Chapter 9 Caught Off Guard

• "Uh, sorry about earlier. I didn’t realize you were..." Summer’s voice wavered with guilt as she tried to offer an apology. Yet, the words seemed utterly inadequate. Ferdinand, on the other hand, sauntered toward her at a leisurely pace, moving with deliberate slowness. He stopped right in front of her, his tone calm as he said, "So, should I be grateful to you, or should I just end you?"
• His unexpected question struck her like a punch to the gut. She had seen the blood-soaked corpse he had been holding and knew all too well just how dangerous he was—a cold-blooded killer she couldn’t afford to cross. Her voice shook as she muttered, "I don’t need you to thank me. It was my mistake for the slip of the tongue earlier. I shouldn’t have been so reckless with my words. But since I helped you, please don’t kill me. My blood’s filthy—it’ll just taint your hands." She was genuinely terrified of him, and by the time she finished, her voice had turned shaky, almost whimpering in fear. She resembled a helpless lamb facing a menacing predator.
• However, Ferdinand had already figured out her deceptions long ago. He didn’t buy a single word of her apology. "Help me? Are you really saying your plan was just to hide me in the wardrobe? Not to lock me in under the pretense of offering help?" His words struck like an arrow, instantly revealing Summer’s little scheme. There was nowhere for her to hide, fully exposed under his gaze. Her face, already pale, drained of even more color. Reluctantly, she confessed, "Yes, that crossed my mind—because I assumed you were a murderer." Had I known your true identity, I wouldn’t have dared to try, not even with ten times the courage!