Chapter 341
In the early morning, the cemetery was still glistening with dew. Brian sat in front of a shared grave, smoking a cigarette. The tombstone was unmarked, as if the person resting there had never existed.
Several empty wine bottles lay at his feetโtrophies from his solo drinking session. Tipsy and lacking ambition, Brian now appeared more like a washed-up drunk on the street than the polished professional he usually was.
Gusts of morning wind swept through, and the sunlight grew increasingly dazzling. A shadow loomed closer and finally fell over him. โBrian, you need to return now.โ
โMr. Mitchell?โ Brian murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, as he slowly lifted his head and looked at Morgan, whose hair had turned gray with age. โMr. Mitchell, just give me a little more time. Kaylaโs not doing well right now.โ
โI canโt even heal her; what can you possibly do?โ Morgan said, shaking his head.
โI donโt know either. But I refuse to give up!โ Brian gritted his teeth. โKayla has already endured enough pain in this life. I canโt just stand by and watch her suffer any longer.โ
โHave you forgotten who destroyed the Limitless Sect and killed your parents?โ Morgan asked, his voice low and grave.
Brian shuddered, his face turning pale as he glanced back at the nameless tombstone. His lips trembled, and his brows knitted in visible distress. After a long moment, he clenched his jaw and shut his eyes. โI havenโt forgottenโฆโ
โAnd you still insist on helping her?โ Morgan pressed.
โYes!โ Brian replied without hesitation.
In the early morning, Kyle Villa was eerily quiet. It seemed as though Jonny had returned, but perhaps he never did. The butler set out breakfast, yet no one touched it. He also prepared lunch, but again, nobody got up to eat.
It wasnโt until dinner that Landon and Amelia arrived first. โMs. Edwards, Mr. Kingsley,โ the butler greeted them with a polite smile. Last night, Amelia took a bold step by charging into the villa, which changed everything. The entire household was incredibly grateful to her.
โTheyโre still asleep, but itโs about time for a meal. Could you make sure the kitchen stays open a bit longer?โ Amelia said with a friendly smile.
The butler nodded. โNo worries, Ms. Edwards. The kitchenโs got hot food ready all day.โ
โThatโs very thoughtful,โ Amelia praised.
The master took care of the staff, and in return, the staff looked after their master. Ajden had truly won everyoneโs loyalty. Midway through dinner, Aiden entered, assisting Night Owl. After sleeping all day, Aiden was nearly back to his usual self, while Night Owl still appeared excessively pale.
โOwl, how are you feeling?โ Amelia asked, her voice full of concern. Night Owl looked more fragile than ever. Amelia couldnโt help but wonder what had happened after she left last night.
โIโm much better,โ Night Owl replied with a smile, a rare softness in her usually cold expression.
Amelia had never seen Night Owl like this before, and she felt a surge of happiness inside. โSheโs finally letting go of her past and giving Aiden a real chance!โ Amelia thought.
โLetโs eat up! Weโre heading back to Norava tonight,โ Landon said.
Aiden looked a little stunned. โSo soon?โ
โGoing home will be good for Kaylaโs health,โ Landon explained, sounding more patient than usual.
Alden said softly, appearing somewhat lost. โI know. Butโฆโ Alden had grown so accustomed to their presence that the idea of them leaving felt unsettling. That familiar sense of loneliness was beginning to resurface. And then there was Night Owlโshe had just agreed to give their relationship a chance the night before, and now, just like that, she was leaving.
โIโll stay,โ Night Owl volunteered, her voice firm and decisive.
Aidenโs eyes sparkled with surprise and joy. โYes!โ
Landon and Amelia exchanged smiles. โAiden, Iโm a few years older than you. If you ever need anything, feel free to reach out to me,โ Landon said. He had finally come to embrace Aiden as family. Kaylaโs brother was now his brother too.
Amelia added, โOnce I get back, Iโll ship all your antidotes over.โ
โThatโs not necessaryโฆโ Aidenโs heart was poundingโhe only had eyes for Night Owl now.
โWeโre family now. No point in being so polite anymore,โ Landon said.
Aiden was overwhelmed by the attention. โHoly crap, Iโm their family member now!โ he thought.
โLook at you, getting all worked up over nothing. Just keep being a good personโgood luck is waiting for you down the road,โ said Night Owl with a teasing shake of her head.
โYou all know my familyโs always been a bit chaoticโฆ Oh, wait!โ Aiden said, scratching his head awkwardly as he suddenly recalled. โAmelia, you didnโt trigger any traps when you snuck in last night?โ
โJoanna gave me a map,โ Amelia said.
โHer?โ Aiden blurted out, his eyes wide with disbelief. โJoanna is the last person I would expect to help. Sheโs always been nothing but trouble,โ Aiden thought, still trying to wrap his mind around it.
โShe likely did it for my brother and Maisie. Additionally, she was the one who informed me about Jonnyโs cloned body and its defects,โ Amelia explained.
Last night was so chaotic and tense that no one paid attention to the details. However, now that weโre reviewing everything, every little thing feels off.
โJoanna betrayed Monroe. Is she not concerned about facing consequences? And if Monroe sent Jonny, why didnโt he have more tricks up his sleeve?โ Landon wondered, his nerves tightening once againโhe still felt that this entire situation was far from over.
โIโll be more polite to her next time,โ Aiden said. He always repaid what was owedโwhether it was kindness or resentment.
Before long, Tuff and Kayla arrived as well. Neither of them had fully recovered yetโKayla, in particular, seemed especially out of sorts.
โKayla, youโre here!โ Aiden exclaimed, his face beaming with joy as he jumped up to greet her. Landon was already halfway out of his chair, nearly standing but not quite there yet.
Amelia chuckled and pulled him back down. โLet him have his moment. Youโll have plenty of opportunities later,โ she teased. Landon sighed and sat back down. โFine, Iโll let him enjoy this one,โ he thought.
โKayla, are you hungry? The kitchen has prepared all your favorite dishes,โ Aiden said with a warm smile. โI scattered Jonnyโs ashes in the Pacific Ocean, so you wonโt have to worry about him anymore,โ he added gently.
โKayla, you guys are heading back to Norava, right? Thatโs greatโLanden has been asking about you too,โ he continued, his words spilling out without stopping.
Night Owl was speechless. She leaned over and whispered to Amelia, โSeriously, for a grown man, he sure talks a lot.โ
โMaybe thatโs a good thingโheโs a bit of a chatterbox, and you could use someone to balance you out,โ Amelia said with a grin.
Night Owl couldnโt help but feel exasperated. โHe killed his brother for me last night, so I figured Iโd give him a chance.โ
โThen go for it! Just look at him, heโs so pitiful. Try not to bully him too much,โ Amelia teased with a grin.
โCome on, what could I possibly do to bully him?โ Night Owl replied, feigning innocence.
โBeats me.โ Amelia laughed. The playful banter between Amelia and Night Owl had the whole dining room buzzing with laughter and good vibes.
No one understood what Aiden was saying to Kayla, but whatever it was brought a genuine, relieved smile to her pale, weary face. It was the first time Kayla had smiled since the previous night.
Honestly, Aiden had a real talent for uplifting Kaylaโfar more so than Landon ever could. But no one informed Kayla that she could no longer have children.