Chapter 387: Can never love you.
Noah.
The moment I regained consciousness, Vincent was already in the room.
The first thing that greeted me wasn’t relief or silence.
It was him.
Although I was blindfolded, I knew he was standing there, watching me with those cold, unreadable eyes, as though he had been waiting for the exact moment I regained consciousness.
And, of course, the first thing he did was ask me another one of his annoying questions.
One question led to another, each one blending into the next until we found ourselves trapped in the very same pointless argument.
It went around in circles, as neither of us was willing to back down and neither of us was interested in changing our stance.
Then, with complete confidence, Vincent declared that he would prove me wrong.
The certainty in his voice was almost amusing, and for a brief moment, I simply remained silent, and then I laughed.
It wasn’t a forced laugh meant to hide my fear, neither was it a nervous reaction either. It was a genuine laugh that escaped my lips before I could stop it, echoing softly around the room as I slowly shook my head in disbelief.
I honestly wanted to see exactly what he believed he was capable of doing.
Did he truly think he could make Maria fall in love with him?
Did he honestly believe fear, manipulation, or force could make someone change the feelings in their heart?
The very thought was absurd, and almost laughable.
He could threaten me all he wanted, he could torture me until every bone in my body gave out and he could even kill me if that was what he desired.
But none of those things would ever change Maria’s heart.
Feelings like that couldn’t be forced.
Love wasn’t something a person could demand.
She would never love him.
That wasn’t wishful thinking. It was something I knew with absolute certainty—I knew Maria and I knew the kind of woman she was.
I trusted her with every part of me.
More importantly, I knew she trusted me too.
That trust wasn’t something Vincent could erase with threats or replace with fear.
No matter how many lies he told, no matter how many tricks he played, and no matter how carefully he tried to twist the truth, there were some things that simply couldn’t be manipulated.
Maria’s heart was one of them.
And that was exactly why I couldn’t take his confidence seriously.
To me, it was nothing more than the desperate belief of a man chasing something that would never truly belong to him.
Without warning, Vincent suddenly stepped forward, and his fingers wrapped around my throat once again.
The pressure wasn’t nearly as crushing as before. This time, it wasn’t meant to kill me—it was a warning.
A silent reminder that my life was still resting in the palm of his hand.
His grip tightened just enough for me to feel the threat behind it, but not enough to steal my breath completely.
His eyes narrowed as they locked onto mine.
"Are you sure you would live to really see about it?" Vincent asked, his voice rough and dangerously low.
Despite his hand around my neck, I remained calm. I looked up at him without the slightest hint of fear, although I couldn’t see his eyes.
"I would, Vincent," I replied calmly, each word leaving my mouth with complete confidence. "The Maria I know would never love you."
I deliberately emphasized every single word.
I wanted them to sink into him.
I wanted to provoke him.
I wanted him to understand that, regardless of everything he did, there was one battle he would never win.
Maria would never love him.
That fact alone would always haunt him.
At the same time, another thought crossed my mind.
Anabel.
I needed to speak to her.
I had to make her understand exactly what kind of person Vincent truly was.
She needed to stay as far away from this vile creature as possible, he wasn’t merely dangerou, as he was completely unhinged— a madman.
"Shut up!" Vincent suddenly yelled, and I imagined the veins along his neck becoming more visible as anger flashed across his face. "If you push me further, I will snap your neck away!" he added before letting out a cold, unsettling laugh.
His threat only made me chuckle.
It was almost amusing.
I still kept my face up, without backing down.
"That’s the only thing you can do, Vincent," I said with a small laugh.
I paused deliberately, allowing the silence to linger between us before speaking again.
"That’s why Maria can never love you." I held his furious gaze without lowering my face. "You have a very long way to go," I hissed firmly, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing even the smallest trace of fear on my face.
"And you have a very short time!" Vincent said, his voice carrying the weight of a grim reminder rather than a simple threat.
His words lingered in the air between us.
I heard every single one of them.
But strangely enough, they didn’t shake me.
I already knew my situation.
I knew I wasn’t in a position where I could make demands or bargain for my freedom. My life was hanging by a thread, and Vincent wanted me to remember that.
Still...I didn’t mind, not because I wanted to die, far from it.
I definitely couldn’t die yet.
There was still something I had to do.
I needed to make sure Maria escaped this place first.
As long as she was still trapped here, I couldn’t allow myself to give up. Every second I remained alive was another chance for her to survive.
And if the day eventually came when I had to die, then it had to mean something—It had to be for Maria.
If my life became the price for her freedom, then I would accept it without hesitation.
"What now?" Vincent suddenly asked, breaking the silence, as his voice rose with irritation. "You suddenly can’t speak again, you coward!" he yelled.
I didn’t even bother looking in his direction.
There was nothing left to say.
I had already spoken my mind.
Everything else coming out of his mouth was nothing more than meaningless ranting, empty words and pointless threats.
I refused to waste another breath entertaining him. So I remained completely silent.
The silence stretched on, growing heavier with every passing second.
Eventually, Vincent seemed to realize I wasn’t going to respond.
His breathing steadied.
He let out a long, frustrated sigh before taking a deep breath, as though forcing himself to calm down.
"I want you to know one thing, Noah," Vincent said confidently, as his voice was quieter now, but somehow even more chilling. "I will make you and everyone else that tried to take my woman suffer miserably."
His words were spoken with absolute certainty, as though he had already decided everyone’s fate.
I didn’t react.
I simply listened.
A moment later, I heard movement.
From the sound of his footsteps, I could tell he had turned to leave the room.
For a brief second, I genuinely thought our conversation was finally over.
The silence that followed felt different.
He had said what he wanted to say, and from the sound of his footsteps, I was certain he had turned toward the door.
Everything about his movements suggested he was leaving.
The footsteps stopped.
The sudden silence hung heavily in the room, making every passing second feel longer than it actually was.
A few moments later, I heard movement again. Only this time...the footsteps weren’t fading away, as they were coming back toward me.
The sound echoed through the room, growing louder with every step he took until I could tell he was standing right in front of me once again.
Before I could even process what he intended to do, I felt his hand reach toward my face.
His fingers brushed against the cloth covering my eyes.
Then, without warning, he yanked it away.
Light immediately flooded my vision.
A sharp sting spread through my eyes after being trapped in darkness for so long.
Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut before blinking repeatedly, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.
My vision remained blurry for a few seconds.
Slowly...everything began to come into focus, as the outlines sharpened and the room became clearer.
"One more thing, Noah." He paused deliberately, allowing his words to settle before continuing.
Then, a bright smile slowly spread across his face.
It was the widest smile I had ever seen him wear.
Yet somehow...Instead of looking warm or friendly, it made him appear even more terrifying.
There wasn’t a trace of kindness behind it, only cruelty and satisfaction.
"I will make you watch Maria and I get married before you die."
He delivered every word with absolute confidence, never once breaking eye contact, as though he wanted to make sure those words carved themselves permanently into my mind, as though he genuinely believed they would break me.
The smile remained on his face for another brief moment before he turned around without another word.
His footsteps echoed through the room as he walked toward the exit.
Then the door opened.
A moment later, it slammed shut behind him.
Once again, I was left alone inside the room that felt less like a prison cell and more like a punishment chamber.