bChapter /b328

Holt couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Those busted surveince cameras would sh a super offensive middle finger right before shutting down.

This kind of provocation was like dancing on Richard’sst nerve.

Everyone knew this was Richard’s turf.

To pull a stunt like hitting the boss on his own ground, and then leave that kind of insulting meme on the cameras… now that’s next–level guts.

If Richard ever found out who did this, tearing them apart piece by piece would be just routine for him.

Richard felt an unprecedented sense of danger closing in.

Who the hell has the guts to mess around like this on my turf?‘ Richard couldn’t believe someone would dare cross the line.

‘Could it be Joshua?‘ he wondered, suspicion shing through his mind.

‘No way!‘ Richard instantly denied it.

Even if Joshua had chased Richard all the way to Daltonia, the guy was basically just good at throwing punches and a few fancy moves–other than that, he was nobody.

And anyway, these kinds of high–tech hacking tricks? Totally not how Joshua operates.

Richard, confident he knew Joshua inside out, crossed him off the list without hesitation.

But if it turned out to be Philia–that would just be insane.

After that ne went down, surviving was out of the question for Philia.

All of a sudden, a wild thought crossed his mind–was it possible that another old enemy hade knocking?

Richard wasn’t scared of how many enemies he had, but today, dying wasn’t on his agenda.

Even if he did kick the bucket, he wouldn’t have the guts to meet his old man on the other side.

His father had died the same year Joshua came of age, all thanks to Joshua’s cunning schemes.

Richard once swore before his father’s shrine: if he didn’t get revenge on Joshua, the headstone would bear no

name.

Joshua was no pushover–Richard had spent years lying in wait, and now he’d finally found Joshua’s Achilles heel. The n was within reach, and he wasn’t about to let it slip through his fingers.

He wasn’t going to let anyone wreck this for him, no matter what.

9:19 Thu, bOct /bb2 /b

Richard shot Holt a cold look. “Go pay Philia’s family a visit. If they’re dumb enough to cause trouble, I’ve got no problem sending them to keep Philiapany in the afterlife.”

There was no way Philia could’vee back to life–Richard was certain. That left just one real reason.

Someone close to Philia wanted payback.

But tough luck for them–Richard wasn’t the type to get knocked out that easily.

Holt left the underground arena with a handful of men, leading them as they drove out of town.

Joshua and Graham stood by the hotel window, watching as the ck car drove away from the little town. For the first time tonight, a smile finally appeared on Joshua’s face.

“The snake’s out of its hole. Time to close the,” Joshua said.

Graham got the message, shed Joshua an OK sign, and stepped outside with his phone.

After a while, Graham walked back in.

“I’ve already reached out to Philia’s family. They know better than to help Richard cover up his crimes,” he said.

Joshua nodded.

His eyes drifted back toward the shadowy slope of the nearby mountain.

‘Xylia, wait for me,‘ Joshua thought.

Richard had just gotten back to the estate when he got a call from Noelle.

He’d blocked Noelle as soon as he returned to Daltonia–yet she’d switched numbers and still tracked him

down.

“Richard, you’re so unreliable! Why did you block me?” Noelle shot at him, her voice full of usation.

The way she questioned him put Richard in a foul mood. He seriously considered hanging up right then.

He had zero patience for this and was ready to end the call.

But then Noelle suddenly said, “Josh is in Daltonia too–and it looks like he knows you took Xylia.”

Honestly, Joshua showing up was just a matter of time.

Richard simply hadn’t expected him to move this fast.

“Whatever,” Richard replied, his tone cold.

Just as he was about to hang up, Noelle kept talking.

“Honestly, you might as well just kill Xylia. You’ve taken so many lives already, what’s one more? That way our

b9:19 /bbThu/bb, /bbOct /bb2 /b

deal’s settled—and Joshua won’t have any reason to chase after her anymore,” she said.

Richard didn’t hang up this time. fn163d Get full chapters from Find[?]ovel/fn163d

His lips curled into a faint smile, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

“Our deal is done. You did the job for me, and I took Xylia away from Joshua. Whether she goes away dead or alive–that’s up to me,” he said.

