CHAPTER 112: HER FUN, CAREFREE DAYS WERE OVER.

Randall took the fruit handed to him, surprise evident in his eyes, and looked up to see he wasn’t the only one astonished that Eva had managed to get something as rare as fruit—Leo and Aaron both looked shocked at the freshness of the apple.

Eva, unaware she had shocked some people, munched on her fruit as she watched Mason whipped with a barbed whip—one stroke and a line of blood appeared on his thighs.

"When we get home, I’ll explain. Eat," Grace whispered into Leo’s ear. He hummed in response and took a bite, only then realizing he hadn’t asked Grace how she had survived the blast.

He could still remember the trembling of the ground, but due to Eva’s issue, the question slipped his mind.

Time passed, and Manson’s screams grew fainter, a clear sign he was on the brink of death. At some point, Eva had dozed off against Ethan’s shoulder, finding the torture scene boring after its initial excitement.

"We should head back," Grace announced as she rose to her feet. The crowd of guards froze instantly, fear flickering in their eyes at the thought of their fate in Grace’s hands.

One of them panicked and fell to his knees; the sharp thump of the ground jolted Eva awake.

She looked around in daze before falling on the man, trembling, and as if a switch was turned on, all twenty of the guards quickly knelt and began pleading innocence.

"Madam Grace...he sold my sister! I’m only seeking revenge.

"Me too! I only wanted revenge and to see him tortured like how he did my friends.’’

"Please let me go, I didn’t kill anyone else except to torture him!’’

They yelled with their faces twisted in hatred, causing them to wonder if Mason derived pleasure from hiring his victim’s associate.

Who in their right mind would keep a ticking time bomb around them? Perhaps it was confidence that they wouldn’t be able to take revenge on him.

Grace felt a headache coming on, rubbing her temple—Mason had wronged everyone here, and she didn’t have the right to stop them from seizing the chance to avenge their loved ones.

Her only worry was whether they had killed the other occupant of the estate.

Randall knocked his cane on the ground, silencing the room—annoyed that their shout had woken his precious granddaughter.

"Tsk! Your taste is unique.’’ Leo clicked his tongue, glancing over at the unrecognisable Mason; one couldn’t tell if it was a human face or a bloodied mush of flesh.

Eva nodded, feeling that something was wrong with Mason’s brain for keeping his enemies closer than necessary.

He was practically sleeping under the same roof as them, and she marvelled at their patience in stopping themselves from stabbing him in his sleep or even poisoning his food.

"Did you attack the other occupants of the other mansion?" Grace asked, her sharp gaze fixed on them.

Some broke out in a cold sweat, yet they all looked confused at her words — none of them had left the mansion; they were busy dealing with those loyal to Mason among them.

"No, madam Grace, we only took advantage of the chaos to attack Mason." A man answered timidly, his tone sincere, as the others nodded in response.

They saw the estate servants looting their master’s treasures and killing, so they seized the opportunity to finally get their revenge.

Sigh... Grace rubbed her temples and looked at them before making a decision. "Even if you weren’t involved in the massacre, you can’t escape punishment." Grace paused, her words causing the guards to stiffen, staring at her with wide eyes, a strand of sweat sliding down their chins or coating their faces.

They wondered what the punishment would be, some shutting their eyes in defeat, already imagining the worst—that they would die with Mason—but they felt no regret since they had avenged their loved ones.

"My dear daughter-in-law had better speak quickly, or they might lose all will to live with your stalling." Randall voiced from the side, motioning to the guards who had expressions of acceptance—their deaths.

Grace snorted at their behaviour; she was merely considering a suitable punishment and hadn’t thought of taking their lives.

"Get up. Clean up the estate, burn the bodies. I don’t want to see it as it is the next time I come here." Grace’s words were like a spring rain after a drought.

"Yes, Madam!" they shouted in unison, bursting into soft cheer, afraid that if they celebrated loudly, she might change her mind and impose a worse punishment.

Grace motioned for Eva and the rest to leave. Only Leo was the last to exit the room. He could still feel some breath left in Mason and walked up to him. The remaining guards fled far from the room, leaving the two of them alone.

"You don’t think you’ll escape death because you’re unconscious or on the brink of it. No, no... I want you to wish you were never born." Leo whispered into Mason’s ear, the chilling madness in his voice making Mason instinctively shiver—his unconscious mind warning his body to escape.

He raised a finger, wisps of grey mist swirling around it. The air grew thinner, as if it were being sucked from the room. Leo’s lips curved into a cold smile as he watched the mist drill into Mason through his ears and nose.

Turning on his heel, he left the room. Halfway to the door, Mason began to twitch violently before a blood-curdling scream tore from his lungs.

The sound made every guard’s hair stand on end, and they were grateful for their quick decision to leave. Mason was woken abruptly by the pain; he could feel the power crystal close to his heart shatter into tiny bits.

The pain was excruciating, as if someone were deliberately slicing his heart in slow motion.

"Pftt... cough..." He spat a mouthful of black blood onto the ground.

And this was only the beginning of his torment. Leo’s poison was so insidious that it kept him conscious, forcing him to experience every moment as his internal organs shattered and his skin split into web-like cracks, like ceramic breaking apart.

"Are you done?" Grace asked with a knowing look as soon as Leo joined them. She knew he wouldn’t let Mason go, and this was the best chance before the Oasis city returned to a semblance of normal.

"Hmm... he’s dead. Now, can you tell me how you survived the blast and what’s going on with our daughter?" Leo asked, referring to the fresh fruit matter.

Randall and Aiden grew interested in their discussion and matched their pace at the back, leaving Eva, Julian, and Ethan to walk in front.

"It happened like this..." Grace told them everything that happened, down to the last detail. The three of them wore expressions of fear, anger, and surprise before their faces turned serious as they glanced at Eva’s back.

"I’ll keep her space a secret from those old men. Leo, make sure the scientists who know about this are controlled. It’s safer to instil poison in them so they die on the spot before they can reveal her secret," Randall ordered coldly, his easy-going expression long gone.

"Dad, you don’t need to tell me. I plan to do that once we return," Leo replied, mentally calculating which of his poisons he should use on them. He won’t kill them, but the poison would only trigger when they are about to reveal Eva’s secret.

Grace said nothing to dissuade them from the decision; her daughter’s safety was more important. Aiden felt it was time to visit the dungeon to hunt more monster cores for Eva to increase her strength.

"It’s time for the sister to go through the family training," Aiden voiced, and the three nodded, agreeing that Eva was too weak.

Eva shuddered, feeling cold for no reason, unaware that her nightmarish training was about to begin—her fun, carefree days were over.