The Scarlet Healer is a gripping short drama that combines explosive action, suspense, and emotional redemption. A mysterious woman with extraordinary healing skills and unmatched combat abilities returns from the shadows to confront a dangerous criminal network. As hidden truths emerge and every mission becomes more personal, she must decide how far she's willing to go to protect the innocent. If you enjoy action thriller, drama series, short film, short movie, and fearless female heroes, this Full Episode delivers nonstop excitement from beginning to end.
#TheScarletHealer #ShortDrama #ActionThriller #FemaleHero #RevengeDrama #DramaSeries #ShortFilm #ShortMovie #FullEpisode #ENGSUB #CrimeAction #Suspense #Action
#TheScarletHealer #ShortDrama #ActionThriller #FemaleHero #RevengeDrama #DramaSeries #ShortFilm #ShortMovie #FullEpisode #ENGSUB #CrimeAction #Suspense #Action
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Short filmTranscript
00:01After I was reborn, I spent $13 million to secure the services of Italy's most expensive male estort.
00:08The money was well spent. He was flawless, allowing me to experience pleasure in ways I had never imagined.
00:15The following morning, while I rode him, a familiar man suddenly showed up.
00:20It was my husband, at Jeffrey Della Cruz, a mafia boss.
00:25He ordered his men to drag the escort out of the room, then asked coldly,
00:30Where did he touch you?
00:31My mind was foggy, my voice langual and mocking.
00:34My lips, my bosom, my thighs. Everywhere you used to like.
00:39Rage flickered in his eyes, and veins bulged in his neck.
00:44Cut him into eighteen pieces and feed him to the dogs.
00:47I stripped off my soaked clothes and walked into the bathroom.
00:51Do whatever you want.
00:52In my previous life, I was married to him for seven years.
00:56I was known as the Scarlet Healer, striking with deadly precision and merciless intent.
01:02I helped him eliminate countless enemies, standing by his side as he rose from an illegitimate nobody to the most
01:08powerful figure in the underworld.
01:09But after he inherited the family empire, he became obsessed with Amelia Melendez, a nurse working in the black market.
01:16She was a gift, sent to Jeffrey's bed by a rival.
01:19She was sweet and innocent, untainted by the world's cruelty.
01:24Jeffrey took her into his private clinic, instructing her himself on medicines and syringe handling.
01:30Then one day, I found a finalized divorce agreement in his private safe.
01:35When I confronted him, he only sneered.
01:40Amelia's too innocent for this world.
01:42Being my wife will keep her safe.
01:45You're already recognized as Mrs. Delacruz, so why bother with the paperwork?
01:50I burst into the clinic in a fury, slapping the syringes and medicine box out of Amelia's hands, right in
01:56front of everyone.
02:01That night, my critically ill mother was dragged out of her hospital bed.
02:05Right in front of me, they shattered her hands and threw her into an abandoned food factory to be mauled
02:11by stray dogs.
02:12Geraldine, this is what you get for messing with Amelia.
02:15I fell to my knees, begging him to stop, but he was relentless.
02:19Mom passed out from the pain and never woke again.
02:23Suddenly, I felt a warm rush between my legs, pain tearing through my abdomen, and then everything went black.
02:33When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that day when I found out at my status change.
02:38This time, I didn't make a scene or confront him.
02:41I quietly sold all the rare herbs I had secretly collected and booked two plane tickets.
02:46All I wanted was to take Mom and escape this twisted world that revolved around Jeffrey.
02:52After finding the divorce papers, I went to the courthouse with my ID.
02:58Mrs. Leonard, the system shows you're divorced, the clerk said.
03:02Hearing that, I was finally sure that my past life was real.
03:09The divorce was finalized on my birthday.
03:12That day, Jeffrey was swamped with work, as usual.
03:15So I booked the city's highest rotating restaurant and arranged for a fireworks display.
03:19I waited from sunset until way past midnight, and he never showed up.
03:24It turned out he was busy signing some papers, completely wiping me out of his life.
03:30I snapped out of my thoughts.
03:32I returned to the casino, and Jeffrey's black Mayaka was parked by the entrance.
03:37I quickly stepped aside and hid in the shadows behind a column.
03:41The car door opened, and Jeffrey got out first.
03:44He walked round to the passenger side and opened the door himself,
03:48moving with a kind of patience and care he'd never shown before.
03:51A young woman in a pale blue dress stepped out, nervous and out of place beside the luxury car.
03:57It was Amelia.
03:58Jeffrey took off his suit jacket and draped it over her thin shoulders.
04:02Then he wrapped an arm around her waist, as they headed toward the casino.
04:07Jeff.
04:08Amelia stopped in her tracks, looking torn.
04:11You're all I have now.
04:13I can't afford to take any chances.
04:18Jeffrey held her closer, his voice full of confidence and tenders I'd never heard before.
04:22Don't be scared.
04:24From now on, you're the mistress of this place.
04:27No one dares to mess with you.
04:29If you don't like it here, I'll build you a resort somewhere quiet, just for you.
04:39The casino staff who had offered me their obstitious devotion were now bowing to Amelia,
04:45their voices loud and fanging.
04:51Nice to see you, Mrs. De La Cruz.
04:54They surrounded Amelia, who looked as skippy-ish as a frightened fawn,
04:57and walked into that flashy, evil den.
05:03Clutching my belly, I waited until they were inside,
05:06then staggered out from the shadows.
05:09Brushing away my tears, I was left with nothing but absolute resolve.
05:18I went to the hospital alone and scheduled an abortion.
05:21The doctor frowned at the ultrasound screen.
05:26Mrs. Leonard, your body is quite delicate.
05:30You've been unable to conceive for seven years.
05:33If you terminate this pregnancy,
05:36you might never be able to get pregnant again.
05:38I gave a faint, bitter smile.
05:42I'm divorced.
