Chapter 177
177 A Debt Long Overdue
177 A Debt Long Overdue
Alice began, “Three years ago. In Greysea.
The shy smile on Venom’s face slowly faded.
He turned toward her with a puzzled look in his eyes.
“You were there?”
He suddenly stood up, startled.
“But I didn’t see you.”
Alice pointed to the seat across from him.
“You didn’t have to stand up. Sit down.”
Venom sulked. “I was just on a job. The mission was to intercept a ship; that’s all.”
As he said it, realization struck.
“You were on that ship?”
But no, something didn’t add up.
When he stopped the vessel, there had only been a few ordinary tourists on board.
And strangely, there was no captain.
It was as if the boat had drifted in on the wind by itself.
Yet when he questioned the passengers, they all insisted there had been a captain–a stunning woman, no less.
But according to their descriptions, it sounded more like a middle–aged woman, not someone as young and beautiful as Alice.
He recalled every detail aloud.
“There wasn’t anything valuable on board. I called my client using a satellite phone. They were thrilled. Even gave me an extra five hundred grand.”
Alice let out a cold laugh, her eyes glinting with frost.
Venom’s heart sank.
He knew that look all too well.
She wore the same expression the night they ran into a lone wolf in the wild–deadly calm, but brimming with danger.
“Alice…
”
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177 A Debt Long Overdue
His voice cracked as he swallowed hard.
He stood up again, eyes slightly red.
“Was that ship important to you?
“Did I… did I end up hurting you without even knowing it?”
Alice didn’t respond.
But the way the air thickened around her said enough.
Defeatedly, Venom slumped back into his seat when she left him hanging.
Ouroboros had a terrible reputation across the globe.
All they cared about was money.
That was no secret. The organization never cared who you were. If the money was good; they got the job done.
They’d made enough money over the years. Now, they were trying to clean up their act and go legit.
That’s why Venom had signed up for the chess tournament.
He needed a proper identity–something he could put on paper.
Before the tournament, he looked into its credibility and found it decent enough.
But what he didn’t expect was to discover Alice there.
After multiple cross–checks, he was sure convinced that this was the woman he’d been looking for all these
years.
It was a pity, though!
Maybe it was fate’s twisted joke, punishing him for all the terrible things he’d done.
Because when he finally found her, the bond he had imagined didn’t exist.
She saw him as an enemy.
He gave a bitter laugh. For once, he had nothing to say.
Eric had stayed quiet this entire time.
Daniel would later describe it as Mr. Eric’s first time winning without lifting a finger.
Then Alice broke the silence.
Her face was calm, cold, and unreadable.
She clearly didn’t care much about Venom’s talk of childhood bonds.
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“Who hired you?
“I don’t know, Venom answered sincerely. “We were never allowed to ask
“Then what about the account that paid you?”
“It was a brand new account under the name of an eighty–year–old woman–a foreigner. I checked her out. She’d lived her whole life in poverty, surviving by collecting cans and garbage.
Venom looked regretful.
Back then, he just thought the client was overly generous. He did a quick background check for fun but never looked deeper.
Alice rubbed her forehead. “Was the payment in foreign banknotes?”
“Yeah
It made sense. It was the most untraceable way to move money internationally.
Venom sighed.
“ But Alice, I want to make it right. I want to help you find the person behind all this.”
Sheepish, he asked cautiously, “Do you think… maybe one day… you’ll stop hating me?”
Alice didn’t flinch.
“Mr. Venom, you’re a grown man now. You’re not the lost boy who needed me to get out of those woods anymore.
“People drift apart. That’s just life.”
Venom grew panicked.
“Then why is Mr. Eric different?”
Alice had been about to say that she and Eric will probably divorce in a year. But looking at Venom’s hopeful expression, she didn’t have the heart to give him false hope.
“Because I love him.”
Venom was dumbstruck.
Eric was equally dumbfounded.
Alice said it with perfect seriousness.
“Do you not understand what marriage means? I married him because I wanted to. I chose him.
“Venom, I saved you once–just because I could.
“If you truly want to repay me
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177 A Debt Long Overdue
“Then please, just live your life.
“Don’t turn around and stab me in the back. Thanks.”
Venom looked like he’d been struck by lightning. “Alice!”
Alice held up her hands. “Let me ask you this: why did you approach me so publicly at the chess tournament?”
Venom froze.
Whatever darkness he had buried in his heart was suddenly exposed under blinding light.
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