Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret - Chapter 55: Chapter 55
You are reading Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret, Chapter 55: Chapter 55. Read more chapters of Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret.
Caleb nodded. "Leave it to me."
Sally was still trying to figure out what was happening when Caleb grabbed the man's arm and started dragging him toward the treatment room. "Mrs. Zale," Caleb called, "I need to use your treatment room for a moment."
Then, Caleb shut the door from the inside.
Thump.
The loud sound of the door closing seemed to echo through every corner of the clinic.
Everyone's attention snapped to the treatment room. No one had a clue what Caleb was up to.
It wasn't until Casey Quinn's screams came from inside that Sally realized something was seriously wrong.
"Mr. Zale," Sally said to Jaxon, her voice tight with anxiety, a flicker of worry in her eyes, "maybe we should just call the police! He's already had an allergic reaction and just came out of shock. If he gets seriously hurt now, things could get really complicated."
Abigail chimed in, "Yeah, Jaxon! Let's just call the cops!"
Jaxon sat in the examination chair, one long arm resting on the table, his ringed fingers tapping lightly against the surface.
Tap. Tap. Tap...
The rhythm was unnervingly precise, making everyone in the room hold their breath.
After a moment, he said coolly, "Forgiving an enemy is just being cruel to yourself."
As he finished speaking, Jaxon lifted his piercing gaze to meet Sally's anxious one.
Seeing she didn't respond, he continued, "Didn't Ms. Nell say your medical skills are among the best in Westmere, Mrs. Zale? Even if my guy roughs him up a bit, someone with your talent can surely pull him back from death's door."
Carlos watched the unruffled Jaxon, wanting to speak but hesitating.
'If this goes on,' she thought, 'not even Sally, no, not even the best doctor in the world could save him... it would be too late.'
"This is your last chance. Are you going to talk or not?" A sharp voice, Caleb's, suddenly cut through from the other room.
Sally looked up at the sound and her eyes widened at the horrifying scene unfolding.
The treatment room door had frosted glass, allowing her to see blurred shapes inside.
She could clearly make out Caleb's hand lifting, something sharp and knife-like glinting within his grasp.
And below it, on a table, was Casey's hand.Beneath the table, you could see Casey Quinn's hand...
Sally's heart leaped into her throat.
Abigail, standing beside her, instinctively grabbed Sally's arm, unable to watch any longer, and buried her face in Sally's shoulder.
Carlos, on the other side, also turned away, not wanting to see.
Only Sally kept her eyes glued to the frosted glass, not even blinking.
Jaxon, seated next to her, wasn't looking at the door. His gaze was fixed on Sally, taking in the resolute set of her jaw, the unwavering determination in her eyes.
A faint, unreadable smile touched his lips.
Just as the blade was about to descend, Casey blurted out, "It was Elise, Elise Tatum!"
Instantly, Caleb's hand froze, the weapon hovering just inches above Casey's skin.
Clang.
The weapon clattered to the floor, the sound sharp and loud, clearly audible even to Sally and the others outside.
"Elise Tatum?" Abigail stared at Sally in disbelief. "Sally, isn't Elise Tatum one of Lena Yasmin's lackeys?"
Sally's eyes darkened. She nodded slowly. "Yes."
'I never imagined it would be someone sent by Elise,' Sally thought.
Seeing Sally and Abigail's reactions, Jaxon stopped tapping his fingers.
His gaze on Sally softened a fraction. "Sounds like you know her?"
Sally looked down, then met Jaxon's eyes and nodded. "She's the woman who was with Lena Yasmin when I first came to look at the clinic space."
Jaxon searched his memory for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "I have a vague recollection."
Click.
The door opened, and Caleb stepped out. Sally quickly moved forward and peered inside.
Casey was a mess of bruises, clearly having sustained internal injuries, with a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Sally had always heard Jaxon was ruthless, but she hadn't realized his men were quite this brutal. 'It sends a shiver down my spine,' she thought.
"Now that we have a name," Jaxon said, his voice low and his expression as impassive as ever, "get him to a hospital. Don't leave him here to dirty Mrs. Zale's clinic."
"Yes, Mr. Zale," Caleb replied.
"Use the back door," Carlos quickly interjected, stepping forward to lead Caleb away. "There are too many people out front."
