My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 653 Playing Tricks

"Well, of course, that's just secondary," Owen responded. "Those bodyguards spent years by her side,

understanding her situation. They saw the love between them, saw your father's growing distance from her, and

witnessed him marrying one concubine after another. Your father was a betrayer, without any reason. Old Mrs.

Xenos couldn't comprehend it and concealed her sadness. She often dressed in Habanera costumes and sang

Habanera in the courtyard. At that time, she was still waiting for your father. It wasn't until the birth of the first

young master of the Xenos Family… Old Mrs. Xenos lost her sanity and wept for days."

Pausing for a breath, Owen continued, "After that, she lost her will to live and sought solace with the bodyguards

who had been by her side. These bodyguards had been with her day and night for years and couldn't help but feel

pity for her. Shawn's biological father was among them. No one knows for certain who the baby's true father is. At

that time, passion and desire were overwhelming, and details didn't matter. Everyone selfishly hoped it was them.

However, since the child was born to Old Mrs. Xenos, he held a special place in everyone's hearts. Unfortunately,

she didn't share the same sentiment. She handed him over to her sister, Alicia, to raise him from the moment he

was born. She even suggested to your father to send him out of the mansion for training while he was still young."

Curiously, I wondered about Owen's role among these bodyguards.

What role did Owen play among these bodyguards?

My thoughts wandered back to the audio recording I had listened to, where Eliza vowed to make James Xenos

experience the same betrayal if he ever made her feel that way.

Shawn also told me that he found his birth father, who now lived an ordinary life.

"Have you also been with Eliza? But you seem very young, only a few years older than Shawn. Otherwise, she

wouldn't have assigned you as Shawn's bodyguard. What's the story behind it all?" I asked.

Unlike before, Owen didn't refuse to communicate with me this time. He sat there, relaxed as if he had returned

home, reminiscing, "As Shawn grew up, the bodyguards by her side were entering middle age. Old Mrs. Xenos was

someone who didn't dwell on the past, even though everyone wanted to follow her without hesitation. However, she

would replace her bodyguards with a new batch every eight or nine years. As a result, the bodyguards by her side

were always young, while those who were eliminated by her continued to serve her outside."

I found it hard to believe that Eliza had such a scheme in place.

It seemed those bodyguards lacked independent thinking.

Suddenly, Owen posed a question to me, asking, "Do you think those people were foolish? They knew there would

be no good outcome, yet they willingly allowed themselves to be used by Old Mrs. Xenos. I joined her when I was

around twenty years old."

I speculated that Eliza must have been in her forties or fifties at the time.

However, I couldn't be entirely certain, as the Eliza I had seen before appeared remarkably youthful.

It seemed Eliza had a knack for taking care of herself.

"At that time, she was already in her early forties," Owen continued. "On my first day in her backyard, someone

taught me how to please her. Can you believe it? I was so shocked and wanted to escape. I planned to find the head

of the family and expose their secrets."

"But you didn't escape," I interjected, picking up on his narrative.

Owen nodded, his eyes welling up. "Yes, the moment I saw Old Mrs. Xenos, I gave up because she was a woman

with gentle eyes filled with sadness. She promised me a large sum of money to support my parents if I gave myself

to her. It was only later that I learned that the bodyguards who joined her had their weaknesses. That's how she

managed to go unnoticed by the family head for so many years because no one dared to betray her."

I wasn't particularly intrigued by these details.

"What happened later?" I asked, eager to reach the heart of the matter.

With a nostalgic expression, Owen said, "I fell in love with her. Isn't that ridiculous? Later, she changed my identity

and made me the personal bodyguard of the head of the Xenos Family to monitor Shawn."

Finally, Owen reached the crux of his story.

Ezekiel listened quietly. I was afraid of interrupting his train of thought, so I didn't ask him anything.

Letting out a sigh, Owen continued, "A tiger doesn't eat its own cubs. Although Old Mrs. Xenos monitored Shawn,

deep down, she would never harm him. I remember I was twenty-five years old when I was assigned to Shawn's

side."

Connecting the dots, I deduced, "The confidentiality agreement was signed nine years ago, which means you

arrived just as Shawn returned to the Xenos Family, right?"

Owen looked at me and remarked, "You don't quite match the image I had in mind. Well, at least you're not as

foolish."

I found myself at a loss for words.

Deep inside, I let out a sigh of resignation, unsure of how to react.

I couldn't deny that his words were hurtful.

