Chapter 677
Rising from the Ashes
Chapter 676
Gordon staggered backward, his eyes wide with fear as he gasped out, âWhy donât we just end this here? Letâs call it even. If you push me too far, Iâll fight to the deathâand I guarantee you wonât walk away unscathed.â
He was retreating frantically now, his voice trembling beneath the bravado. Survival, not pride, was his priority. Facing Aspenâs disappointment was one thingâbut losing his life was another matter entirely.
More than that, Gordon was struggling to process the reality in front of him. Jayrodale was supposed to be a stagnant backwater town. How had a terrifying powerhouse like Andrew emerged from this place?
He thought returning from Bridgefields after years in hiding would allow him to dominate this city easily. Instead, he had stumbled into a nightmareâa young monster who dismantled him with brutal efficiency. The realization gnawed at his sanity. His entire worldview, built on decades of superiority, was collapsing. Andrewâs voice cut through the tension, cold and unforgiving. âNow you want to call it even? Donât you think itâs a little late for that?â
His eyes gleamed as he closed the gap in an instant.
Before Gordon could react, Andrewâs hands blurred, striking multiple points across his torso with pinpoint t precision. Each blow landed with a sickening crack, shattering bone and rupturing ligaments.
Gordon screamed, the sound raw and primal, as agony exploded through his body.
Andrew ignored the manâs cries. He flipped his wrist, and three silver needles appeared between his fingers. Without hesitation, he drove them into the grotesque hump on Gordonâs back.
The needles pierced deep into the swollen tissue. Immediately, three jets of foul, black blood shot from the wounds, releasing a pungent, toxic stench into the night air
Gordon howled in agony and turned to flee, relying on his legs, the only limbs still functioning.
Andrew did not move. He simply stood there, watching with cold indifference as Gordon hobbled away, desperate and broken.
âYou can try running,â Andrew said, voice calm and measured. âBut you wonât get far. Iâve already pierced your death nodeâyouâre living on borrowed time.â
âAnd if youâre wondering why it feels familiar,â he continued, tilting his head slightly, âitâs because I tampered with it back at Moonlit Apothecary. It was a warning. One you were too arrogant to heed.â
âYou shouldâve left my people alone. But you didnât. And now youâll pay for that choice.â
As his final word fell, Gordonâs back gave a grotesque shudder. With a sickening pop, the hump on his back exploded, spraying his entire body with the toxic, corrosive blood.
âNo!â Gordon screamed, his voice shrill with terror. The poison ate through his skin instantly, black veins spiderwebbing across his body.
The pain was unimaginable. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest as his skin sizzled and disintegrated.
âPlease⦠Andrew⦠please,â he begged, his voice raw and broken. âSpare me. Iâll do anything anything you want!
Andrew did not answer. He simply turned away, walked to his car, and started the engine.
With a single press of the accelerator, the vehicle roared to life and sped away from Bamboo Hill Estate.
Chapter 676
Behind him, Gordonâs body convulsed on the ground. Desperately, he shoved fistfuls of detox pills into his mouth, choking on them as they dissolved into foam.
Yet, it was useless. The toxin coursing through his veins was far beyond any remedy. His eyes rolled back as he convulsed violently.
Within five agonizing minutes, his body collapsed, lifeless. Even then, the poison did not stop.
The skin melted away, followed by muscle, tendons, and finally, bone. Half an hour later, the only thing left of Gordon was a bubbling pool of black, rancid sludge.
Back at the Stevens mansion, Aspen glanced at the darkening sky. By now, she figured Gordon had already taken care of Andrew.
Hours had passedâsurely the fight was over. Andrew was probably just a rotting corpse by now.
Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, she dialed Gordonâs number. However, there was no answer.
Her brows knitted together, and she muttered, âMaybe heâs still busy finishing the job.â
Gordon was meticulous. He would not just kill Andrewâhe would destroy the evidence and erase every trace of the body.
âYeah,â Aspen said to herself. âHeâs probably dealing with the body right now.â