Abigail turned to Sally. "I'll go help out."
Sally nodded slightly, not saying a word as she watched Abigail head out the front door.
Jaxon's gaze returned to Sally's face. "Now that we know who's behind this, what's your plan?"
His familiar voice made Sally instinctively turn to look at him.
Their eyes met, and her expression grew serious.
'Honestly, I don't have much of a personal vendetta against Elise,' Sally mused.
'The real issue is with Lena. Even though Elise was the one to carry this out, I'm certain Lena was pulling the strings.
'More precisely, Elise was probably acting on Lena's orders to target me.
'What a lovely 'welcome gift' for my clinic's opening day, one I only got to properly 'unwrap' three days later.
'Truly devious!'
A snap of fingers beside her ear startled her.
Sally's train of thought shattered. Snapping back to the present, she turned and met Jaxon's direct gaze.
Sally's train of thought shattered. Snapping back to the present, she turned and met Jaxon's direct gaze.
Composing herself, she said quietly, "This probably still has something to do with Brad."
Jaxon frowned. "How is my nephew involved? Is this Tatum woman close to him too?"
"No," Sally shook her head, her voice flat. "The one who's really close to him is Lena."
"So, you're saying this Tatum woman was ordered by Lena Yasmin to come after you?" Jaxon pressed.
"That's my guess," Sally admitted. "I can't be entirely sure yet. It'll take more digging, maybe some more questioning to find out for sure... " she trailed off, lost in thought.
"Do you need my help?" Jaxon's deep voice cut into her thoughts.
Sally's immediate instinct was to refuse. "No, thank you. This is between her and me. I don't want to drag anyone else into it."
Jaxon suddenly stood and stepped closer to her. "Anyone else? Aren't we family?"
Sally's back stiffened.
'He knows perfectly well I'm about to divorce Brad,' she thought. 'How can he still say we're family?'
The space between them abruptly shrank. Sally could feel the warmth of his breath, see how his thick lashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyes in the bright light of the clinic.
Suppressing a wave of nervousness, she managed a cool, noncommittal smile. "Brad and I are getting divorced very soon. I don't think that qualifies us as family anymore, does it?"
Sally was still trying to figure out what was happening when Caleb grabbed the man's arm and started dragging him toward the treatment room. "Mrs. Zale," Caleb called, "I need to use your treatment room for a moment."
Then, Caleb shut the door from the inside.
Thump.
The loud sound of the door closing seemed to echo through every corner of the clinic.
Everyone's attention snapped to the treatment room. No one had a clue what Caleb was up to.
It wasn't until Casey Quinn's screams came from inside that Sally realized something was seriously wrong.
"Mr. Zale," Sally said to Jaxon, her voice tight with anxiety, a flicker of worry in her eyes, "maybe we should just call the police! He's already had an allergic reaction and just came out of shock. If he gets seriously hurt now, things could get really complicated."
Abigail chimed in, "Yeah, Jaxon! Let's just call the cops!"
Jaxon sat in the examination chair, one long arm resting on the table, his ringed fingers tapping lightly against the surface.
Tap. Tap. Tap...
The rhythm was unnervingly precise, making everyone in the room hold their breath.
After a moment, he said coolly, "Forgiving an enemy is just being cruel to yourself."
As he finished speaking, Jaxon lifted his piercing gaze to meet Sally's anxious one.
Seeing she didn't respond, he continued, "Didn't Ms. Nell say your medical skills are among the best in Westmere, Mrs. Zale? Even if my guy roughs him up a bit, someone with your talent can surely pull him back from death's door."
Carlos watched the unruffled Jaxon, wanting to speak but hesitating.
'If this goes on,' she thought, 'not even Sally, no, not even the best doctor in the world could save him... it would be too late.'
"This is your last chance. Are you going to talk or not?" A sharp voice, Caleb's, suddenly cut through from the other room.
Sally looked up at the sound and her eyes widened at the horrifying scene unfolding.
The treatment room door had frosted glass, allowing her to see blurred shapes inside.
She could clearly make out Caleb's hand lifting, something sharp and knife-like glinting within his grasp.
And below it, on a table, was Casey's hand.Beneath the table, you could see Casey Quinn's hand...
Sally's heart leaped into her throat.