05:44I don't want my child to be born without a father.
05:48Cold fluid seeped into my veins as the anesthesia took hold,
05:51pulling my consciousness away.
05:53In the haze, I saw flashes of the past.
05:57Jeffrey pressing his ear to my belly,
06:00smiling as his son would grow up to be a master gambler
06:04and that he would personally teach him to read cards.
06:07He had said our boy could also learn medicine from me.
06:11Take over the title of
06:12The Scarlet Healer one day.
06:15He had called a fortune teller
06:16to pick the luckiest name possible.
06:19He had held me close,
06:21promising that once he found a successor,
06:23he would take me and our child away from the casino
06:25and travel the world as a family.
06:28All those tender memories had turned to dust.
06:30The moment he told Amelia,
06:33Only you deserve to be the mistress of the casino.
06:38When I woke up,
06:39I dragged my hollow body to mom's ward.
06:42Thankfully, this time her injuries were minor,
06:45so she would recover soon.
06:47In my past life,
06:48she had been torn apart by dogs right in front of me.
06:51This time,
06:51I wouldn't make the same mistake.
06:53I reached out to my black market tax
06:55and paid top dollar for two plane tickets to another country,
06:59leaving in three days.
07:00If I tried to leave through legal channels,
07:03Jeffrey would find out immediately.
07:05Then I called the only person I could still trust,
07:08Levi Wallace,
07:09gave him a stack of cash,
07:11and told him to arrange mom's discharge in secret.
07:14After all that,
07:15I finally let out a sigh of relief.
07:17I hailed a taxi and gave the driver an address
07:20a few blocks away from the villa.
07:22It was a habit of mine.
07:23The casino had too many enemies,
07:26and keeping my exact location hidden
07:28was a matter of survival.
07:31But just as I stepped out of the car,
07:33a man grabbed me from behind,
07:35clamping a hand over my mouth
07:36and dragging me backward.
07:38I fought with everything I had
07:40and broke free,
07:41only to feel a sharp blide slash across my back
07:44before I could take more than two steps.
07:46Pain exploded through me.
07:48Warm blood soaked my clothes.
07:50I didn't need to guess to know
07:51it was one of Jeffrey's enemies.
07:53I reached for the knife hidden in my bag,
07:55but someone twisted my arm behind me.
07:58My phone was ripped away
07:59and smashed to pieces.
08:02Stay still, bitch.
08:04The man snarled,
08:06dragging me toward a waiting van.
08:08Just when despair was about to consume me,
08:10a familiar black Maybach turned the corner.
08:13It was Jeffrey's car.
08:15I summoned every count of strength left in me,
08:18screaming and struggling,
08:19desperate to make him notice.
08:21The car slowed just slightly.
08:23He saw me.
08:24But in the next instant,
08:26the Maybach accelerated past the intersection
08:29without hesitation.
08:30Through the window,
08:31I glimpsed him pulling Amelia into his arms,
08:33shielding her eyes from the scene outside.
08:35It was as if the woman being dragged away
08:37wasn't his wife,
08:39but something filthy and unworthy of her gaze.
08:41All the struggle drained out of me at once.
08:44Pain and cold swallowed me whole,
08:47and everything went dark.
08:51When I woke up,
08:52I was laying in a private ward.
08:54The door wasn't fully closed,
08:56and voices drifted in from the hallway.
08:58Mr. De La Cruz.
09:02Mrs. De La Cruz's injuries are serious this time.
09:06If she finds out about Mrs. Malenas again.
09:08It was Jeffrey's personal physician,
09:11Luciano Nunez.
09:12Before he could finish,
09:14Jeffrey's cold, sharp voice cut through the air.
09:17Watch your mouth.
09:19Your job is to treat her, nothing more.
09:21He paused, his tone low and detached.
09:24Geraldine has been in this business for years.
09:27She's seen every kind of vicious trick.
09:30She's an expert herself.
09:32Amelia isn't like her.
09:33She's clean like a blank slate.
09:35She would never stand a chance against Geraldine.
09:38Then, his voice dropped even lower.
09:40If she wakes up and starts carts causing trouble,
09:43bring her mother here.
09:45That's her only weakness left.
09:48She won't sit still if her mother's involved.
09:52I gripped the bed sheet tightly,
09:55biting my lip until I tasted blood.
09:57That night, years ago,
09:59when I helped him take down the head of New Jersey's largest casino,
10:03he had told me,
10:04Gary, from now on,
10:06no one in New Jersey's underworld will ever lay a hand on you.
10:09He had said the same words,
10:11made the same promise of protection,
10:13but the person he wanted to protect had changed.
10:15Once, I had been his most precious possession.
10:19Now, in his eyes,
10:20I was a dangerous, conniving woman who needed to be controlled.
10:24Footsteps approached.
10:25I shut my eyes and pretended to have just woken up.
10:29You're awake?
10:30He said flatly.
10:32We found out that it was that Brazilian gambler
10:34who got his hand broken last time for cheating at the casino.
10:37He tossed a flicklet onto the bed.
10:39Sign this settlement agreement,
10:41and they'll give up control of Trenton.
10:46Trenton by the Sea
10:47was New Jersey's last clean haven,
10:49untouched by gambling or crime.
10:51And then I remembered what he had said to Amelia.
10:55I'll build you a quiet place,
10:57a resort where you can relax.
10:59So all my pain and scars
11:00had just become the price he paid
11:02to build a gilded cage for his new lover.
11:05My throat burned.
11:08Jeffrey, when did you make this deal?
11:10Was it the moment he saw me being dragged away?
11:13Or long before that,
11:14when he had already decided to pave the road for her with my suffering?
11:18He frowned, clearly irritated by my question.
11:21I forced a smile and said nothing more.
11:24The answer no longer mattered.
11:26Maybe to ease his guilt,
11:27he spent the next two days staying with me
11:29under the pretense of handling business.
