The sea breeze was rustling and whistling.
Iris’ skirt fluttered as though it was going to take her with it and fly into the air.
The emaciated woman stood on the edge of the deck, swaying in the wind. It felt like she would lose her balance and fall at any moment.
Philip’s eyes widened. “Iris, come back here! Come back!”
Iris looked at him, her eyes resolute and determined. She said firmly, “Let me go home, Or else, I’ll jump down from here!”
Philip frowned. “Are you threatening me with your life? Even if you jump off, there are doctors on the cruise ship. I won’t let you die! Without my permission, you are not allowed to die!”
“Really?”
Iris suddenly smiled. Then, she turned around and jumped down without hesitation!
The sea was very blue, and it was very windy.
In the distance, the sky was also very clear.
In such an environment, among the waves, when the white figure fell into the water, she was quickly swallowed up by the waves and she rose and fell in the sea.
“Iris!”
Philip shouted. He dashed forward and jumped into the sea without hesitation!
Half an hour later.
In a lounge on the ship.
Philip was wet all over. The seawater made his hair stick to his face and the sticky feeling felt terrible. Even though the heater in the room had been turned up to the max, he still felt awfully uncomfortable.
He stared at Iris, who was on the bed.
The woman’s eyes were tightly closed. On her pale visage without even a trace of rosiness, her eyelashes trembled gently. Her body was also shaking because of the cold.
Even though she was wrapped in a quilt, it couldn’t relieve how cold she was.
Philip looked at her.
Iris’ lips moved a little and she slowly said, “Philip, I want to go home.”
As he stared at her, Philip’s tightly clasped hands tightened and loosened, again and again. A while later, he stood up abruptly and shouted at the door, “Jason!”
Jason quickly entered. “Boss.”
Philip’s sinister eyes stared fixedly at Iris, the corners of his lips curling into a mocking arc. He ordered, “Return to shore!”
Jason was surprised, and he looked at Iris. In the end, he nodded. “Okay.”
The cruise ship made a U-turn ahead and went straight back the same way it came.
Philip sat in the room for a long time. He didn’t go for a shower.
He merely stared at Iris in astonishment until she opened her eyes and glanced at him. Her tone was a little light and her voice pitifully soft.
Her words were clearly so gentle, yet also so cruel. She said, “Philip, aren’t you doing everything you want because you know that I like you, so I won’t bear to kill you? I can also do the same.”
er
Philip stared at her in shock.
This was the first time in so many years that Iris had said that she liked him.
He was even somewhat crying with joy. His eyes were damp as he stared at her. “Iris, you like me. You admitted it. As I expected, you do like me, right?”
Iris pulled her hand back and turned her head to look away.
Philip continued. “Then let’s be together? Your son has already died, so no one can tie you down anymore. Come with me.”
Iris let out an icy laugh. She looked at him and said, “If you insist on taking me with you, then what you’ll eventually take with you will surely only be my dead body.”
II
11
The room was awfully quiet. One could only hear the waves outside.
Philip looked at the stubborn Iris. He didn’t understand.
“Iris, I like you so much, and you also return my feelings. We are in love with each other. Why can’t we be together?”.
Iris replied, “Perhaps… this is what they mean when they say it’s not meant to be.”
Sometimes, love was letting go and fulfilling oneself.
But Philip would never understand the meaning of these words.
He would never ever understand what it
meant.
Iris didn’t want to discuss this with him anymore. She found it pointless. She just wanted to go home now. She wanted to go back to New York and return to the people who needed her.
Philip looked at her, her cold attitude making him mad as he gritted his teeth. He clenched his fists tightly. After a while, he finally said, “I can let you go back and have a look if that’s what you want, but once you’ve seen them, you must leave with me at once! Iris, I told you, I love you. Even if what I’ll take with me is your dead body, no one can separate us!”
After saying that, Philip stood up abruptly. After he went out, Jason followed suit.
Philip looked back at the room. Then, he lowered his eyes and said, “Gather our men at the shore and tell them to wait there. After taking Iris to Justin’s grave, we’ll bring her back immediately.”
Jason immediately asked, “What if King’s men are also there?”
Philip narrowed his eyes. “That shouldn’t be the case.”
He lowered his eyes and said, “No matter what, I still have a bit of status in the Imperial League. Now that Justin is gone, I am the closest to Iris. King likely won’t meddle in our affairs anymore.”
After he said that, a ruthless look formed in his eyes. “But if he insists on meddling, then he can’t blame me for not showing him courtesy anymore!”
Jason was stunned. He felt that his boss must have lost his mind. To think he dared to resist even King now! In the past, he more or less still had some reservations in his actions but there wasn’t any left anymore.
But when he saw the bloodthirsty look in his boss’ eyes, he could only nod and leave to make the arrangements.
As they had been sailing for a few days, it took two full days for them to return.
Two days later, when Iris saw the coastline in the distance, even her body-which Mrs. Landis was supporting—was trembling slightly.
She was about to go home. How she wished that the news she had heard was fake. Even now, she still felt like she was in a dream, as though none of this had ever happened; that Justin was not dead but was waiting for her to come home.
Switzerland.
In a room somewhere.
The room was large and the lighting was poor.
A low and hoarse voice slowly said, “They’re back? That’s quick.”
Lawrence lowered his head. “Yes, they’ve already disembarked. They’ll be heading to New York soon.”
“Well, since they’re back, then let’s save Mom.”
The man opposite him spoke again.
Lawrence nodded. “I’ve already arranged for our men to be there. However, our men ultimately still have to think twice before they act in the country, so they may not be as liberal as Philip’s men. I’m afraid that when the time comes for them to fight it out, accidents may happen.”
In the shadows, the man with his back to Lawrence fell silent. A while later, he finally said, “Find a way to notify Nora about this. If she is there, she will help.”
Lawrence sighed. “I’m afraid you’re just trying to delay her from coming to Switzerland, right?! But Boss, considering how smart Ms. Smith is, will she really be unable to guess what you’ve done?”
The man didn’t answer his question. He merely stood by the dark window for a long time. A while later, he finally turned around slowly.
At the sight of his current appearance, the startled Lawrence was alarmed. “Boss, you…”
