Chapter 287

Brandon’s threat stunned Noelle. She hadn’t even had time to react before a dark blur shot toward her, a strike coming fast and deadly.

Already weakened from the mental assault and her injuries, Noelle’s reflexes lagged – she couldn’t block in time.

Just one hit from Brandon, and it felt like her arm had shattered. Pain surged through her bones as she staggered back, barely managing to stifle a groan. Her arm hung limp, the whole side of her body numb with agony.

“Noelle!” Nicolas’s voice rang with panic. He turned to Brandon, eyes blazing. “Have you completely lost it? You’re going to kill her now!”

Until this moment, Nicolas had assumed that everything Brandon had done was, in some twisted way, for Noelle – for her attention, out of jealousy, possessiveness. But now, even that warped justification was crumbling.

“Is Noelle so dispensable to him? Just because she refused to obey him?”

The situation had spiraled far beyond what Nicolas imagined.

Brandon just chuckled. He turned and glanced at Nicolas, a cruel smirk on his lips. “Why would I keep something I can’t control? Since she’s decided to die with you, I’ll grant her wish. Romantic, isn’t it? You two can perish together.”

Then, without another word, he lunged at Noelle again.

They were both SS-ranked “transformers,” full-spectrum experimental subjects at the highest level. But with his natural advantage in strength and zero hesitation, Brandon quickly gained the upper hand. In just a few brutal exchanges, he had Noelle by the throat, slammed against a tree.

“Noelle!” Nicolas, no longer caring about Damon’s wound, started to rise to help – but Noelle stopped him.

“Don’t come over here!” she gasped, choking out the words.

Her eyes met his, firm despite the pain. “Save Damon.”

Even now, she was still thinking about someone else.

Nicolas hesitated, then dropped back down to press against Damon’s wound again. He looked up at Brandon. “If you kill her, you’re not walking out of this alive.”

Brandon laughed, amused by the warning. “You clearly don’t understand how strong a transformer really is.”

To prove his point, he casually released Noelle and turned to the massive tree beside them. With one swift motion, he leapt up and delivered a powerful kick…

Nicolas’s face turned pale. “That strength… is inhuman.”

Even Noelle, kneeling weakly on the ground, was stunned. She’d known Brandon was strong – like her, he’d passed every trial the lab threw at them – but this level of power… she couldn’t match it.

Brandon turned back to Nicolas and waved mockingly. “Come on, shoot me.”

Nicolas’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re hesitating?” Brandon teased. “I’m literally offering myself on a silver platter.”

Nicolas grit his teeth, then pulled the trigger.

The bullet flew straight at Brandon’s forehead…

And vanished.

No – Brandon had caught it.

He slowly opened his palm, the bullet resting in the center of his hand.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Nicolas muttered.

It wasn’t just fast reflexes. To catch a bullet in midair and stop its momentum… that was strength beyond comprehension. It was unnatural, terrifying.

“Still think your little security squad outside can do anything to me?” Brandon asked, eyes gleaming.

Nicolas sighed, shaking his head. “You win. I’ll admit it – what you are, Brandon… isn’t human.”

He turned to Noelle with a bitter smile. “Looks like we really won’t make it out of this one.”

Tears welled in Noelle’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Nicolas… if I hadn’t fallen for you, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

If only she had stayed away.

He’d just avenged his family. He had a bright future ahead. And now, because of her…

But Nicolas shook his head. “Meeting you, Noelle, was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“But… you’re going to die.”

He smiled. “Everyone dies eventually. I just got lucky enough to meet you first.”

“Noelle…”

“Don’t cry now. Don’t give that bastard the satisfaction. If we’re going to die, we die with dignity.”

Noelle sniffled hard, trying to force the tears back down. Right. Don’t let Brandon see you fall apart.

She lifted her gaze, staring straight at Brandon with defiance. “Do it then. Kill me.”

Brandon stared at her, eyes unreadable – but strangely soft. “You really are obsessed with this man. Is it an illness, Noelle?”

“You’re the one who’s sick!” she snapped.

He didn’t get angry. In fact, he laughed.

This version of Noelle… was broken.

But that was fine. He already had her memories. Soon, he would recreate a cleaner, more obedient Noelle – one who belonged to him alone.

Brandon raised his gun, aimed it at her heart, and said softly, “Goodnight, Noelle. When you wake up again, you’ll be mine. Entirely mine.”

But before he could pull the trigger –

“Stop!” The shout came fast and loud.

Brandon turned his head.

Bennett came running toward them, out of breath, with Stanley trailing behind, furious. “Are you insane? Why did you run out here?!”

Stanley stopped short at the chaotic scene – Damon on the ground, bleeding; Nicolas hunched over him; Noelle bruised and battered; Brandon holding a gun to her chest.

His heart dropped.

Back at the villa, Stanley had blocked the rest of the Anderson family from running out. But after hearing the gunshot, Bennett had refused to wait. He said he had a way to end it.

Stanley had believed him. Now he was regretting it.

Brandon looked up, his smile darkening. “Well, well. If it isn’t Bennett. Here to die with them?”

Bennett glanced at his injured sister, then turned to Brandon. He smiled – but it was cold. “So, you’re really going to kill Noelle?”

Brandon shrugged. “You can see it for yourself.”

But Bennett’s smile widened. “Let me guess – you’ve already finished copying Noelle’s memories, right? So now, with a clean clone body, you can just upload those memories into a new version of her. Then she’ll be reborn.”

Brandon’s smile twitched.

Bennett had hit the mark.

“I have to say,” Brandon replied, “you’re quicker than I thought.”

Bennett chuckled. “Well, I am the smartest one in the Anderson family. Ever since you pushed so hard for that memory extraction, I had a feeling. You already suspected this version of Noelle would rebel.”

Brandon didn’t respond, but the rising tension in his eyes made his intent clear – he wanted Bennett dead.

But Bennett didn’t flinch. He looked Brandon in the eye and said, “It’s a shame, really. The memory chip you received? It’s incomplete. And more importantly, all the memories of you have been erased.”

Brandon’s face froze.

Bennett leaned forward slightly, voice calm but cutting. “So when you upload that memory into your perfect little clone, you won’t get this Noelle. You’ll get a stranger. A Noelle who doesn’t remember you, doesn’t love you, doesn’t know you.”

“You wanted her back?” Bennett smiled. “Well, guess what – she’s already gone.”