Thinking about all that Elisa had been through, the torment, the disabled fingers, lying in bed for three months, suffering stimulus-induced madness. Every blow Hamish landed on Finn seemed to hit the mark, each strike carried the force of a battering ram. This time, Finn was truly left with barely a thread of life, unable to muster the strength to speak.
Atonal, trembling in the room, feared the two brothers might fight to the death, fearing a fatal outcome. While Old Burns, sipping leisurely on his tea, seemed unperturbed.
Twenty minutes had passed. “Old Burns, if we don’t go over, I’m afraid something might happen…”
Old Burns raised his clouded eyes, “Don’t worry, he won’t die.” His calm tone was as if discussing what dish to have for dinner. He set down his cup and stood up. “Go call a few more people over, and also fetch the family doctor.” In Old Burns’ view, even in severe cases, no one would die or be left disabled, at most a few weeks of rest to recover from some strained muscles and bones.
In the Burns family, brothers fighting was commonplace and seen as a form of tempering.
Atonal immediately sent someone to the backyard.
Hamish pressed down on Finn’s neck and slapped him across the head. “You just wanted to threaten me, right? I’ll give you a chance to negotiate.”
Not to be outdone, Finn grabbed Hamish’s hair, and the two rolled on the ground, preparing to give each other black eyes. Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps nearby. Finn immediately sobered up, and in a voice only they could hear, he pressed on his throat and said, “Alright, bring Elisa back to my bed. After I’ve rested properly, I’ll delete those videos and photos, and I won’t say another word in front of her.” After saying this, Finn chuckled, his eyes fearless, as if to say, “What can you do to me?”
This statement ignited Hamish’s fury. He was so enraged that his scalp tingled, his mind thundering, almost unable to think, with only one thought in his mind-kill him, kill Finn. Even if he leaked those videos and photos by the millions, if he kept Elisa locked at home, she wouldn’t see or remember those painful things.
Finn’s movements began to slow, allowing Hamish to rain down punches on him without restraint.
When Atonal arrived with a group of towering bodyguards, the sight that met everyone’s eyes was Finn, barely clinging to life on the ground, with Hamish on top of him, pummeling away.
Atonal, seeing Finn in such a pitiful state, and Hamish’s brutal attack, quickly ordered the men to intervene.
Hamish was skilled, but four fists were better than two, especially when those four were professionally trained bodyguards. In no time, he was subdued.
Atonal rushed over to help Finn up. “Mr. Snearl, are you alright?”
Though Hamish and Finn had fought many times before, today’s battle was surely the most vicious. Despite Hamish’s malicious nature, he knew when to rein in his temper, never going too far with Finn.
In front of others, his character was surprisingly good-reserved and often smiling, exuding an aura of quiet authority.
Now, pinned down by the guards, his eyes still blazed with suppressed rage. What had set him off?
Finn was carried inside, with soft tissue injuries being the least of his problems; the most serious was a broken arm.
Back in the house, seeing the state of the two, Old Burns couldn’t help but furrow his brow. “Such serious injuries?” He directed the question at Finn but was looking at Hamish.
In this household, minor scuffles were acceptable, but when lives were endangered, he had to step in.
Finn, being helped up, explained with swollen eyes, “Grandfather, don’t blame my brother. There was a misunderstanding between us, and I deserved to be hit. It’s all my fault for angering him.”
In just a few words, he had managed to portray himself as the innocent party. Hamish had grown accustomed to these tactics over the years, but this time, he felt nauseated.
Old Burns coldly scanned them. “What misunderstanding? Speak.”
“It just so happened that I had lunch with my sister-in-law today, and he misunderstood…” Finn was cut off.
“Shut up, Finn!”
Old Burns’ gaze turned icy. “I think the one who should be silent is you. To think you would lay hands on your own brother over a woman. It seems you’ve forgotten the principles of the Burns family over these years!”
One of the tenets of the Burns family was to not let emotions cloud judgment. Emotions were categorized, with the primary rule beingnot to let emotions interfere, particularly when it came to women.
“What kind of brother is he? A bastard born from a mistress.”
Old Burns was genuinely angry now. Although he hadn’t met Hamish’s woman, from Hamish’s behavior today, it was clear that he cared deeply for her, perhaps even developing a vulnerability.
Old Burns slowly walked up to Hamish. He may have been old and slightly stooped, but the air of authority from his years of high standing remained unyielding. He stood before Hamish and suddenly delivered a resounding slap.
Hamish’s head jerked to the side, his hair disheveled, his eyes reddened, his chest rising and falling slightly.
“You really know how to make a fool of me.”
“Since you think I’ve made a fool of you, you can publicly announce that you no longer have a grandson like me.”
Old Burns gasped, “You…”
“The Burns family’s wealth killed my parents. Do you think I care about your dirty money?” Hamish exerted a bit of force, causing his guards to loosen their grip.
He took a step back, his gaze shifting from Old Burns to Finn.
He knew the methods of the Burns family, especially those of Old Burns. Knowing his interest in Elisa, he feared Old Burns might act behind the scenes, and there was also the uncle who had been eyeing him.
But for now, he had to deal with Old Burns.
Pointing at Finn, he said, “If you dare touch my people, I will beat him to death. We could both die, and then the Burns family you’ve always safeguarded will fall into the hands of some useless individuals.”
Finn lay on the sofa, chuckling silently at Hamish. “Hamish, I’m waiting for you to beg me.”
The time for patience had come. The videos and photos he held were his only leverage. The more Hamish cared for Elisa, the more valuable his leverage became.
He had a hold on Hamish’s weakness, and he was eager to see what he could do with it.