He didn't look impressed at all, and honestly, neither was she.
Humiliation burned her cheeks as he picked up a pen and placed it on the table between them.
He pointed at his neck, his expression as cold as stone. "This here is my carotid artery."
She took deep, steadying breaths as the effects of the truth serum began to wear off.
"If you stab this pen right here," he continued, holding her gaze with unnerving calm, "I'll die."
The tension in the room was suffocating. He was daring her.
What was the catch? Was he insane?
It didn't matter. Her thirst for vengeance clouded her judgment. Without thinking, she lunged.
He took everything from her. Her brother had been her family's rock, and when this man killed him, he destroyed them all.
Grabbing the pen with desperate speed, she leaped onto his chair, one hand gripping his tie, her legs straddling him. Her aim was clear—the very spot he'd pointed to.
But just as she moved to strike, a voice froze her in place.
"So many toys!"
Her niece's cheerful voice rang out from the iPad screen. Sarah stopped, her face mere inches from his.
"Oh, but I should say something," he murmured, his breath hot against her ear.
"If anything happens to me…" His voice dipped lower, sending a shiver down her spine. "You'll be attending your niece's funeral next."
Her hands trembled—one clutching his tie, the other hovering with the pen.
"Now," he said smoothly, "be a good girl and get off the table, Sarah."
She didn't hesitate. Sliding off the table, she adjusted her clothing, hiding the pen behind her. Forcing a smile, she turned to the iPad.
"Aunty, this man bought me so many toys!" Gem's gap-toothed grin beamed on the screen.
Sarah's voice wavered, but she managed to sound cheerful. "Oh, that's wonderful, darling. Have you eaten? Where's your nanny?"
"Uncle bought me sushi!" Gem chirped, making Sarah's stomach drop.
Her eyes shot to him, narrowing. "What did you put in it?"
His expression didn't change. "I don't poison kids, Sarah," he replied, his voice steady and sharp.
Sarah swallowed her fury, nodding, but her niece wasn't finished.
"Are you going to marry Uncle?" Gem asked, her innocent tone making Sarah choke on her breath.
"Gem, where did you get that idea?" she stammered, forcing a nervous laugh.
"From the storybooks Macy reads," Gem said with a giggle. "Your eyes are twinkling like you like him."
Sarah gasped, ready to protest, but Macy, the teenage babysitter, chimed in. "Yeah, but with that pen in your hand, it's giving assassin vibes." She winked at the camera.
"Ooookay, see you later! Don't stay up late, love you, bye!" Sarah said in a rush, ending the call.
Her forced smile vanished as she turned to face him, her eyes blazing. "Was that a threat?"
His blank expression didn't waver. "No. It was a fact—one as easy to accomplish as your brother's death."
"Don't talk about my brother!" she snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "He was a good man."
"He owed me money," he said coolly.
"That doesn't make him a bad person!" she shot back.
"He stole it from me," he countered, his tone sharper.
"And that justified killing him?" she demanded, her voice breaking. "You ruined our lives. You're the reason we're in danger. I will do anything to protect my niece—my brother's daughter. She's all I have left."
He leaned back in his chair, studying her with unsettling calm. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"
Her knees hit the floor before she could think twice. Desperation twisted her voice as she looked up at him.
"Please," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Marry me."