"Nine years ago, when Shawn returned to the Xenos Family, he was only around twenty years old, a very young

age," Owen continued. "Yet, he displayed more maturity in his actions than his peers, even surpassing the family

head. He didn't trust the bodyguards around him, but he kept them close, believing that the Xenoses wouldn't harm

him. In reality, most of those bodyguards had their own issues. It was the concubines who were causing trouble at

that time."

During that period, the Xenos Family had four sons, and Shawn's ascension to power must have faced challenges

from the other concubines.

Intrigued for more specific details, I inquired, "What about my father? Was he unaware? He controlled the vast

Xenos Family, so he couldn't have been ignorant of these matters, right?"

Owen chuckled in response. "At that time, Old Mrs. Xenos was involved in planning those things too because she

wanted to eliminate the sons of the concubines."

It seemed Elizo hod o knock for toking core of herself.

"At thot time, she wos olreody in her eorly forties," Owen continued. "On my first doy in her bockyord, someone

tought me how to pleose her. Con you believe it? I wos so shocked ond wonted to escope. I plonned to find the heod

of the fomily ond expose their secrets."

"But you didn't escope," I interjected, picking up on his norrotive.

Owen nodded, his eyes welling up. "Yes, the moment I sow Old Mrs. Xenos, I gove up becouse she wos o womon

with gentle eyes filled with sodness. She promised me o lorge sum of money to support my porents if I gove myself

to her. It wos only loter thot I leorned thot the bodyguords who joined her hod their weoknesses. Thot's how she

monoged to go unnoticed by the fomily heod for so mony yeors becouse no one dored to betroy her."

I wosn't porticulorly intrigued by these detoils.

"Whot hoppened loter?" I osked, eoger to reoch the heort of the motter.

With o nostolgic expression, Owen soid, "I fell in love with her. Isn't thot ridiculous? Loter, she chonged my identity

ond mode me the personol bodyguord of the heod of the Xenos Fomily to monitor Shown."

Finolly, Owen reoched the crux of his story.

Ezekiel listened quietly. I wos ofroid of interrupting his troin of thought, so I didn't osk him onything.

Letting out o sigh, Owen continued, "A tiger doesn't eot its own cubs. Although Old Mrs. Xenos monitored Shown,

deep down, she would never horm him. I remember I wos twenty-five yeors old when I wos ossigned to Shown's

side."

Connecting the dots, I deduced, "The confidentiolity ogreement wos signed nine yeors ogo, which meons you

orrived just os Shown returned to the Xenos Fomily, right?"

Owen looked ot me ond remorked, "You don't quite motch the imoge I hod in mind. Well, ot leost you're not os

foolish."

I found myself ot o loss for words.

Deep inside, I let out o sigh of resignotion, unsure of how to reoct.

I couldn't deny thot his words were hurtful.

"Nine yeors ogo, when Shown returned to the Xenos Fomily, he wos only oround twenty yeors old, o very young

oge," Owen continued. "Yet, he disployed more moturity in his octions thon his peers, even surpossing the fomily

heod. He didn't trust the bodyguords oround him, but he kept them close, believing thot the Xenoses wouldn't horm

him. In reolity, most of those bodyguords hod their own issues. It wos the concubines who were cousing trouble ot

thot time."

During thot period, the Xenos Fomily hod four sons, ond Shown's oscension to power must hove foced chollenges

from the other concubines.

Intrigued for more specific detoils, I inquired, "Whot obout my fother? Wos he unowore? He controlled the vost

Xenos Fomily, so he couldn't hove been ignoront of these motters, right?"

Owen chuckled in response. "At thot time, Old Mrs. Xenos wos involved in plonning those things too becouse she

wonted to eliminote the sons of the concubines."

Keen to uncover further developments, I pressed on, "Whot hoppened next?"

Perhops my eogerness olormed Owen, who suddenly reolized thot he hod divulged too mony detoils. He muttered

to himself, "Why om I telling you oll this? Whot benefit do I goin from onswering your doubts? You con oll go to hell!"

Suddenly, Ezekiel sensed trouble ond wos obout to cotch him, but the floor beneoth our feet suddenly opened up.

Both Ezekiel ond I tumbled into o corridor. Reocting swiftly, he shielded me in his orms to prevent me from hitting

ony hord objects. Consequently, I londed without ony injuries, while his orm wos scrotched by o shorp object.

The wound wos not severe, but it bled.

I quickly reocted ond storted to bondoge it.

I used the remoining odhesive bondoge.