Richard could tell Noelle was fuming on the other end of the line, her breathing getting heavier.

“But now that Joshua’s in Daltonia, the deal doesn’t count anymore!” Noelle shot back.

Noelle was about to start ying dirty.

But when it came to ying dirty, Richard was on another level.

“If I say the deal stands, it stands. Since when do I take orders from you? If you’ve got a problem, maybe get your head checked–sounds like there’s nothing but mush up there,” he sneered.

His words weren’t just shameless–they were downright savage.

Richard could hear Noelle starting to sob, and before he knew it, she hung up first.

Richard scoffed, tossing his phone onto the coffee table.

‘Does she really think she’s some kind of big deal?‘ he thought, pure disdain in his eyes.

Truth was, he’d never given a damn about this pathetic deal.

The only thing Richard cared about was forcing Joshua to kneel and kowtow three hundred times before his father’s grave.

After a moment, Richard got up and made his way toward Xylia’s room.

Xylia was tucked deep under the nkets, her whole head buried, looking just like a baby kangaroo burrowed in its mother’s pouch.

Richard stopped at the bedroom door for a moment beforeing inside.

“Get out! I’m not touching your burgers and Coke!” Xylia snapped from under the covers, her voice muffled but clearly aimed at Richard.

Xylia’s muffled voice came from beneath the covers, making it obvious she just wanted to shut everyone out.

Sure, it probably looked a little silly, but honestly, she was so stressed she couldn’t care less about seeming proper–she just wanted to be left alone.

Richard couldn’t help but think Xylia was absolutely adorable like this.

Heughed softly, “Alright, I won’t bring you burgers and soda. Any interest ining downstairs for a real

b9:19 /bThu, bOct /bb2 /b

meal with me?”

1714

Maybe she recognized Richard’s voice, because Xylia didn’t respond after that.

Richard had zero patience left–he was already reaching over, about to yank the nkets right off her.

But before he could even get close, Xylia popped her head out and scrambled out of the covers on her own.

She was all dressed, just her hair sticking out in a small messy halo, looking half annoyed, half on guard.

As soon as she spotted Richard, Xylia narrowed her eyes a fraction, every inch of her brimming with caution.

“Why are you here?” Xylia demanded, her tone icy and defensive.

“Obviously, I’m here to take you down for a proper meal,” Richard said, voice syrupy smooth, that trademark easy–going smile stered on his face.

Richard sounded almost soothing, smiled like he had all the patience in the world, even his gaze felt gentle- so much so it bordered on unsettling.

That kind of gentleness only made chills crawl across Xylia’s back, nerves instantly on high alert.

“I’m not hungry. Just leave,” Xylia shot back, her tone icy.

“Whether you’re hungry or not–it’s not for you to decide,” Richard replied, voice cool andmanding.

Richard didn’t give her a choice—he just grabbed her arm and dragged her straight to the dining room.

The table was piled high with all sorts of mouthwatering dishes–chicken, duck, fish, and plenty of fresh vegetables–all arranged in perfect bnce.

Even the aroma lingering in the air was almost identical to the meals Xylia had eaten before.

After two days of nothing but burgers, Xylia should’ve been thrilled to see such a spread.

But instead, she just gave the table a cold, indifferent nce before turning her gaze to Richard.

“You kidnapped me and kept me here for two days–this is all about Joshua, isn’t it?” Xylia asked, her voice steady but cutting.

Richard froze for a split second.

Xylia pressed on, “You did all this on purpose. Joshua knows I’m in your hands, and he’ll try anything to save me. You’re just using me as bait to lure him here, aren’t you?”

Richard just smiled, cing a rib on Xylia’s te. “Ms. Sadler, you’re really quick–witted.”

“What exactly are you after?” Xylia shot at him, her fists clenching so hard her knuckles turned white.

‘I need to find a way out of here, but thest thing I want is for Joshua to throw himself into danger because of me,‘ Xylia thought, anxiety gnawing at her.

b9:19 /bThu, Oct b2 /b

She had to uncover every angle of Richard’s n–and fast, before time ran out.

bAD /b