Chapter 409

When Tuff got the news, it was already pitch dark outside.

He dropped everything and headed out immediately, notifying Landon as he went. “Kayla’s been kidnapped by the Blue-Eyed guys.”

“Send me the location. I’m on my way,” Landon replied without hesitation.

“Got it,” Tuff answered.

Seeing that the location was in Lunova, Landon breathed a sigh of relief.

He called Brian. “Dr. Shawn, Kayla’s been kidnapped…”

There was a long silence on the other end.

Landon knew he had to give Brian some time, but with Kayla’s safety at stake, his patience was running out.

After waiting a few minutes, he hung up.

Just then, Brian called back. “I’ll bring her back.”

“Good,” Landon replied.

Landon let out a heavy sigh of relief.

‘I knew I could count on Brian. He’s a good guy,’ Landon thought.

As for that blue-eyed man, he was probably related to Brian.

He just let Brian handle it. But Landon still felt he had to check things out in person to really put his mind at ease.

The basement was old and shrouded in darkness. Kayla was tied up, blood smeared on her lips, and a nasty bump swelling on her forehead.

‘Damn it! I can’t believe I lost to him!’ Kayla fumed inwardly.

But now she was certain. This blue-eyed guy had to be from the Limitless Sect.

When they fought, he countered her every move with practiced skill, like he’d done it a thousand times before.

‘Maybe… he’s even a Shawn,’ she couldn’t help but suspect.

“You’re pretty tough. No wonder Brian would rather not avenge the annihilation of his clan for your sake,” the blue-eyed man said, finally sitting down across from Kayla and taking a drink of water.

The blue-eyed man looked exhausted from the fight.

Kayla was thirsty too, but she didn’t dare consume anything in this place.

“Why did you bring me here? What exactly do you want?” Kayla asked.

“I’m waiting for your husband to come rescue you. Then I’ll kill him,” the blue-eyed man replied in a chilling tone.

Kayla’s heart pounded in her chest.

She figured Joyce might play dirty, but she never thought she’d actually join forces with this guy.

Her plan was to find the blue-eyed man’s base and then make her escape.

But in the end, she lost to him.

Last time they fought, she actually had a shot at winning.

“Last time, I let you win on purpose,” the blue-eyed man said.

“Shit!” Kayla snapped.

Both of them paused for a second. The blue-eyed man glanced at Kayla and laughed. “Even with amnesia, you still use the same favorite swear.”

Kayla pressed her lips together tightly.

She was the eldest daughter of the Kyle family, raised with impeccable manners. She never uttered a single curse word.

But just now, the curse had slipped out before she even realized it.

Turns out, that was a habit she’d picked up back when she was with the Limitless Sect.

“Kayla, the Shawn family saved you and raised you. Is this how you repay them?” The blue-eyed man’s resentful stare made her chest tighten with guilt.

The Limitless Sect was an illegal spy ring that never should’ve existed.

But that place was her only redemption.

Malakai and Carley had treated her so well. They gave her food, patched up her wounds, and even taught her how to fight. If it hadn’t been for them, she’d have been dead long ago.

“Kayla, if you had even a bit of conscience left, you never would’ve married Tuff!” the blue-eyed man spat.

Kayla’s mind was a mess. “Who are you, really? You seem to know me so well… Are you one of my seniors?”

“Senior? I never want to be one of them,” the blue-eyed man sneered.

“So who the hell are you, really?” Kayla demanded.

“If you want to know, use your brain for once. Quit bugging me with all these questions,” the blue-eyed man shot back.

The blue-eyed man chugged down half a bottle of water, then glanced at his watch.

Tuff would be here any minute now. Finally, his plan for revenge was about to kick off.

He strapped a time bomb to Kayla, gun at the ready, and waited in the shadows.

The basement door was kicked open with a violent crash as Tuff stormed in, gun drawn.

Kayla’s heart clenched even tighter. “Get out of here! He won’t kill me. He’s after you!” she shouted.

“Honey, don’t be scared,” Tuff said, his face grim, but when he looked at her, it softened with tenderness.