11:32But his phone never left his hand.
11:34Even during meals,
11:35he would take photos to send to someone on the other end of the chat,
11:38his lips curving into a gentle smile
11:40I had never once seen before.
11:42I stared at his side profile,
11:44and for a moment,
11:45my mind drifted back eight years.
11:49The first time I met him was in at the casino.
11:52It was in a dark alley.
11:54He had been caught cheating,
11:56surrounded by seven or eight men with machetes.
11:58They dislocated his arm right there on the street.
12:01I stepped in,
12:03helped him fight his way out,
12:04and dragged him back to my apartment to patch him up.
12:08Later,
12:09Dad fell deep into gambling debt
12:11and was hunted down by drug traffers,
12:13who killed him.
12:14They came for me next,
12:16pressing a needle against my vein
12:18as collateral for his debt.
12:20It was Jeffrey who burst in with his men,
12:23saving me at the last second.
12:25By then,
12:26he had taken over a small casino
12:27and placed me behind the golden Spiro,
12:30where I became his invisible weapon,
12:32the Scarlet Healer.
12:33I helped him swallow one casino after another,
12:36eliminate one rival after another.
12:39I knew my hands were stained with blood
12:41that could never be washed clean.
12:43But even if the whole world thought I was filthy,
12:46he shouldn't have.
12:49After I was discharged,
12:51Jeffrey used business matters as an excuse
12:53and never showed up again.
12:55Tomorrow,
12:56I would be leaving.
12:57While he was away,
12:58I went back to the top floor of casino
13:00and treved my passport
13:01and several crucial identity documents from the safe.
13:04But as I stepped out of the elevator,
13:06my knees suddenly gave out
13:08and I stumbled forward.
13:10Before I could fall,
13:11a pair of slender hands caught me.
13:13Are you okay?
13:14The voice was soft and gentle.
13:17I looked up into Amelia's clear eyes.
13:19She wore a nurse's uniform
13:21from the casino's VIP clinic
13:23but still looked painfully out of place here.
13:25She didn't recognize me.
13:27She probably thought I was just another gambler
13:30who had lost everything.
13:34I'm fine.
13:36I said quickly,
13:38trying to leave.
13:38But she didn't let go.
13:40Instead,
13:40she guided me towards the staff lounge.
13:43You don't look well.
13:44You should rest in the back for a while.
13:47For reasons I couldn't explain,
13:49I didn't refuse.
13:51She poured me a cup of warm water,
13:53then pulled a pack of dried fruit
13:55and some bread from her locker.
13:57Here, eat something.
14:00Losing money is not the end of the world.
14:02Go home early.
14:04Your family's probably waiting for you.
14:08When I didn't respond,
14:09she hesitated,
14:10then reached into her pocket
14:12and slipped a few bills into my hand.
14:14This should cover your cab fare.
14:17I wish I could help with your plane ticket,
14:19but I can't.
14:20Something logged in my throat.
14:23I wanted to tell her to stay away from Jeffrey.
14:25He had no heart.
14:27His tenderness was poison.
14:29It was poison wrapped in sugar.
14:32But the words died before I could speak them.
14:35If she found out who I really was,
14:37she would turn against him.
14:39And then,
14:40I would be the one responsible for her downfall.
14:43I had only one day left.
14:45I couldn't risk and my own lives for a moral victory.
14:48So I took the money she offered,
14:51thanked her,
14:51and walked quickly out the back door.
14:56The moment I stepped outside,
14:58something cold pressed hard against my temple.
15:01It was a gun barrel.
15:02I instinctively turned around.
15:05Amelia was already lying motionless on the hallway floor.
15:08I moved to react,
15:10but a sudden blow to the back of my neck
15:12sent everything into darkness.
15:16When I came to,
15:17both Amelia and I were tied up in an abandoned warehouse.
15:22She was sobbing softly.
15:24Who are you people?
15:27Why are you doing this to us?
15:29Kieran Doyle stepped forward and slapped her hard.
15:32To get back at your fiancé, Jeffrey!
15:34He stole my Newark territory,
15:36cutting off my business!
15:37So it was the Newark gang.
15:39That territory was the one Jeffrey had recently acquired
15:42using the settlement agreement I had signed.
15:47Fortunately, they didn't recognize me.
15:50To them, Amelia,
15:52the woman always seen at Jeffrey's side,
15:54was the target.
15:55I began working my wrists,
15:57using the microblade I kept hidden under my nail
16:00to saw through the ropes.
16:02Kieran thought I was a gambler and spit at me.
16:05You're just unlucky, lady.
16:08Wrong place, wrong time.
16:10Call your family.
16:12Get five million here and we'll let you go.
16:17Amelia's tears streak down her pale face.
16:21Miss Leonard,
16:23I'm so sorry for dragging you into this.
16:26But don't be scared.
16:28My fiancé is powerful.
16:30He'll come for us.
16:32At the mention of Jeffrey's name,
16:34her eyes shone with unshakable trust.
16:37I didn't say a word
16:39and quicked the movement of the blade against the ropes.
16:42Kieran cursed at his phone
16:44when his call went unanswered,
16:45then kicked over a fuel drum in frustration.
16:51Damn it!
16:52Jeffrey, it's not picking up.
16:53Fine, let's send him a little message to wake him up.
16:57He picked up a knife from the floor,
16:59his eyes glinting with a sick grin
17:01as they swept over Amelia.
17:02I heard you two went to the hospital.
17:05You're carrying his child, aren't you?
17:07Perfect.
17:07We'll dig that little brap out and send it to him.
17:10So she was pregnant with Jeffrey's child.
17:12Amelia froze in terror,
17:14her face draining of color.
17:18No!
17:19Please, don't hurt my baby!
17:22The men around her laughed crudely
17:24and reached for her.
