Chapter 417
Chapter 417:
“I want to save both!”
“Tsk!” Leonidas’ fingers danced through the air as he pried Janice’s iron grip from his collar. “Greed doesn’t become you, my dear. Though saving both isn’t entirely impossible, unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you can fly!” Madness blazed in Leonidas’ crimson eyes, his laughter a symphony of chaos that chilled blood to ice.
“Bastard!” Janice’s fist exploded forward, connecting with brutal force.
The impact sent Leonidas reeling backward, his composed facade cracking as he struggled to maintain balance.
“Janice!” Aiden’s arms locked around her like steel bands as she coiled for another strike. “This guy is doing it on purpose. Don’t let him lead you by the nose.”
Janice met Aiden’s steady gaze, feeling the volcanic rage within her cool to smoldering embers. “You’re right—he’s deliberately stoking my fury.”
“Tsk, why not continue?” Leonidas drawled, wiping crimson from his smirking lips. His eyes glinted with malice. “If you continue this charade, both families meet their end right now.”
“Leonidas, name your terms. What will it take for you to let those two families go?”
Leonidas shook his head. “Your weakness has always been this foolish sentimentality for family, Janice. You really disappoint me.”
“Cut the crap!”
Leonidas dragged his sleeve across his bloodied mouth, his gaze now fixed on Aiden with predatory intensity. “Then beat him up. Put on a spectacle worthy of my attention, and those families walk free.”
Janice and Aiden shared a loaded glance, the weight of Leonidas’ twisted proposal hanging between them. Was this madman truly demanding they turn on each other?
Aiden met Janice’s gaze with steel in his eyes, his composure unwavering. “Go ahead. A few bruises are worth innocent lives.”
“You don’t know Leonidas like I do,” Janice’s voice cut like winter wind. “Everything’s a game to him—promises are just pawns on his twisted chessboard.”
“Oh, I’m so touched!” Leonidas crossed his arms, lips curving into a mock pout. “Janice, you truly are my finest audience. No one reads my performance quite like you do. You alone can match my wit!”
“Leonidas, you’ll regret this!” Janice’s eyes became lethal daggers, promising vengeance. “The debt you’re accruing will be paid in full!”
“Enough!” Leonidas’ voice cracked like a whip as he raised his hand, signaling his black-clad sentinels into motion. “Make your choice—battle each other, select a family to save, or watch them both perish!”
“Janice, trust me.” Aiden’s voice carried steel-clad conviction, his eyes burning with purposeful determination. A flash of understanding sparked between them. Janice’s fist launched forward, then pivoted mid-strike, rocketing toward Leonidas instead.
In perfect synchronization, Aiden snatched up a nearby trash can, hurling it at their tormentor with devastating force.
Leonidas’ mask of amusement shattered. “You’re really asking for trouble!”
His fingers snapped through the air, unleashing his dark-suited hounds onto their prey.
The trash can hurtled through the air, but Janice was faster. Her fist connected with brutal force, sending it ricocheting toward Leonidas.
The improvised projectile found its mark. Leonidas took the full impact, and a cascade of garbage exploded around him.
“Ugh! That’s absolutely revolting!”
While Leonidas frantically tried to shake off the putrid mess, Janice and Aiden seized their moment. Like practiced dancers, they moved in perfect synchronization, converging from opposite directions until Leonidas was trapped between them. Their hands shot out, each securing one of his arms in an iron grip.
.
.
.