Chapter 410

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The blue-eyed man turned toward the door, a sinister chuckle escaping his lips. “So, you finally showed up. Who tipped you off?”

Kayla stared at Brian in shock, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. She felt bitter and yet relieved. That was Brian–always honest and good-hearted. Looking closer, Kayla realized Brian and the blue-eyed man were almost identical in height and build.

‘No wonder Tuff and I were so easily misled by the blue-eyed man earlier. We almost mistook him for kind-hearted Brian!’ she thought.

“Brian…” Tuff visibly relaxed, the tension draining from his shoulders. ‘Now that Brian’s here, Kayla will be safe,’ he thought.

Brian didn’t even look their way. He strode right up to the blue-eyed man. The blue-eyed man didn’t budge, just stared as Brian came closer. It was only a handful of steps, but each one felt like it stretched on forever. Once Brian was close enough, he lifted his hand and pulled off the blue-eyed man’s mask. Underneath was a face that bore a striking resemblance to Brian–only older.

‘He must be at least ten years older than Brian!’ Kayla thought, surprised by how much older the man looked.

“It’s been a while,” Brian greeted him with a gentle smile, then made his way over to Kayla.

Only sixty seconds left on the timer. Tuff’s heart was in his throat. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, completely powerless. ‘Come on, Brian, hurry up! Please, hurry!’ Tuff prayed desperately in his mind. Brian’s long fingers moved quickly and steadily, never once hesitating, while the blue-eyed man just stood there and didn’t make a move to stop him the whole time. In a flash, Brian had the timer bomb disarmed. Then, he powered it off.

‘Powered it off?’ Tuff thought, his mind reeling with disbelief. Tuff’s eyes widened in shock.

“The timer was almost up… How could he just shut it down?” he wondered, still stunned. A wave of relief washed over him, so intense that it nearly knocked him off his feet.

Tuff hurried forward, wanting to hug Kayla, but she rushed to Brian first and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” Kayla sobbed, her voice shaking. Her shaky sobs echoed through the basement. Tuff froze in place, then quietly lowered his hands, feeling hollow inside.

“Brian, I’m so sorry. I forgot…” Kayla sobbed, her voice desperate and raw as she clung to him. Setting aside everything else, Landon and Tuff had killed Brian’s parents. He knew the truth, but still chose to help her. ‘How could anyone care so deeply? There’s no way I could ever repay him,’ Kayla thought, her heart aching.

Brian just smiled, gently patting her back. “It’s all over now. It’s better if you don’t remember.” Forgetting meant she didn’t have to carry weight.

The blue-eyed man laughed again, his tone sinister and full of mockery. Kayla shivered, letting go of Brian and turning to face the mastermind behind tonight’s chaos. “Are you… Brian’s older brother?” Kayla asked, her voice trembling.

“Dally Shawn,” Dally replied coldly. He shot her a look of kingly disdain, as if she was beneath him. Neither Dally nor Brian had ever appeared on the Limitless Sect’s hit list–they’d always been kept safe by their parents, Malakai and Carley. They had been well protected by their parents, Malakai and Carley.

‘Dally, I’m so sorry…’ Kayla choked out, her voice trembling as she spoke. She dropped to her knees, unable to stop the tears streaming down her face. Dally paused for a second, then turned his head away with a look of utter disdain. “If just kneeling could erase all the grudges between us, then what’s the point of me being here?”

“I’m really grateful for everything my adoptive parents did for me, but…” Kayla stammered, her voice trembling with emotion. ‘But how could I possibly go against my own brother and husband because of all this?’ Kayla thought, her heart aching. Besides, it was her adoptive parents who were truly at fault. Even if Tuff and Landon hadn’t been involved, the Flying Tiger Sect would’ve come for them anyway.

“Dally, just let it go,” Tuff sighed. “The ones who did wrong have already paid the price. None of this is your or Brian’s fault.”

“Innocent?” Dally exploded, his voice rising with fury. “How about I go kill your parents and see if you still call me innocent then?”

The uneasy calm that had just settled over the room shattered in an instant, and the tension snapped back like a drawn bowstring. Tuff just stood there, silent. ‘Whatever I say, it’s just gonna make things worse,’ he thought, feeling helpless. ‘Forget it. Better keep my mouth shut,’ Tuff told himself, sighing inwardly. ‘Every time I say something, I mess it up,’ he thought, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

“Dally, I came here today to take you home,” Brian said as he walked over and took his brother’s hand. Dally squirmed a bit, but let Brian hold on.

