Chapter 336
Kayla closed her eyes in despair. If only I could just disappear… At least my family wouldn’t have to suffer because of this, she thought bitterly.
The familiar ringtone pierced through her despair, igniting a small spark of hope within her heart. “Landen…” Kayla whispered. It was the unique ringtone that Landen had designated for himself.
Kayla opened her eyes, her voice trembling. “Landen is calling. Can you answer for me? Just try not to worry him.”
“Sure thing!” Jonny agreed eagerly.
But as soon as he hit the answer button, he blurted out, “Son, your daddy’s back!” Kayla gritted her teeth in irritation.
“Who are you?” Landen’s childish voice came through the phone. “Why do you have my mommy’s phone?”
“Landen, do you remember who your biological father is?” Jonny asked nonchalantly.
Kayla’s heart raced. The Kyle family had never concealed the truth about Landen’s parentage.
The elders of the Kyle family hoped that Landen would one day succeed Jonny as the leader of the Kington Gang. However, Landen and Tuff had grown so close that they felt almost like father and son, leaving the choice of which name to say hanging in the air.
“Jonny Kyle.” Landen’s young voice was unwavering.
Jonny smiled in satisfaction. “Good boy!”
Kayla let out a sigh of relief. “A–are you my daddy?” Landen asked, his voice uncertain.
“Yup, it’s me, your daddy. I’m back!” Jonny replied warmly.
“Yay! Daddy’s back! Awesome!” Landen cheered, his joyful shout echoed through the international call, his excitement impossible to miss.
“Daddy, are you with Mommy? When are you guys coming back?” Landen asked eagerly.
“Daddy, I’ve gotten taller. I was first in my class for midterms this time!” Landen continued, his voice full of pride.
“The other kids still say I’m super handsome and they all like me! I must’ve gotten my good looks from you, right, daddy?” Landen added, sounding extra cheeky.
Landen’s rapid-fire questions and compliments had Jonny grinning from ear to ear, running a hand over his face with a smug smile. “Of course you do—handsome and smart, just like me.”
“Daddy, where are you guys right now?” Landen asked.
Jonny replied offhandedly, “We’re just at home.”
“At the villa?” Landen asked.
“Yup,” Jonny confirmed.
“Can I come see you guys? Mommy can call in sick for me tomorrow!” Landen’s excitement was palpable.
But what Landen didn’t know was that Jonny didn’t feel any real connection to him. All Jonny wanted was the validation that he could claim Tuff’s spot, to boost his ego.
Kayla wished she could tell Landen not to come, but she felt too timid to speak up. Jonny often did the opposite of what was expected just for fun, and at that moment, Kayla had no clue how he would treat Landen. She could only hope that, since Landen was his son, Jonny wouldn’t do anything to harm him.
“Daddyl Don’t you miss me at all?” Landen’s voice trembled, sounding genuinely hurt.
Jonny’s face changed the moment he heard Landen’s voice start to wobble. He said sharply, “Don’t come here. Just focus on your schoolwork.”
“B–but I miss you and Mommy,” Landen’s voice cracked with longing.
“Wait until your school break,” Jonny replied bluntly. With that, he hung up the phone.
‘Cold as ice, seriously!’ Kayla felt a chill run through her. ‘That selfish psycho doesn’t care about Landen at all!’ she thought bitterly.
It had been a good thing he couldn’t stand kids whining–at least he had turned Landen down. Kayla had been willing to sacrifice herself, as long as her loved ones remained safe.
“I didn’t expect you to tell our son that,” Jonny said, tossing the phone aside.
Kayla spoke softly, “My parents and Monroe have always treated Landen like your successor. Last time in Norava, Monroe took Landen away and brought him back safe and sound.”
“Alright, since you still have a bit of decency left, I’ll give you some water,” Jonny said. He poured a glass of water and gently raised it to Kayla’s lips.
Kayla’s throat was as dry as a desert, but she refused to drink the water that Jonny had poured for her. She shook her head and said, “I’m not thirsty.”
“Are you worried that I’ll slip something into your drink?” Jonny flashed a mischievous grin. “Thanks for the reminder.” He pulled some pills from his pocket and, ensuring Kayla was watching, dropped them into the glass. “There you go. Now go ahead and drink it,” Jonny said, looking quite pleased with himself.
Kayla clenched her jaw, determined not to give in. Jonny sneered, “Do you think you can fight back against me?” He pried open her mouth and forced water down her throat.
Kayla didn’t even have time to swallow before she started coughing violently. Water dripped down her chin and neck, soaking the front of her shirt. She looked even more disheveled and pitiful.