17:28In that split second,
17:29I tore through the last of my ropes,
17:31sprang to my feet like a cornered predator,
17:33and drove my elbow into Kieran's jaw.
17:35I snatched the knife from his hand,
17:38cut through Amelia's bindings,
17:39and shoved her behind me.
17:41Damn it!
17:42Kill her!
17:43Kieran ballowed,
17:44clutching his bleeding chin.
17:46Five or six thugs rushed forward,
17:48swinging metal rods.
17:53I knew how to fight,
17:55but still,
17:56half recovered from my injuries,
17:57and facing too many at once,
17:59I was quickly overwhelmed.
18:01The blows landed hard,
18:03searing pain spreading through my body.
18:05Still,
18:07I grint my teeth,
18:08and used my body as a shield
18:10to protect Amelia in the corner.
18:12Kieran lost patience.
18:14With a click,
18:15he chambered a bullet
18:17and aimed the gun straight at me.
18:19Die, bitch!
18:21Just as he was about to pull the trigger,
18:23a deafening explosion
18:24blew open the warehouse doors.
18:31Geoffrey burst into the warehouse with his men,
18:34gunfire erupting instantly.
18:36He moved like a raging lion,
18:38charging straight toward us.
18:40Without a glance at me,
18:41he swept Amelia into his arms.
18:44It's okay,
18:45Amelia.
18:46I'm here.
18:47She gave a faint sob,
18:49the shock finally overwhelming her,
18:51and passed out against his chest.
18:54He carried her carefully to the car outside,
18:57placing her gently inside
18:59before turning back towards me.
19:01Geraldine.
19:02His voice was cold as steel.
19:04Why are you here?
19:06I forced myself upright through the pain,
19:09meeting his glare with a bitter smile.
19:12You think I planned this?
19:14Before I could finish,
19:16his hand cracked across my face.
19:22The blow sent me crashing to the floor,
19:25blood filling my mouth.
19:33I knew it.
19:34He snared.
19:36You've been trying to get rid of Amelia
19:38all along, haven't you?
19:39I spit blood onto the ground.
19:42I didn't.
19:50He grabbed a wounded man nearby,
19:52pressed a gun to his head.
19:53Who hired you?
19:55The thug trembled,
19:57darting a terrified glance at me
19:59as if clinging to his last hope.
20:01I, I, it was her.
20:05She paid us to rough up that woman.
20:08My entire body went cold.
20:11My veins felt like they had turned to ice.
20:14Jeffrey's lips curled into a cruel smile.
20:18Without hesitation,
20:19he pulled the trigger.
20:26The man's body hit the ground with a dull thud.
20:32Jeffrey stepped over him,
20:34crouched down,
20:35and ground his heel onto my hand.
20:40Pain shot through me.
20:42His tone carried a hint of mockery,
20:45almost pity.
20:47These hands used to obey me so well.
20:52Why are they hurting the person I love most?
21:03He pulled out a tiger,
21:04its blade gleaming with a cold,
21:06deadly sheen.
21:12I told you to never touch what's mine,
21:16Aunt Geraldine.
21:17The blade came down in a flash of silver.
21:21My breath stopped.
21:26The knife drove straight through my palm,
21:29pinning my hand to the concrete floor.
21:32A scream tore from my throat,
21:34pain ripped through every nerve,
21:36blinding and steering.
21:38My body convulsed uncontrollably
21:40as darkness edged at my vision.
21:42Through the agony,
21:43I found my voice again.
21:46Jeffrey!
21:48Eight years ago,
21:49I should have left you to die in that alley.
21:51I should have never helped you get where you are!
21:53And with that,
21:54he destroyed whatever humanity
21:55still lingered between us.
21:58He gave a short,
21:59contemptuous snore and turned away.
22:01Without another look,
22:02he left the warehouse with his men
22:04following close behind.
22:06When the numbness finally dulled the pain,
22:09I used my left hand to reach into my bra
22:12and pull out a small hidden tracker.
22:15My fingers trembled as I pressed the signal.
22:21Levi arrived quickly.
22:26The moment he saw me,
22:27his eyes filled with horror.
22:30He carefully pulled the knife from my hand.
22:32But my right palm was already mangled beyond recognition
22:36and completely numb.
22:45I later learned that Jeffrey stayed by Amelia's bedside
22:49in the VIP ward
22:50until she finally woke.
22:53Jeff.
22:55Her voice was faint,
22:57trembling with the fear of someone
22:58who had barely escaped death.
23:00He held her gently,
23:02brushing the cold sweat from her oarhead with his thumb.
23:06It's my fault.
23:08I should have done a better job protecting you.
23:13I am sorry for what you've been through.
23:16Amelia shook her head wilkly,
23:18then seemed to remember something.
23:21Where is that lady?
23:23How is she?
23:25Jeffrey's gaze darkened for a moment
23:27before he looked away.
23:29You're too kind.
23:30I won't let anything happen to you again.
23:32He stroked her back smoothingly
23:34until she drifted back to an uneasy sleep.
23:40Then, his expression hardened
23:42as he gave his next order.
23:44Clean out the villa on the hillside.
23:46Throw out everything that shouldn't be there.
23:49Amelia will be moving in once she's discharged.
23:52One of his men nodded
23:53and handed him a document.
23:55This is the compensation agreement for Ms. Leonard.
23:59As you requested,
24:00two casinos and 20% of the company's shares
24:03have been transferred to her name.
24:05And it's enough for her to start her own operation.
24:08Jeffrey gave a short nod.
24:12Send it to her and have her sign it.
24:17To him, this was already a grand gesture.
24:20An act of mercy and closure.
24:24After eight years by his side,
24:26he thought I should have known my place.
24:33But a day passed,
24:35and there was no response.
24:40He diddled my my number himself,
24:42but there was no answer.
24:46He called the butler at the villa.
24:48Where's Mrs. Delacruz?
24:50Hasn't she come home?
