Facade of Love

Chapter 51 The man from five years ago reappeared

With that, the man landed a kick squarely on her chest. The woman, who was already frail, was sent sprawling backward in a heap of limbs.

Despite the blow, she made no protest. Instead, she picked herself up and continued her plea, “Alex, please, have some mercy. Just a little bit, I promise I’ll leave right away, I won’t be a bother.”

With that, she crawled towards him again.

Disgusted, the man drew a knife from his pocket, pointing it menacingly at her. “You don’t plan on leaving, do you?”

At the sight of the knife, the woman recoiled, scrambling to her feet and stumbling away.

Surveying the scene, I had no intention of lingering. I was ready to find an exit and leave. As I was about to look away, my eyes caught the snake pattern on the knife in the man’s hand.

My mind buzzed, and a flood of familiar memories surged forward.

I knew that knife. Five years ago, in a Mandala hotel, that man had pressed it against my throat, threatening to slit my veins and make me bleed out if I dared to scream.

The snake pattern on the knife handle was etched into my memory. It was something I would never forget, not even in death. Pushing down the wave of emotions, I watched as the shoe–shiner put away the knife, glanced around, picked up his tools, and headed towards an alley on his right.

I saw it clearly. That

Alex Martinez.

hell, nearly killed me at the border, and made it impossible for me to return to my old

find him. I wanted

father himself that I had

him here. This time, I would not let him escape, even if it cost me my life. With that thought, I started to follow

screamed, but looking up, I saw it

not bother with pleasantries. I pushed him away and tried to continue

voice low. “Yvette, are you trying to

paused, looking at him. “How do you know he’s a

glanced in the direction where the man had vanished before he let go of me. “He’s armed with a knife, and that shoebox is filled with opium. Why are you

shoebox, but Idris’s reminder brought it back to me. Alex had been involved in illegal

was knee–deep in

begging him on her

explained her skeletal

spent five years searching for him, and now that I had finally found him, I was not

The man from five

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