Chapter 167

Chapter 167

Several kilometers outside Sapphire Hill Estate, on a secluded mountain road.

The rain fell with increasing ferocity.

Thaddeus leaned back in the driver's seat like a stubborn night watchman, his gaze never leaving the faint lights in the distance.

Suddenly, a muffled boom pierced through layers of rain.

Thaddeus's spine went rigid.

In the darkness, faint firelight seemed to flicker in the second-floor windows.

Something was wrong.

Sawyer's security system couldn't possibly lack backup independent power. This sudden complete blackout was absolutely deliberate sabotage.

Something had happened.

Thaddeus only had time to send a signal to Aiden at the base of the mountain before violently starting the car and plunging into the raging storm.

"Scarlett... wait for me! You must wait for me!"

The car screeched to a halt near Sapphire Hill Estate. Thaddeus shoved the door open. Wind and icy rain slashed his face like knives, but he felt nothing.

At the entrance, two men in black raincoats gripped blood-stained combat knives, standing guard warily.

Hearing heavy breathing through the rain, both intruders whipped around. "Who's there?"

Their answer came as Thaddeus descended like an avenging demon with thunderous force.

Like black lightning−Thaddeus closed in. His left hand seized one man's wrist with pinpoint precision while his right hand thrust upward violently!

A teeth-grinding crack of breaking bone sounded. Before the man could scream, Thaddeus had already snatched the combat knife and struck him unconscious with the handle in one swift blow.

Seeing this, the other attacker roared and swung his blade!

Thaddeus's eyes blazed with killing intent. Without dodging, he dropped low and delivered a vicious sweeping kick that toppled his opponent. His knee crashed down on the man's chest. With the crisp sound of cracking ribs, the attacker coughed up blood and passed out.

Thaddeus kicked open the villa's front door and charged inside, radiating murderous energy.

The moment he entered the foyer, the heavy smell of gasoline mixed with blood assaulted his nostrils.

The dead-end corner of the second-floor corridor.

"Today, I'll make sure you—and those two little bastards of yours—all burn to ashes together!"

The lighter flickering with pale blue flame reflected Lavinia's grotesque face like a demon's summons.

Scarlett, covered in blood, leaned against the wall. Despair flashed through her eyes.

In a split second, a black shadow—like a wrathful demon wrapped in thunder—kicked Lavinia squarely in the chest, sending her flying backward. She crashed into the opposite wall, spewing a mouthful of blood.

The lighter, knocked off course by the force of Thaddeus's kick, fell onto the dry carpet on the corridor's outer edge and ignited a burst of flames.

By the dancing firelight, Scarlett finally saw clearly the man who'd positioned himself in front of her.

He was soaked through. His white shirt clung to his body. His handsome profile looked hard as iron in the firelight, and in his deep eyes rolled enough killing intent to destroy heaven and earth.

Thaddeus.

How was he here?

Lavinia clutched her broken ribs and struggled to lift her head. Her disfigured half-face looked even more grotesque and terrifying reflected in the firelight.

Recognizing him, she didn't show fear but instead broke into maniacal laughter. "Thaddeus! You finally came!"

Lavinia spat blood, her eyes full of diseased madness and despair. "You're too late! You can't save her! The fire will spread any moment! We're all going to die here today! All of us!"

But Thaddeus didn't spare her a glance. His gaze was glued to Scarlett.

Seeing her clothes soaked in blood and the gaping knife wounds on her arms and legs, Thaddeus's eyes turned bloodshot.

"Who touched her?" Thaddeus turned, his palpable killing intent pinning the several knife-wielding men in black in the corridor.

"Who touched her!"

The hired desperadoes retreated half a step under this overwhelming pressure, but seeing that Thaddeus was alone and unarmed, ferocity flashed in their eyes.

"Get him, boys! Cut him down!"

Four or five burly men brandished blood-stained knives and charged at Thaddeus with roars!

The corridor was narrow. Behind Thaddeus was Scarlett, cornered with no escape.

If he dodged, those cold blades would fall on her without obstruction.

So he couldn't dodge.

He couldn't retreat a single step!

"Thaddeus! Move!" Scarlett watched those gleaming blades. Her eyes instantly reddened.

But Thaddeus seemed not to hear.

Like an insurmountable steel fortress, he was rooted firmly in front of Scarlett.

A sharp cleaver viciously sliced across Thaddeus's shoulder!

Flesh split open. A bone-deep gash burst open instantly, warm blood spraying out and staining his already soaked white shirt red.

Thaddeus let out a suppressed groan—his body shook violently. He reached back and grabbed the blade cutting into his back.

The sharp edge sliced through his palm. Blood dripped between his fingers. As if feeling no pain, he violently wrenched the cleaver into his own hand.

Then, with a devastating elbow strike to the attacker's temple, he smashed the man's skull and knocked him out cold on the spot.

This was completely life-for-life fighting.

"He's insane! This man's insane!"

The remaining attackers were thoroughly terrified by his suicida fighting style.

But the corridor space was too small. In the chaotic melee, to protect Scarlett from the blades, Thaddeus took two more strikes.

Blood stained the walls, stained the floor.

Like a blood-soaked demon, with every knife that struck him, he repaid with ten times the brutality and viciousness, completely destroying his opponent.

As the last attacker's throat was crushed by his fist, only the crackling sound of spreading flames and the man's heavy breathing remained in the corridor.

Thick blood dripped from Thaddeus's fingers onto the floor.

His tall, straight figure finally swayed violently, uncontrollably.

The dizziness from excessive blood loss was about to drown him.

His back, shoulders, arms... all bore bone-deep knife wounds. His white shirt had long since become a garment of blood.

Thaddeus could no longer support himself. He fell to his knees before Scarlett.

"Thaddeus..." Scarlett's entire body trembled uncontrollably. Tears spilled from her eyes like broken pearls.

She looked at this man who'd been hacked nearly to death protecting her, her mind completely blank.

Why?

He'd already signed the divorce agreement, already given her all his cards, could have escaped himself...

Why did he charge in like a madman? Why did he use his flesh and blood to shield her from the blades?

Thaddeus knelt on the ground, gasping heavily.

He looked at Scarlett, curled in the corner, trembling all over.

He forced his pallid lips into a faint smile for her.

He lifted his uninjured right hand, wanting to touch her cheek.

But seeing his hand covered in blood, he froze.

He was afraid of dirtying her.

Thaddeus lowered his head and vigorously wiped his hand on the slightly cleaner corner of his shirt.

Only after confirming no blood remained did he lift his hand again and gently wipe away the tears from Scarlett's eyes.

"Scarlett..." Thaddeus murmured, as if he might scatter with the wind at any moment. "Don't be afraid..."

"I said... I wouldn't let anyone... hurt you again..."

His vision gradually blurred. His fingers slipped powerlessly from her cheek.

Before completely falling into darkness, Thaddeus used his last shred of strength to speak the confession five years too late; "This life... I'm... giving it back to you."