Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

79. In the Eye of the Storm

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Nabi snapped her attention toward the sound, an instinctive recognition coursing through her.

Despite Nabi's forgiveness, Jeonghan found himself grappling with disbelief.

The notion that someone he had once harmed could extend such selfless kindness still eluded his comprehension.

Nabi locked eyes with the figure standing at the door, an aura of superiority and ignorance emanating from their gaze.

"Don't tell me you came here to play the hero for Jeonghan," the person sneered, scoffing as they advanced toward Nabi and Jeonghan.

"Lia, stop," Jeonghan gritted through clenched teeth, a surge of anger coursing through him at the mere sound of her voice.

Lia turned her gaze toward him. "Why? Afraid she won't play savior for you anymore?" Her words dripped with irony as she spat them out.

Nabi chose to dismiss Lia's provocations, focusing instead on Jeonghan. With a reassuring smile, she approached him, deftly working to untangle the ties that bound him to the chair.

"Nabi, why are you here? Does Minghao know about this?" Jeonghan's voice held a hint of urgency, a tinge of fear creeping in as he glanced around, wary that Kim Sunghoon might catch sight of her presence.

Nabi concentrated on the ties when a sudden, sharp pain shot through her from behind, causing her to collapse to the ground with a groan.

Jeonghan's eyes widened in shock as he witnessed her fall.

"Nabi, are you okay?" Jeonghan inquired, his concern evident as he struggled against the restraining ropes.

Attempting to get up, Nabi winced, her brows furrowing with pain. "I'm fine," she replied, the reassurance in her voice conflicting with the discomfort etched across her face.

"Oh, is that so? I guess I didn't hit you hard enough," Lia scoffed, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.

Jeonghan's fury surged, his veins pulsating with a burning intensity as he fixed Lia with a searing death glare.

In a voice that cut through the tense air like a blade, he growled, "Nabi, untie these ropes."

Nabi turned her gaze towards Lia, who remained there, smirking with a misplaced confidence.

Rather than rushing to Jeonghan's side, Nabi took deliberate steps closer to Lia.

"I've always made an effort to sidestep conflicts with you," Nabi declared, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of resolve. "I've pretended not to hear your insults, turned a blind eye to the spiteful looks you've cast my way, and overlooked your failed attempts to make me suffer. But that ends now."

"If you're foolish enough to entangle yourself with such a cunning and dangerous man, then the fate you deserve will find you. And not by my hand, but by his," she continued, while Lia glared at her.
Lia scoffed dismissively, her disbelief apparent.

"Do you genuinely believe that if he's abused you, it automatically implies he'll do the same to every person he encounters? Including me?" she spat out with a mocking sarcasm

"Yes," she asserted without hesitation, her gaze unwavering. "You don't know him. You're unaware of what he's truly capable of. You have no idea how many victims have fallen prey to his hands. You could offer him the moon from the sky, and still, he wouldn't find satisfaction. His only pleasure lies in witnessing your miserable end, a fate he orchestrates with ruthless precision."