Chapter 372 Book 5: The Same Fate?

Chapter 372 Book 5: The Same Fate?
“It’s not safe for you to travel tonight, Maddox. The strenuous trials have left you mentally exhausted. Sleep it off and set out tomorrow.” Declan tried his best to stop his best friend. He hadn’t gone home after the case, trying to drill some sense into Maddox’s head. But Maddox was adamant. He wouldn’t stay here another night without Iris.
“I can’t sleep, Declan. The house is closing in on me. Until I find Iris, I won’t return.” He picked up his luggage and strode out to the main door, paying no heed to Declan’s advice.
He rushed after his friend to stop him. “Where are you going? I’m coming along with you.”
“No, you can look after Escapades in my absence. I’m going to Stanford University to see the twins. I’m sure they know about Iris’s whereabouts. Once I find her, I’ll convince her to return home with me. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated.”
Declan stopped, giving up. “But you aren’t in a condition to drive, bro.”
Maddox waved him off as he got into his car. “I’m fine, dude. Go home.”
Soon, he was on his way toward his destination. He felt relieved that he could finally seek his lost love. The last few days had been quite disturbing with back-to-back trials. But he had conquered the fear and uncertainty. He had given his father, brother, Iris, and her mother the justice they all deserved. He had done the impossible.
Now he was free.
He would soon unite with Iris and confess his undying love for her. She would surely forgive him. Hadn’t she heard about her mom’s case? Why hadn’t she called him yet?
Something was definitely amiss. Was Iris fine?
He drove along CA-170 N towards Sacramento. As he drew closer to his destination, his excitement grew. He would spend the night at a hotel in Stanford and meet the twins the next morning before heading to San Francisco.
He remembered the last time he had met the twins. Yes, now that he thought about it, they had been hesitant and uncomfortable in his presence. Why hadn’t he noticed it? Definitely, they had been hiding something from him. But why would they? Had they forgotten how much he had helped them?
His heart filled with despair at their behavior. How could Iris stay away from him? She knew how much he had cared for her always. He had always put her before himself. He had always prioritized her. Did that mean nothing to her? How could she believe Lucille more than she believed him?
His eyes filled with tears at the thought of his baby growing in her womb. How could she take his unborn baby away from him?
She could have trusted him one last time. He would have rescued her and brought her home.
“Why did you run away from me, Iris? I’m the only one who loves you the most in the world.” The tears spilled, streaming down his cheeks. He wiped them away and focused on the road ahead. Soon, he swerved right onto the US-101 ramp.
He was almost halfway there. Fatigue washed over him, but he didn’t give in. Soon, he would be at Stanford. Maybe he wouldn’t need to go to San Francisco if Iris were there. It would save him the trouble. He could return home with Iris straight from Stanford.
The rush of traffic had reduced, and he picked up speed to reach faster.
Stopping at a signal, he closed his tired eyes for a second. When he opened them, his eyes fell on the rear-view mirror.
Maddox froze at the sight of a white BMW right behind him. He knew whose car it was. The custom number plate was the same: BMW 29CS. It was his Evangeline Laurier’s brother, Everett Drexel’s car. Maddox had never regarded the evil man as his uncle, even when he hadn’t known about his own true identity. Everett Drexel had always hated him and Lennox. The only time he came over was to seek financial help from his dad.
Maddox froze as realization dawned on him. What was Everett Drexel doing here? Why was he chasing him?
Panic settled in his heart. He still remembered the scene. The day Lennox died, Everett Drexel had been tailing them for quite some time. Then was he after him for revenge?
A tremor went up his spine. He remembered Evangeline Laurier’s last threat. Was this the end she was talking about?
The signal cleared, and Maddox picked up speed to escape him. He swerved towards exit 19 and noticed the BMW still tailing him. His throat felt choked with fear. He had no idea what was going on in his twisted head. Would he face the same fate as Lennox?
Would he never unite with his Iris again? What if he never saw his baby? What if he never made it alive?
No, he had to survive. But how? Despite trying hard, Maddox couldn’t get him off his track.
With the car closing down on him, he hardly noticed the killer car hurtling down the road towards him from the opposite direction. It was the same situation as before.
“Fuk!” Maddox noticed the car and swerved with all his might, saving a collision just in the nick of time. The killer car raced past him, yelling at him in frustration.
Maddox lost control of his vehicle, and it headed straight towards the billboard for a collision. He pressed the brake firmly, but it wasn’t working. The only way to survive was to get out. It felt as though history were repeating itself.
There was no time to think. He unbuckled the seatbelt and unlocked the car door in a state of panic. He jumped as far away from the car as possible and rolled away. An excruciating pain hit his shoulders and head, and he could feel warm blood trickling down his neck. His body felt paralyzed, having taken the brunt of the fall.
His car crashed into the billboard and toppled, skidding far ahead from the force of the collision. It was a miracle that he was far from the scene. Had he not jumped out, he would already be dead.
Maddox couldn’t budge an inch, let alone call for help. Under the streetlights, it was impossible to see where he was. But as he lay on the side, bleeding to death, he watched the BMW stop beside his car and torch it. His car went up in flames while Everett Drexel watched from a distance with a satisfied smile on his face.
The pain left Maddox numb, and he closed his eyes. Was this the end? Would he die too? Tears streamed down his cheeks as images of Iris’s smiling face flashed across his mind.
“Goodbye, love! Be happy!” he murmured incoherently, unaware of the satisfied look on Everett Drexel’s face, watching him from afar. He had served his purpose. He had wiped out the Laurier family. Now there was only one person to take care of before he could confiscate the family business forever. With no one to look after the business, everything would be his. He wouldn’t have to depend on his sinking garage anymore. His future looked bright now. This was what he had wanted for the last two decades.
But he didn’t have the funds to go to Paris in search of Camille Laurier. Maybe he would wait for her return. Surely her brother’s death would force her to return. He pulled out his gun and shot at the traffic cameras to delete the evidence. Soon, he drove away as fast as possible before the traffic police found out. He would go into hiding until the case was closed because of a lack of evidence.
Maddox stirred to the sound of sirens. He could feel himself lifted and carried away somewhere. Had he died and gone to heaven? Yet he couldn’t open his eyes and look around him. The pain was unbearable, and the surrounding chaos was deafening. He lost consciousness again.
Later, when he stirred, he was writhing in pain, tethered to life support in a hospital bed. There was chaos all around him as the doctors and nurses monitored him. He lost consciousness again.
Maddox flitted in and out of consciousness, but each time, he couldn’t open his eyes or look around. His body refused to cooperate, and the pain hardly reduced. He couldn’t even move his lips to ask about his condition. All he could hear were faint voices around him. But he couldn’t hear a word they uttered.
After some time, he stopped hearing those faint voices. He could feel himself sinking into oblivion.
Truly, Evangeline Laurier’s last strike had been successful. Even after her death, she had wiped out the Laurier family.
Maddox sank into a coma while the doctors tried their best to revive him.