The truth that Patrick had been desperately searching for was too heart-wrenching, and he found himself hesitating to take out lan
and Maja. In the end, he accomplished nothing.
Patrick vanished in the blink of an eye, unwilling to utter another word.
lan pulled Maja back into his embrace, feeling a heavy weight in his chest.
Gunfire continued all around them - a fierce shootout between the Porter clan and K's gang.
K had called in a horde to the Forbidden Island for an ambush, riled up for reasons unknown.
Clutching Maja, lan motioned for the others to keep close as they hurried towards the secret passage Quentin had disclosed.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, a testament to the unknown number of lives lost on their path.
Upon reaching their destination, lan made sure Oliver was still with them before they quickly entered the tunnel.
The sound of explosions carried on outside, but they were no longer lan's concern.
Quentin had claimed this tunnel led straight to the shore of Forbidden Island, where Dylan and Abner's men would be waiting in a
chopper.
The night was a total melee, but with Dylan and Abner's guys around, K's forces were held at bay.
Gasping for air at the tunnel entrance, lan's crew tried to catch their breath, chests heaving.
They'd run the entire way, and even the fittest were spent.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtlan raised his hand, gently caressing Maja's cheek.
"Let's rest here for ten minutes."
The small group promptly collapsed on the ground, with Oliver leaning against the wall, his forehead glistening with sweat.
He gazed into the depth of the tunnel, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Once we go through this passage, we're out in the open world, right?"
lan nodded.
A wry smile tugged at Oliver's lips as he touched his chest over his heart.
His all-in gamble had paid off. He finally had the chance to see what lay beyond their confines.
His phone rang out of the blue, likely a call from someone in the Porter family.
lan was still in possession of the family seal, and with the night's events and Oliver's absence, they were getting anxious.
Oliver was tempted to just shut off his phone. He was so close to leaving it all behind.
Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was Robin, a longtally.
"Oliver, where are you?"
Oliver and Robin had known each other for years, but the Bradshaw family had nearly been obliterated tonight. Robin's survival
was a stroke of luck.
"I'm thinking of taking a look at the world outside."
Unlike Oliver, Robin was content with life on Inner Island.
The one who had always yearned to break free was Oliver alone.
"Oliver, Grandpa sentto retrieve the family seal. Since you're leaving, hand it over, will you?"
After a moment's thought, Oliver realized the seal was of no use to him anymore.
Robin's outreach likely meant he had sought help from the Porters. With the Bradshaw family in shambles, Robin would have to
meet with the other major families if he didn't want the Bradshaws to be wiped from the register.
Though the other families had their own turmoil that night, they were faring much better than the Bradshaws, who were at the
center of the explosion.
Only a few Bradshaws were left alive.
Oliver looked at lan.
"Handthe seal, lan. I'll deliver it to Robin. He should be close by."
"Be back within ten minutes."
"Sure."
Taking the seal, Oliver couldn't help but crack a smile.
"lan, the biggest bet of my life was handing that thing over to you. Lucky for me, | won."
lan didn't respond. He had a certain respect for Oliver's demeanor, calm yet fiercely dogged.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAnybody else would think twice before entrusting their family's seal to an outsider.
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