NovelEnglishRichard immediately thought of Xylia, who was still inside the manor.*
His eyes flashed with malice. *
“Even if you're acting as Joshua’s pawn now, it won't make a difference. My private estate is filled with traps-
once he steps in, there's no way out for him.“*
Richard's smile twisted with cruelty, his voice chilling as if he were a demon unleashed from hell *
“But you're born and raised in Daltonia. Sure, we've got old grudges, but is it really worth going to war against
Philia, hit with an unprovoked insult, felt his confusion morph instantly into anger.
“This damn sissy dares callshameless!‘ he thought.
“Look who's talking! Wasn't it your dad who cto Daltonia, played assistant to mine for just a month, then
stole the family secrets and ran off on his own? That's how you lot got so powerful. If anyone’s shameless, it's
you and your old man-everyone finds you utterly disgusting!“*
“But hey, justice was served. Your dad got what was coming to him for betraying others. You and your father will
end up destroyed by your own shamelessness!“*
Richard couldn’t stand anyone trash-talking his dad.
He lost it and charged straight at Philia, fists swinging hard.
The goons behind both of them didn’t hesitate-they dove right in as their bosses brawled, and the whole
basement exploded into a wild mass of fighting bodies.
Everything down there melted into utter pandemonium.
And it wasn’t just chaos underground-Richard’s private manor had erupted into turmoil of its own.
Holt and his crew rolled up to the gate.
He was expecting Joshua to show up, but the one at the door turned out to be Graham Green instead.
Behind Graham, in a sleek black Maybach, a man in a tailored suit sat in the passenger seat, silver hair
gleaming, head bowed, making no move to step out.
That was Joshua himself.
Holt let out a cold laugh.
‘Still trying to look cool and mysterious, hiding out in the car at a tlike this?‘ Holt thought.
But the whole estate was a trap set just for Joshua.
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Even if Joshua didn’t set foot out of that car, Holt knew he could get him anyway.
“Hey, Mr. Garcia, since you're already here, what's with hiding in the car?” Holt shouted.
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Graham Green stepped casually to the side, just enough to block Holts sightline to the Maybach, almost as if
daring him to try harder.
“What's wrong, is your boss Mr. Shaw too scared to cgreet us himself?” Graham asked, arrogance dripping
from every syllable.
The way Graham looked down on them, that smug attitude paired with his supercilious glare, made Holt’s skin
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtprickle with annoyance-it was like the guy considered everyone else beneath him.
Holt fixed Graham with an unfazed glare, not giving anything away.
“Our boss doesn’t just show up for whoever knocks-he’s not that easy to meet,” Holt shot back, voice cold.
Hardly had the boss left when Joshua rolled up at the door with his squad.
As for that Philia down the hill? Holt bet that was Joshua pulling strings.
‘Didn't see that coming... Joshua actually knows Philia?* Holt thought, surprised.
He figured Joshua must've promised Philia all kinds of perks to rope him in.
Holt slid his hand quietly behind his back, gripping the gun at his waist in silent warning.
Graham clocked the move instantly, his eyes sharp and unreadable.
“You really shouldn't try anything reckless,” Graham said, voice cool as ice. “We're not here to stir up trouble,
but if you want to throw down, trust me-we’re not backing down.”
He just stood there, arms folded across his chest, looking completely relaxed-like Holt’s threat was nothing to
him.
“And just so we're clear,” Graham said coolly, “if anything happens tohere, my family won't hesitate to
becyour boss's worst nightmare.”
That was enough to make Holt pause, his hand slowly dropping away from the gun.
The Green family was basically royalty in Daltonia.
They had deep connections with the authorities.
And they always protected their own. If Graham got hurt here, Mr. Shaw might really be facing cops knocking at
his door.
And for people like them, getting tangled up with the cops was the last thing they wanted.
In the end, Holt didn’t pull his gun. He just eyed Graham warily.
Chapter
BEI
“What exactly are you up to?” Holt asked.
Graham gave a faint smile and stayed silent.
Xylia heard someone had arrived at the front gate.
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She wanted to go see for herself, but the bodyguard shadowing her barked out an order, his tone icy and
unyielding.
“Please cback to the villa with me,” he said.
Xylia didn’t want to go back.
But the bodyguard was so stubborn, it was clear that if she didn’t go, he'd just knock her out and carry her back-
no hesitation.
