Edward clearly understood the gravity of the situation too. He stepped back, handing the torch to Echo, his voice unsteady. “I’m going to check ahead.”
Echo took the torch, pressing herself back against the wall. The further this flame stayed from those explosives, the better.
Edward seemed to disappear for a moment, or maybe it was longer-time felt distorted. Just as Echo’s face grew increasingly pale, Edward returned, looking grim.
In a low, urgent voice, he said, “It’s everywhere. Every passage is loaded up, around a ton of it, I’d estimate….”
Estimate? There was no need. A ton of explosives would flatten the castle, and then some.
“How much time do we have left?” Echo asked, taking a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. This was a timed bomb.
Edward, just as pale, held out a timer. The display hadn’t started yet. It looked like it hadn’t been triggered.
“It’s all remote-controlled with sticky-timed devices,” he said, looking at her seriously.
Every few meters, there was another device, and destroying one wasn’t enough. If even a single timer remained, the whole thing would still go off.
Any attempt to defuse it would likely set it off as well. He’d barely done a quick scan, but he guessed there were hundreds, maybe thousands of devices. There was no question about it-this was a massive, thorough setup.
“We have to get out,” Echo said, gripping his hand firmly, her face pale, her body trembling slightly, but her voice steady.
The two of them couldn’t disarm this. Even with everyone in the castle, it would be near impossible; few people could handle such complex equipment, and they likely didn’t have the time either. They needed to alert Ryan and the others, immediately.
Edward didn’t argue. He nodded heavily, wrapped his arm around her waist, and they started sprinting through the passage. Injuries, standoffs-they all had to wait. Right now, survival was everything.
At that moment, Ryan and Kevin were in a standoff. Since the other leaders had already left, there wasn’t much point in keeping up appearances anymore. Ryan and Kevin had figured out exactly what the enemy wanted, so they weren’t bothering to stay hidden.
Instead of waiting in the previous room, everyone had gathered in the main hall, looking both furious and anxious. Even though they didn’t fully understand what was going on, everyone felt the weight of a growing threat.
“Mr. Kevin, are you handing over King George and the others or not?” Cobra demanded, his voice cold and tense as he glared at Kevin.
Kevin, seated in the highest spot, shot Cobra a frosty look. “They’re with my Street family. If Dark family wants them, they can try their luck.”
Ryan sat on the opposite side, frowning but staying silent. Dark family and Street family had always been at odds, but now things were completely out in the open. Kevin wasn’t wrong, but forcing his hand now would be risky and time-consuming, and they didn’t have that luxury.
“Mr. Kevin, can’t you consider everyone’s situation here? Sure, King George and the others wronged you, but under these circumstances, we all need to know what’s going on. Why not question them together?” One of the underworld figures, unable to hold back, spoke up.
“Yeah, Mr. Kevin, there’s no room for personal vendettas right now. Bring them out so we can all ask questions.” Another figure loyal to the Dark family chimed in.
Standing beside Kevin, Aaron let out a mocking laugh. “Now’s the time? Who do you think you are to tell us what to do?” His sharp reprimand left the man red-faced and visibly irritated.
Hawk stepped in to hold the man back, while Aaron’s sneer grew colder. “King George and his people shot our boss. By the Street family rules, outsiders have no say in what we do with them. Since when has Street family become easy to push around?”
Bill spoke up, his tone deep. “That was then; this is now. Those three aren’t just your boss’s attackers. They’re the only ones who might have answers in a situation like this. This is a matter for the entire underworld, Mr. Kevin. Are you planning to go against us all?”
Bill’s words hit the mark. No matter how powerful a force was, challenging the entire underworld openly was a dangerous move, even for Kevin.
Kevin laughed icily. “I’m not unreasonable. Once I’ve gotten the answers I need, you’ll get your turn.”
“And how long will that take?” another underworld member pressed impatiently.
Kevin gave a chilling, almost elegant smile, but it was filled with menace. “That depends on how tough those three are.”
“Fine, then what about the attack on my boss’s fiancee in your room, Mr. Kevin?” Hawk cut in, staring straight at Kevin with a deadly seriousness in his gaze.
Aaron raised an eyebrow and said, “If I remember correctly, Mr. Ryan already barged in with his people to search the place. Did he find anyone? Any evidence? My boss has tolerated Dark family’s actions long enough. What, do you think Street family has no people left?”
Hawk nodded. “Alright, then is there any evidence that King George and the others plotted against Mr. Kevin? If there is, we’ll let it slide and let Street family interrogate them first. But if there isn’t, then hand them over.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“No way, why should we hand them over? Mr. Kevin should have priority…”
“Exactly, Hawk has a point. Where’s the proof that our family head plotted against Mr. Kevin? Mr. Kevin, you owe us an explanation too.”
“Explanation? We haven’t demanded one from the George family yet, which is already more than fair. Who’s responsible for this mess, anyway?”
A wave of loud arguments broke out, like fireworks crackling to life. With so many hot-headed gang leaders gathered, and in this tense situation, tempers flared. None of these people were easy-going by nature, and even though they didn’t know the full details, they sensed trouble was brewing and were ready to fan the flames.
Ryan cast a cold look over the crowd, then exchanged a glance with Adolph beside him. Neither of them spoke or got involved in the back-and-forth with Kevin. Dark family and Street family were enemies, and given the chance to restrain each other, Ryan wouldn’t let Street family take advantage either. Just like Kevin said-if they wanted the prisoners, they’d have to take them by force.
At this point, reasoning with Street family was pointless. Both Ryan and Kevin were proud, ruthless leaders. If either had a chance to corner the other or make a clean escape while leaving the other behind, they’d take it without hesitation. They were rivals through and through, two tigers that couldn’t share the same mountain.
“How’s it going?” Ryan signaled to Adolph with a glance after seeing Tiger whispering something urgently to him.
Adolph leaned in close and replied in a low voice only they could hear, “Kevin’s guards are too tight. We tried to break through a few times but couldn’t get in.”
Hearing this, Ryan’s expression grew even darker.
“What about Bill?” Ryan asked after a pause.
Adolph shook his head. “Bill’s still searching. Kevin’s side is looking too. They’ve found a lot of decoys, but the main target hasn’t been located yet.”
While Adolph and Ryan were quickly coordinating their forces on one side, Kevin was deep in discussion with Aaron on the other. Kevin’s men were constantly coming and going, and his brow furrowed slightly from time to time-apparently, he wasn’t getting good news either.
Both Dark family and Street family were powerful, with each bringing only a few people, but every person was an elite. The underworld leaders watching the argument knew the situation well. They saw the steady flow of people on both sides, and though Ryan and Kevin showed no hint of emotion, their cautious movements made it clear they hadn’t found the key target yet.
“Ahem, ahem, gentlemen,” an older man spoke up, coughing as he stepped forward. “Let me say a word. Right now, we’re all in the dark about what’s happening. But you two, the bosses, clearly know.”
His words quieted the crowd instantly.