Chapter 1050 - 137: The Sound of Rain Remains
"James, are you insane? Or perhaps... are you so cowardly that you can’t even admit your own desires?"
Victoria said with confusion and disdain, "Think carefully, we are talking about Magic, about immortality! In the face of such enormous gains, are you really still bound by those ridiculous ethics and morals?"
"Crazy! Completely crazy!"
James staggered back half a step, as if trying to escape the nauseating reality.
He wanted to say something, but seeing the cold and indifferent eyes of the three people opposite him, he clearly realized the impotence of words at this moment.
Sophie suddenly stood up, holding her daughter tightly in her arms, tears flowing uncontrollably, yet her voice was unusually firm:
"You are simply Devils! James, let’s go! I don’t want to stay in this horrible place for even a second!"
"It’s pouring outside!" Victoria sneered, "Where can you go? You’ll have to come back obediently."
"Compared to the storm, you make me feel more terrified and disgusting!"
Sophie screamed shrilly. Oliver was startled awake, and burst into tears.
Originally trembling, James suddenly jolted. He snatched up his daughter, tightly grasped his wife’s hand, and walked out decisively without looking back.
"Even if we die in the rain outside, it’s better than staying here with you!"
The door was pulled open forcefully, the couple braced themselves and walked through the scattered insects.
The living room fell into dead silence, only the occasional crackling of the firewood in the fireplace interwove with the seemingly endless sound of rain outside.
Richard was stunned for a while before slowly realizing what had happened, and then the fury of defiance surged up.
He turned to Victoria, disappointedly said: "Your brother has been prone to stupidity since he was a child, but I didn’t expect him to be so weak! He doesn’t have half of your intelligence and courage!"
Victoria decisively said, "I’ve wanted to say for a long time that James is completely not fit for the task! Father, please give the Harrington Clan to me! I won’t let you down!"
Richard’s face changed drastically, he angrily slammed the armrest and shouted, "I’m not dead yet! You already want to seize power?"
A flicker of fear and regret quickly swept across Victoria’s face, but she couldn’t help blurting out:
"I’ve given everything to this family, Father! Are you still thinking about handing the estate to that waste James? And you’re getting old, we all know your heart..."
"Shut up, Victoria!" Jonathan suddenly interrupted irritably, "The most important thing now is James and Sophie! They know so many secrets, they cannot be allowed to leave just like this!"
Victoria suddenly woke up, nodding repeatedly:
"Right! Since they refuse to cooperate, we can’t leave loose ends! LeBron Johnson happens to be in New York, he’s skilled at handling such issues..."
"Handling what? Handling your own brother? You’re not allowed to touch him! Have someone bring him back, don’t hurt him!"
Richard’s spine straightened, his palm slapping on the table harshly, "Victoria, don’t think I don’t know about your little tricks behind the scenes! If you touch James, go to the India branch..."
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, Richard fell onto the sofa stunned, blood oozing from his forehead.
Jonathan gasped heavily, holding a bloody ashtray, while forcefully loosening his tie, breathing heavily.
He fixedly stared at Richard who was struggling to breathe on the sofa, his arm trembling uncontrollably violently, suddenly moved forward and raised the ashtray again.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I’ve always told you to shut up! Why is it so hard to learn to shut up? Don’t say things that shouldn’t be said, isn’t this your requirement for us? Isn’t it?! James James, in your eyes, all you see is that fool! How many dirty jobs have I handled for you?!"
The man roared furiously, his complexion twisted like a Demon, each shout accompanied by a fierce strike of the ashtray.
With the loud "bang, bang, bang" sounds, Richard’s perpetually youthful body convulsed violently, limbs flailing weakly with the rhythm of the sofa.
Victoria was scared stiff by the sudden eruption of violence and blood, watching as her father’s blood splattered, frozen in place, even her originally frenzied eyes becoming much clearer.
From Jonathan’s argument with the parents, Victoria’s daughter Elana had been coldly observing from the side, initially with a rebellious sneer, which then transformed into shock and disgust.
Seeing her usually calm and rational father turn into a Demon, seeing her grandfather who spouted terrible speech lying convulsing in a pool of blood, and seeing her mother’s face as an accomplice covered in warm blood freckles...
Elana’s stomach churned, she involuntarily vomited.
Jonathan immediately turned his head.
Victoria suddenly snapped back, stood up to block in front of her husband, eyes fixed on her daughter, screamed: "Run—!!!"
Elana’s body trembled, driven by something indescribable, she suddenly shot up, darting out like a startled gazelle, headfirst and without looking back.
"Get back here!" Jonathan roared angrily.
"Let her go!" Victoria shouted sternly, "She’s our daughter! Jonathan, what are you doing? Pull yourself together!"
"You let her run! James’ family ran with secrets too!"
Jonathan threw down the slippery ashtray, fiercely pinching Victoria’s throat, "You’re a fool too! They all saw, heard! Yet refuse to stand with us! If secrets are leaked, we all die! Do you understand or not?"
Victoria struggled to breathe under his grip, desperately clawing at the other’s wrist, her face turned blue and purple due to lack of oxygen, feet kicking helplessly.
Just as her body weakened, eyes flashing with black spots and stars, the terrifying force pressing down on her neck suddenly vanished.
Jonathan’s eyes rolled white, like a pile of muck, he collapsed limply.
Victoria clutched her throat, coughing violently, sensing a pair of hands gently lifting her up, someone concernedly asking, "Are you alright?"
Victoria raised her head startled, vision tinted with black, unable to clearly see the person’s appearance.
But she recognized the sleeve—material and style familiar, the kind worn by family bodyguards.
Feeling relieved, Victoria grasped the other’s garment, crying hoarsely, "Jonathan..."
"Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you anymore," the person said.
"Ela... Elana..."
"Miss Elana ran out."
Relief surged in Victoria’s heart, tears late to appear welled up, a glass cup was held to her lips.
"Drink some water, madam, it will help you feel better," the person continued gently.
At this moment, Victoria had little capacity to think, she obediently drank two sips, followed by an irresistible sense of relaxation spreading, her fearful and tragic eyes turning vacant.
She lowered her gaze, staring blankly at the floor, suddenly feeling indifferent towards everything, only countless secrets hidden deep within her heart churned.
The most trustworthy voice in the world asked calmly: "Can you tell me, who were the people involved with Prometheus? Starting with LeBron Johnson, yes."
"Alright," Victoria said honestly, "LeBron Johnson is an ex-military, he’s the organization’s ’Sweeper Fish’..."