Chapter 341

Roy managed to avoid embarrassing himself in front of Molly. He subtly tightened his grip on her hand and said, “Thanks for saving me, or I’d have been shot.”

Molly gave a faint smile. “Don’t mention it.” She raised a brow and lifted her hand, signaling for him to let go.

Roy had barely held her hand a moment, and now he was reluctant to release it. But to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, he loosened his grip. “They planted bombs. I have to go check them out.”

Molly raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You know how to defuse them?”

“Yeah.” Roy wasn’t as skilled as Shermaine or Joshua, but he had experience disarming bombs.

“Need help?” Molly asked.

“Of course!” Roy nodded, beaming.

Inside the venue, the academics who hadn’t yet fled had gone from trembling in corners to mustering the courage to cheer Shermaine on. This was the first time in their lives they had been so fearless in the face of terrorists, all thanks to Shermaine's immense confidence and courage.

They had assumed Shermaine would be no match for Klaus, but her combat skills were extraordinary. The knife in her hand became a lethal weapon. For now, Shermaine didn’t intend to kill Klaus. Yet every strike she delivered was devastating. Agile and precise, even when taking hits, she minimized damage. Gradually, Klaus lost ground.

As a top assassin, he had encountered stronger opponents before. But Shermaine, who seemed delicate and unthreatening, was far more formidable than he had anticipated. He had made a critical mistake—underestimating his opponent.

It reminded him of when Bruce Xavier first joined the Dark Organization. Klaus hadn’t considered him a rival, yet every time they clashed, he lost. Bruce had left him with deep psychological scars, an instinctive dread lurking in Klaus’s mind.

Klaus hated Wallingtonians—their arrogance, aloofness, everything about them. They might not look physically imposing, but they were far from easy to deal with. Bruce was the leader’s most trusted right-hand man, and his status in the Dark Organization surpassed Klaus’s.

Klaus couldn’t let himself lose to a woman. He had promised Kylie he would kill Shermaine. Gritting his teeth, he thought, ‘This time, I can’t let my guard down.’

Kylie’s smirk vanished as she watched Klaus and Shermaine battle. Klaus was drenched in blood, swaying unsteadily as he forced himself to stand, his eyes bloodshot. With one final kick from Shermaine, he collapsed at Kylie’s feet.

Klaus coughed up blood, his chest burning from the kick. “Kylie, we’re pulling back,” he said, planning to kill Shermaine another day.

Kylie didn’t argue. She hauled him up, and they bolted outside, only to find their men already knocked out cold. With the situation so dire, there was no time to drag the unconscious men along. They had to retreat.

Once in the car, Klaus yanked out the bomb detonator. With one press of the red button, the building would be reduced to rubble. Without hesitation, he slammed his thumb down. However, nothing happened.

“Damn it!” Klaus snarled.

Kylie slammed her fist against the steering wheel, seething. She thought, ‘Why the hell is it so hard to kill Shermaine?’

Their car hadn’t gone far before several black vehicles surrounded them, forcing Kylie to slam on the brakes. Moments later, a Bugatti pulled up behind them. The moment Kylie saw the men stepping out, she recognized them as members of the Dark Organization, but she had no idea why they were there. An uneasy dread settled in her gut.

Klaus struggled to look out, his vision swimming until he saw Bruce getting out of the Bugatti. Bruce was slightly shorter than Klaus, but his sharp, handsome features carried an air of lethality. A cigar rested between his fingers as he casually tucked one hand into his pocket, his narrowed eyes sending a chill down Klaus’s spine. He took a slow drag, saying nothing.

Before Klaus and Kylie could react, their car doors were wrenched open, and they were dragged out.

Klaus barked, “Bruce, what the hell are you doing?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Bruce’s voice was calm, yet carried unshakable authority. He flicked ash from his cigar. “Using the organization’s men to stir up trouble? You’re quite bold. As a top assassin, you didn’t even bother to investigate your target before acting.”

Looking down at Klaus, Bruce shook his head in disgust. The Dark Organization’s top assassin had become reckless.

“Did you know Molly was there?” Bruce’s lips curled. “Oh, right. She’s one of the seven heirs competing for leadership.”

Klaus’s eyes widened in shock.

Bruce then pinched Kylie’s chin, his fingers digging in painfully. Of everyone in the Dark Organization, he was the one Kylie feared most. “And you,” he murmured, his voice icy. “Who authorized your return?”

Klaus knew he had violated protocol, but as a top assassin, he at least expected the leader to spare him some dignity. “I’ll explain to the leader. Bruce, let Kylie go.”

“Of course,” Bruce replied, releasing Kylie’s chin, his icy expression radiating disdain. “Funny you should ask. The leader sent me here. You really think I’d waste my time hunting down two useless pieces of trash like you otherwise?”

He didn’t bother wasting another word on them, his tone growing impatient. “Take them back.”

Soon, the group vanished as inconspicuously as they had arrived.

Inside the venue, Molly gave orders to haul away the unconscious assassins. Shermaine arranged for a new auditorium to be prepared. Once the equipment was set up, she announced that the symposium would continue as scheduled.

Then, they went to a nearby room. Molly prepped a first-aid kit. Shermaine shrugged off her jacket and sat down, starting to tend to her injuries.

A fight always left its marks. Shermaine had a shallow cut on her arm from blocking Klaus’s blade. The wound wasn’t serious; it just needed antiseptic and a bandage for a few days.

Molly’s fingers paused at her neck. “Is this a hickey?”

Shermaine’s low-cut sweater revealed fair skin and a faint hickey Joshua had left before her trip to Ustrana. She could have applied ointment to fade it faster, but she had forgotten. Not that it mattered. She simply smiled and nodded.

Molly crossed her legs and lit a cigarette. “Some guy got lucky.” Then, she murmured, “No wonder yours are bigger than mine.”

Shermaine finished bandaging her wound and chuckled, “You could find a man for a ‘second puberty.’ It works better than any bust-enhancing cream.”

Molly gasped in surprise, “Shermaine, you’ve changed!”

Shermaine raised an eyebrow.

“You’re cracking jokes out of nowhere now,” Molly continued. “That guy must’ve corrupted you.”