Femme Fatale: The King's Deadly Temptress

Chapter 638: "Rightful Heir"

In a secluded area outside of Harbor City, a small cottage sat in the middle of the woods. A dim light lit up its interior, the only light amidst the quiet darkness of the forest. Surrounded by tall trees, the cottage's sole companion is the howling of the wolves coupled by the rustling of leaves caused by the strong wind.

"Madam, would you care for some tea?" asked the young man.

Without looking up, Deborah shook her head. "You can rest for the night. Take the small bedroom next to mine." Her voice was hoarse from getting strangled and she could barely talk without gritting her teeth.

"Good night, Madam." The young man retreated, bowing his head as he left the living room.

"Wait." The young man paused when she called. "Leave your phone here. You are still not to contact anyone."

He nodded once and placed his phone on the coffee table. It had been turned off since they left the Young Mansion this afternoon, and even after countless reminders by Deborah not to turn it on, she still did not trust him. The young driver was still new, but she was the one who hired him, so his loyalty should be with her. However, she wouldn't take any chances.

Once she was alone in the living room, she sagged in the armchair and unconsciously bit her thumbnail. Her brows were drawn together as she recalled what happened in the afternoon.

Deborah thought that it would have been over for her if that manher accomplicehadn't helped her out of the mansion. She barely made it out of there, if not for the adrenaline rush caused by her desperation to survive and of course with the help of that man. She raised her hand to her collar bone, not wanting to touch the sensitive skin. Her neck was still bruised and her throat still felt sore because of that bitch Katherine. 

Why did Katherine even come back? She had already left! It was Deborah's only window to replace the pills. Deborah wasn't even supposed to be the one doing it, but her accomplice in the mansion wasn't available. If she were successful with the pills, her plans would have come to fruition. But her nerves got the best of her and she was awfully sloppy.

Deborah hissed at the reminder of how everything today was fucked up. She should have made sure that the door was locked. Now all her plans crumbled before her.

No. She should have made sure Katherine died with her parents that night then none of this would've happened.

After years of hard work, Deborah was already so close to getting what she wantedto getting what was supposed to be hers. Now everything was ruined.

But She still had one last resort. He could help. After all, he still owed her.

Her hands were shaking and they hadn't stopped since she left the mansion. Deborah reached for a burner phone that she kept in a safe place for situations like this. It was untraceable and only very few people knew. After contemplating her actions, she dialed Frederick Park's number.

She had been friends with Frederick for as long as she could remember. That man knew so much about hermore than she liked. But with their history together, he was the only capable man who could help her right now.

The ringing went on for a long time. She checked the time on her watch, noticing that it was late already. However, she knew that Frederick should still be awake. Even if he was asleep, he would wake up to answer her call, especially if it came from this number.

"Pick up, damn it," she muttered under gritted teeth. 

Frustrated, she was just about to end the call when the line suddenly connected. Deborah straightened her spine and spoke, "Fred. I need your help."

There was some shuffling in the background but she couldn't make out what it was. She assumed he was getting out of bed or something.

"What's wrong?" Frederick asked.

"I'm in trouble." Deborah got to her feet and started pacing in the living room, running her fingers through her hair and then biting her thumbnail as she spoke on the phone. She sounded agitated. "I escaped but I only have limited cash on me. I don't know how long this will last. I don't know what to do. I'm in hiding so I can't get money from the bank."

"What happened, Deb? Where are you?"

Frederick's voice was detached. It wasn't surprising, considering what kind of man he was. He always talked like this. But it gave her a sense of doubt. She was about to tell him her exact location but decided against it. The small cottage was her only escape in Esmea, if something goes wrong, it would be all over for her. She swallowed.

"I'm Uh I I can't tell you on the phone. I have to meet you," she said, her voice low and restrained.

"Okay. When? Where?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'll text you where."

"Are you alone?"

"Yesno. I have a driver. Caroline is still in the mansion. I have to get her out of there too. You have to help me get her out of there, Fred."

"Okay. I will wait for your text."

Deborah let out a sigh of relief, but before she ended the call, she made sure to remind Frederick. Her eyes were fierce when she told him, "I'm trusting you, Fred. You owe me, and you already failed me years ago by letting that girl live when she should have died with them. So you better come through or I will bring you down with me."

He grunted. "Don't be rash, Deborah. Be patient. I will meet you tomorrow."

The call ended and she slumped back down on the couch. Frederick was her only hope at the moment. She couldn't survive out here. She belonged in the mansion, not in this tiny, filthy cottage!

There was one more person to call but he was in the mansion. If she called him now, it might complicate things. Deborah stared at the burner phone as she bit her thumbnail. Scenarios ran in her head and all of them were not pretty. She had to be more careful, so she decided to wait until the next day before making the call. 

Her brows drew together as she steepled her hands. She had been found out, but once Frederick would be on her side, she could still finish Katherineand then she could take Young Corporation that was rightfully hers.