Chapter 95 Getting Rid of Loose Ends
"Stop joking. It's not funny at all," Bella snapped and looked away from Lanny. She'd be a fool to believe in Lanny for her sister was known as someone unable to spit two true words out of her mouth.
"You don't believe me, do you? I have no problem with that. Do me a favor though, take a good look with your own eyes at the people sitting in this restaurant. You will notice that it's full of spies and assassins in ambush. That young brunette with the straw hat two tables away to your left is always watching you, as is the middle-aged man sitting at the last table against the aisle on the right."
Bella gasped as she caught the two people Lanny had mentioned looking her way. It was almost as if they were watching her every move. Her heart sank as she realized that her sister's words confirmed her earlier suspicions.
"As I'm sure you've noticed, those two are not the only ones with evil intentions around here," she continued, thrilled that the naïve Bella was eating the bait. Seeing that Bella was falling into her trap little by little, she took advantage of the situation. But little did she know that Bella couldn't be so easily convinced.
Sensing her sister's distrust, Lanny leaned in and whispered into Bella's ear, "But don't worry, they don't care about you, their target is Edward."
Upon hearing her beloved husband's name, Bella instantly became alert. A chill ran down her spine and the hair on her arms and at the back of her neck all stood up. She looked at Lanny incredulously, urging her to continue.
"Do you remember that four months ago Edward was involved in an accident that resulted in injuries to both legs? Let me tell you, it wasn't an accident at all, it was an attack on him. As expected, a man of his power and prominence would naturally have many enemies. Now that his legs have fully recovered, those same enemies are getting ready for the next attack," she explained. Those were stories Lanny had improvised, but she didn't think she had accidentally told the truth.
Bella's heart was thumping, and she no longer was in the right state of mind to judge whether Lanny was telling the truth or otherwise. The thought that Edward was at risk terrified her beyond belief.
"Hey! Waitress, the bill, please," the customer at the back table shouted to Lanny.
"Yes, sir, could you please wait?" she yelled back without even turning back to look at him. She then said to Bella, "If you want to save him, go wait for me at the top of the hill behind the hotel."
After which, she quickly walked out of the restaurant, ignoring the customer's calling out to her. Bella sat still in her seat and nervously kept rubbing her palms against her white dress. She was in a pickle it seemed. Torn between listening to her husband's order to stay and wait for his return or to believe in Lanny and go meet her to save Edward.
Not having made up her mind yet and considering that Edward had yet to return, she became restless. After weighing the pros and cons, she decided to leave anyway to meet Lanny at the spot she had told her. She was willing to do anything to save her husband from those who wished to harm him. They might have succeeded once but she wouldn't let it happen again.
She grabbed her purse and got up to leave. As she was making her way out, she felt several pairs of eyes on her and shuddered. She quickened her pace and in a matter of seconds, had exited the hotel. She walked quickly to the hill without looking back, aware that four men were following her.
Bella chose a winding path. The path was covered with rocks, and the branches on both sides of the road stuck out like tentacles, scraping Bella's arms and legs. Under the cover of the dense trees, she managed to shake them off. When she reached the top of the hill, she saw Lanny standing at the edge of the cliff. "Where's Edward?" Bella ran over to her and asked anxiously.
"Oh, Edward? Forget about him for a moment. Let's catch up first. How have you been doing since we last saw each other? As you know already, I've been away for a while but I heard a few things about you. I was worried about you, that's why I'm here, my darling sister!" Lanny said with a smirk.
Bella stared incredulously at her and shouted, "What the fuck is wrong with you? One minute ago, Edward was in danger and now you want to catch up? Tell me exactly where Edward is right now!"
"Oh, sweetie, he's fine. You don't need to worry at all," Lanny said nonchalantly, "I heard that Bob's death was very traumatic for you. Can you tell me exactly what happened? You can trust me, sister. I won't tell a soul."
"Huh? Bob's death? What about my HUSBAND?? Have you been lying all along? If so, what's up with those mysterious people at the hotel?"
"Sister, are you testing my patience? Edward can go to hell for all I care! Answer me now, what exactly did you see that night?!" Lanny was getting impatient. There was no time to play 'Miss Polite' anymore. She rushed towards Bella, grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up, "Tell me everything now or I'll kill you."
Bella's face turned a bright red and she whimpered, not a word coming out of her mouth. Seeing that she could barely breathe, Lanny dropped her, and Bella fell to the ground. The latter sprang to her feet and tried to escape but Lanny was faster and grabbed her forcefully before she could make a run for it.
"Do you think you can leave without answering my question?" Lanny said slowly as she came up to Bella's ear, like a poisonous snake that was spitting venom.
Tears streaming down her face, Bella shook her head frantically and muttered, "I didn't see anything nor can I remember what happened. Please, Lanny, let me go. I must find Edward."
"Very well, very well. Good girl! I will send you to Edward now," she said sarcastically and a wicked smile flashed across Lanny's face. 'Change of plans,' she thought. It didn't matter anymore whether Bella remembered that night or not, Lanny simply couldn't let her live, it would be too risky.
"Really? Thank you, Lanny. Tell me now, where is he?" she asked. A smile finally appeared on Bella's face, and there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Follow me," Lanny's right hand grabbed Bella's hair, yanking on it and her left hand pointed to the cliff, "He's waiting for you down there."
"No!" her instincts were telling her that something was extremely wrong. Lanny wanted her dead! She struggled frantically, her feet scraping against the ground, cutting two clear traces. But Bella was no match to Lanny, who was stronger and fiercer. Poor Bella could only watch with horror as she was being dragged step by step to her death.