Nathan eyed the old Davis carefully as he slowly stepped between him and Crystal. Then he touched the tip of the old man's pistol and said, "If you want to shoot Crystal, you'll have to shoot through me to get to her."
The old Davis: "You bastard."
Anger burned in Nathan's eyes as he glared into the old man's eyes, and in a voice as cold as ice, he said, "There's something you need to understand about me: The more you want to destroy something that belongs to me, the more I want to protect it, and I would even risk my life to oppose you."
Nathan's statement shocked the old Davis. He was so angry that he threw the only thing he could throw: the beads on his wrist. The beads were extremely light, though, and Nathan hardly felt a thing. But when they hit the ground, he was suddenly reminded of the promise he'd made at the birthday dinner. He'd said that if Helen gave birth to a child and the child was indeed his, he would marry her. His face turned white, and when he looked into the old man's eyes, he could tell that they were both thinking about the same thing.
The old Davis gave Nathan a look of acknowledgment. Then he said, "You are a man of honor. I am sure you will do the right thing when the time comes." Then he left without saying another word.
****
Once they were alone, Crystal let go a sigh of relief. Then she turned to Nathan and asked, "Is that it?"
"What else do you want?" Nathan asked. "He is going bat shit crazy bananas because of you. Isn't that enough?"
"I guess so," Crystal replied. "Whatever I do... Whatever I say... It all makes him angry. So, why bother trying. Right?"
Before Nathan could reply, Vic appeared in the doorway. A shocked look appeared on his face when he saw the blood streaming down his master's face and all of the damage that the old Davis had caused, and he froze in place.
Nathan chuckled and said, "Cat got your tongue, Vic? Out with it, man!"
Vic blinked twice, and then he said, "Young Master, I'm sorry, but I've looked into what you asked me to, and I failed to find any clues as to the identity of the informer."
Nathan stood up and rubbed his temples for a second. It was hard to think straight with his headache, and it had only gotten worse with the old Davis' visit. "The person that notified the old man is among us," he finally said. "It is only a matter of rooting him or her out..."
Vic stood still as he waited for Nathan's order.
Finally, Nathan straightened his back. He stood in akimbo and said, "Vic, I want you to call a House Meeting immediately. Gather everyone into the living room."
Vic hesitated for a moment. "Should I include Miss Bush?" he asked.
"I said 'everyone," Nathan snapped. "What do you think?"
Vic's face turned white, and he ran back into the hallway.
The room seemed incredibly quiet after Vic was gone, and with all of the smashed antiques, the air had an oppressive quality to it that Crystal found unnerving. She knew how much Nathan loved these old artifacts, and it broke her heart to see them in pieces. The vases alone were worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but it wasn't about the money, not entirely, at least. Instead, they were a link to the past, and now that the connection had been broken, it could never be repaired.
When Nathan saw the tears welling up in her eyes, he lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes. He could see the grief there, but it confused him. Why does she care so much about the antiques? - he wondered - And so little about my injuries? He did not understand that her grief over the antiques was an expression of her love for him.
Nathan: "You saw that, right?"
Crystal: "Saw what?"
Nathan: "The old Davis' decisiveness and my persistence."
"I saw your wounds," Crystal replied. Then she forced him to sit down on the sofa. "Is he really your Grandpa? He is ruthless."
Nathan ignored her question. He held her hand and said, "Promise me that no matter what kind of threat you're under, you won't give up on me!"
Crystal frowned and said, "You're really overbearing. You know that, right? You can do anything you want, and I am not even allowed to dump you? How is that fair?" She said this in a joking way, but he could tell that she was at least partially serious.
"I won't give up on you either!" Nathan exclaimed. "I promise!"
Crystal: "Be careful about what you say. No one knows what the future has in store. All you can do is live in the moment and enjoy the present."
Nathan was very displeased with her casual attitude. Suddenly, he grabbed her wrists and held her in his arms. "What can I do to get you to give yourself to me one hundred percent?" he asked.
Crystal: "All you need to do is give yourself to me one hundred percent. Can you do that? I don't think so... Not with Helen around!"
Nathan: "I am only taking care of Helen until the birth of her child. Then we'll know if the child is mine or not."
Crystal: "I think we're good now. We are in a relationship, but we are not bound to each other. I like you now, and I am willing to stay with you. But, if one day I don't like you anymore, I can leave. Doesn't that sound good to you?"
"Shut up!" Nathan clenched and unclenched his fists. "You need to get that thought out of your head!" he shouted. "You're my woman. Even if you died, I would expect you to wait for me in Heaven. I won't give you a chance to leave me. Do you hear me?" He trembled with anger, and he struggled to restrain himself. He was so upset that it was hard not to give in to his rage, wrap his hands around her throat, and throttle the life out of her.
Crystal rubbed her ears. She was worried that his roar had perforated her eardrums. Then she pressed her fingers against Nathan's thin lips to appease him. "How could I ever leave you," she sighed.. "I'm too afraid of you to dare…."
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