Chapter 97

Chapter 97

"I understand." John immediately nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Stuart."

Damien said nothing more, merely giving them a slight nod in farewell.

He turned and walked back toward the estate, his black figure tall and solitary.

Beatrice stood there, watching his silhouette gradually disappear at the estate entrance, her heart a tangle of emotions.

She knew that today's heart-stopping encounter was like a dream that would scatter upon waking.

The dream was over. They remained people from two different worlds.

John noticed her staring absently at the estate entrance and gently tightened his arm around her. "Bea, let's go. Let's leave this place."

Beatrice snapped back to reality, nodding softly as she withdrew her gaze.

She followed John into the car. The vehicle started slowly and drove away from the estate.

Inside the estate at that moment.

Damien stood in the center of the hall, looking at Jacques being held before him. His smoke-blue eyes held no trace of warmth, his lips curving into a smile.

Liam stood beside him, reporting in a low voice, "Mr. Stuart, all of Fiery Cross's locations in Luminous City have been taken down. Jacques's core men have all been captured—not a single one escaped."

Damien nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Jacques. "Jacques, you and I have fought for so many years. Today, it's time to settle accounts."

"Damien, don't you dare gloat!" Jacques spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "You destroyed my twenty-year operation in Luminous City for some irrelevant woman—you're insane!"

"When the underworld hears you risked your life for a woman, let's see who still respects you!"

Hearing this, Damien's lips curved into a cold smile.

He drew his gun and raised it.

The barrel pressed steadily against Jacques's temple.

The cold metal against his skin made Jacques's body freeze instantly, his curses cutting off abruptly.

Fear flashed in his eyes, but his mouth refused to yield. He stiffened his neck and continued cursing, "What? Dare to act but not admit it? If you've got the guts, pull the trigger! I've been in Luminous City's underworld for so many years—dying at your hands wouldn't be a loss!"

"Let me tell you, Damien, even if I die, you won't have it easy! You've fought me for years, your hands are as bloody as mine—what makes you think you're any better?"

"Flying into a rage over a woman—I'd say your position won't last much longer!"

"And that woman! You can protect her today, but what about tomorrow? Fiery Cross has so many brothers—even if I die, plenty of people will want to settle scores with her! You can't guard her every second. Sooner or later, she'll join me in hell!"

"Shut up."

Damien sneered, pushing the gun forward.

"Join you in hell?" Damien laughed lowly, his voice hoarse yet carrying bone-chilling coldness. "Rest assured, that day will never come."

"You and I have fought for five years. You've repeatedly broken my rules, stolen my shipments, hurt my people. This debt should've been settled long ago."

"Don't involve innocents—that's the ironclad rule of the underworld. You broke the rules. You pay the price."

"Rules?" Jacques burst into crazed laughter as if he'd heard the biggest joke. "Damien, you're lecturing me about rules? You brought your men to raid my headquarters, killed so many of my brothers, and now you talk to me about rules? You're nothing but a hypocrite!"

"So what if I grabbed your woman? Go ahead and shoot! I want to see if you dare blow my brains out in front of all these brothers!"

The smile slowly faded from Damien's face. The last trace of warmth vanished from his smoke-blue eyes.

He was done wasting words on this dying man.

"As you wish."

The deafening gunshot exploded in the enclosed hall, its echo lingering.

Jacques's laughter stopped abruptly.

A bloody hole appeared in the center of his forehead, blood slowly flowing out.

The two men holding Jacques released their grip. His body slumped softly to the ground, utterly still.

The hall fell silent. The remaining Fiery Cross members kneeling on the floor trembled violently, not daring to breathe, terrified the next bullet would find them.

Damien slowly lowered his gun.

Liam quickly stepped forward, holding a clean handkerchief. He bowed slightly and presented it respectfully. "Mr. Stuart."

Damien took the handkerchief and methodically wiped the blood from his fingertips and the spatter on his cheek.

After cleaning off the blood, he casually tossed it onto Jacques's corpse.

The white handkerchief fell on the crimson bloodstain, strikingly vivid.

"Deal with the rest according to the rules." Damien glanced at the people kneeling in the corner, his tone utterly flat. "Take over all of Fiery Cross's channels in Europe. Anyone who resists—don't hold back."

"Yes, Mr. Stuart!" Liam immediately responded. He hesitated, then added carefully, "What about... Jacques's inner circle and those bosses who worked with him in the arms trade? We've already got them under control. What should we do?"

"Interrogate who needs interrogating, eliminate who needs eliminating." Damien spoke calmly, no hesitation in his smoke-blue eyes. "It's time for Luminous City's underworld to change its rules."

Liam's heart stirred. He quickly responded, "Yes, Mr. Stuart!"

Damien nodded slightly without further comment and strode toward the estate entrance.

Liam watched his retreating figure and hurried to catch up. "Mr. Stuart! Your wound is still bleeding! I'll call the doctor right away! Please don't leave yet—at least let us treat your wound first!"

"We'll deal with it back at base." Damien waved him off without stopping. "Keep an eye on the cleanup here. Make it spotless. Don't leave any loose ends, and don't let this affect any innocent people."

"Yes! I understand!" Liam immediately stopped, watching Damien's figure exit through the estate gates and enter the waiting car, before turning back to arrange the cleanup.

Meanwhile.

Beatrice and John returned to the hotel.

The elevator doors opened. They had just stepped into the corridor when Emily came rushing toward them like a madwoman.

The moment she saw Beatrice, her eyes reddened instantly. She rushed forward and threw her arms around her. "Bea! You're finally back! You scared me to death! If something had really happened to you, I would've blamed myself for the rest of my life!"

Last night she'd been watching a movie with earphones in and hadn't even heard the door next door being violently broken down. By the time she learned Beatrice had been kidnapped by a gang, she'd been paralyzed with fear.

She hadn't slept all night, pacing anxiously in her room, terrified of hearing bad news. Only now, seeing Beatrice return safely, did her suspended heart finally settle.

Beatrice felt the trembling body in her arms. Warmth flooded her heart. She raised her hand and patted Emily's back. "All right, Emily. I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Stop crying. This had nothing to do with you. I accidentally got caught up in someone else's feud before, which is why all this happened."