Right now, she was stuck in the back garden. If Xylia wanted to get to the villa, she'd have to skirt the
flowerbeds and follow that white stone path out front.
Stuck under the eaves with no other choice, Xylia could only force herself to start toward the villa, every step
slow and reluctant.
As she passed by the fountain, Xylia spotted something white out of the corner of her eye.
Her eyes darted. She suddenly crouched down and grabbed her stomach, pretending to be in pain.
“Ugh, my stomach! It hurts!” Xylia wailed, acting pathetic as she tried to sell it. ‘If | don’t fake it, he’ll just drag
The bodyguard frowned, watching her like she was more trouble than she was worth.
He was just about to lay hands on her when suddenly, a sharp sting shot through his neck.
He reached up to scratch, confused, and his fingers brushed against a needle stuck in his skin.
Before he could make sense of it, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His vision went dark and he collapsed,
knocked out cold.
As the bodyguard hit the ground, Xylia dropped the act and scrambled up, dashing straight for the fountain.
Right then, Joshua emerged from behind the fountain and caught her steady in his arms.
The instant Joshua pulled Xylia into his arms, he was struck by just how frail she'd become. She’d always been
slim, but now she felt so fragile, like she might break if he held her too tight.
His heart twisted painfully in his chest.
Joshua held her as if she was the only thing that mattered, gently rubbing circles on her back, afraid to let go or
even squeeze too hard.
“I'm sorry | was late. | should have been here sooner,” Joshua murmured, regret heavy in his voice.
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In just a few days, she'd wasted away like this. He couldn't believe what kinds of hell Xylia must've gone
through.
Xylia’s eyes welled up, and she curled into Joshua's arms, unable to hold back the tears as they slipped down her
cheeks.
Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she quickly pulled away, fear written all over her face as she looked at
Joshua.
“Richard set this up,” Xylia stammered, her voice trembling. “He usedto lure you in-he’s been planning for
this all along. We need to get out of here, now!”
‘Where the hell are we supposed to go?‘ Xylia thought, panic spiking in her chest.
‘Wait-how did Joshua even get in here?’ she wondered, totally shocked for a split second.
Joshua didn’t hesitate for a moment; he grabbed her hand and whisked her off toward the flowerbeds, moving
fast.
“The whole estate’s electric fence is run by the manor’s security system,” Joshua said, keeping his voice low and
urgent. “I hacked the system just now-the grid’s down, we're safe. Follow me; this way.”
Xylia stuck close behind Joshua, not daring to lose sight of him.
They found an open stretch of the wall, and up top the electric fence had already been snipped, leaving a gap.
But for Xylia, that wall was seriously high-way out of her league.
“It's kinda tall, I...” she hesitated, glancing up nervously.
Joshua crouched low in front of her, steadying himself. “Con, step onto my shoulders.”
“I'll give you a lift-there’s a ladder waiting outside. You'll be out in no time.”
“But... what about you?” Xylia asked, her voice full of worry.
“Don’t sweat it, I'll get up too,” Joshua said, flashing her a confident grin.
Xylia didn’t hesitate, putting her feet squarely on Joshua's shoulders as he lifted her up-steady and sure- helping
her onto the top of the wall.
Once she made it up, Xylia caught sight of the ladder waiting outside, just like Joshua had promised, and relief
flooded her.
The wall had once been topped with jagged glass, but Joshua had already handled it-nothing dangerous
remained, making her passage safe.
Determined not to waste even a moment, she pushed herself to move as quickly as she could.
She glanced back at Joshua, worry flickering in her eyes, then grabbed hold of the wooden ladder and began
to climb down.
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Chapter 331
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She'd barely taken a couple steps down before Joshua vaulted up onto the wall, grabbing hold of the shaky
ladder to keep it steady for her, making sure she was safe.
“Easy does it-don’t rush, take it slow,” Joshua said gently, his voice absolutely reassuring.
With Joshua right by her side, Xylia instantly felt her nerves settle.
She carefully climbed down a few more steps, then waved at Joshua, motioning for him to hurry and join her.
But before she could say a word, gunshots rang out from the other side of the wall.
“They're escaping! Open fire-don’t let them get away!” someone screamed, their voice desperate.
The air was instantly ripped apart by the staccato blast of machine guns.
Xylia’s heart leapt into her throat, panic squeezing her chest so tight she could barely breathe.
“Joshua, get down here now!” she shouted, her voice sharp with terror as she waved frantically.
AD
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