24:52Mrs. Delacruz never returned.
24:54A flicker of unease stirred beneath at Jeffrey's growing inner irritation.
25:04Aside from staying by his side,
25:06where else in New Jersey could someone like me go?
25:09One of his men cautiously suggested,
25:12Mr. Delacruz,
25:14could it be that Ms. Leonard is still in the hospital?
25:17She was pretty badly hurt last time.
25:20Jeffrey froze for a moment,
25:23remembering that he had driven the blade through my hand just two days ago.
25:27He pushed down the ease in his chest and ordered his men.
25:31Find out which hospital she's in.
25:34Bring her the papers and have her sign them.
25:37The subordinate took the file,
25:39but was stopped before leaving.
25:42When you find her,
25:44leave two men to keep watch.
25:46She's unpredictable.
25:48If she tries anything against Amelia,
25:51deal with her mother first.
25:52Let her suffer a little if you have to.
25:55She'll get the message.
25:58That night,
26:00Jeffrey returned to the top floor of the casino.
26:04That used to be our private haven.
26:07Beyond the vast floor-to-ceiling windows
26:10stretched New Jersey's most dazzling night scheme,
26:13neon lights flickering beneath a sky full of inverted stars.
26:20I used to stand beside him,
26:23point down at the skyline,
26:24and laugh.
26:29This is our empire.
26:31He yanked off his tie and tossed it aside,
26:34irritation burning through him
26:36until a faint noise came from the bedroom.
26:40Is Geraldine back already?
26:43He thought.
26:45That's right.
26:46Where else can she go?
26:48With my temper,
26:50returning quietly never meant surrender.
26:52It meant I was plotting something.
26:56Either
26:56I was here to make a scene,
26:59or I had a plan,
27:00and Amelia was my target.
27:03His eyes turned cold
27:04as he strode to the door
27:06and pushed it open.
27:10Neon light spilled in through the windows,
27:12outlining a slim,
27:14graceful silhouette.
27:20But when she turned,
27:21his voice dropped to ice.
27:24Who told you to come here?
27:29Amelia flinched,
27:30a delicate nail charm
27:31trembling between her fingers.
27:34Jack.
27:35Her voice shook like that of a frightened dew.
27:39I just wanted to look around.
27:43The guard said no one lived here anymore.
27:46Please don't blame them.
27:48Jeffrey's gaze fell on the nail piece in her hand.
27:54I knew that nail charm.
27:56It was one of mine.
27:58Razor thin,
27:59deceptively beautiful,
28:01designed to slice through flesh
28:02or even sheet metal.
28:05Every piece I wore,
28:06my earrings,
28:08my hairpins,
28:09even my lipstick,
28:11could be a hidden weapon.
28:13The Scarlet Healer
28:14had never been just a name
28:16for the gambling table.
28:19For a moment,
28:21the fury in at Jeffrey's chest
28:22softened as he looked
28:23into Atom Amelia's uneasy eyes.
28:26He stepped forward
28:27and pulled her gently
28:29into his arms.
28:31I'm not angry.
28:33It's just that these things
28:34belong to my late-went wife.
28:36If you like them,
28:37I'll have new ones made for you.
28:41Amelia looked up,
28:42her eyes shimmering with emotion.
28:45It seemed to me
28:46that she thought
28:46she hadn't chosen
28:47the wrong man after all.
28:49Someone who could be
28:50so devoted to his late wife
28:52would surely make
28:53a good husband and father.
28:56In the early hours
28:57of the morning,
28:58a shrill phone ring
28:59shattered the silence
29:00and woke at Jeffrey.
29:03The voice on the other end
29:04was tense,
29:05panicked.
29:06Mr. Delacruz,
29:07Mrs. Delacruz gone.
29:09We checked every hospital
29:10in New Jersey,
29:11but she's nowhere
29:11to be fossing.
29:12You should have a look
29:13at her old medical records.
29:15She knew about the divorce.
29:17She found out a while ago
29:19and even went to the courthouse
29:20to confirm it.
29:31I later heard
29:32that Adamelia
29:33woke to the sharp thring
29:34of cigarette smoke.
29:35When she walked
29:36into the cliving room,
29:38the floor was littered
29:39with cigarette butts.
29:40Did something happen
29:41at the casino?
29:43She asked softly.
29:45Jeffrey came to himself
29:47but, unlike usual,
29:49didn't bother
29:49to put out the cigarette.
29:52It's nothing.
29:53He rusped.
29:55Just a small issue
29:57at work.
29:57It's handled.
29:59He didn't realize
30:00how bloodshed his eyes were
30:01or how utterly drained
30:03he looked.
30:04His men had told him
30:05that I had gone
30:06to a hospital
30:07for an abortion.
30:07That day was the same day
30:09he had brought
30:10Adamelia to the casino,
30:12parading her through
30:13the empire he and I
30:14had built together,
30:15as if to announce
30:16its new queen.
30:18And while he was doing that,
30:19I had been lying alone
30:21on an operating table,
30:22killing our child.
30:24I could only imagine
30:26how furious
30:26he must have been.
30:28Outside,
30:29dawn crept in,
30:30its pale light
30:31illuminating
30:32Adamelia's delicate,
30:33spotless face.
30:34It was a stark contrast
30:36to the blood-stained woman
30:37who had dared
30:38to erase his bloodline.
30:40Perhaps it was
30:41for the best.
30:42We were divorced anyway.
30:44If I wanted to weigh,
30:46he would let me.
30:47It would only save him
30:48the trouble.
30:49It's fine.
30:51He muttered,
30:52crushing the last
30:53of the cigarettes.
30:54I'll take a shower.
31:01He stepped into the bathroom
31:02and called one of his men.
31:08Clear out those bastards
31:09from Trenton.
31:10Not one stays alive.
31:12Do it clean
31:13and feed what's left
31:14to the sharks at the port.
