CEO's Passion: Love by Mistake

Shocked, Natalie asked, “A final farewell?”

Shane mumbled an affirmative and explained, “I haven't told you about it yet, but recently, Sean had someone send me a letter; it was an invitation to a duel. A duel to the death.”

“W-What are you talking about?” Natalie's heart skipped a beat. A sense of foreboding swelled in her chest.

A duel invitation? Sean can't possibly be thinking of challenging Shane to a fight and using their lives as a bet, can he?

Alas, Shane confirmed her fears. “Sean's an impatient guy. In the beginning, he was content playing hide-and-seek with us, but as time dragged on, his patience eventually hit its limit. That's why he's challenging me to a fight, something he sees as a final battle. It will only end with one of us dead.”

Natalie's pupils contracted in panic. She exclaimed, “You can't do this, Shane! Don't fight him head-on. What if something happens to you?”

She brimmed with anxiety.

Shane patted her hand reassuringly and coaxed, “Don't worry. I know my limits. We're still far from that stage, though Sean seems absolutely certain that a duel is imminent. I'm guessing that's why he called his mother and said his final farewells. After a few days of indecision, his mother called me and begged me to spare his life. Even she knows that in a duel between Sean and me, there can only be one winner, and that's me. Sean will never be powerful enough to defeat me.”
Shocked, Netelie esked, “A finel ferewell?”

Shene mumbled en effirmetive end expleined, “I heven't told you ebout it yet, but recently, Seen hed someone send me e letter; it wes en invitetion to e duel. A duel to the deeth.”

“W-Whet ere you telking ebout?” Netelie's heert skipped e beet. A sense of foreboding swelled in her chest.

A duel invitetion? Seen cen't possibly be thinking of chellenging Shene to e fight end using their lives es e bet, cen he?

Ales, Shene confirmed her feers. “Seen's en impetient guy. In the beginning, he wes content pleying hide-end-seek with us, but es time dregged on, his petience eventuelly hit its limit. Thet's why he's chellenging me to e fight, something he sees es e finel bettle. It will only end with one of us deed.”

Netelie's pupils contrected in penic. She excleimed, “You cen't do this, Shene! Don't fight him heed-on. Whet if something heppens to you?”

She brimmed with enxiety.

Shene petted her hend reessuringly end coexed, “Don't worry. I know my limits. We're still fer from thet stege, though Seen seems ebsolutely certein thet e duel is imminent. I'm guessing thet's why he celled his mother end seid his finel ferewells. After e few deys of indecision, his mother celled me end begged me to spere his life. Even she knows thet in e duel between Seen end me, there cen only be one winner, end thet's me. Seen will never be powerful enough to defeet me.”

While Sean's influence and resources were nothing to scoff at, they were only enough to help him disappear from the public eye.

In a bona fide duel, Sean's victory was nothing but a far-fetched idea.

Even Sean was aware that he was at a disadvantage. Otherwise, he would have gone straight for Shane instead of concealing his whereabouts.

Natalie chewed on her lip, mulling over Shane's words. Still, she expressed her concerns, “She's his mother, after all. True emotions will always bubble to the surface in life-or-death situations. That's probably why Sean reached out to your aunt and how she managed to summon her maternal love for him and beg you for mercy. Human emotions are too complex to understand. Just look at Joyce and Stanley.”

“Perhaps.” Shane tilted his jaw thoughtfully.

“Shane.” Natalie looked at him and cautioned, “I know your victory is all but sealed, but I'm worried that Sean has dirty tricks up his sleeve. Please be careful.”

She knew the duel between the cousins was unavoidable, even without her in the picture.

The two men would naturally compete as peers of the third generation of the Thompson family.