...

Suburban Villa.

A steady stream of doctors came and went, and the villa was brightly lit throughout the night.

Linda lay on the bed, her breath weak, as if she might never wake up again.

Edward Benson stayed by the bedside. From the moment he held her and brought her back, her whole body was injured, and fresh blood had already soaked her clothes.

The servant, helping her change out of those bloodstained clothes, wore a shocked expression; her body was almost without a single patch of unharmed skin.

The shocking scars were heart-wrenching to see.

Edward Benson tightly gripped her hand, wishing he could bear all the pain for her.

The night is deep, deadly silent, inside the spacious bedroom, only the sound of the IV drip ticking away.

After being unconscious for two days and two nights, Linda slowly opened her eyes. Seeing this familiar yet strange environment, her memories gradually started to return.

"Linda, you’re awake?"

Edward Benson’s voice was hoarse, his facial color haggard, and his eyes filled with bloodshot fatigue.

He excitedly gripped her hand tighter, leaning forward, "How do you feel, is there anywhere that still feels uncomfortable?"

Linda stared blankly at him, her memory returning to the scene before she fainted; he saved her...

Even after her repeated attempts to assassinate his friend, he saved her without hesitation.

Linda struggled to pull her hand from his grip, Edward Benson lowered his head at her actions, feeling a void in his heart, immediately filling with streams of blood.

"Linda... what’s wrong with you?"

"Thank you for saving me, I don’t know how to express my gratitude." She spoke truthfully. Nowadays, she was all alone and had nothing.

She didn’t know how to thank him for saving her life.

"It wasn’t me who saved you, it was Thomas Shannon." Edward Benson told her softly.

If it hadn’t been for Thomas Shannon asking his father to step in, Lillian Spencer wouldn’t have released her under the pressure from Your Excellency Mr. President.

This time, they truly owed Thomas Shannon a great deal.

Linda’s gaze faltered slightly, "Thomas Shannon saved me?"

How could it be...

She had attempted to assassinate him time and again, it was already a favor that he hadn’t killed her, why would he save her? 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Her eyes gradually came to rest on Edward Benson’s face, "It was you... wasn’t it?"

Only he could persuade Thomas Shannon.

And only he could make Thomas Shannon agree.

Edward Benson gave a bitter smile, his hoarse voice like rough sandpaper grinding against a wall, "Those things are past; how do you feel? Are you hungry?"

Linda withdrew her gaze, her heart a mix of emotions.

What is called repaying kindness with enmity?

She was repaying kindness with enmity...

The first assassination attempt, Thomas Shannon overlooked because of Edward Benson.

The second time, Thomas Shannon still allowed her to go because of Edward Benson’s desperate pleas, otherwise, she would have had no chance of leaving Shannons’ Manor alive.

Sophie Sullivan would have taken her life.

Those men in black would not have let her go either.

But Thomas Shannon, seeing how desperately he begged, let her leave safely.

Even now, Thomas Shannon once again saved her because of his plea.

Guilt and self-reproach made Linda feel deeply ashamed.

She did want revenge, but never to the point of losing her conscience and moral compass.

If... if at that time she had listened to Edward Benson and left Lillian Spencer, would everything have turned out differently?

Would there be a different, more harmonious situation now?

She felt sorry towards Edward Benson, and she couldn’t bear to face him.

"Linda, what’s wrong?" Edward Benson saw the tears sliding down the corner of her eyes.