Rebirth Swapped Bride; Married to the Ruthless Cursed Billionaire
Chapter 396: Just Let me escape

Chapter 396: Just Let me escape

Antonio took his time with the cigarette, his dark gaze fixed on the woman who had haunted his thoughts for years, watching her through the haze of smoke as he waited for her to beg.

Just as expected.

"Name another condition," Camilla said after a moment of deliberation, lifting her eyes to meet his.

Her clear, piercing gaze softened with a plea.

"Anything but divorcing Sinclair and leaving the Luther Family—I’ll agree to anything else."

That was exactly what he’d been waiting for.

"A look like that—no man could refuse you," Antonio said with a low chuckle, flicking the ash from his cigarette.

"Least of all me."

"Camilla, I can wait for you and Sinclair’s divorce papers, but on one condition—"

His dark eyes narrowed as they fixed on Camilla, his voice deliberate and measured.

"You have to be mine."

Only by possessing Camilla could he fulfill the longing that had consumed him for years—and smoothly execute his next moves.

Camilla’s brows knitted tightly, her gaze icy.

The slender fingers that had been absently tracing the diamond bracelet suddenly clenched into fists.

After steadying herself with a few deep breaths, she spoke coldly.

"And if I refuse?

What then?"

"My medical research institute is still in need of a female cadaver for study.

I’ve observed that Tiffany would be... quite suitable."

Antonio’s inscrutable eyes bore into her, his expression unreadable.

"Then we could examine her together."

"You—"

Camilla’s glare turned murderous, her jaw tightening with barely restrained fury.

"Twenty minutes."

Antonio’s faint smile, wreathed in cigarette smoke, seemed to darken with an ominous shadow.

"Camilla, this is the last of my patience."

"...Understood."

A glacial chill deepened in Camilla’s downcast eyes.

If Fany wasn’t rescued within twenty minutes, she would execute her final plan.

Antonio continued smoking leisurely, his triumphant gaze fixed on Camilla’s stormy expression—the look of a man already counting his victory.

The third-floor hallway.

Two bodyguards swiftly unlocked a door with their keys and strode inside.

A middle-aged woman and several other servants hurried in after them.

Every face in the group was grim.

If anything happened to that woman, every last one of them assigned to this villa would face dire consequences.

"Where is she?"

The room was empty.

Everyone froze in disbelief.

Then the woman’s eyes landed on the camera hidden in the bedding.

Her voice trembled as she gasped, "D-did she escape?"

"The bathroom—check the bathroom!" The bodyguards snapped into action, spinning around and charging toward the bathroom door.

They began kicking it furiously.

The bathroom window was set high in the wall, with no footholds or ledges outside.

No one had believed Tiffany could possibly climb out from there.

That was why they’d left it unsealed—why they hadn’t even bothered posting a guard.

Bang!

Bang!

Under the relentless battering of the two bodyguards, the bathroom door finally gave way, crashing to the floor with a heavy thud.

The sound echoed sharply through the silent villa. Hanging mid-air, Tiffany’s pupils shrank in terror before widening abruptly.

They found her already?! She glanced down at the ground—still a fair distance below—and panic surged through her.

Gritting her teeth, she quickened her descent.

The two bodyguards rushed into the bathroom first, followed closely by the lady of the house and the other servants.

Their eyes immediately locked onto the open window above and the makeshift rope—twisted from towels—tied to a pillar.

"Damn it!"

One of the bodyguards hoisted himself onto the sink and clambered up to the window, peering down.

In an instant, he spotted Tiffany dangling in mid-air.

"We’ll hold onto the rope from up here!

You lot, get downstairs—wait for her below! Don’t let her escape!"

"Right away!"

The lady and the servants nodded frantically before scrambling toward the stairs.

The two bodyguards gripped the makeshift rope made from bath towels and pulled upward with all their strength.

Despite the downward force, Tiffany’s slender frame was helplessly dragged upward.

Her face was deathly pale.

She knew all too well—if they hauled her back, escape would be impossible.

*Better to take the chance now, while the others below haven’t noticed.*

A flash of resolve crossed her eyes.

*If luck isn’t on my side... at least don’t let me land on my face.*

Gritting her teeth, she let go. Her body plummeted straight down.

*Thud.*

The impact against the lawn sent a dull, bone-deep ache radiating through her organs.

The corners of her lips twitched in something like bitter amusement.

*Pain is good.

At least it means I’m still alive.

Footsteps—approaching fast.

Her pupils flickered.

Damn. They’re coming.

* Ignoring the pain, she bit her lip hard and forced herself up.

Keeping close to the wall to avoid being spotted from above, she slipped into the dense thicket of pink roses she had scouted earlier.

The sharp thorns tore at Tiffany’s skin, but she clamped a hand over her mouth, not daring to make a sound. Footsteps drew closer.

"Where is she?"

a panicked voice rang out.

"She fell from three or four meters up—she couldn’t have gone far.

Find her, now!"

A man’s voice, cold and tense, cuts through the air.

"If we fail, the boss won’t let us off easily." "Understood."

"Right..."

The group scattered.

Several sets of footsteps began moving toward Tiffany’s hiding place.

What should she do?

The backyard wasn’t that big, and with so many people searching, it was only a matter of time before they found her.

What should she do?!

Tiffany’s face was deathly pale, wracked by pain both inside and out.

Clamping a hand over her mouth, she listened as the footsteps drew nearer, her wide, tear-filled eyes brimming with terror.

Desperate prayers raced through her mind.

Oh, merciful gods and bodhisattvas, I’ve lived

all these years without ever doing anything truly wicked.

Please, I beg you—show me pity, save me from this suffering.

Just let me escape... ...

She repeated every plea she could think of, but the footsteps still halted just a few paces away from her hiding spot.

"Look—these stems seem bent, like someone pushed through here."

Tiffany froze, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Yeah, you’re right. It’s faint, but there are marks here too."

"That woman might be hiding in there.

Open it up—quick!"