Chapter 73 - Threat

"Mrs. Cross, where are you going? The Young Master ordered not to let you out of the suite. You have to wait for him." One of Andrew's men told her.

She smiled, trying not to show her anxiousness.

"I need some ingredients for the meal I would like to cook for my husband. I want to go to a grocery store." She answered.

Nina didn't know how she managed not to stammer when talking to his bodyguard. She was also hoping that he wouldn't notice that her whole body was trembling from fear.

The man stared at her as if he was thinking if he would allow her to leave the building. She gave her sweetest smile to him, staring at him with her hazelnut eyes.

"Okay, Mrs.Cross but me and my men will accompany you." He said.

"I just need two bodyguards near me. The rest should be on standby. I don't want to attract any attention." She ordered in a firm tone.

She should be awarded best actress for deceiving Andrew's bodyguards. She thought.

The man agreed and sent a signal to the rest of the team to spread out. She was relieved that she was able to get out of the hotel. The Eiffel tower was just a few blocks away, and she was thinking of a way to run away from her bodyguards.

She saw a group of kids walking in a park. It looked like a parade, and more people were coming towards them to watch. She suddenly rushed to the kids and joined the crowd.

Nina could still sense her bodyguards were just behind her. So she crouched down and talked to one of the kids. When more people came, Nina started walking while crouching down.

She saw a nearby clothing store and went inside. She decided to buy a change of clothes so her bodyguards wouldn't find her.

She ran to the Eiffel tower and went directly to the second floor like what was instructed to her. She turned her head from both sides, looking for the person who sent her the message. Her body was shaking, and her knees felt so weak, but she needed to be brave to save her husband.

"Hello, Mrs.Cross." 

She was startled when a man's voice suddenly spoke behind her. She turned around and saw a middle-aged man dressed in casual clothing. She gulped when he started walking towards her.

"This is nice, right? Although we're just on the second floor. The view is still nice." The man started.

Nina couldn't say anything. She was thinking of how she would speak to him. Should she start screaming and cursing him? Or should she nicely talk to him?

"Indeed. I was planning to visit this place with my husband today, but things happened." She said while staring at the view in front of her.

She couldn't really appreciate what she saw. Her mind was full of Andrew and the man who was just a few steps away from her.

"Oh, my bad! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Paolo Santelmo, the current head of the Santelmo Clan."

Nina's eyes widened. It was him! The guy whom Luke and Alora met a few months ago. He is the husband of Alora's crazy aunt, Camila. 

"So you heard about me from your friends, Luke and Alora, right?"

She nodded and still couldn't say anything.

"I'm going straight to the point Mrs.Cross. I would like you to divorce your husband." Paolo said without blinking an eye.

Nina was surprised. She was confused. She thought that the man would abduct her and use her against Andrew. But why the hell did he ask for her to divorce Andrew? She thought.

"W-Why would I do that?" She asked.

"I'm not asking you to divorce him now. I would like you to be the spy for us first."

Nina frowned. She got more confused with what the man was telling her.

"Can you just tell me what you want? I have no time for this." She said, annoyed.

The man chuckled. "You are one of the most trusted friends of Luke Wilson and Alora Smith. You were also friends with Percival Jackson and Sophie Anderson, Margaret Miller, and her brother, the crown prince of Flousia. Let's add your tight connection with Emily Nitori and the new CFO of A.E Corporation, Jayden Richards. I want all the information about your friends and their families. Their strengths and weaknesses, business strategies of each family's companies. I want all of them."

Nina couldn't believe what she just heard. He was basically asking her to betray her friends. The friends she already considered a family.

"A-And why would I do that for you?" She asked, starting to stammer.

"Because of your husband's mother." 

The man handed her an envelope. She bit her lips and hesitated at first, but she realized she had no choice but to look at what was inside. Her hands were cold and trembling. She gulped when she took the things inside.

Nina had never felt so scared in her whole life. She was looking at the photo of a woman, blindfolded and shackled to a pole, naked.

Her body was full of bruises and cuts. She was sure it was Andrew's mother.

Nina's lips started trembling. She bit her lips again and mustered the courage to look at the man beside him.

"How could you do this to her? What have we done to you? I don't even know you. How could you involve my husband and me with your scheme?" She almost yelled.

There were only a few people on that floor. She wanted to scream for help, but she knew Andrew's life and his mother would be in danger.

"That's the reason I approached you because you were not involved in any of this. You are not like those rich kids who already had power on their hands. You are the weakest among them. And I know family comes first for you. Why don't you look at the rest of the photos?" Paolo said while giving her a wide grin.

She started to look at the pictures in her hand with trembling hands. She was scared, she wanted to cry, but she couldn't understand why no tears were flowing in her eyes.

"No! No! No! You can't do this to me?" She yelled in a quivering voice.

The man smirked. "Believe me; I can, Mrs..Cross."