HOW YOU LIKE THAT | JENLISA

Chapter 88

Jennie

"Where are we going, Jen?"

"I don't know, but we're taking the bus." I told her.

She didn't look so sure about it. I interlaced our fingers. "We'll figure this out, I promise, baby."

I remembered my previous conversation with Bambam, and what he'd told me.

"Do not go to the police. The department might have spies in there, and as soon as you report the complaint, Nichkhun will know and he will turn this against you. Be careful, Jen. With the way Lisa is right now, she might not be able to help you. You're in this alone."

We sneaked out of the back staircase, but we still had to pass by the main reception. There was no way around it.

"Okay, stay calm and walk normally. If they ask us something, we'll just tell them that we've been discharged from the hospital."

"Are we?" Lisa asked me innocently.

"No, but we're going to tell them that."

"Jen, why can't we stay here... for a little while longer?"

Because your half-brother is a fucking psychopath and wants to kill you to take over the Manoban family name and inheritance.

"We can't." I said. She just kept looking at me in that usual way of hers. I knew that she had something on her mind that she wanted to say.

"What is it?"

"Jen..." she started, "... you regret this, don't you?"

"Regret what?"

"Taking up this job..." she looked close to losing it, "... getting married to me... being forced to... I wish so much that things were different..."

"That's not true." I said, "It's not something that I wanted, but I don't regret marrying you at all. I'm actually glad that I did, Lisa."

Your half-family is sick, and they don't deserve you.

"Let's go." I said, while hooking my arm with hers and trying to sprint out of the hospital reception without being noticed. We'll have to figure out how to pay the bill later.

"Ms and Mrs. Kim, wait!"

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I stopped and turned around, while plastering a smile. "Yes?"

She looked between me and Lisa, "Where are you both going?"

"Just going for a walk outside. I changed out of my hospital gown for that reason." I pointed at my dress. I was completely bull-shitting, but I hoped that my acting skills were good enough. This was our only chance. "We are going coming back real quick. It's just a short walk, to get some fresh air."

"You have a phone call." She said. Her name-tag read 'Rachel'.

"Who's on the line?"

"Your brother-in-law." She told me that the receiver was at the side. "I was just about to connect the phone to the office upstairs, so they can direct it to your room. Good thing that I found you here."

Why was Bambam calling now? I'd promised him that I would call once things were okay, and we had contacted each other only during emergencies.

I went to the desk to answer the call. "Bambam."

"Hi Jen."

That voice.

Fear hit me like a bucket of ice water.

"You seem a little tongue tied." He chuckled, "Trying to act a little smart, are we?"

"You tried to kill us, you bloody psychopath! You expect me to say howdy?"

"Bambam, here thought that he was being very sneaky and smart, but the walls have ears." Nichkhun said, "Now, listen carefully. I want you to take a cab and come home right away. Do you understand?"

"Go to hell." I said, while biting back a few other choice words.

"You want to make this difficult for the both of us, I see. Well, how about this..." I heard a loud scream coming from somewhere on the side. They were hurting Bambam.

"Don't touch him!" I yelled into the phone.

"If you don't take a cab home right now, you will hear about Bambam's drowning accident on the television. I'll give you three hours. After that, I'll gather the media and tell them how you planned to murder Lisa and when it didn't work out, you kidnapped her for a ransom. You're smart, Jen. But I'm smarter." With that said, he hung up.

How did he find out about the hospital, since the tracker on me was already out of detection range? I didn't think that Bambam would give out the address. He wouldn't, unless Nichkhun had done some sweeping, taken a wild guess about the hospital that was nearest to the location of the accident. That could be possible.

"Is everything alright?" The receptionist seemed genuinely concerned.

"Yes, we're fine."

Not really. We're about to ride a cab back to our deaths. We could run, but run to where? And could I stomach having something happen to Bambam on my conscience? I was selfish to think that Lisa and I could just pack up and drive into the sunset.

Nichkhun would find us, and we would still end up dead.

We walked out of the hospital and I hailed down a cab. A woman was standing at the door, she was middle-aged, and well-dressed. When I looked at her, she gave me an eerie smile.

A cab stopped in front of me, and we settled inside it. I told the driver the address while my thoughts started scattering about, my mind was running through all the possibilities and how Lisa and I could get out of this mess unharmed.

I had nothing. Right now, I'm just at my wits end. I think I was blank for the entire two hours that took us to get to the mansion because there was nothing that I could do. We'd been so close to earning our freedom...

Jackson opened the car door, and I walked inside the mansion, like I was a robot set up to do so. Nichkhun was in the den, and Bambam was nowhere in sight. "Welcome home. I hope you both had a great trip." The sides of his mouth turned up in mock humour.

I sat down on the plush couch, and then I tuned him out because he was going on and on about how I had tried to escape his clutches.

Am I going to give up so soon?

Lisa walked to the end of my opposite side and sat down on the single velvet chair. It always reminded me of a throne with its gliding golden frame and a tiger face carved into it.

I watched as she slowly crossed her legs, from the right to left. Her arms were resting on the sides, her fingers picked the crystal pyramid, and she swirled it between her fingers in deft, and skilful motions. Her expressions remained schooled, but there was a dangerous aura that was emanating from her.

And then her gaze met mine, and we remained transfixed. Something flashed in her golden eyes. It was all clear to me. The playful innocent glint was missing, the softness was no more.

She didn't recognise me anymore.

My Lisa was gone!

For good this time and it's replaced by this person who was driven by vengeance.

Nichkhun didn't see it since he was facing me.

But I did.

And God help me because I was absolutely terrified.