The next morning, a local man entered the villa holding a box. The doorman guided him inside, and as soon as he saw Jayson, he seemed to recognize him, handing the box over without a word. Through a friend's translation, Jayson asked how he recognized him. The man replied that someone had shown him Jayson's photo and gave him a dollar to deliver the box.
Jayson glanced at the boy, who couldn't be older than fifteen, and then let him go.
He set the box down on the table in the lobby, hesitating to open it.
His friend sat in the chair next to him, staring at the wooden box, and asked Jayson, "Aren't you going to open it and see?"
Jayson shot him a glance without speaking, his hands gripping his disheveled hair, head lowered so his expression couldn't be seen. After a long pause, he drew a shaky breath, his hand trembling as he reached for the wooden box. Slowly, he tore off the tape and opened the drawer. As it cracked open, his hand stilled. His bloodshot eyes widened in disbelief. A heavy breath escaped him, and then he roared, a sound so intense it made everyone nearby freeze, paralyzed by fear.
Then, Jayson pulled something out of the box. It was a ring, clearly a diamond ring, with deep red bloodstains on it. Everyone knew it belonged to Sidney. Jayson placed the wooden box on the table and shoved the ring into his coat pocket. When everyone's gaze shifted back to the box, those who had opened their mouths to speak fell silent. The drawer was filled with blood, and faintly, they could make out a severed finger.
In a fit of rage, Jayson swept the potted plants off the nearby coffee table, smashing cups and plates in frustration. A surge of suppressed frustration and anger reached its peak. He still couldn't find Sidney, and Deandre had severed her left ring finger as a warning to make him follow his instructions.
"Have you raised the money yet?" Jayson roared, barely holding onto his remaining sense of reason.
The person who had rushed over from A City replied, "We're almost there, but we've only managed to gather half of the cash that the company and the club can provide."
"What am I paying you idiots for? Can't you liquidate everything that can be sold?"
"Yes, I'll have someone take care of it right away."
Soon, the person returned and said, "Finnegan already knows. He just transferred the full amount, the money is all gathered."
Jayson went to the local bank himself, instructing people to withdraw the full amount. Because the sum was so large, the local police took notice, and it was Jayson's friend who stepped in to smooth things over.
The money was all packed into a box, and just a few hours later, he received another phone call.
He picked up the phone, and the other side immediately gave him an address and told him to come alone.
Jayson quickly agreed and immediately rushed to the specified location. The drive would take an hour, and during this time, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably. He had never been this anxious. He couldn't calm down, and felt like tearing Deandre into pieces right then and there! He anxiously tilted his head back and tightly shut his eyes, but as soon as he closed them, Sidney came to his mind.
He knew that Deandre wouldn't let him and Sidney go so easily. He was willing to die, but Sidney and the child in her womb couldn't afford any harm, so he secretly sent someone to follow them and lay in ambush nearby.
When Jayson arrived, he realized it was a desolate swamp area with a poor environment. He found a dilapidated house. The house was falling apart, but the door was locked. He could feel the presence of the person inside. His left hand gripped the box of money tightly, while his right hand slid into his coat, fingers brushing the cold metal of the gun at his waist. With a surge of force, he drove his boot into the decaying door, splintering it with one powerful kick.
He barely dodged the sudden swing of the wooden bat, his reflexes sharp as lightning as he drew his gun, ready to fire at the attacker. But then he heard Sidney's scream—a sound so agonizing it stopped him in his tracks. He hesitated, his finger faltering on the trigger. Just as he did, a heavy blow struck the back of his neck like a thunderclap. Pain exploded through his skull, and everything went dizzy, his vision blurring.
He fought to stay conscious, his eyes wide open as he saw that the cushion in front of Deandre's chest was Sidney. Sidney's hair was disheveled, her face haggard, her face covered in dirt, and two streams of tears ran down her cheeks.
"The money is here, all of it. Take it and go quickly. Don't hurt her!"
"How do I know you won't betray me? So, I've decided to take her with me for a while."
"No!" Jayson roared.
He noticed the bloodstains on Sidney's clothes and her missing left ring finger. That finger really was hers! Her casual clothes were soaked in blood.
Like a man possessed, he used all his strength to kick the heavy money box toward Deandre. Deandre, in order to catch the money, immediately let go of Sidney. Jayson lunged forward, tightly holding Sidney and using himself as a cushion, rolling to the side. Sidney landed heavily on top of him. Jayson grunted in pain and immediately urged Sidney to escape, to find a place to hide.
Sidney scrambled and crawled away, eventually hiding behind a pillar, shivering in fear. She pressed her left hand to the wound, which hurt so much she had bitten her lip.
Jayson charged forward and kicked Deandre, who was dragging a suitcase. He knocked him to the ground and began to beat him. Then he shouted, and his men, who had just arrived, rushed in with guns aimed at Deandre.
"Didn't you say I could leave?" Deandre asked angrily.
"Although I usually keep my word, I'll make an exception for you!" He grabbed a wooden棒 and smashed it over his head.
Deandre quickly dodged, but couldn't avoid the second strike. The two men grappled for a while, and then Jayson grabbed a gun from one of his subordinates and shot at Deandre.
The shot hit his thigh directly. Deandre, as if not feeling any pain, turned around and smiled at Jayson. "Do you know why I killed your mother?"
"I don't want to know!" Now, it was pointless to talk. He just wanted him dead!
"Your mother was once my woman, but she left me for your father, and then tried to destroy me. She's nothing but a shameless woman!"
"I don't believe what you're saying!" Jayson roared, then fired again, but this shot missed.
"I've planted bombs in this house. You wasted two minutes just now. If I can't leave, we'll die together!"
Upon hearing this, Jayson shouted for everyone to evacuate quickly. At this moment, Deandre was shot in the leg. He couldn't escape quickly, but he still desperately dragged the suitcase full of money.
Jayson seized the last moment to rush behind a pillar, grabbing Sidney to break the window and escape. With a sharp twist of his elbow, he shattered the glass, the sharp sound ringing through the air. He scooped up the nearly unconscious Sidney, holding her tightly as he carried her out. As they emerged into the open, his heart skipped a beat—Deandre had somehow managed to escape as well. But before he could process it, Jayson's men quickly closed in, surrounding him from all sides.
Jayson safely handed Sidney to his men, helping her to the side while ordering them to get her to the hospital immediately. He turned around, making sure Deandre didn't get a step closer to the door, and kicked him back inside the house before running in the opposite direction.
Suddenly, explosions erupted inside the building, one after another, each blast shaking the ground beneath them. Deandre, trapped inside, let out a desperate, guttural scream that echoed through the chaos. His voice cracked with fury as he yelled at Sidney, who was being forced into the car. "This is your husband! A man who killed his own father! A cold-blooded monster who doesn't hesitate to kill! Don't let him fool you! When he kills, he's a stranger to everyone—even his own blood! Sooner or later, he'll kill you too!"
As he finished speaking, the raging fire consumed him, his screams echoing endlessly until they were gradually drowned out by the sound of the building's structure collapsing and burning.
Sidney stood frozen, staring at the flames. The house burned like a massive furnace, consuming everything in its path, including Deandre.
