Chapter 243: Chapter 241: From a Distance, a Gathering of Elites; Up Close, a Meeting of Love Rivals

A trail of scarlet liquid stretched across the marble floor, reaching Silas Grant’s feet.

The man’s high-end, custom-made, red-soled leather shoes stepped over the bloodstain. He frowned in disgust and lifted his gaze to the person opposite him.

Simon Adler had also been restrained.

"How much do you know?"

Despite being at a disadvantage, Simon Adler remained composed. He answered truthfully, "I truly knew nothing about what happened tonight."

"If the old man and I had conspired in advance, I wouldn’t have let her go upstairs."

"I never had any ill intentions toward her."

"And I’m not on the old man’s side either."

"But I do admit... I did promise the old man I would restrain her and use her as a ’hostage’."

"However, the old man told me he wouldn’t kill her."

"I knew his words couldn’t be fully trusted, so I did make a point of staying by her side."

"Tonight, we were invited to Carla Sinclair’s birthday banquet, as you should know."

"As of right now, I’m just as clueless as you are about why things have turned out this way."

The two men stared at each other for a long moment before Silas Grant ordered his men to release Simon Adler.

Seeing this, Kian Keller, who was seated on the sofa, paused. The fingers that had been flicking through his Buddha Beads stilled.

"You believe him?" Kian Keller asked, looking at Silas Grant. His voice was cold.

"Hah."

He sneered. "Silas Grant, don’t you think you’re pathetic?"

Kian Keller pushed himself up with his cane. "If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t want to get involved in your affairs."

"Right now, I don’t care if any of you live or die."

"All I know is that whoever harmed her has to die today."

"If you insist on protecting him..."

Stepping onto the blood-stained floor, Kian Keller took a step forward and stopped right in front of Silas Grant.

"Then you can die with him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of bullets being chambered echoed through the foyer.

Dozens of men raised their guns and aimed them at Kian Keller. Aaron narrowed his eyes, stepped forward alone to stand behind Kian Keller, and aimed his own gun at Silas Grant. He then flicked his gaze to the men behind Silas. "Go on and try it. Let’s see who dies first tonight."

’As a genuine special forces veteran, there was little Aaron could guarantee, but he was certain of one thing: if anything happened to his master, he would put a bullet in Silas Grant before they could turn him into Swiss cheese.’

The words had barely left his mouth when red dots flickered in from outside the window, landing on the heads of Simon Adler and Silas Grant.

Sniper rifles.

Simon Adler frowned. A few seconds later, he was torn between anger and laughter. "Psychopaths."

"All of you from Jynsia are complete psychopaths."

’Every last one of them is completely insane!’

’They could have just sat down and talked things out, but no, they had to pull out guns and turn it into a life-or-death struggle.’

’Ugh, this pack of madmen.’

It was in that very second that Simon Adler suddenly understood Mia Grant.

’She was right not to depend on just one of them.’

’Depending on only one person would be like being a parasite. In the hands of madmen like these, she would gradually be stripped of all her rights as a human being.’

’But if she relied on countless people, that would be her armor.’

’On the surface, it looks like she’s dependent on many, but in reality, she’s completely independent, unwilling to be controlled by anyone.’

’It was hard to imagine what would become of her if she truly submitted to just one of them.’

’Over time, love would become like atrophied limbs, gradually withering away.’

’Rather than hoping for that outcome, it was better to let them all keep each other in check. That was her only way out, her only permanent escape route.’

’This thing called love... it was so disingenuous.’

’What did they even love about her?’

’It surely couldn’t be her stubborn soul or that silver tongue that spouted nothing but lies.’

’What they loved was her vulnerability, her wretchedness, her brokenness, and the way she was always on the verge of collapsing.’

’Without competition, without a sense of crisis...’

’...how long could a sick love like that possibly last?’

’A year? Two? Or maybe five or ten?’

’She wouldn’t be this beautiful forever, nor this fragile.’

’Unless she planned on spending the rest of her life wagging her tail and begging for attention like a stray dog.’

"Well now, what a lively party."

Footsteps sounded, accompanied by a familiar Jynsia accent. Yates Donovan swaggered in, completely ignoring the dozens of guns pointed around the room.

His devil-may-care tone made it seem as if he hadn’t noticed the dangerous tension in the air at all.

He even greeted a few of them warmly. "Merry Christmas, everyone~"

It had the distinct feeling of a movie’s main villain making a spectacular entrance.

Reckless and untamed, disdainful of everything, carefree and uninhibited.

He didn’t care about life or death; he only cared if he could play tonight’s game to his heart’s content.

Simon Adler saw him and sighed to himself.

’Great,’ he thought, ’the whole collection of crazies is here.’

The response to Yates Donovan came in the form of footsteps behind him.

Simon Adler’s gaze shifted, and he was slightly taken aback when he saw the newcomer.

As a doctor, Hayes Hughes smelled the overpowering scent of blood the moment he walked in.

He glanced around, his brow furrowing. He too seemed to find the situation absurd.

In an instant, the foyer grew crowded.

Even without a single word exchanged, the looks they shared were suffocating enough.

’How to describe this scene?’

’From a distance, it looked like a gathering of elites. Up close, it was a summit for romantic rivals.’

"Everyone, lower your weapons," Hayes Hughes said, stepping forward. He couldn’t stand scenes like this.

He looked pointedly at Kian Keller’s side. "I’m going upstairs to see the old man. All of you cool down first."

Then, he turned and called for Silas Grant and Simon Adler to come with him.

The entire estate was already under their control, filled with their own men. There was no need to worry about the old man launching another surprise attack.

「The moonlight was hazy.」

Kian Keller’s leg still hadn’t fully recovered, so Aaron helped him to a seat.

He was a severe germaphobe, so Aaron brought a towel to wipe the blood from his shoes.

Yates Donovan had rushed to get here and was also a little tired. Figuring this standoff would last a while, he took the opportunity to sit down and rest as well.

Watching the scene across from him, he couldn’t help but remark, "Looks like I shouldn’t call you a monk. ’Princess Kian’ suits you better. Tsk, so melodramatic."

The next instant, the blood-stained towel came flying at his face.

Mr. Payne, with his quick reflexes, caught it and glared at Aaron.

"What a good dog," Aaron sneered.

Mr. Payne laughed. "And what does that make you?"

Both men had served their respective bosses for many years, and their mannerisms had come to resemble their masters’.

War was about to break out.

Yates Donovan rested his chin in his hand, watching the show with no intention of stopping it. It was as if he was afraid the night wasn’t chaotic enough and was eager to add more fuel to the fire.

’In fact, that was exactly what he was thinking.’

’Now that he knew Mia Grant had safely left port...’

’...he didn’t really care what happened.’

’But since he’d come all this way, he couldn’t possibly leave empty-handed.’

’He didn’t care who it was, but someone had to die tonight for his entertainment.’

’Even though he’d just reached an agreement with Kian Keller and Hayes Hughes a couple of days ago...’

’...he had no qualms about sending his "allies" to their graves.’

Luckily, Midcrest was bustling enough tonight.

People had been arriving in waves.

And sure enough, just as the argument here was heating up, another noise came from the doorway.

Yates Donovan casually turned his head and met a pair of eyes that were at once familiar and strange.

His expression went slack for a moment before he snapped back to his senses, his dark eyes narrowing. He called out to the man across from him, "Princess Kian, do you know this lady?"

A fruit knife came flying over. Its cold blade flashed under the light before plunging straight into the sofa... right between Yates Donovan’s legs.

Kian Keller was elegantly wiping his hands with a handkerchief. He glanced sideways at the figure entering the doorway, and then his movements froze.