Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 418

While he was still lost in thought, she spoke up again.

She said, “Simply betting our lives is boring. I imagine, Mr. Kaufman, you’ve gambled like this plenty of times before. So, let’s add some extra stakes.”

He was just beginning to think she was nothing special when she laid out her condition—

“Let’s wager on whether a person is willing to lay down their life for another, without expecting anything in return, with absolute sincerity and no hesitation.”

That set the terms of the game, making the gamble pure.

Back then, he had no idea what she was planning. He only thought, how easy could this be? His men had followed him for years, each one tough and loyal, ready to risk their necks for him. Of course someone would do it.

So he said, “Fine.”

He watched as she smiled, her gaze drifting slowly over the faces of his crew.

“Perfect,” she said. “Here’s the rule: once this person has acted, Mr. Kaufman, you can’t offer them any reward. No compensation—not even taking care of their family. Nothing.”

Before he could figure out her motive, she acted again.

Emilia looked around at everyone present and said, “Mr. Kaufman, I’ll stake my life for Tye. Whose life are you putting up?”

“In other words,” her eyes fixed on him, “Mr. Kaufman, is there anyone willing to die for you, asking nothing in return?”

In that instant, his brow furrowed. He glanced back at his men.

What he saw in their eyes was hesitation—and fear.

He looked back at the woman before him, still smiling, still so infuriatingly serene.

His anger flared. He got out of his chair and strode toward her, pressing the barrel of his gun to her forehead.

“Who I choose is none of your business. You said you’d stand in for Tyler, right? Want me to help you out—send you off to meet your maker right now?”

He had no intention of playing by her rules. Shooting her a little earlier didn’t make a difference; after all, he’d sent plenty of people to their graves over the years.

“I don’t know what you’ve lost, or what’s knotted up inside you.” Her voice was gentle, almost sad. “But I can see it. All your so-called games, your wild moods—they’re just you searching for something, or someone, to fill the hollow inside.”

“I call that powerlessness.”

“You want to protect people, but you can’t. You want to win things, but you never do. You want someone to truly care for you, but whenever they look at you, there’s always something else in their eyes.”

“So you look for ways to let it out—these cruel little games, a way to vent what’s inside.”

Raymond could still remember how furious he’d been in that moment.

He’d nearly pulled the trigger, nearly blasted her brains out right then and there. He’d even started to squeeze, just a hair away from firing.

She saw right through him—every secret, every weakness he’d tried to bury.

And worst of all, she pitied him.