The night in the cave was particularly long. Jack didn't sleep well due to blood loss and pain, cold sweat constantly seeping from his forehead.

I kept watch by his side, not sleeping all night.


The sounds of pursuers came and went, with dog barks echoing through the forest, but fortunately, they never discovered this cleverly hidden entrance.

At dawn, Jack regained consciousness. His eyes still had bloodshot streaks, and his face remained pale.

"We should go," his voice was somewhat hoarse.


"Are you up for it?" I looked at his arm wrapped in thick bandages, somewhat doubtful. The bullet had been removed, but he had lost a lot of blood.

Jack used his uninjured hand to prop himself up, curling the corner of his mouth: "Don't you know that a man can't admit he's not up for it, Miss Killer?"


I rolled my eyes. I threw him clean clothes I had found in the boxes, then dug out some high-energy food and clean water. "Replenish your strength. Can you still contact your men?"

Jack changed into a clean black shirt, then got up and retrieved an encrypted communicator from a hidden compartment under the camp bed, operating it skillfully.

"Harvey," he whispered into the communicator, his voice steady, "it's me. Report the situation."

Harvey's excited yet restrained voice came from the other end of the communicator: "Sir! Thank God you're alright! The fighting in the manor has mostly subsided, we control most areas, but Lucas and Robert Blanchett have disappeared, along with a batch of loyal guards."

Jack's eyes turned cold: "They won't get far, they're definitely still on the island. Gather all trustworthy people, block all exits, especially the docks and the helipad. Give me their exact location."

"Yes, sir! We've tracked them heading toward the old castle on the west side of the manor. It's easily defensible but difficult to attack, and it has escape tunnels built by Lucas years ago."

"Understood. We're coming right away." Jack cut the communication, looked at me, fire in his eyes, "Heard that? The prey has retreated to their final nest."

I inserted a fully loaded handgun into my waistband, checked my dagger, and smiled at Jack: "What are we waiting for? Let's settle old and new scores together."

"As you command, my Miss Killer."

His gaze was burning, his voice intimate, giving me goosebumps.

We left the cave and re-entered the forest. Despite being injured, Jack's steps remained steady, and he knew the terrain of this area like the back of his hand.

Along the way, we encountered several scattered enemies. I took the lead in attacking, while Jack used his good hand for precise shooting, or guided me with his eyes and brief commands.

That feeling of fighting side by side was strange, as if we had practiced countless times before.

As we approached the old castle, the smell of blood and gunpowder in the air grew stronger. Outside the castle were people from both the Thorne family and the Blanchett family. Harvey was waiting for us with a team of elite subordinates.

"Sir! Miss Evans!" Harvey saw Jack's arm wound and flashed a look of concern.

"How's the situation?" Jack asked directly.

Harvey reported quickly: "The main castle is surrounded by our men, but Lucas and Robert have about twenty people guarding the main hall of the castle's main tower. The view there is open, the firepower strong. We've launched several strong attacks, with significant casualties."

Jack looked up at the ancient stone castle, his gaze sharp as a hawk's. "A frontal assault is indeed unwise. Remember those secret passages Lucas showed me when he took me 'exploring' here as a child?"

Harvey's eyes lit up: "You mean..."

"Lead the way," Jack ordered.

Under Harvey's guidance, we circled to the back of the castle, pushed aside dense ivy, revealing a narrow entrance that could barely fit one person. This was a forgotten servant's passage, dark and damp inside, covered with cobwebs.

We infiltrated silently, moving like ghosts through the complex internal structure of the castle. Jack seemed extremely familiar with this place, able to accurately identify directions even in complete darkness.

Finally, we arrived at a hidden wooden door. Weak light filtered through the cracks, along with Lucas's furious roars and Robert's uncomfortable, manic laughter.

"...that little bastard! And that Evans bitch! I'll tear them to pieces!" This was Lucas's voice.

Jack and I exchanged a glance. He gently pushed open a crack in the door, observing the situation in the hall.

Lucas and Robert had their backs to us, standing in front of the fireplace, surrounded by a dozen armed guards, facing what appeared to be a mechanism to open a secret passage in the fireplace.

Now!

Jack suddenly kicked open the door, raised his hand, and fired a shot that precisely hit the guard closest to the secret passage mechanism.

