Chapter 1096:

Elyse nodded, tilted her head gently, and swiftly fell asleep. Jayden unfastened his seatbelt, closed his eyes, and prepared for a short rest. But shortly after, the distinct sound of a starting engine jolted him awake. His instincts sharpened, and he quickly scanned the surroundings in the rearview mirror. A black sedan was speeding toward him.

He glanced at Elyse, soundly asleep in the passenger seat. Reaching back, he retrieved a coat from the back seat and carefully draped it over her face. With a calm demeanor, he awaited the approaching vehicle's intentions.

The sedan stopped nearby, and a tall, bearded man emerged. He approached and tapped on Jayden’s window.

Jayden opened the window slightly. “What’s the problem?” he asked.

“I’m Johnny. Could you step outside and take a look? There’s a mess in my car that needs your expertise,” he indicated with a nod toward his vehicle.

Jayden briefly surveyed the car before looking away. “Of course, I’ll take a look.” He opened the car door and stepped out.

Leading the way with a troubled air, Johnny said, “This situation is beyond me. I hoped you could figure it out.”

As he spoke, Johnny opened the rear door of his vehicle. Inside lay the missing fat man, clearly dead. His stomach bore vicious scratch marks, and two deep, bloody wounds marred his body. Jayden peered inside and said, “That looks bad. You might consider getting rid of the car.”

The pain and anger in Johnny’s eyes intensified. “You suggest discarding this filthy thing, yet that’s my brother you’re talking about. How can you so coldly suggest I abandon him?”

Unmoved, Jayden replied, “He’s your brother, not mine. Detachment is easy.”

Finding himself speechless, Johnny paused, then sobbed, “What did my brother ever do to deserve this? Why couldn’t you leave him alone?”

Jayden remained calm. “He took lives. He became a beast. My intervention was necessary.”

“That’s just an excuse!” Johnny shouted, overwhelmed by anger. “You must pay for your actions!” He brandished a stun baton and attacked Jayden.

Nimbly dodging the blows, Jayden revealed, “When I entered that motel, I saw a familiar emblem: a black skull with two guns. That’s the Hudson family emblem.”

He paused, then added, “I saw it again in your car.”

Johnny stopped his attack, his gaze intensifying. “Charlie Hudson’s gone; his major subordinates are all dead, leaving only insignificant followers,” Jayden said smoothly. . . .