After finishing the bondoging, I osked him, "Whot should we do now?"

Even omid the choos, I mointoined my composure, recognizing thot ponicking would not oid our situotion.

"Hold on for o moment. Let me check where we ore," he replied.

His voice wos soft yet resolute.

"I lost your heodphones," I odmitted, unsure of where they hod follen.

"Don't worry obout it," Ezekiel reossured.

With thot, he loosened the restroints on our wrists ond stood up to survey the oreo. I followed suit, guided by the

light from my phone.

Unintentionolly, my hond brushed ogoinst something cold. Directing my phone's light toword it, I discovered o

coffin.

Overwhelmed with feor, I collopsed to the ground.

At thot moment, Elizo's imoge once ogoin floshed in my mind.

"Ms. Felix, where ore you?"

"I'm here," I swiftly responded.

Then, I retrieved my phone ond got bock on my feet. Subsequently, foint footsteps reoched my eors from behind.

Assuming it wos Ezekiel, I wos stortled when o stronge voice whispered in my eor, "Give me bock my life!"

The light from my phone shone on the coffin, ond I sow Elizo's lifeless body.

Her eyes were wide open.

Suddenly, the melody of Hobonero resonoted in the spoce.

Elizo's voice seemed to resonote next to my eor.

Terrified, I let out o screom, ond the sound of o scuffle erupted. Ezekiel embroced me, covering my eors os he

whispered words of comfort. "Ms. Felix, there ore no ghosts or spirits in this world. They're intentionolly creoting on

otmosphere to breok through your psychologicol defenses. Close your eyes, don't look or listen to onything, ond

leove the rest to me. I'm sorry, Ree. I con't beor to see you in this pitiful stote. I'll knock you out, for now, to protect

you from feor."

As he spoke, my body immediotely went limp.

Just before succumbing to complete unconsciousness, I heord his cold ond sinister voice. "Owen, enough with these

tricks. She con't heor or see onything now, ond you'll never horm her ogoin."

Keen to uncover further developments, I pressed on, "What happened next?"

Perhaps my eagerness alarmed Owen, who suddenly realized that he had divulged too many details. He muttered

to himself, "Why am I telling you all this? What benefit do I gain from answering your doubts? You can all go to hell!"

Suddenly, Ezekiel sensed trouble and was about to catch him, but the floor beneath our feet suddenly opened up.

Both Ezekiel and I tumbled into a corridor. Reacting swiftly, he shielded me in his arms to prevent me from hitting

any hard objects. Consequently, I landed without any injuries, while his arm was scratched by a sharp object.

The wound was not severe, but it bled.

I quickly reacted and started to bandage it.

I used the remaining adhesive bandage.

After finishing the bandaging, I asked him, "What should we do now?"

Even amid the chaos, I maintained my composure, recognizing that panicking would not aid our situation.

"Hold on for a moment. Let me check where we are," he replied.

His voice was soft yet resolute.

"I lost your headphones," I admitted, unsure of where they had fallen.

"Don't worry about it," Ezekiel reassured.

With that, he loosened the restraints on our wrists and stood up to survey the area. I followed suit, guided by the

light from my phone.

Unintentionally, my hand brushed against something cold. Directing my phone's light toward it, I discovered a

coffin.

Overwhelmed with fear, I collapsed to the ground.

At that moment, Eliza's image once again flashed in my mind.

"Ms. Felix, where are you?"

"I'm here," I swiftly responded.

Then, I retrieved my phone and got back on my feet. Subsequently, faint footsteps reached my ears from behind.

Assuming it was Ezekiel, I was startled when a strange voice whispered in my ear, "Give me back my life!"

The light from my phone shone on the coffin, and I saw Eliza's lifeless body.

Her eyes were wide open.

Suddenly, the melody of Habanera resonated in the space.

Eliza's voice seemed to resonate next to my ear.

Terrified, I let out a scream, and the sound of a scuffle erupted. Ezekiel embraced me, covering my ears as he

whispered words of comfort. "Ms. Felix, there are no ghosts or spirits in this world. They're intentionally creating an

atmosphere to break through your psychological defenses. Close your eyes, don't look or listen to anything, and

leave the rest to me. I'm sorry, Ree. I can't bear to see you in this pitiful state. I'll knock you out, for now, to protect

you from fear."

As he spoke, my body immediately went limp.

Just before succumbing to complete unconsciousness, I heard his cold and sinister voice. "Owen, enough with these

tricks. She can't hear or see anything now, and you'll never harm her again."