IN LOVE WITH A SOLDIER - Season 9 Episode 86

“Who else can stop me? You or Derek?” Sally asked with a sneer. Resting her eyes on Mond, she remarked, “Your prime time is over. Don’t you think that you have changed a lot these years?

You’ve lost much of your sharp edge already. I think the softening of your heart is evident in many things. For example, your generous thirty million dollars’ donation to charity. But I suspect you thought it would remain secret, didn’t you?”

Surprised that she had sniffed that out, Mond gave her a grave look, probing to see if she’d give away some helpful information. “It looks like you’re better informed than I imagined,” he began with a little bit of flattery. “Tell me, how do you get to know all these?” he asked.

What puzzled Mond most was that Sally didn’t have any friends. All the information that she seemed to have at her fingertips was sourced through spying on people through hired contracts. Considering that she was lonely and isolated, he assumed that it must have cost her an arm and a leg.

The bit he had learned about her spying on Lawrence and Mike through the Russian intelligence was particularly unsettling. For that reason, he’d have to play his cards close to his chest. Worse still, Mond was gutted by her needless murder of Sharon. From now onward, he’d need to tread cautiously with this woman.

“Money has power, doesn’t it?” Sally asked in return. “We can do anything as long as we have money.”

Disagreeing, Mond shook his head. As far as he could tell, she wasn’t being honest. There were many things that she wanted to hide with that generalized answer.

Being his old friend, Sally read what exactly was going through his mind. Money was a veneer behind which she had hoped to hide, but Mond was too smart for that. That wasn’t going to fool him so easily, she thought.

All of a sudden, she changed the topic. Glancing around, she asked, “Do you live alone in such a huge house?” she asked.
“Why bother asking? You sat here waiting for me a long time. How could you not know?” Mond countered, focusing his expectant eyes on Sally.

Expectantly he wanted for Sally to answer this last question, but in her typical cop out, she again switched topic. Now, he realized that the woman wouldn’t provide any meaningful answer to his questions.

“I saw a woman dressed like a servant. She left here an hour ago with a wicker shopping basket,” she began in a calm tone.

“If anything happens to her, I will not let you go,” Mond threatened, without blinking. Of course, he knew there was no good reason why Sally would hurt her.

But just in case she acted out impulse like she did most of the time, Mond would make her pay a heavy price for her sins. After Sharon’s death, he had resolved he would deal ruthlessly with her. It was high time someone gave this callous woman a taste of her own medicine.

“Don’t worry. I will not kill her,” Sally promised coolly as she stubbed out her cigar in the ashtray. Lifting her head to look at Mond, she continued, “I’ve sent someone to stalk her, but she will be back safely.”

Mond didn’t say a word.

“But I am a little curious. You used to be so callous. You tried to hurt your half brother. Heck, you even killed your Grandpa,” Sally took a dig at Mond, not afraid to get on his wrong side. “How comes you now even want to protect a mere maid?”

But finally, Mond having had enough her blubber blew into a rage. Getting up, he charged at the irritating woman like a wounded lion. Violently, he grabbed her by the shoulders, jerking her out of the couch. He pushed her towards the door with such force that she crushed into a stool on her path. The gust of air that hit her as she flew lifted her dress, uncovering her up to the waist. Only the purple boy-shorts she wore underneath covered her backside as she collapsed into a heap on the floor, screaming in terror. Once more, Mond picked her up with crude force and pulled her by the hand leading toward the door. Glaring at her, he roared, “Shut the fuck up and get out of here!”

But recovering from the shock, she decided to put up a fight. “What if I don’t?” Sally challenged, her anger showing at the corners of her lips which twitched involuntarily. Thinking she might have something important to tell him, Mond let go of her hand. For a moment, they stood glaring at each other with such viciousness you’d think Armageddon had come. But when no one moved after what seemed like an eternity, their tempers cooled, just enough for them to start talking again.

“Can you swear that you had nothing to do with Gary’s death?” Sally began. But Mond, instead of answering shot back with another question. “Aren’t you afraid of death, Sally?” he asked through gritted teeth as he grabbed Sally’s arm again.

Sally winced in pain as he tightened his grip on her hand. However, the pain on her wrist was sweet and pleasant. She somehow liked to be tormented by Mond, especially when he turned cruel and merciless to her.

However, Mond ignored her painful expression and watched her, still waiting for a response. Time ticked by slowly as the two silently stood, sizing up each other.

When Mond released Sally from his grip, he slowly turned and returned to his seat.

“So what’s your business here?” he asked frankly. She couldn’t have come here without a good reason, he assumed.

Remembering how awkwardly she had fallen, Sally instinctively pulled at her clothes, even though she was all covered up by now. She then sat back on the couch, at the same place she had sat before hell broke lose.

“Now that I’m back, I thought I should pay you a visit. You truly changed my life,” she replied.

“There is no need. And you should’ve done it earlier. I don’t think I’m the first person you’ve visited after landing, nor the last,” Mond said, blankly staring out of the window.

“I did it out of respect,” Sally returned. “I also heard that you have a beautiful daughter. I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

Mond switched his gaze back to Sally. With a hint of concern in his eyes, he said indifferently, “You have no business poking your nose into my family affairs. But you can give it a shot, if you have the nerve to lay a hand on my family,” Mond said nonchalantly.

“Don’t worry. I will not hurt your wife or your daughter,” Sally reassured. Meeting his eyes again, she continued with hatred, “The only person I will and must get even with is your half brother. Sooner or later, I’ll make him pay for abandoning me to get married to another woman.

And before I finish with him, Cherry’s children will be gone too.”