31:16Adamelia soon moved
31:17into the villa,
31:18becoming the new mistress
31:20in Maine.
31:21Jeffrey had tailored gowns
31:22and jewelry made for her
31:23and even arranged
31:24a comfortable,
31:25respectable position
31:26for her at the casino.
31:28With each passing day,
31:30an indescribable exogeny
31:33began to sound
31:33seep into his bones.
31:35Or so I later heard.
31:37Every time he came back
31:38from the blood
31:39and chaos outside,
31:41facing Adamelia's innocent,
31:43unblemished eyes
31:44made him feel
31:44as if he were being
31:45split in half.
31:47Half of him was
31:48the ruthless king
31:49of New Jersey's underworld.
31:51Cold,
31:52commanding,
31:53and merciless.
31:54The other half
31:55was just a facade,
31:57a polished mask
31:58of the successful businessman,
32:00just the way
32:01she imagined him
32:02to be.
32:03Just then,
32:04he thought of me.
32:06Only with me
32:07could he be himself.
32:08I had never feared
32:09the darkness in him.
32:11I had aided him
32:12in plotting,
32:14executing,
32:15and wiping out
32:16their enemies
32:16with ruthless efficiency.
32:18A golden-gross invitation
32:20to the Grand Casino
32:21Championship jersey
32:23sat on his desk,
32:25addressed to him
32:25and his wife.
32:31Once upon a time
32:32he wouldn't have
32:32even glanced at it.
32:34With me beside him,
32:36every gambling table
32:38had been just another stage
32:39for our joint conquest,
32:41another game
32:42we always won.
32:44But now,
32:46he couldn't even remember
32:47the last time
32:48he had sat at a table.
32:50Years spent expanding
32:52his territory,
32:53hiding behind power
32:54and blood money,
32:56had dulled the edge
32:57of his skill.
32:59Even when he humored
33:00at Amelia
33:01with a few rounds,
33:02it felt like playing
33:03cards with a child.
33:09He had developed
33:10a habit of returning alone
33:11to the top floor
33:12of the casino
33:12late at night.
33:14There,
33:14surrounded by the remnants
33:16of our past,
33:17he could almost see
33:18the confident me again.
33:20He had once saved me
33:21from drug travelers
33:22and gave me shelter.
33:24But after that,
33:25I had been the one
33:26saving him,
33:27winning key battles,
33:28eliminating rivals,
33:29staining my hands
33:30with blood
33:31so his wouldn't have to.
33:32What we had shared
33:33had never been charity.
33:35It had been survival.
33:37Two predators
33:38walking side by side
33:40through hell.
33:41Without me,
33:42there would be no Jeffrey.
33:48So why had he turned on me?
33:50Was it because my hands
33:52were stained with blood?
33:53Or was it because
33:55of the rare moments
33:55when I showed my dependence
33:56and temper
33:57that started to make him
33:58resent me?
33:59But why did those
34:01same traits
34:01in At Amelia
34:02stir tenderness
34:04instead of contempt?
34:06I could only imagine
34:07the pain he felt.
34:09As if something
34:10had clamped around
34:11his heart
34:12and twisted hard,
34:13sending a sharp,
34:15splintering pain
34:15through his chest.
34:17He rose to his feet
34:18in a rush.
34:20No.
34:21He had to find me.
34:23The golden sparrow
34:24couldn't exist
34:25with its true queen.
34:27And he couldn't exist
34:28without me.
34:30Turn New Jersey
34:31upside down
34:33if you have to!
34:34He barked
34:35into the phone.
34:36Find Geraldine.
34:37I want her found
34:39dead or alive.
34:41Mr. Delacruz,
34:42we've searched everywhere,
34:43even the hospitals,
34:44docks,
34:45and underground clinics,
34:46but there's no trace
34:47of her.
34:47Find your mother then!
34:49He roared,
34:50slamming his fist
34:51on the desk.
34:52That sickly woman
34:53was hurt last time.
34:55She must be
34:55in a hospital somewhere.
34:57Grab her!
34:57I don't believe
34:58Gerald will stay hidden
35:00if her mother's in danger!
35:02He slammed the phone down,
35:03his chest heaving,
35:05the veins at his temple
35:06pulsing in barely
35:07contained fury.
35:18Jeff?
35:20Amelia's timid voice
35:21came from the doorway.
35:23Who are you looking for?
35:26He turned sharply.
35:28The fury in his eyes
35:29made her flinch.
35:32Taking a deep breath,
35:34he forced his voice low.
35:36It's just business matters.
35:38You don't need to worry.
35:39Amelia stepped closer,
35:41hands clasped nervously.
35:43I made you some dessert.
35:45It'll help with the stress.
35:47He took a bite,
35:49saying nothing.
35:50It was sweet.
35:52Glowingly so,
35:53just like her.
35:54But that sugary softness
35:56couldn't come close
35:56to drowning out
35:57the restless storm
35:58churning inside him.
36:03Half a month passed,
36:05and there was still
36:06no trace of me
36:07or my mother.
36:09Jeffrey's temper
36:10had grown
36:10increasingly volatile,
36:12and everyone
36:13as you know
36:14walked on eggshells
36:15around him.
36:16He couldn't understand
36:18how a gravely injured woman
36:19and her frail mother
36:20vanished right
36:21under his nose.
36:29That night,
36:30he was on the top floor again,
36:32drunk out of his mind.
36:34When Amelia arrived,
36:36one of his men
36:37was still giving a report.
36:39Jeffrey cursed,
36:40grabbed the nearest bottle,
36:41and hurled it
36:42across the room.
36:44The man fell silence
36:45immediately
36:46and fled
36:47when he saw
36:47at Amelia at the door.
36:49She pushed down
36:50her unease
36:51and stepped closer
36:52to help him up.
36:53Jeff,
36:53why are you drinking
36:55so much again?
