Chapter 13 Her Conditions

• Liliana looked at Jonathan in surprise.
• Ever since they met in Maple city, his reactions had been weird.
• “Am I missing something here?” She asked in a neutral tone.
• Jonathan gulped a glass full of water to keep himself from choking.
• “I am sorry about that day. It was my fault.” He did not know what to do other than give empty apologies.
• “What exactly are you apologizing for?” She asked him straightforwardly.
• “For not protecting you, for not seeking justice for you, for letting you get hurt in my turf, for letting them walk away Scott free.” He listed his reasons. ‘For not recognizing you, for not finding you sooner,’ he added in his heart.
• “As long as you are not apologizing for them, we are fine.” Liliana smiled sadly.
• “What does that mean?” Vincent asked.
• “That brings me to our conditions - I have a history with the Aprice family and Vivian Stone. That episode seven years ago had nothing to do with you. The same goes for what happened in the mall in Maple City. While your presence may have acted as a catalyst, it was never the main ingredient. Our decades-long feud is coming to an end. And I want your assurances that you will be neutral, come what may. I do not want to fight you, and I do not want you to speak for me. You helping me will only complicate things.”
• Jonathan listened to her intently and frowned, ‘decades-long feud? What was that?’.
• “Why would my help complicate things?” He asked slowly, unsure whether he wanted to know the answer or not.
• “Because I don’t want a target on your back. Nor do I want my enemies to use you as bait.” She said calmly.
• Vincent choked on air, ‘isn’t that supposed to be the man’s line?’ he thought in his head.
• Jonathan glared at him coldly, and he looked away.
• “Don’t get me wrong. The Aprices or Vivian can’t touch me. They have only been complacent because I had better things to prioritize. But now, I want to play, and I am afraid you will end up as collateral damage with your history with them. I know they would not care. You are a person, not a prize or a thing. Besides, you have donated blood to Li for so many years.” She explained calmly.
• Jonathan felt stuffy in his chest. He cleared his throat and answered, “I promise. I won’t meddle. No matter what. I was not going to help them anyway. But since you have asked, I will just be neutral.
• Liliana nodded emotionlessly, “Thank you.”
• Jonathan continued, “Since we are speaking candidly, let me clarify my equations with them both.”
• Liliana clenched her fists and answered, “You don’t have to.”
• Jonathan answered unhesitatingly, “I want to.”
• She just nodded. She was afraid of Jonathan’s answer, but she was also curious.