Alas!
With a sigh, the man shook his head helplessly.
Not for any other reason than he couldn't bear to see her cry.
Kristino pulled out a tissue and gently wiped away Du Ruoxin's tears. "Alright."
His voice was extremely hoarse, like the most beautiful cello strings in the world.
Du Ruoxin immediately stopped crying and beamed, "Yay~ I knew my brother treated me the best!"
Kristino, however, frowned slightly. "However..."
Du Ruoxin, like a good child, was very agreeable. "Brother, please speak."
Kristino's expression turned solemn. "The child is what you want. Whether it's a boy or a girl, you must take responsibility."
"Also, he will not be included in the Rothschild family's genealogy."
In other words, Clara's child would not take his surname.
And, if one day Du Ruoxin no longer wanted to be responsible, he would not acknowledge this child.
"Okay, I'll take responsibility, I'll definitely see it through!" Du Ruoxin quickly agreed.
As long as her brother was willing to let the child stay, anything was negotiable.
The future was long, with so many variables, she refused to believe she couldn't change her brother's heart of stone!
—
In the quiet room where the fall of a pin could be heard, despite the bright sun and scorching heat outside, the curtains were drawn tight, making the interior dark and somewhat chilling.
Caroline stood straight, head bowed, not daring to move or look around.
Alas!
Kristino—
His tenderness was always reserved only for Du Ruoxin.
It was as if other women in his presence paled in comparison, making him detest them more than a dirty rag.
How could such a man exist in the world? Possessing immense power, wealth, handsomeness, and a fatal charm, yet being as cold and terrifying as a devil.
Perhaps in this world, the only one who could warm him, the only one who could melt his heart, was Du Ruoxin?
But Du Ruoxin's heart already belonged to another, and furthermore, they were siblings.
If only...
Having waited in vain for "him" to enter, Caroline let her thoughts wander, and gradually, she no longer felt afraid.
Coupled with the ticking of the clock in the room, like rhythmic music, it played her heartbeat.
Time seemed to rewind to that night, that night when two entwined bodies, like burning fire, spread through her limbs.
Alas—
Caroline sighed repeatedly. Every time she thought of those moments, she couldn't help but feel distressed.
It was as if that pain was etched into her bones, enduring through the passage of time and the transformation of seas into mulberry fields, the memory remained.
The most painful thing in the world was to be pushed into another man's arms by the man you loved, becoming a tool for him to deal with his enemies.
And she, in repeated transactions, sank deeper and deeper, even irrecoverably falling in love with this thrill.
Simply because...
"Ding—"
The door opened.
Caroline smelled the familiar scent in the air, knowing he had arrived.
She reined in her scattered thoughts, bowed, and said, "Sir."
Kristino pulled the curtain slightly aside. It was already dark outside, and the soft streetlights cast their glow through the glass.
Caroline saw his shoes but dared not look up.
She also saw the items placed on the coffee table.
Her face changed drastically!
Kristino sat down, crossed his legs, and said, "Choose."
A faint, extremely cold word that made Caroline tremble.
Before her lay a gun, a dagger, a branding iron, and a rope.
Caroline's face became extremely distressed. No matter how radiant or how many people flocked to her outside, in front of him, she was nothing more than an ant.
No dignity, no joy or sorrow, just a puppet unworthy of emotions.