Chapter 38 I'm No Exception

Joseph set his wine glass down and gave Abigail a hard look. "You won't see him until we come to an agreement."

Abigail's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her cool. "How much?"

"One hundred million dollars," Joseph said with a sneer.

Abigail went pale and almost lost her balance. She tried to keep her voice steady. "That's a lot of money."

Joseph swirled his wine, the red liquid catching the light, but his eyes were cold as ice. "Abigail, debts need to be paid, especially since your son was the one who cheated first. What makes you think you can negotiate with me?"

Abigail's fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms. "I can't come up with that kind of money quickly."

Joseph smirked. "Fine, I've changed the terms."

A flicker of hope crossed Abigail's face. "I want that burial plot and one of Nicholas's legs, or no deal," Joseph said firmly.

Abigail was stunned. She stared at Joseph, then quickly said, "No, Nicholas is still young. He can't be crippled."

Joseph didn't budge. He stood up slowly, walked to the window, and turned his back to her. "Abigail, there's no such thing as absolute fairness. You came to me, so you have to play by my rules. The land is valuable; Nicholas's leg is just a small punishment."

Abigail wanted to argue but found herself speechless. She knew the man in front of her, who ran a casino, was not to be underestimated. For the first time, Nicholas felt a wave of despair and helplessness.

In the other room, Nicholas was tied up, his mouth gagged, listening to the negotiations. He struggled, wanting to tell Abigail he'd rather die than be crippled.

Emily watched coldly. When she heard Joseph demand Nicholas's leg, she knew he was helping her get revenge. She had her own plans for Nicholas, but taking a leg as interest wasn't a bad idea.

Just then, a series of urgent knocks shattered the silence. Joseph and Emily both frowned.

The next second, the door was kicked open. James stood in the doorway, radiating a cold fury. He had taken down the guards outside but was injured. He scanned the room, not seeing Emily.

Abigail, seeing a glimmer of hope, shouted, "James, help me!"

James then noticed Abigail kneeling on the floor. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's going on?"

Seeing James show up, Emily in the inner room muttered, "He's like a bad penny. What does he want now?"

Lying on the ground, Nicholas seemed to see a glimmer of hope, his eyes lighting up with anticipation.

Joseph didn't seem bothered. If James hadn't found this place after what he said, then James would truly be a fool.

"James, Nicholas got set up while gambling here. Now they want one of his legs," Abigail said, her voice trembling. James frowned even more.

Just when Abigail thought James was going to help her, he asked, "Where's Emily?" James had a gut feeling this had something to do with Emily.

Abigail was stunned, wondering what this had to do with Emily.Then it hit her. Joseph wanted the plot of land and Emily asked her for it some time ago. But she got caught up with Nicholas's issues and forgot about it.

Emily hadn't contacted her since, so she thought Emily no longer wanted the land. She didn't expect Emily to set up such a big plan.

Seeing this, Emily knew there was no point in hiding anymore, so she came out of the inner room, and the guards dragged Nicholas out. Seeing Nicholas's bleeding leg, Abigail's tears flowed uncontrollably.

James, seeing Emily come out unharmed, breathed a sigh of relief. Emily looked at James with displeasure. He had disrupted her well-laid plans.

Abigail, with tearful eyes, looked at Emily. "Emily, why did you set up my son? If you want that plot of land, I can sell it to you, but your actions are despicable."

Emily found it amusing. She laughed mockingly. "Despicable? Abigail, your family is really good at twisting the truth. Indeed, a plot of land alone wouldn't make me do this."

"Then why did you do it?" Abigail asked.

"If you want to know, ask Nicholas." Emily's voice was cold.

Nicholas, meeting Emily's piercing gaze, felt guilty and looked away.

Abigail's heart sank. She knew Nicholas must have done something wrong, but he was her son. She gritted her teeth and crawled to Emily's side. "Emily, please, spare him!"

"Spare him? Who spared me back then?" Emily was no longer the same person; she wouldn't be soft-hearted. Thinking about how she almost died that night, Emily felt a surge of anger.

Joseph, seeing Emily's eyes redden, walked to her side and gently patted her back. James stood aside, frowning the whole time. He didn't want to meddle, but seeing the hatred on Emily's face, he guessed something had happened that he didn't know about.

Seeing that pleading with Emily was useless, Abigail turned to James. "James, for Olivia's sake, please save Nicholas."

James didn't speak. His gaze never left Emily. After a while, he slowly said, "Abigail, mistakes have consequences. I'm no exception."