Chapter 90 Holden
"Doesn't your boss know how to invite people politely?" Marcus looked at them with a dark expression.
With Marcus here, he would never let anyone take me away!
The man calmly replied, "Mr. Sorelli, you can come along too. Of course, your bodyguards can accompany you. We don't mind."
I raised an eyebrow. Did "don't mind" mean they were being polite and respectful to us, or that they didn't take my bodyguards seriously?
Marcus looked at me, his eyes asking whether I wanted to refuse or accept.
I mentally compared the numbers and weapons on both sides. Our chances of winning were only fifty-fifty.
After thinking it over, I nodded and accepted the invitation.
Although we could break through the encirclement if we went all out, there would definitely be heavy casualties, and there might be more ambushes around. Better to go meet their boss and see who it was and why they wanted to see me.
After I agreed, the man made a gesture toward the distance. Marcus frowned, "There are even snipers."
Sure enough, there were more ambushes. I patted Marcus on the shoulder. "Looks like we have no choice."
The car left the highway. After about half an hour, the roadside scenery turned into barren grassland, and the trees became increasingly dense.
The air grew thick with the smell of damp, rotting leaves and the stench of animal droppings.
Through the dense forest, I could faintly see wire mesh fencing.
Marcus remembered something and said to me in a low voice, "This should be the suburban wildlife park, kind of a hunting ground, a good place for target practice."
I mentally guessed the identity of the person who wanted to see me and asked Marcus, "Whose family's territory is this?"
Marcus shook his head. "Not sure."
Passing through an open iron gate without any signs, several cars drove into the park. We didn't see any animals along the way, but could hear scattered beast roars in the distance.
The car finally stopped in front of a standalone wooden cabin deep in the park.
Cole and Adrian were stopped outside. Marcus and I walked into the cabin side by side.
The interior was simply furnished, with just a plain, solid wood table and a few dark wooden chairs.
An elderly man with gray hair sat at the table.
He wore the three-piece suit that old-school gang members loved, his back straight. Though aged, his eyes were sharp as an eagle's, radiating deep authority.
I recognized him—Lucas's grandfather, the Don of the Valeri family—Holden!
His cold, sharp gaze swept over me like he was inspecting merchandise.
"So you're Isabella? Your looks are indeed outstanding." Holden said with a half-smile, his tone meaningful.
His attitude showed he clearly had no good feelings toward me. I thought of Grace with her broken hand, and of Lucas, who supposedly lost his inheritance rights for resisting Holden's arrangements. My nerves tensed as I tried to guess Holden's purpose in seeing me.
Marcus crossed his arms and said, "So it's you! You sent so many people to force us here—what do you want to say? I don't get it. Bella and Lucas are already divorced. What do you and Bella still have to talk about?"
Holden chuckled lightly. "Marcus, what's the rush? Sit down."
A servant brought coffee and cake. Marcus and I didn't touch them. Even though Holden ate, we remained alert and didn't touch any food.
Holden didn't mind our caution. He leisurely enjoyed his afternoon tea, then gestured for Marcus and me to look outside.
Outside the window was an open space enclosed by wire mesh. The dense forest was separated by the fence. The clearing had only withered yellow grass and a few scattered bushes. In the distant shadows, there was a pair of glowing green eyes.
Someone released three wild rabbits into the clearing. The beast in the shadows slowly emerged, and I gradually made out its full form.
It was a wolf.
The skinny wolf stared at the lively rabbits, slowly pacing back and forth. Its gray-black fur clung to its bones, covered in grime. Its cloudy eyes gleamed with hungry ferocity, and when it bared its teeth, sharp fangs were revealed.
I had already guessed what would happen next.
The wild rabbits grazed, explored, and dug in the clearing, relaxed at first, but then seemed to sense danger, and their movements became stiff.
The wolf silently approached one rabbit and pounced like a gray-black bolt of lightning!
The rabbit jumped and dodged in terror, letting out piercing screams, but couldn't escape the wolf's pursuit.
The wolf bit the rabbit's neck, mercilessly breaking its bones. Sharp teeth sank deep into the flesh, blood splattered, staining the ground red.
The wolf lowered its head and began to feed. It drank the rabbit's blood—the warm blood would replenish its salt and water. Then it tore through the fur, crunching meat and bones together. The organs were dragged out. Even from a distance, the strong smell of blood was overwhelming.
"Survival of the fittest is nature's law," Holden said. "If rabbits want to live longer, they shouldn't appear in front of wolves."
He looked at Marcus and me. "Do you understand? The Sorelli family is the rabbit, whether five years ago or now."
We'd been warned, but Marcus and I showed no panic. I looked at the clearing again. The wolf had caught the second rabbit, but the third rabbit successfully dug a hole and hid underground.
I withdrew my gaze and met Holden's eyes, my tone calm but sharp. "Nature has more than one law. Besides wolves, there are many other strong creatures. Even a powerful lone wolf can't kill all the rabbits at once. Though rabbits are weak, they have strong vitality and can reproduce and thrive in adversity."
Holden was used to people quietly listening to whatever he said. He probably didn't expect me to argue back.
He made a gesture. A man entered the clearing, first shot the wolf, then pulled out the rabbit hiding underground and killed it.
"In the face of absolute power, both wolves and rabbits are vulnerable. Dawnharbor's environment is even more brutal than nature. Reviving your family won't be simple." Holden clearly didn't think much of our chances.
He changed the subject. "Three years ago, you and Lucas had a contract marriage. After deciding to divorce, you two kept getting tangled up. I thought Lucas was a cold and rational person like me, but he really disappointed me."
"But this isn't a flaw that can't be corrected, don't you think?" Holden showed a faint smile with unclear meaning.
The gravity in my eyes accidentally revealed my suspicion. How did he know about the contract marriage?
"This isn't exactly a secret," Holden said slowly, seeming to see through my doubts. "At least in the Valeri family, everyone knows you and Lucas had a contract marriage and that he doesn't love you at all. He needed a shield, and you were just useful to him—he admitted this himself."
I'd known this all along, but still felt somewhat lost.
My heart felt like something had stung it.
I suppressed my surging emotions, keeping my expression calm. "What's your real purpose in bringing me here?"
Holden picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Don't rush. The main event is just starting."
He picked up a remote and turned on the TV on the wall.
The screen showed a live broadcast. Amelia wore a white dress with that sapphire necklace around her neck, her makeup exquisite, standing in front of a backdrop that read "Engagement Announcement."
Holden said, "Lucas has always wanted to marry Amelia. I didn't agree before, but last night they were photographed by reporters and their relationship became public knowledge. After all, I'm Lucas's grandfather. I've decided to make it happen for him."