Chapter 14 Nahla

• "The demolition was legal, and compensation has been paid. Miss Bean, do you have any more questions?" Bobby spoke in a condescending tone.
• How dare this girl go up against me?
• Nahla stood there, shocked. She had only heard from Aric that Lysander had signed the demolition agreement, but she didn't expect the demolition company to act so quickly and make it public.
• When Bobby saw her silence, he turned and waved his hand. "Do not stop; continue the demolition! I want this place demolished before morning."
• Dozens of bulldozers moved in a line towards Elderglen Orphanage. Rowan broke away from the demolition workers and stood in front of them, using his own body as a barrier. Bobby's face darkened as he headed towards Rowan.
• "You old man, the demolition money has already been used to pay off your son's gambling debts, and the agreement has been signed. What else do you want?"
• Rowan raised his head and gritted his teeth. "There will be no demolitions! I am the director of Elderglen Orphanage! What Lysander signed is meaningless."
• Bobby broke out laughing. "Old man, what your son signed might not mean anything, but let me ask you this—between your son's life and the orphanage, which one do you choose?"
• Bobby snatched the walkie-talkie from his pocket and said, "Hang him up."
• A crane was raised, showing a figure bound with ropes. Regardless of the distance, Rowan knew it was Lysander.
• "Do you want your son or the orphanage? Make your choice!"
• Bobby sneered and moved away, convinced that Rowan was no match for him. Bobby turned his back, assuming Rowan would not resist. Since he knew Rowan would resist, he had Lysander sent to the orphanage.
• Rowan cried as he gazed at his son, who was suspended in mid-air. His son was his pride, but the Elderglen Orphanage was his life's work.
• "Dad, save me; please save me!"
• Lysander shook his body, shouting nonstop. He was genuinely afraid. These people were horrible, complete animals!
• Rowan dried his eyes and looked at Bobby with determination on his face. "There will be no demolition! If you want to demolish Elderglen Orphanage, you must go through me!"
• Rowan straightened his back. Bobby scoffed and nodded. He took a few steps back before raising his walkie-talkie. "Since he wishes to die, let us send him on his way. Keep going, and don't stop. If someone dies, I will accept responsibility!"
• Bobby's face contorted into a wicked smirk as he gazed at the reporters from Brightvale TV who were trapped outside. As long as these journalists were not permitted to report, he could easily claim Rowan died of a heart attack. Nobody would know what happened. Lysander, Rowan's only son, was a coward who refused to pursue his responsibilities. This was an intractable problem.
• The dozen bulldozers accelerated and pushed onward. Rowan stood in front of Elderglen Orphanage's iron gate, clenching his hands and closing his eyes as tears flowed down his cheeks. He had given his entire life to the Elderglen Orphanage, and now he could die peacefully! Rowan realized that only by sacrificing himself would people pay attention to the Elderglen Orphanage. He was willing to die for the cause of the orphanage's more than twenty youngsters.
• The bulldozers moved forward, and Rowan listened as the engines roared. He put his hand behind his back and straightened up. One of the children who was being held back by the demolition team attempted to escape and run toward Rowan.
• The bulldozer moved closer to Rowan. Rowan was forced back half a meter upon collision, followed by a great force striking his chest. He spat out a mouthful of blood and gazed at the bulldozer in front of him, fearing that it would crush him.
• Suddenly, a piercing sound of metal grinding filled the air.
• Screech—
• Aric took a steel pipe and put it into the bulldozer track. He then smashed the glass with a stroke of the pipe. "This is outrageous! Murdering someone in broad daylight? Does Palden want to die?"
• Aric pulled out the bulldozer driver and hurled him to the ground. Aric's eyes welled up with anger. He admitted that Valenwood Group had provoked him!
• Bobby gazed at Aric, feeling a sense of recognition. He instantly remembered the young man to whom Palden had instructed the gangsters to administer a lesson today. Bobby served as Dayking Company's vice president, as did Snakehead. One was in charge of demolition, while the other was in control of the casino. Bobby barely remembered Snakehead telling him that he had already caught Aric before he arrived at Elderglen Orphanage.
• How could Aric show up at Elderglen Orphanage now?
• Aric jumped off the bulldozer, angry. Despite trying to hurry over from the outskirts, he never imagined that he would still be late.
• How could they try to commit murder?
• "Haven't you learned your lesson since I crushed three of your bulldozers? Men, come here!"
• Aric's voice was full of authority. A troop of Emberfall Front task force members wearing black uniforms appeared. Aric pointed at Bobby and the scores of bulldozers, cranes, and earthmoving machines behind him.
• "Take them down one by one; destroy them all for me! Don't leave any part behind! Bring this b*stard over!"
• Aric tightened his fist as he looked at Rowan, who was lying on the ground, his life hanging in the balance! Bobby noticed something strange about these people's unexpected entrance. He hurriedly withdrew to the back. He didn't think that he and hundreds of other Dayking Company employees would fear Aric!
• "Let me tell you, Dayking Company employs hundreds of people. You cannot afford to mess with us! Leave now, or I'll make sure you can never survive in Brightvale." Bobby clutched a steel pipe, attempting to intimidate Aric.
• Before undertaking demolitions, he was a thug in Brightvale. Despite the fact that he had been wearing suits and had recently been promoted to vice president of Dayking Company, he still had brutality in his bones.
• Aric sneered. Normally, he would like dealing with Bobby, but today was different. These people duped Lysander into accepting the demolition deal, putting Rowan's life in jeopardy while ignoring the lives of the orphanage's children. He did not have the time or desire to dispute with these creatures.
• Aric moved behind a task force member, drew out a rifle, released the safety, pulled the bolt, and aimed it at the sky before firing the trigger!
• Bang! Bang! Bang!
• Outside Elderglen Orphanage, silence fell. Bobby, steel pipe in hand, was flabbergasted. Aric put down his rifle and stared at Bobby. "Come over here within three seconds!"
• The steel pipe in Bobby's hand clanged as it fell to the ground, followed by the tools held by roughly a hundred demolition workers outside Elderglen Orphanage. Bobby's knees weakened, and he kneeled on the ground, trembling as he crept towards Aric.
• No matter how cruel he was, he couldn't compete with an armed bunch of guys! It didn't matter where these people originated from; they could kill him right now!
• "I was ignorant, sir. I am merely a demolition worker. I have not done anything outrageous. I do not deserve to die! Please have mercy!"
• Bobby crawled and pleaded in front of Aric, who threw his gun at a task force member behind him.
• "Let you go? Have you thought of the Elderglen Orphanage?"
• Aric glanced at Bobby, who was trembling all over. Aric's hair stood on end; he sensed that something was wrong! This experience was similar to being the target of a hunter. He last experienced this feeling while trapped in a hopeless situation and surrounded by tens of thousands of people!
• Aric raised his head to glance around, but it was too dark. He couldn't see anything but the dim light on the horizon. A middle-aged man wearing tactical gloves raised a sniper rifle and aimed it at Aric's forehead from a tower four hundred meters away. He shifted his position for a lethal shot.
• Only here could he strike the final blow that killed Aric! The middle-aged man's finger was on the trigger, his voice low and not in Aetherian.
• "Go to hell!"
• A bullet split the air!
• Aric looked up unexpectedly outside Elderglen Orphanage. He heard a gunshot!
• "Watch out!"
• Almost simultaneously, a person came out of the crowd and pushed Aric to the ground! The bullet pierced the body, and drops of blood landed on Aric's hand...
• Aric glanced at the woman standing in front of him, who had taken a bullet for him!
• "N-Nahla?"