Chapter 418
Chapter 418:
Leonidas’ chest constricted as he thrashed against their hold. “You two are heartless, willing to destroy both families.”
“Who said that?” Janice retorted.
Leonidas was momentarily stunned, glancing at Janice before quickly turning his head. His two bodyguards had been intercepted by two men—Costello and Braylen.
“When did they get here?” Leonidas sputtered, dumbfounded. He’d only been there minutes, yet somehow Janice and Aiden had not only alerted their allies but also orchestrated this perfectly timed ambush.
“Leonidas, how do you want to die?” Janice’s voice was as cold as winter frost as her grip tightened on his left arm.
“I don’t want to die just yet.”
“That’s not your decision to make.” A sickening crack split the air as Janice wrenched his arm out of its socket.
“Ah!” Leonidas’ agonized scream turned into a deranged laugh, his face contorting with maniacal glee. “You’re ruthless, Janice! But we both know you won’t kill me!” Yet the murderous glint in Janice’s eyes told a different story.
What made Leonidas so certain of his survival?
A shadow of doubt crept across Aiden’s face. Something in Leonidas’ unwavering confidence suggested he held cards they couldn’t see.
“Even if Janice spares you, I won’t,” Aiden growled.
Leonidas’ lips curled into a cruel smirk. “You?”
“What do you mean?”
“Aiden, if it were a few years ago abroad, I might believe you. But now, you’re under her spell, willing to sacrifice everything for her sake.”
Aiden’s chest tightened as his eyes found Janice. True, he would move mountains for her, but what leverage did Leonidas hold that could make them hesitate?
“Janice, what do you think I’ve been doing all these years? Plotting your destruction, crafting ways to break you, to drag you into the depths of despair. Your old self, those three friends, that elderly fool—they were such obvious weaknesses. Too obvious. Too boring. So I found a better target. For example, your brother, Stephen White!”
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The fury in Janice’s eyes blazed white-hot as her grip threatened to shatter what remained of Leonidas’ arm. “What have you done to Stephen?” she demanded.
“Janice, we’re not sure if Stephen is your brother,” Aiden reminded, his mind racing. They hadn’t even done a paternity test. How could Leonidas be so certain? Could he be bluffing?
The realization washed over Janice too, bringing with it a forced calm.
“I wouldn’t dare challenge two lethal opponents without an ace up my sleeve,” Leonidas’ voice carried an unsettling certainty. “Can you let me go now? Or would you prefer to see Stephen’s corpse? The kill order is already in motion. If I die, so does he.”
“You absolute monster!!” Raw fury blazed in Janice’s eyes. She thought she had finally found her real family, but instead, she had brought him danger.
While she could weather any storm herself, the thought of someone else suffering for her actions was unbearable. And that person was her only family in the world. With measured reluctance, Janice and Aiden released their hold on Leonidas.
He slumped onto the bench, his face twisted into a mask of deranged satisfaction. “Consider this merely a prelude, Janice. Our real battle has yet to begin.”
“Whatever twisted game you’re orchestrating, I’ll see it through to its bitter end. But keep it between us.” Janice’s voice carried the bite of winter steel. Had Stephen not been Leonidas’ unwitting pawn, she would have made him beg for death’s mercy.
“But where’s the thrill in a game without consequences? Only when everything’s at stake do we see someone’s true nature.”
“Leonidas.” Aiden’s voice cut through the tension as he stepped forward, his gaze arctic. “I know you love games, especially thrilling and dangerous ones. So let me propose this: make me your opponent instead.”
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