Love Until Death Do Us Part novel Chapter 4

Too bad Zoey's all banged up right now, otherwise he would've pinned that chick to the couch a long time ago.

He reached out, still horny as hell, itching to cop a feel of the woman's creamy legs. Athena suddenly kicked up, slamming her knee into the dude's face.-

"Ah!"

Zoey was a total pushover, his cry weak as hell. Athena snatched the towel from his hand, circled behind him, and started choking him with it.

"Help! Somebody help! Don't kill me! How much do you want? I'll wire it to you right now, is a hundred grand enough? How about three hundred? If you're after five hundred grand, I'm gonna have to hit up Newman, and that guy might not even lend it to me."

Zoey was a mess of tears and blood, streaming down his young face. He felt like the world's biggest sucker, just got to Stardale City and got his butt whooped by a five-year-old, and now he was at the mercy of a knockout, life hanging by a thread.

Athena, cool as a cucumber, whipped out her phone and hit record.

"You wanna stay alive? I say something; you repeat after me."

And she went, "I, Zoey."

Zoey, voice all scratchy and shaking, parroted back, "I, Zoey."

"Voluntarily call off the Bradshaw family and the Dempsey family alliance. I swear, I'll never marry Athena in this lifetime."

The towel's choking the life out of Zoey, his face turning blue, no room for thinking, just echoing her every word.

"Voluntarily call off the Bradshaw family and the Dempsey family alliance. I swear, I’ll never, huh?" Zoey suddenly realized what he was spewing out.

Athena saw him pause and tightened the towel.

"Ugh! I swear, I'll never marry Athena in this lifetime!"

Satisfied with the response, Athena let go of the towel, saving the recording on her phone. She warned the dude, "Remember what you said. You're no longer engaged to Ms. Athena Dempsey."

Zoey's hacking up a lung, clutching his red-marked neck one second, nursing his aching head the next.

As the woman made to leave, he yelled out, "So, all this was for that recording? But me calling off the engagement is pointless! It was Newman who set up the engagement. I don't wanna marry some lousy woman who already has had some other man’s kid, but even if I cry, throw tantrums, or threaten to hang myself, it won’t make an iota of difference to Newman!"

Then it hit Zoey, "You're making me break off the engagement with Ms. Dempsey 'cause you're crushing on me?"

Just then, the private room door swung open, and there stood Newman. The man was all stoic and reeked of celibacy, a chill emanating from him.

Seeing Newman rocked Athena's world; she wanted zip to do with the guy. Mask on, she figured Newman couldn't pin her down. She slid her thumb across her phone, hitting record again.

"Newman, I've been head over heels for Zoey for ages; please, don't make him get engaged to Ms. Dempsey, okay?"

Zoey hadn't even gotten a good look at her, but thinking she was all into him had him smirking.

"You're into Zoey?" Newman's voice was icy.

Athena nodded violently, "Please, let Zoey and me be!"

Athena glimpsing Newman, instinctively floored the pedal, speeding away from this nightmare of a man.

The next morning, Golden Haven Inn.

In the dining room, Newman was having breakfast, with Kent standing by, glancing at his watch more than once.

It was 7:20 a.m., and the little tyrant still hadn't shown up for breakfast.

The Bradshaw family was strict about rules, and even at five, Payne had got the habit of waking and sleeping on time. He never missed his 7 a.m. breakfast, not by a minute.

"Mr. Bradshaw, I'm gonna go prod him in his room. The kiddo must have been up too late reflecting on himself yesterday."

Newman didn't respond; he was having breakfast, all graceful and taking his sweet time.

Kent pushed open the bedroom door, and before he could even call out, he caught sight of Payne all curled up in the blankets, his whole body shaking violently.

Kent bolted over and saw Payne with a furrowed brow, his little face turning blue, and even his lips had gone a dark shade of purple.

Kent quickly reached out to touch Payne's face. His little cheeks were no longer soft and tender like baby skin but had turned icy cold and stiff.

Kent was horrified and dashed outside, yelling at the top of his lungs,

"Mr. Bradshaw! Mr. Bradshaw junior's got his chill again!"