After Rebirth, I Ruined Them All

GENERAL

When the car stopped in front of the mansion, Knox stepped out and rushed to the other side to open the door for Sarah.

It was the first time he had done that, and something about it made her smile.

Leonard and the other men around exchanged glances and blushed at their boss's not-so-gentlemanly action. They had never seen that side of him before. No one had.

The mighty Knox never opened doors for anyone. Instead, thousands of people opened doors for him, and would gladly lie on the floor for him to step on.

As soon as Sarah stepped out of the car, her phone rang. She brought it out to check the caller ID and realized it was Gerald. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly hid the screen before Knox could catch a glimpse. She knew exactly how he would react if he saw the name. And she had already had a long, hectic day; all she wanted was to spend the rest of the night in peace.

But unknown to her, Knox had already seen it and was now anticipating her next move.

"Who is that?" Knox asked as they walked into the house.

"My mother," she mumbled, causing him to stop in his tracks. Rage surged through him instantly, and his eyes darkened.

He smirked, suppressing the urge to explode.

The phone stopped ringing at that moment. However, before she could sigh in relief, it started ringing again.

"Didn't you already talk to her in the car?" he asked, still watching to see how far she would go with the lie.

"I... Maybe she just remembered something,"  She forced a smile. "Let me quickly take this." She rushed into the bedroom before Knox could respond.

As soon as she tossed her bag onto the bed, she picked up the call.

"Sarah... Sarah..." Gerald's voice echoed from the other end. It was shaky, as if he had been crying. "Today was supposed to be our engagement. Why my uncle? Why not me?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed, suppressing the urge to snap at his annoying voice.

"I thought you loved me. I thought you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me." He paused. "We had plans, Sarah. We had so many plans. We promised to travel around the world together. To have our own garden and plant your favorite flowers everywhere..." His voice trailed off.

"Gerald, are you drunk?" one of her brows lifted. She didn't expect him to react this way. He never loved her. He should be relieved she didn't force herself on him. So why all the drama?

"Sarah, you can't do this to me. You know how much I hate Knox. Even if you want to leave me, Knox shouldn't be the next man you choose," he said.

Sarah snorted. "Calm down, Gerald," she muttered. "Things aren't what they seem. I might be engaged to Knox today, but it doesn't mean I love him. You need to understand that my engagement to Knox is to protect you," she explained, her eyes glinting with mischief.

She couldn't cut Gerald off yet. Letting him go now would mean letting him go unpunished. No. She didn't want that. They needed to feel everything she had felt-twice over.

"Are you serious, Sarah? What are you talking about?" The weakness in his voice vanished instantly.

Sarah's lips curled. The same voice that had sounded broken a moment ago was now firm and steady. Gerald, his manipulative skills were sharp, but not anymore. She would teach him how the game was really played.

"Yes, Gerald. He threatened me. He said he would kill you if I went ahead with the engagement with you." She paused and forced her voice to tremble, pretending to cry. "What was I supposed to do? Let him kill you? I had no choice but to accept his proposal." She lied and broke into sobs, though no tears fell from her eyes.

"I don't know if my sister told you this, but I slapped her when she tried to talk to me about you," she continued, laying everything out at once to avoid suspicion. "Knox was nearby at the time, and I had no choice but to slap her to convince him I was ready to be his." Her expression fell. "I made an unforgivable mistake. Do you think Amara will ever forgive me?"

Gerald gasped on the other end. "Knox, that bastard. I knew it. I knew you wouldn't betray me." His jaw clenched. "Don't worry, Sarah. Just stay with him for now. I'll find a way to save you from him," he assured her. "And don't worry about Amara. I'll talk to her. I'm sure she'll understand your intentions."

"I'm scared, Gerald. He could hurt me. What if I try to escape?" she asked. "But what if he decides to hurt you after I leave? Your uncle seems dangerous. What if he kills you because I escaped?"

Sarah asked deliberately.

"No, Sarah. No, please. Don't escape. Don't leave," he pleaded, panic lacing his voice.

Sarah almost laughed at his reaction. He proved her right.

"Just stay there. Stay with him until we find a way out of this mess. Please, babe. Just endure everything for me," he said, his voice trembling with fear and desperation.

"Alright, Gerald. I just want you to trust me. I have nothing-absolutely nothing-to do with your uncle."

"I trust you, babe," he replied immediately. "I fucking trust you with my whole life. You don't have to worry about anything, Sarah. I love you," he added softly.

Without responding, Sarah ended the call and tossed her phone onto the bed. She let out a deep breath.

"That was a lot of work," she murmured.

She wondered how Gerald and Amara had managed to act for years without getting exhausted. Maybe deception came naturally to them.

Meanwhile, the door hadn't fully closed, and Knox stood silently, having heard everything. He stood there, silent and still, as something dark settled behind his eyes.