Abigail, standing beside her, instinctively grabbed Sally's arm, unable to watch any longer, and buried her face in Sally's shoulder.
Carlos, on the other side, also turned away, not wanting to see.
Only Sally kept her eyes glued to the frosted glass, not even blinking.
Jaxon, seated next to her, wasn't looking at the door. His gaze was fixed on Sally, taking in the resolute set of her jaw, the unwavering determination in her eyes.
A faint, unreadable smile touched his lips.
Just as the blade was about to descend, Casey blurted out, "It was Elise, Elise Tatum!"
Instantly, Caleb's hand froze, the weapon hovering just inches above Casey's skin.
Clang.
The weapon clattered to the floor, the sound sharp and loud, clearly audible even to Sally and the others outside.
"Elise Tatum?" Abigail stared at Sally in disbelief. "Sally, isn't Elise Tatum one of Lena Yasmin's lackeys?"
Sally's eyes darkened. She nodded slowly. "Yes."
'I never imagined it would be someone sent by Elise,' Sally thought.
Seeing Sally and Abigail's reactions, Jaxon stopped tapping his fingers.
His gaze on Sally softened a fraction. "Sounds like you know her?"
Sally looked down, then met Jaxon's eyes and nodded. "She's the woman who was with Lena Yasmin when I first came to look at the clinic space."
Jaxon searched his memory for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "I have a vague recollection."
Click.
The door opened, and Caleb stepped out. Sally quickly moved forward and peered inside.
Casey was a mess of bruises, clearly having sustained internal injuries, with a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Sally had always heard Jaxon was ruthless, but she hadn't realized his men were quite this brutal. 'It sends a shiver down my spine,' she thought.
"Now that we have a name," Jaxon said, his voice low and his expression as impassive as ever, "get him to a hospital. Don't leave him here to dirty Mrs. Zale's clinic."
"Yes, Mr. Zale," Caleb replied.
"Use the back door," Carlos quickly interjected, stepping forward to lead Caleb away. "There are too many people out front."
Abigail turned to Sally. "I'll go help out."
Sally nodded slightly, not saying a word as she watched Abigail head out the front door.
Jaxon's gaze returned to Sally's face. "Now that we know who's behind this, what's your plan?"
His familiar voice made Sally instinctively turn to look at him.
Their eyes met, and her expression grew serious.
'Honestly, I don't have much of a personal vendetta against Elise,' Sally mused.
'The real issue is with Lena. Even though Elise was the one to carry this out, I'm certain Lena was pulling the strings.
'More precisely, Elise was probably acting on Lena's orders to target me.
'What a lovely 'welcome gift' for my clinic's opening day, one I only got to properly 'unwrap' three days later.
'Truly devious!'
A snap of fingers beside her ear startled her.
Sally's train of thought shattered. Snapping back to the present, she turned and met Jaxon's direct gaze.
Sally's train of thought shattered. Snapping back to the present, she turned and met Jaxon's direct gaze.
Composing herself, she said quietly, "This probably still has something to do with Brad."
Jaxon frowned. "How is my nephew involved? Is this Tatum woman close to him too?"
"No," Sally shook her head, her voice flat. "The one who's really close to him is Lena."
"So, you're saying this Tatum woman was ordered by Lena Yasmin to come after you?" Jaxon pressed.
"That's my guess," Sally admitted. "I can't be entirely sure yet. It'll take more digging, maybe some more questioning to find out for sure... " she trailed off, lost in thought.
"Do you need my help?" Jaxon's deep voice cut into her thoughts.
Sally's immediate instinct was to refuse. "No, thank you. This is between her and me. I don't want to drag anyone else into it."
Jaxon suddenly stood and stepped closer to her. "Anyone else? Aren't we family?"
Sally's back stiffened.
'He knows perfectly well I'm about to divorce Brad,' she thought. 'How can he still say we're family?'
The space between them abruptly shrank. Sally could feel the warmth of his breath, see how his thick lashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyes in the bright light of the clinic.
Suppressing a wave of nervousness, she managed a cool, noncommittal smile. "Brad and I are getting divorced very soon. I don't think that qualifies us as family anymore, does it?"
End of Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret Chapter 55. Continue reading Chapter 56 or return to Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret book page.