“What? How is this possible? How could this happen?”
“Mr. Vance, you’re lying to me, aren’t you?”
“How could something happen to Chris? He’s such a strong man. How could he possibly-”
“Ahhh…”
Esther broke down in tears as she spoke.
In Esther’s heart, Chris had always been invincible. No matter the danger, he always found a way to prevail. But this time…
Watching Esther in utter despair, Caspian sighed and said, “Esther, don’t be so heartbroken. Chris may have fallen off the cliff, but we haven’t found his body. That means there’s still a chance he’s alive.”
Esther pleaded, “Mr. Vance, I beg you, please find my husband.”
Caspian nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ve already mobilized Camp Middleton to search for Chris. I’m sure we’ll find him!”
Caspian’s expression was grave. He had never imagined things would turn out this way.
Earlier, Chris had come to him with a warning-Daniel Williams had hired three assassins to kill him. Caspian had immediately told Chris to go into hiding, assuring him that Team Wolf would be sent for backup.
But the assassins struck faster than expected.
Before Caspian could react, Chris was already attacked and pushed off a cliff.
Caspian kept this detail from Esther. To him, the odds of survival were slim. Chris had been ambushed by three assassins and fallen from a hundred-meter-high cliff-surviving seemed nearly impossible.
Leaving the hospital room, Caspian headed straight to the royal palace to inform Master William of Chris’s fall.
When Master William heard the news, his fury was unparalleled.
He immediately ordered all surrounding units in Middleton to mobilize, with the strict command to find Chris at all costs.
—
Back in the hospital room, Esther sat beside Candace, who remained unconscious. Tears streamed down her face.
“Candace, do you think Chris is still alive?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Please, please let him still be alive…”
Suddenly, a faint sobbing sound broke the silence.
Startled, Esther looked up.
At some point, Candace had begun crying silently, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
“Candace, you’re awake!” Esther exclaimed, her face lighting up with surprise and relief.
Candace opened her eyes, looking weakly at Esther. With a choked voice, she asked, “Esther… did something happen to Chris? Is he… leaving us?”
“I…”
Esther’s lips parted, but she couldn’t utter a word.
“Candace, don’t cry! Chris will be fine. He’ll definitely be fine!” she said, swallowing her sorrow to comfort Candace.
—
Meanwhile, the news of Chris’s presumed death spread like wildfire across Middleton.
Some wept bitterly upon hearing it, while others celebrated with unrestrained joy.
—
At the Frost family estate, Leonard Frost, the family patriarch, erupted into laughter upon receiving the news.
“Ha! Finally! That bastard Chris is dead! Hollow, my dear grandson! Kevin, my beloved son! Do you see this? The madman who killed you is dead! The heavens have eyes-justice has been served!”
“Pass down my orders!” Leonard roared. “The Frost family will celebrate for three days! Let’s rejoice in the death of that damned Chris!”
Chris had crippled Lysander Frost and killed both Hollow and Kevin Frost, making him the Frost family’s sworn enemy.
When word of Chris’s death reached the Frost household, the entire family erupted in celebration, their joy akin to a festive holiday.
Even Lysander, confined to a wheelchair, couldn’t resist breaking into song, earning cheers and applause from his kin. He was crowned the Frost family’s “crippled song god” in jest.
—
At the Noire family estate, Eagle Noire was in disbelief.
“What? Chris is dead?”
Eamon Rivers, standing nearby, burst out laughing. “What, you don’t believe it? Even I couldn’t believe it at first! But the news is everywhere-Chris was ambushed by three assassins and fell off a hundred-meter cliff. There’s no way he survived!”
Eamon added smugly, “It’s a pity, though. They still haven’t found his body. Otherwise, I would’ve brought it back to show my master.”
Eamon had originally wanted to kill Chris himself, but the assassins got to him first.
Eagle Noire frowned. “What did you say? They haven’t found Chris’s body?”
Eamon nodded. “That’s right. After falling off the cliff, he plunged into the river below. His body must’ve been swept away-or eaten by fish by now.”
While Eamon was ecstatic, Eagle Noire remained silent, his brows furrowed in thought.
He couldn’t believe Chris was truly gone. He had fought Chris before and knew firsthand just how powerful the man was. The idea of someone like Chris dying so easily seemed absurd.
Eamon, noticing Eagle Noire’s silence, smirked. “What, worried Chris isn’t dead? Even if he isn’t, it doesn’t matter. Sooner or later, I’ll deal with him myself.”
To Eamon, Chris was nothing more than an overrated figure propped up by others.
Eamon dismissed him with a sneer. “Primus? Just a title given by fools. I’m Ethan Stone’s prized disciple and the future leader of the Dragon Order. Killing Chris would’ve been child’s play for me.”
But Eagle Noire wasn’t convinced. Deep down, he doubted Chris’s death.
If Chris truly was gone, Eagle Noire couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret-for Chris had been the greatest rival of his life.
As for Eamon Rivers? Hah. Just an arrogant fool, blinded by his own ego.
—
In the outskirts of Middleton, at an unnamed mountain, the search for Chris was in full swing.
Tiger, leading three thousand Guards of Death, had the entire area under lockdown.
Following Master William’s orders, an additional ten thousand soldiers from nearby units joined the search.
Phoenix, Alligator, and Lynx also rushed to the scene upon hearing the news of Chris’s disappearance.
Inside a makeshift tent, the four of them gathered.
Tiger slammed his fist on the table, his face filled with guilt. “This is all my fault! If I had come sooner, boss wouldn’t be missing. If he’s really gone, how will I ever face his wife?”
Phoenix glared at him. “Tiger, stop spouting nonsense! Boss isn’t dead! He’s too strong to die like this. If you keep talking like that, don’t blame me for teaching you a lesson!”
Alligator’s face darkened. “If boss is truly dead, I’ll stop at nothing to avenge him. Daniel Williams will pay for this!”