Chapter 2 The Truth Comes Out
As I approached, the women were introducing themselves to each other.
—Alice, the cheerful fitness instructor with a big personality and a careless streak to match.
—Hailey Lynn, a housewife from Jacksontown, with a curvy figure and a gentle demeanor.
—Lily Hatter, a biology researcher, brunette, and a beautiful mixed-race woman.
—Jean Summer, a timid-looking college girl with red hair and a sharp chin, head lowered the whole time, barely saying a word.
And then there was the last woman—Elsa.
My wife.
After we got married, I gave Elsa all the money I earned from my missions.
She lived a life of luxury, her skin always perfectly cared for.
I spent most of my time out on assignments, but every time I came home, we’d share a few romantic days together.
I used to think I was the happiest man alive.
That is, until that night.
Watching Elsa be with another man—our marriage shattered in an instant.
Clearly, something had broken in her too.
Because when she saw me, there wasn’t joy in her eyes. Only shock and panic.
Her voice trembled. “Darling… what are you doing here?”
I knew something was off.
So I decided to test her.
I said coldly, “Mr. Hardey sent me. He told me everything. I’m here to finish it.”
I clenched my fists and stepped forward.
I locked eyes with Elsa, determined to get the truth.
Her face turned deathly pale. She suddenly screamed, “Help! He’s a murderer! He hurt me before! Somebody stop him!”
That bitch. She really was guilty.
Fury surged through me, and I marched toward her, seething.
Elsa backed away in tears, shouting, “Help! He’s a killer! He’s going to murder me!”
Lily stepped in front of her. Alice spread her arms and blocked my path.
A wave of bitter grief washed over me, and at last, I saw Elsa for who she really was.
It was all true.
Elsa hadn’t been raped by Saul—she had willingly cheated on me with him.
And she took a fortune from him, too…
I growled, “Move. I’m killing that damn woman today.”
Alice stepped forward in panic. “Mr. Leon, please calm down! Can’t we talk this out?”
I pointed at Elsa, burning with rage. “After we got married, I gave her every cent I earned so she could live in luxury. And what did she do? She slept with another man! She’s the reason I became a murderer! The reason I ended up abandoned on this island!”
Elsa, hiding behind Lily, shouted back, “I never told you to kill anyone! You slaughtered poor Saul without even understanding the situation! We were married for two years, and you were barely ever home! I finally found someone who truly loved me, and you—some criminal freak—brutally murdered him!”
Elsa sobbed louder. “He was out killing and burning as a mercenary… I was terrified, but too afraid to divorce him. Poor Saul never even got to say goodbye. He died with fifteen stab wounds in his back!”
Her tears drew the other women’s sympathy.
They believed the justice system couldn’t be wrong, so they stood between me and Elsa, refusing to let me touch her.
I didn’t want to hurt anyone innocent—or beat a woman—so I didn’t use force.
Seeing me hesitate, Elsa grew bold.
“Leon, don’t think I don’t know what kind of filth you’ve done! You’ve robbed and killed your way through country after country! Tell them—didn’t you traffic organs in Mambia?! Didn’t you massacre the elderly and children in Mordovia?!”
The girls gasped and recoiled.
They looked at me like I was a demon straight from hell.
I almost laughed.
Yes, I’ve carried out missions across the world, walking through fire and bullets. I’ve killed—some of them deserved it.
But even mercenaries have rules. I’d never do anything truly wicked.
If anything, I’m more like a bounty hunter.
Criminals who caused chaos in places like Mambia and Tanovia—people offered big money to eliminate them.
Some families paid hundreds of thousands, even millions, to get their kidnapped loved ones back.
My team and I would infiltrate crime zones, take out the scum, and rescue the victims.
But for the sake of operational secrecy, I didn’t explain any of this out loud.
And my silence only made the women more afraid.
After a moment, Alice stepped forward. “Mr. Leon… I’m really grateful you saved me. And I do believe you didn’t traffic organs. But… Elsa isn’t completely lying, is she? You’ve killed people, haven’t you?”
I nodded. “That’s right. I’ve killed bad people during missions.”
Elsa screamed, “They’re still people! You’re not God! What gives you the right to decide who lives and who dies?!”
Alice nodded slowly. “She’s right, Leon. You don’t have that right.”
I let out a cold laugh. “So what—you’re saying the only way to deal with kidnappers and con artists is to arrest them one by one, hold trials, and wait for the courts to decide?”
Alice answered as if it were obvious. “Yes. We live in a civilized society. That’s what the law is for.”
Elsa jumped on the moment. “Leon, get lost! No one wants a killer like you here! Leave! We don’t want anything to do with you!”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
