if my panic and panic were entirely on his mind, and he even expected me to look like that.
"After all... why did things turn out this way after all?"
Dominic dropped the cigar on the ground and stomped it with the toe of his shoe.
"Remember me at the ball with you almost a year ago? I told you that if one day I let you down, don't leave me. When you know the truth about who I am, I hope you keep your promise."
I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. In the end, I didn't answer Dominic but followed Frederick's subordinates back to the mansion to rest.
A few days later, Frederick returned from the hospital. His whole body was wrapped in white bandages like a mummy, his injuries were so severe that he was confined to a wheelchair, but when he got home, he smiled happily.
"Esther, I thought you were going to run away with Dominic. It makes me so happy to come home to see you like this."
"Can you still laugh? You should feel lucky you're alive." I pretended to scold him, but I still brought him food that I cooked myself.
"I should have laughed, because of you. Thank you for staying."
His voice is so sincere, I appreciate him even more. After all, it was he who saved my life.
"Well, I heard from my subordinates that you haven't been in good health lately." Frederick showed interest in me. At the same time, he also enjoyed the soup that I made deliciously.
"Ah, lately I've been having trouble sleeping and feeling nauseous. Maybe it's just fatigue."
"Then I'll have a doctor come in soon. You shouldn't neglect your health. After you're done, I need to talk to you."
That very afternoon, a female Lenox City doctor came to check on me.
"Basic temperature is normal, other health problems are fine. But... has your period come this month?"
The doctor's words took me by surprise. I shook my head, but my body suddenly felt strange. The doctor gave me a pregnancy test and asked me to try it right away.
I took the pregnancy test with me and nervously walked into the bathroom. A few minutes passed, two lines appeared on the pregnancy test, and my heart skipped a beat.
I clenched my fists tightly, breathing fast. The last time I made love was with Dominic almost two months ago. And that time he didn't use a condom. I don't know how to deal with this, should I keep this child or leave him?
"Lady Esther Joan? Are you still in there?"
The other female doctor saw that I never left the bathroom, got impatient and knocked on the door to check if I was okay.
In a panic, I threw the pregnancy test down the toilet and flushed, then walked out of the bathroom with a calm expression on my face.
"I think I've been bloated lately, so that's why. Thank you doctor for coming to check on me."
"But... where's that pregnancy test, ma'am?"
"Ah, I was watching it while I was watching it. I accidentally dropped it in the toilet. But it only shows a line so it's okay."
The female doctor stared at me, then without asking any more questions, she quietly left. She was invited by Frederick, so she would definitely tell him everything about me. I don't know if she believed I wasn't pregnant, but the only evidence was destroyed by me so I wasn't too worried.
That evening, after dinner, Frederick and I had a private conversation in his room.
"The female doctor told me you have a full stomach and has prescribed medicine for you?"
"Um." I lied but my face was sober.
"Okay then. Here, take this. That's what you asked me to find."
Of course I have not forgotten the main purpose for which I ventured to follow Frederick. It was because I wanted to ask him to help me find some of the secrets that Dominic kept hidden.
"This information is really hard to find. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten it."
I took the document from him, opened it with trembling hands, and read it. Each first word made my heart feel like someone was squeezing it hard, painful and difficult to breathe. I covered my mouth with my hand to stop the sobs from resounding.
"Don't worry. You're with me now. He won't be able to hurt you anymore." Frederick reassured me.
But that didn't ease the pain inside of me.
"Are they all true?" My voice trembled, not sure if I was asking Frederick or myself.
The truth is that Dominic left my mother to die in the hospital to easily control me, forcing me to depend and rely on him. The truth is that Dominic already knew that Kevin was posing as a lawyer to trick me, but he didn't intervene because he wanted it to happen. The truth is that my father is Dominic's subordinate and he does everything under Dominic's direction.
In just three short months, he got everything he wanted. He took over the entire Joan family. But I naively helped him do everything without knowing anything. If I didn't agree to that three-month deal, wouldn't it be so bad?
"These are just a few facts about him. He and her family have a strong business relationship. Joan's house is like a bridge to help him sell weapons in the Lenox City. Although I have not found proof that Dominic is behind the terrorist organization that is confronting me, it is entirely possible."
Frederick finished talking for a while but still found me quiet, so he sighed and took my hand.
"Esther? Are you okay?"
"No. I'm not fine."
I raised my hands to cover my face and wept bitterly, tears streaming down my face as I thought about the tragedies I had to endure in the past. The person I love in return is the one who took away all my hope of life, then it was he who saved me and made me dependent on him for so long. I even thought about the prospect of us being together happily ever after, but now I realize it was just a dream Dominic drew for me.
I don't understand why he's treating me like this. If he's done using me, why doesn't he just leave me alone? Until now, when I found out the truth, I regretted how stupid and corny I was.
Blind love for Dominic made me volunteer to be with him, a man who mercilessly left my mother to die alone in the hospital.
And worst of all... he's also the father of my unborn baby.
"Please help me."
"Calm down. What do you need?" Frederick softened his voice.
"I want Dominic to never find me again."
Frederick was silent, and it took a moment before he nodded.
"There's only one way to keep Dominic from finding you."
"How?"