“He’s an old comrade from the Limitless Sect. He won’t hurt me. Just go–now!” Kayla urged, desperate.

The blue-eyed man laughed. “Tuff, if you die here, she lives.”

“And if I don’t?” Tuff asked, his voice low and menacing.

“See that time bomb strapped to her? We all die together!” the blue-eyed man shot back.

“Fine. Then let’s die together,” Tuff snarled.

Suddenly, Tuff lunged at the blue-eyed man, and the two started grappling in a vicious fight.

Kayla knew just how dangerous the blue-eyed man was. She couldn’t help but feel anxious for Tuff.

‘Did Tuff even stand a chance against him?’ she thought, her heart pounding.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and Tuff stopped in his tracks.

The blue-eyed man swung his gun toward Kayla, panting. “Guess I don’t need the time bomb after all. I’ll just blow her brains out right now!”

Then he fired another shot, the bullet just nicking Kayla’s ear before slamming into the wall.

Tuff was panting for breath, totally spent.

‘Damn it! This bastard’s not just tough and a killer fighter. His aim is scary good too!’ Tuff cursed to himself.

“I don’t care who you are. The Limitless Sect is an illegal group. It’s doomed from the start. But for saving my wife, I’ll let you go,” Tuff said coldly.

“Let me go? What a joke! Who do you think’s calling the shots here?” the blue-eyed man sneered.

“Alright, set another condition. As long as it’s not illegal, I’ll do my best to agree to it,” Tuff said, backing down.

The blue-eyed man’s voice was cold as ice. “Blood for blood, that’s only fair. You made me lose my parents, so now you’ll know what that’s like!”

“Wait, you… you’re…” Kayla’s eyes went wide with shock.

‘Is he Brian? No way…’ she thought.

‘No way… It can’t be him…’ Kayla’s mind reeled.

If Brian really wanted revenge, he wouldn’t have waited until now.

Besides, Brian would never do something like this to her.

Tuff found it strange too. He’d been re-examining the old case files lately, and he knew that Malakai and Carley only had one son–Brian.

They were always careful because of their dangerous line of work, never appearing in the same photo as Brian. The only picture was a blurry shot of him in a crowd, just to throw off anyone trying to figure things out.

“That’s right. I’m Brian,” the blue-eyed man suddenly said, his voice low and cold.

Everything about him—his tone, his attitude–was pure Brian.

Tuff and Kayla exchanged glances.

Tuff felt a surge of fear; Kayla’s chest tightened with pain.

‘Brian? It’s really you? No way… How could it be you!’ Kayla thought, her mind spinning.

“Enough,” Kayla said in a low, exhausted voice. “Honey, go home.”

“Honey…” Tuff’s voice trembled.

“If you still think of me as your wife, then do as I say!” Kayla snapped, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Kayla drew in a shaky breath.

Time was running out. The timer on the bomb strapped to her showed only three minutes left.

She couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

She owed Brian this much. She was ready to settle the debt with her own life.

“Not afraid to die, Kayla? If Tuff’s parents kick the bucket, you both walk free! And I promise, I’ll never hunt you down again,” the blue-eyed man chuckled, pressing her relentlessly with every word.

Tuff tightened his grip on his gun. There was no way he could ever kill his own parents.

The blue-eyed man was clearly trying to drive him mad, break him completely.

Tuff couldn’t fall into his trap.

Landon would be here soon to help out. He just had to hold it together.

The bomb’s ticking made his nerves fray, his mind a total mess.

He was desperate, searching for any opening. Tuff thought, ‘How could he possibly be faster than Brian’s gun?’

But he was in such bad shape, there was just no way he could find that kind of chance.

He’d been through countless shootouts and battles in his life, but he’d never been this rattled before.

“Two minutes left,” the blue-eyed man sneered. “In two minutes, we all go down together! My folks will be waiting for you in the afterlife.”

“Honey, just go! Go home, take care of Mom and Dad, and look after Landen…” Kayla urged, her voice thick with emotion.

Tuff stared at her, silent, rooted to the spot.

He’d die before leaving his wife’s side.

“That’s enough!” a familiar voice cut through the tension as a tall, lean figure strode into view.