Jonny looked thrilled, a wild spark dancing in his eyes. “W–what did you give me?” Kayla asked, her voice trembling.
“Something that’ll make you happy. Just wait, things are about to get interesting!” Jonny laughed maniacally, like he’d just scored a significant victory.
Kayla, who knew him all too well, could already guess what kind of drug it was. Despair washed over her once again. Tears streamed down her face, and despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop them. If she ever got another chance, she would tear that psycho apart and scatter his ashes herself.
The car horn echoed throughout the estate, and suddenly all the alarms began blaring. Aiden scratched his head, clearly annoyed. “He did change the traps…”
“So you can’t get in now?” Night Owl gave him a look.
“Yeah…” Aiden mumbled, unable to meet Night Owl’s gaze as he stared down at his toes.
“Whatever, we were going to break in anyway,” Night Owl said with a shrug, pulling a bottle from her pocket and swallowing two pills.
Aiden blurted out, “What are you taking?”
“Just something to keep me sharp,” Night Owl replied, rolling her shoulders and loosening up for the fight ahead.
Aiden couldn’t hide his worry. “Are you sure you’re up for this? Don’t push yourself too hard…”
“If I can’t do it, you think you can?” Night Owl rolled her eyes.
Honestly, Aiden didn’t seem any more confident himself.
Finally, Kyle Villa’s gates swung open, but it wasn’t Jonny who appeared. The visibly anxious old butler stammered, “Please, come in.”
“He’s set a trap, just waiting for us to fall into it…” Amelia muttered, breaking into a cold sweat.
Landon patted her shoulder. “Stay in the car and wait for us.”
“Okay,” she agreed. Amelia knew she was no fighter, so she agreed without protest.
Tuff was the first to enter the villa, followed closely by Landon and the others. Just as the butler was about to close the gate, Amelia called out, “Please don’t close it, okay?”
“Well…” The butler hesitated. Part of him wanted to help, but the thought of Jonny made him freeze in fear. ‘That psycho had made it abundantly clear anyone who disobeyed his orders would end up dead!’ he thought.
“Or… Could you leave the door open a crack?” Amelia pleaded. “Please, think about what Kayla and Landen have done for you…”
The butler hesitated, but ultimately left the gate slightly ajar. “Thank you,” Amelia said softly, filled with genuine gratitude. This way, the Flying Tiger Sect’s backup could enter the villa.
‘Come on, reinforcements, hurry up! Let tonight go as smoothly as it did when we took down the Mystic Sect earlier today…’ Amelia anxiously prayed, pressing her palms together.
She felt utterly powerless now—hoping desperately for a sliver of mercy from above. Faced with all this plotting and brute force, she felt small and insignificant. ‘If only I could manipulate time like Monroe does,’ she thought with a resigned sigh.
Time dragged on. Landon and the others had already been inside for ten minutes, and there was still no sound. Amelia felt anxious, waiting nervously. The reinforcements hadn’t arrived yet, but someone unexpected appeared instead—Joanna.
“You?” Amelia instantly tensed, and the bodyguards that Landon had left with her moved forward to shield her from Joanna.
“I’m not with the Montgomery family’s backup,” Joanna volunteered.
Amelia relaxed a little. “Then what are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m here to tell you a secret,” Joanna said.
“What is it?” Amelia asked, still on guard.
“The person inside is just a clone—not the real one,” Joanna said with a gentle laugh. Ever since she acquired her own cloned Porter, her entire demeanor had become noticeably softer. She carried herself with the sophistication and elegance of a matron.
Amelia remained wary. “Are you sure? Then why does he remember things?”
“Those aren’t memories—they’re just resentment Monroe implanted in him,” Joanna said.
“Wait, you can do that?” Amelia was both shocked and worried. ‘If he’s got nothing but resentment and no love, wouldn’t that put Kayla in even more danger?’ Amelia thought anxiously.
“He’s Monroe’s trump card. Monroe let him loose right after you broke through the Mystic Sect,” Joanna said.
“I see…” Amelia said with a wry smile. They thought they had already won, but they had no idea Monroe was still hiding an ace up his sleeve. They had just fallen from one trap into another, each one more dangerous than the last.
“Why are you telling me all this?” Amelia asked.
“Just think of it as thanks to Daniel’s mercy,” Joanna replied, her tone unusually calm, with a smile.
“Thank you…” Amelia was flooded with complex emotions. By all accounts, she should have despised Joanna. Yet, in that moment, she realized she needed her. “Can you tell me how to save Kayla?” Amelia stammered, struggling to articulate the words.