36:56Let me help you
36:57back to bed.
36:59His unfocused eyes
37:00lifted,
37:01and suddenly
37:02he grabbed her wrist.
37:04Gary.
37:05His voice cracked,
37:06pausing and pleading.
37:08Don't go.
37:10I was wrong.
37:11Come back to me.
37:13Amelia froze.
37:16She must have wondered,
37:18didn't Jeffrey say
37:19I was dead?
37:20She looked around the room,
37:22the vanity,
37:23the wardrobe,
37:24the night stain,
37:25and realized
37:26there wasn't a single photo
37:28to be found.
37:29What kind of man,
37:31who claimed to have
37:32loved his wife,
37:33kept not even a picture of her?
37:40The next day,
37:42Jeffrey took her
37:43to a prenatal checkup.
37:45On the drive back,
37:47Ad Amelia ventured tentatively.
37:49Jeff,
37:50when will we have our wedding?
37:52If we wait much longer,
37:55I won't be able
37:56to hide my pregnancy.
37:57In the past,
37:59Jeffrey would have been ecstatic.
38:01But now,
38:03irritation prickled
38:04beneath his skin.
38:09I'm too busy
38:10with casino affairs right now.
38:12He muttered.
38:13We'll talk about it later.
38:16Amelia lowered her head.
38:19If it's too much trouble for you,
38:21I can leave.
38:23He was silent for a few seconds,
38:25then sighed.
38:27Don't overthink it.
38:28Once the casino matters
38:30are settled
38:31at the end of the month,
38:32we'll have our wedding.
38:33Back at the casino,
38:35while Jeffrey was in a meeting,
38:37Ad Amelia slipped
38:37into the records room.
38:39The guards didn't dare
38:40stop her.
38:42She searched through
38:43file after file
38:45but found no document
38:46related to me.
38:51Mrs. De La Cruz,
38:52what exactly
38:53are you looking for?
38:54One of the young men
38:55asked hesitantly.
38:58I want to see
38:59Geraldine's file.
39:00The guy blurted.
39:02Her file?
39:03Mr. De La Cruz
39:04ordered everything
39:05destroyed after she left.
39:07The man next to him
39:08elbowed him hard,
39:09but the damage was done.
39:11Amelia's face
39:12drained of color,
39:13her heart gripped
39:14by an icy,
39:15visible hand.
39:20She stumbled out of the archives
39:21in a daze
39:22and somehow wandered
39:24all the way
39:24to the basement entrance.
39:27Faint, inhuman screams
39:29echoed from deep inside.
39:31Inside,
39:32Kieran was chained
39:32to the ground,
39:33his body pressed
39:34against shards
39:35of broken glass.
39:36Mr. De La Cruz,
39:37please!
39:37I was wrong!
39:38We'll stay out of Trennan!
39:40Just let me go!
39:41Jeffrey's laugh
39:42was low and cold.
39:43You think that worthless
39:45piece of land
39:45compares to my wife?
39:47Kieran knew
39:48there was no way out.
39:49Pain twisted his features,
39:51mingled with a strange,
39:52mocking grin.
39:53Your wife?
39:54Had Jeffrey drop the act?
39:55I saw you clearly
39:56holding your new woman
39:57in the car,
39:58and now you're pretending
39:59to be some lovesick saint?
40:00You're absolutely disgusting!
40:02Jeffrey's eyes
40:03narrowed
40:04as he said calmly,
40:05cut his tendrils.
40:06The moment he finished speaking,
40:09his gaze caught
40:10a flash of fabric,
40:12a skirt disappearing
40:13by the doorway.
40:20Amelia froze in terror
40:21and turned to run,
40:22but he caught up
40:23in just a few strides
40:24and seized her wrist.
40:25She trembled violently,
40:28tears streaming
40:28down her face.
40:30Jeffrey pulled her
40:31into his arms,
40:32his tone firm
40:33yet oddly smoothing.
40:35Don't be afraid.
40:37I'm just teaching them
40:38a lesson so no one
40:39will ever dare
40:39touch you again.
40:42No!
40:43Amelia sobbed.
40:45It's not like that!
40:46Through blurred vision,
40:47she stared at him.
40:49That day,
40:49it was Gary
40:50who protected me.
40:51She was badly hurt
40:52but still shielded me
40:53with her body.
40:54She was kind and brave.
40:55How could I ever
40:55betray her?
40:56A storm of emotion
40:58flickered in his eyes.
40:59Amelia knew everything.
41:01He tried to explain,
41:03his voice low and urgent.
41:05That's all in the past.
41:07Now,
41:08there's only you.
41:09Amelia shook her head
41:10desperately,
41:11breaking free
41:11from his arms.
41:12But Gary never hurt me!
41:14She saved my life!
41:15How could you do this to her?
41:17How could you not
41:17treasure a woman like that?
41:19Her outbursts
41:20left her pale and shaking,
41:22her strength nearly gone.
41:26For the first time,
41:27a crack of something
41:29almost desperate
41:30appeared on
41:31at Jeffrey's face.
41:33He clearly didn't know
41:34how to cherish
41:35what he had.
41:42In a quiet foreign city,
41:44dunce was settling
41:44when I stepped out
41:45of the supermarket,
41:46planning to have fondue
41:47with mom that evening.
41:48My right hand still
41:49wasn't strong enough
41:50for heavy things.
41:51But after several surgeries
41:53and rounds of rehab,
41:54I could at least manage
41:55the lighter ones.
41:57Just then,
41:58my phone rang.
42:00It was mom calling.
42:01I had just lifted
42:03my phone to answer
42:04when an arm suddenly
42:05clamped around my neck
42:06from behind,
42:07dragging me backward
42:08into an alley.
42:09Instinct took over.
42:10I dropped my weight,
42:11slammed my elbow hard
42:13into the attacker's ribs,
42:14and stopped down
42:15on his foot
42:15with all my strength.