Chaos instantly erupted in the hall!

"Jack!" Lucas turned back in horror.

Robert quickly spun around, his face twisted with excitement, raising his gun and firing: "You came after all!"

A gunfight erupted again! Bullets flew across the hall, stone chips scattered.

Jack and I, using cover, exchanged intense fire with the enemy.

Harvey also led people to attack through the main door, and under this internal and external assault, Lucas and Robert's guards were quickly suppressed.

"Protect the Patriarch!" a guard shouted, trying to shield Lucas with his body.

Jack's eyes flashed, and he fired several consecutive shots, taking down that guard and several others nearby, instantly clearing a path to Lucas.

Lucas's face turned ashen, his hand holding the cane trembling incessantly. Looking at the approaching Jack, fear finally appeared in his eyes: "Jack... I'm your uncle! I raised you! You can't..."

"When you killed my father, you were no longer that," Jack's voice was terrifyingly calm as he raised his gun, aiming at Lucas's forehead.

I stepped forward, pointing my gun at the back of Lucas's head.

Seeing this, Jack slightly moved his gun and shot Lucas in the limbs several times.

"Ah—" Lucas immediately curled up on the ground in pain.

I walked toward him step by step, thinking of the now-blurred images of my parents, "Lucas Thorne, you took everything from me. It's time to pay."

"No—" Lucas howled in despair.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out. Lucas fell to the ground.

Looking at Lucas's blood flowing out, I didn't feel the satisfaction of revenge I'd expected.

Jack walked up to me and lightly kissed my forehead.

I was startled.

"Well done, my Miss Killer."

Almost simultaneously, I sensed danger from the side—Robert had used the chaos to silently approach like a snake, his gun aimed at Jack!

"Jack, watch out!" I cried out, instinctively lunging forward while pulling the trigger.

Bang! Bang!

Two gunshots almost overlapped.

I felt a burning pain in my shoulder—Robert's bullet had grazed me. But my bullet had precisely pierced Robert's gun-wielding wrist.

"Ah!" Robert screamed in pain, his gun falling to the ground.

Jack instantly reacted, turning, his gun steadily pointing at Robert.

Robert clutched his wrist, blood seeping through his fingers. He looked at Jack, then at me, suddenly laughing maniacally: "Hahaha... Jack Thorne! You think you've won? Kill me, and the Blanchett family won't let you go! Sfortuna will never know peace!"

Jack looked at him expressionlessly, pulling the trigger without hesitation.

Bang!

Robert's laughter abruptly stopped, the manic expression on his face froze, and his body fell backward stiffly.

In the hall, the last gunshots also ceased. Lucas and Robert's loyal guards had all been eliminated. Harvey and his men quickly took control of the scene.

The air was filled with the heavy smell of blood and gunpowder.

I stood there in a daze, calming my emotions.

Jack hurriedly turned around, his gaze falling on me, his hand gently touching the place on my shoulder where the bullet had grazed, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly.

Only then did I come to my senses, feeling a twinge of pain.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice deep.

I shook my head, looking at the bandage on his arm that was again seeping with fresh blood, and asked in return: "What about you?"

He didn't answer, just looked at me deeply, and after a while, smiled slightly: "It hurts, so can Miss Killer kiss me?"

Huh? I looked at him like he was crazy: Is this man never satisfied?

Harvey stepped forward at the right moment, bowing respectfully: "Sir, the inside and outside of the castle have been cleared, all remaining enemies have been eliminated. The family elders and main members are on their way."

Jack nodded, resuming that demeanor of controlling everything: "Announce that Lucas and Robert allied, betrayed the family, and have been executed by me. The Thorne family, from today onwards, will be taken over by me, Jack Thorne. All matters will be decided after I return."

"Yes!" Harvey and all the surrounding subordinates responded in unison, their voices echoing in the spacious hall.

Jack Thorne officially became the new patriarch of the most powerful mob family in Sfortuna.

He looked at me again, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into a smile similar to that playful yet determined one I first saw in his study.

"As for you, Miss Killer..." he bent slightly, leaning close to my ear, whispering with scorching breath, "Now, shouldn't we settle our accounts properly?"

I blushed, avoiding Jack's gaze, muttering: "I know, I know, I'll take responsibility for you."