Brian shot Tuff a look, and Tuff’s expression changed. Without hesitation, he grabbed Kayla and made a break for it.

“Stop right there!” Dally screamed.

Tuff pulled Kayla along, running even faster. Behind them, the sounds of a fierce fight echoed from the basement. Kayla kept looking back, her voice trembling. “They… they…”

“Brian will handle it! Just trust him!” Tuff shouted, urging her forward.

They ran all the way out of the alley, and immediately spotted a familiar car and some familiar faces waiting for them. Is that Landon?” Tuff called out, relief flooding his voice. Tuff breathed a sigh of relief.

Landon saw them and hurried over. “Where’s Brian?”

“They’re still down there fighting, but they’re real brothers, so it shouldn’t get too bad,” Tuff said, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, his eyes bloodshot. “Man, that scared the crap out of me!” If Brian hadn’t made it in time, both me and Kayla would’ve died in that basement.

“I was the one who called him,” Landon said, steadying Kayla. Kayla nodded, then shook her head. Brian had saved her life again tonight, and now she was even more lost about how to face him.

“Kayla, Brian isn’t just helping you. He’s trying to save Dally too,” Landon said seriously. “But if Dally can’t change his ways, I’ll kill him myself.”

Kayla froze, lowering her gaze and saying nothing.

“Kayla, go rest in the car for a bit. We’ll wait for Brian,” Landon said gently.

Kayla got into the car, and Amelia handed her a warm towel and a cup of hot water. “Amy, you came too? I didn’t expect to see you here!” Kayla exclaimed, surprised.

“I thought my mind-reading skills might come in handy if things got dicey,” Amelia replied, giving her a cheeky wink.

Kayla wrapped her hands around the warm cup, falling silent once more. As the night wore on, the streets grew emptier and emptier–barely a car in sight. Up above, a thin moon hung in the dark sky, looking cold and all alone. No matter how cozy it was inside the car, Kayla just couldn’t shake the chill that clung to her.

God knows how long had passed before footsteps finally echoed from deep inside the alley. Kayla was out of the car in an instant. “Brian…”

“I’m here,” Brian replied. He strode toward them, carrying Dally over his shoulder. Kayla’s eyes went wide. ‘Did Brian really just knock Dally out?’ she thought, barely able to believe what she was seeing.

“It’s fine. I’ll take him home,” Brian said, sporting a few bruises but still grinning like nothing had happened.

“Brian, I…” Kayla began, her voice trembling as she hesitated.

“My parents did wrong. None of this is on you,” Brian said, cutting her off with a gentle, reassuring smile. Kayla’s chest was tight with everything she wanted to say, but the words just wouldn’t come out. The pressure made her feel anxious and completely lost.

“I tried to get them to turn their lives around, but they just wouldn’t listen,” Brian said, his voice gentle.

Kayla finally managed to speak, her voice shaky. “Back then… where were you?”

“I was at school. Dally already said it, right? I went to med school,” Brian answered.

“Did we ever meet at the Limitless Sect?” Kayla asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, we did. When you first arrived at the Limitless Sect, you were all battered and so traumatized that you shut everyone out. But you still let me get close. So whenever I was on break, I’d come back to check on you. Studying medicine meant I could help patch you up,” Brian said gently.

‘So it was Brian who’d always been there for me, protecting me all this time,’ Kayla realized, her heart twisting with guilt and gratitude. ‘And yet… I’d forgotten him,’ she thought, the shame hitting her hard.

“Brian…” Kayla whispered, her voice soft and trembling.

“Hey, don’t dwell on what you’ve forgotten. Just live your life, Okay?” Brian said, reaching out and giving her cheek a gentle, reassuring pat. He’d never been this close to her before. ‘She’s so beautiful… I could never get enough of her,’ Brian thought, his heart skipping a beat.

Tuff was speechless, just standing there awkwardly.

Brian knew when to stop. He just gave her two quick pats before letting go. “I’ll head out now. When your baby’s here, I’ll come visit.”

“Thanks for being so forgiving…” Tuff walked up to Brian and looked him straight in the eye. Giving up a family vendetta for justice–that was something one didn’t see every day.

“Brian, if you ever need anything from me, just say the word. No matter what it is–even if it costs me my life!” Tuff said, his voice full of conviction.

“I don’t want you dead,” Brian said. “If you’re gone, what’s she supposed to do?”

“So, is there something you want me to do?” Tuff asked.

“Since you said that, I’m gonna ask for something,” Brian replied.

“Say it,” Tuff said.

“Quit the Flying Tiger Sect, and I won’t hold anything against you,” Brian said.