42:17He grunting in pain,
42:18his grip loosening
42:19just enough,
42:20made a twist free.
42:21A flash of cold steel
42:23glinted between the fingers
42:24of my left hand
42:25as the tiny blade
42:26hidden in my knuckles
42:27pressed precisely
42:28against his throat.
42:31It was Jeffrey.
42:34He stared at me,
42:35then gave a low laugh.
42:39Honey,
42:40you still got
42:41the same moves, huh?
42:43Even if you kill me,
42:44I'd die willingly.
42:47A wave of nausea
42:49and furies
42:50twisted my stomach.
42:51My voice came out
42:52cold and sharp.
42:54Jeffrey,
42:55we're divorced.
42:56Get out of my life.
42:58I never want
42:59to see you again.
42:59He leaned forward
43:01until the blade's edge
43:02sliced his skin
43:04and a thin line
43:05of blood appeared.
43:06Come back with me,
43:07Jerry.
43:08Let's start over.
43:09The casino can't run
43:11without its queen,
43:12and I can't live
43:13without you.
43:14I lowered the knife,
43:15my answer like steel.
43:17Keep dreaming.
43:19I'll hate you
43:20until my last breath.
43:22His eyes reddened.
43:23Gary,
43:24I know I was wrong.
43:26Everything that happened
43:27was all my fault.
43:28Please,
43:28let's try again.
43:32Footsteps sounded
43:32behind me.
43:33He hadn't come alone.
43:35I took a step back,
43:36slipping my right hand
43:37into my pocket
43:38until my fingers
43:39found a tiny button
43:40and pressed it.
43:42It was the emergency
43:43signal transmitter
43:44mom had given me.
43:48Jeffrey shoved me
43:50into the car
43:50and sped toward the airport.
43:56Then his phone rang
43:57with a video call.
43:59Amelia was tied
44:00to a chair.
44:01A baby clutched
44:02in her arms.
44:03Levi held a knife
44:04to her throat.
44:05Let her go,
44:06Jeffrey,
44:06or you'll never see
44:07your wife and child again.
44:10Jeffrey didn't even flinch.
44:12He let out a short,
44:13merciless laugh.
44:15Do whatever you want.
44:17Those two together
44:18aren't worth
44:18a single strand
44:19of Gara's hair.
44:21On the screen,
44:22at Amelia's eyes
44:23widened in horror,
44:24all hope draining
44:25from her face.
44:26Jeffrey ended the call
44:28and turned back to me,
44:29his gaze dark
44:30and feverish.
44:31Now no one
44:32can come between us.
44:33He was completely insane.
44:35Just as the car
44:36pulled up
44:37at the airport entrance,
44:38several vehicles
44:39screeched in
44:39from different directions
44:40and surrounded us.
44:43The car door
44:44swung open
44:45and my mother
44:46burst out
44:46with a group of people
44:47right behind her.
44:49Jeffrey,
44:50let go
44:51of my daughter!
44:56Gunfire erupted
44:57almost instantly.
44:59No one knew
44:59who fired first
45:00and in the next second,
45:01chaos exploded
45:02all around.
45:04Jeffrey lunged
45:06in front of me,
45:07shielding me
45:07from the bullets.
45:08A muffled groan
45:09escaped him
45:10as a red stain
45:11spread across
45:12his shoulder.
45:15But he didn't stop.
45:17Dripping my wrist,
45:18he tried to pull me
45:19towards the terminal.
45:22Gary,
45:23don't be afraid!
45:24I'll take you home!
45:25I tore myself free
45:26with all the strength
45:27I had left.
45:27Jeffrey,
45:29there's no home
45:29left for us.
45:31Not anymore.
45:32His face went white,
45:33yet he still reached
45:34out to me,
45:35desperate.
45:36Gary,
45:37come back.
45:39We can make it
45:40right again,
45:41just like before.
45:44I met his eyes
45:45steadily.
45:46If I had come back
45:47out of spite
45:47and gone after Amelia,
45:49would you have killed
45:50Mom in front of me
45:50before finishing me off,
45:52too?
45:52His pupils contracted.
45:54His lips parted
45:55as if to protest.
45:57I would never do that!
46:01As always,
46:02his hypocrisy
46:03never changed.
46:04He lied to me
46:05the same way
46:05he lied to Amelia.
46:07Mom stepped forward,
46:09aiming her gun
46:09straight at him.
46:12Let me end this.
46:14I took the gun
46:16from her hands,
46:17raised it,
46:18and aimed
46:19at his right hand.
46:27I fired a shot
46:28without hesitation.
46:32Jeffrey jerked,
46:33staring in disbelief
46:34at his bleeding,
46:35mangled hand.
46:36His wide eyes
46:37lifted to me,
46:38full of shock
46:39and heartbreak.
46:40You ruined
46:41one of my hands.
46:42I said evenly,
46:43I've returned
46:44the favor.
46:45From now on,
46:46we're even.
46:48Gary,
46:48don't go!
46:50His shout was raw,
46:51broken,
46:52almost inhuman.
46:53I didn't look back.
46:55Two years later,
46:57on a warm afternoon
46:58in Paris,
47:00I ran into Amelia.
47:01She looked slimmer
47:03than before.
47:04In her hand
47:05was a little girl,
47:06no more than
47:07two or three,
47:08who gazed up at me
47:09with wide,
47:10curious eyes.
47:11I came back
47:12to finish my degree.
47:13Amelia said softly,
47:15the fear and fragility
47:16were gone from her voice.
47:18replaced by peace.
47:20I smiled back
47:21and nodded to her
47:22and the child.
47:23The storms of blood,
47:24betrayal,
47:25and love
47:25that had once
47:26consumed us
47:27finally faded
47:28without a trace.
47:29andализused.
47:30You know,
47:32come on up to you
47:32and take a look.
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