Chapter 63
Even After Death
âWhat if I died?â Oliviaâs almost inaudible mumble bounced off the walls of the bathroom, taking him by
surprise. âYou wonât die because you have me.â
Sure, he might have endless power and wealth one could wish for, and he had access to the top
medical resources in the world. But no doctor would guarantee success in treating lateâstage cancer.
Ethan might appear omnipotent, holding power over the life and death of other beings. But he was a
mere mortal at the end of the day and powerless to save her from the hands of the Grim Reaper.
She chuckled. âEthan, since my family owed you a life, shall I atone for that with my death?â
âLiv, I would have taken your life two years ago if I wanted to. I hate you, but I love you at the same
time. Thatâs why Iâm keeping you alive to punish you.â
âDid you just say you love me?â She snorted. âIf thatâs true, you wouldnât have betrayed me. I told you I
wanted to build a megaâhospital with express access for the needy. So, you built a hospital worth a few
billion and named a wing after Marina.â She went on, âI said I loved the ocean and picked a spot for our
future home, but you ended up building Collington Cove for Marina; I wanted to name our child Connor,
but you stole that name for your child with Marina.â
âEthan, do you call that love?â
The icy water trickled down his jaw. It was hard to see the emotions in his eyes because he was staring
at the ground. Heâ seemed to have a lot to say and opened his mouth. But nothing came out in the end.
At first, she had wondered if he had a good reason for treating her in that manner. If not, given his
character, he wouldnât have kept the passcode around.
Upon second thought, she concluded that he was a conflicted man who could love and hate someone
simultaneously. Perhaps, that was his way of taking revenge. He wanted to keep her alive, and he
knew where it hurt most.
Her eyes dimmed. Grabbing his collar, she hissed, âYour love is revolting.â
âLiv, do not anger me. That wouldnât do you any good.â He unbuckled his belt, a move that set her
alarm bells ringing.
âWâWhat do you want to do?â
âLiv, you need to be punished for your mistake.â He enunciated each word of his threat before tying her
hands behind her. âNo, Ethan, you canât do this to me.â Olivia panicked, but he was in no mood to
listen.
He swiftly tied her up and positioned her under the shower with the help of a towel, all while she
struggled futilely. He had a unique way of tying the knot, which made it impossible to be undone. Her
soft skin reddened under the rough handling.
He lifted her chin in his fingers and mumbled into her ear, âLiv, Iâve seriously considered giving up on
you.â
Despite the tenderness in his voice, he gave her the creeps. He went on, âBut whenever I see other
men near you, I want to tear them into pieces. Tell me, where else did Keith touch you?â
His mania grew with his increasing tenderness. Reminded of Keithâs car crash, she frantically cleared
Keithâs name, âI only ask that he pay extra attention to my dad at the hospital, thatâs all. I donât know
why you said that about the apartment- Dadâs caretaker introduced that place to me. My landlord is
abroad.â
âLiv, I wanted to trust you, but he visited your place for a few days with stuff for you. Care to explain?â
Tears filled her eyes as she suffocated under his craziness and possessiveness.
âI couldnât get out of bed because I was sick for a few days. He was worried about my health and
brought groceries to cook for me. Canât you tell that heâs only stayed for two hours tops each time?
Heâll leave after cooking for me.â
He furrowed his brows and played with her cheeks. âAre you really sick?â