Master of Lust

Chapter 109: This house of yours

Chapter-109

Evelina clenched her fists, restraining the urge to yank at her hair in sheer frustration. "Could you please cease with the endless exaggerations?" she implored, her voice tinged with exasperation. "All this grandiose talk, and yet I find myself empty-handed. Your incessant boasting is wearing thin on my patience."

"What more do you expect from me? Are you some kind of deranged lunatic? I disclosed the unsettling truth about your deceased grandmother as per our agreement." A sharp retort escaped Rick's lips.

"But no, I went above and beyond by offering you the antidote without charge," Rick stated, his tone tinged with incredulity. His gaze bore into Evelina, a furrow forming on his forehead. "I even went so far as to point out the probable culprits you should focus on. What else do you demand from me?"

Rick's frustration boiled over, and he shot Evelina a scathing look. "Are you utterly incapable of figuring out who the hell did it? Should I hold your hand through the entire process?" His words were laced with contempt, emphasizing his exasperation. "How can this fucking dead lady entrust the business to someone as intellectually deficient as you?"

The room hung heavy with Rick's disdain as he continued his verbal assault. "And it's not a recent revelation. Oh, no... no... no... I have long been aware of your intellectual shortcomings.

Throwing away millions of dollars to a complete stranger as if it's pocket change?"

"It's a fact that you are nothing more than a pampered child who stumbled upon a fortune, clueless about how to handle it." The words lingered in the air, painting a stark picture of Evelina's perceived incompetence.

Rick's tirade continued unabated, his words lashing out like venom, but Evelina's response was far from the expected fury. Instead, a subtle smile adorned her face, almost teetering on the edge of a smirk.

Caught off guard by her unexpected reaction, Rick furrowed his brow, his frustration deepening. "What's so amusing?" he demanded, scrutinizing the smile playing on Evelina's lips.

Evelina met his gaze with a raised eyebrow, her smile morphing into a wry expression. "Do you believe my indifference to money stems solely from being a spoiled brat?" she retorted, her tone composed yet edged with a hint of challenge.

Rick, unyielding in his demeanor, responded matter-of-factly, "And what else could it be?" The air crackled with tension as the two locked eyes, each holding their ground in this verbal duel.

Evelina's smirk widened, a spark of amusement dancing in her eyes as she countered Rick's barrage with a revelation of her own. "Did it never cross your mind that perhaps all this wealth is but a mere drop in the ocean for me? Every breath my grandmother takes is far more precious than this trivial amount.

I expended a fraction of my fortune with the sole purpose of safeguarding our lives," she asserted, the self-assuredness in her voice cutting through the tension.

"And, as you can see, my decisions have borne fruit. I emerged unscathed from that perilous forest, and you've swiftly concocted an antidote for my grandmother. Not a single misstep on my part."

Evelina's tone took on a sardonic edge as she continued, "You know, considering all you've done so far, a few million dollars seems like an absurdly low price to pay. I could be squeezing you for so much more," she taunted Rick, a hint of mockery in her voice.

"Even if you multiplied the amount by ten or a hundred, it would still be a paltry sum compared to the value of a single strand of my hair." The room resonated with the irony of her words, underscoring the vastness of Evelina's wealth.

"You don't seem that bald to me," Rick felt as if Evelina had smacked him on his face, he quipped, attempting to salvage a semblance of dignity.

Evelina's response, however, was swift and cutting, shattering Rick's attempt at levity. "Perhaps you struggle with counting after six or seven zeroes," she shot back, delivering a verbal blow that left Rick momentarily flustered to Evelina and her family's enormous wealth.

Caught off guard, Rick struggled to find his footing. "Are you suggesting that all the money I've requested from you is..." he began, his uncertainty palpable.

Rick tossed the bottle towards Evelina, who caught it with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. "This bottle was manufactured ten years back," he declared, his gaze wandering towards the dressing table. Behind it stood a glass cupboard, a meticulously arranged display of perfume bottles and various accessories.

Evelina's eyes narrowed as she examined the bottle, her mind racing to comprehend the implications of such a revelation. Meanwhile, Rick, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, mumbled to himself, "But how did it not go bad? Could it be like wine?"

Rick, dismissing the peculiarities of the perfume's longevity, focused on the aspect of time. "And who can wait this long?" he questioned, his tone contemplative. "For a regular human being, ten years is an eternity. Few can suppress their resentment or resist the impulse to act on it for such an extended period."

"But..." Rick trailed off, a meaningful look directed at Evelina.

"It's different for us," Evelina finished his sentence, a tacit acknowledgment of a shared understanding.

"Exactly," Rick nodded knowingly, his gaze steady. "That is why... The one responsible for your grandmother's long sleep is likely among your family."

"Well, most likely. I have to add that just in case," he added, a note of caution.

"Anybody here?" she suddenly called out, breaking the gravity of the conversation.

"Miss," Geoffrey stepped forward, eager to respond, but Evelina swiftly stopped him in his tracks.

"Not you," she declared, her gaze now fixed on the door.

Outside, the guard and the nurse were caught in the act of eavesdropping. Startled by Evelina's sudden attention, the nurse nervously nudged the guard inside, causing him to stumble awkwardly into the room.

Evelina, taking charge of the situation, directed the guard, "You, get me as much honey, and..." Her expression soured as she turned to Rick, "And human saliva, as possible. Hurry it up."

Rick, applauding her newfound assertiveness, chimed in, "Way to go, girl! You're finally leading from the front. Good for you." With a mock salute, he added, "Now, if you don't mind, I will take my leave."

Evelina, not missing a beat, questioned Rick's departure. "Where are you going?" she inquired, a note of suspicion in her voice.

"My job here is done," Rick nonchalantly shrugged, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. "I was just supposed to sneak a peek at your grandmother. Everything else is already complimentary from me."

"Now that I've done more than what I was asked to do, give me my money and close the deal," he demanded.

Evelina, however, wasn't ready to let him off the hook. "You haven't yet cured my grandmother," she pointed out.

"I wasn't supposed to," Rick replied with another shrug.

Cutting to the chase, Evelina pressed, "What do you want to cure her?"

"This house of yours."

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