CHAPTER 280: THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL

The scream tore out from Abby’s core, raw and desperate, shaking the air like a breaking glass pane. The force of it froze everyone mid-motion, halting their attacks on Wolf, but only for the briefest moment.

A heartbeat. That was all.

Yet for Wolf, that single heartbeat was everything. The onslaught against him ceased just long enough for the crushing weight of fatigue to crash into his body. Every blow he had taken, every block, every movement he had forced through pure stubbornness had piled up until his legs buckled. His knees hit first, then his chest and face as he collapsed forward onto the cold, unyielding concrete.

His eyes stayed open, though only barely, lids heavy and trembling.

"Well," Na’s voice came, calm but carrying a smug edge. "I suppose this is fine. We didn’t plan to take him out in the first place... but as for you, "

Abby inhaled deeply, shoulders rising as if pulling herself together from the inside out. When she exhaled, it was slow, controlled. She straightened her back, standing tall despite the fear coiled in her chest.

"I understand," she said firmly. "I won’t run. I won’t fight back. I won’t resist in any way. You said from the start that I was the only one you wanted to deal with, right?

"If I go with you willingly, without causing any trouble, then please... let him go. Don’t kill him. He has nothing to do with any of this."

Her words struck Wolf harder than any punch or kick had. They were strange words, at least, to him, because in truth, Abby had the least to do with any of this out of all of them.

She didn’t belong here. She wasn’t part of the underworld, hadn’t chosen this life. The only reason she had been pulled into the chaos was her connection to Max. Fate had been cruel to her, dragging her into a storm she was never meant to weather.

Na didn’t argue. Instead, with a casual flick of his hand, he signaled for the members of the Rejected Corps surrounding them to step back. They obeyed without a word, their formation loosening like a net being pulled away.

As Na turned, his gaze lifted toward the figure now approaching, Chrono. He wasn’t rushing. No, Chrono moved with a steady, deliberate pace, a quiet confidence radiating from every step. Unlike Na, he hadn’t felt the need to charge in. Why would he? He trusted his men enough to know they could handle one girl, even if she had a wild card like Wolf fighting for her.

"Wolf..." Abby’s voice softened, drawing his gaze to her. "Thank you. For everything you did, I mean it. You hardly even know me, and yet you still... you still put yourself on the line for me. I feel awful knowing you were hurt this badly because of me."

Wolf’s fingers curled, his fist clenching tight against the concrete.

What are you saying, you fool?! His mind screamed, but his body refused to cooperate. His throat wouldn’t form the words, his lips wouldn’t move. Don’t you understand what they’re going to do to you now? Don’t you have any idea what’s about to happen to you?

The members stepped aside, creating a clear path. That was when Chrono finally appeared. He wasn’t alone, his right hand gripped a pistol, the cold metal glinting under the dim light.

"Max is no longer part of the Rejected Corps," Chrono declared, his voice carrying like a verdict. He raised the gun, and now Abby found herself staring directly down the dark, hollow barrel. "You are close to Max.

"When someone leaves the Rejected Corps, they don’t walk away without consequences. Leaving a gang without punishment strips away the order we’ve built. And without order, the Rejected Corps is nothing.

"The most effective way to hurt someone, to punish them, isn’t to take their life. Death ends everything too quickly. The true punishment... is to take the life of someone they hold dear.

"This is the ultimate sentence that will fall on Max. Not only for leaving us, but for betraying us."

Around them, the gathered Rejected Corps members seemed almost eager, their eyes bright with anticipation. They weren’t horrified, they were thrilled. This was their leader’s judgment, and in their minds, rules meant nothing if they weren’t enforced equally. This was the kind of man they had chosen to follow.

Chrono’s finger slid over the trigger, a slow, deliberate movement.

On the other end, Abby could feel her heart beating fast, it was similar to when she was in the container but there was something that was different about it this time. She started to remember some of the words Na said, about how useless it was to run.

Abby closed her eyes.

It caught him off guard. She wasn’t shaking. She wasn’t scrambling to run or choking on desperate pleas for her life. Chrono had seen plenty of people beg, bargaining with promises or absurd offers. But this? This quiet acceptance, this was rare.

"For your bravery," he said after a pause, "and for your compassion, I’ll grant you the courtesy of a few last words."

Abby drew in a deep breath, steadying herself. When she opened her eyes again, she looked directly at him, unwavering.

On the ground, Wolf had shifted. Now lying on his back, he lifted his head enough to see her, his gaze hazy but locked onto her face.

"I hope," Abby began, her voice clear despite the weight pressing down on her, "you’ll keep your promise to let that man go. As for my last words..." She turned her head toward Wolf. "Wolf, please... tell Max that what happens to me, it isn’t his fault.

"I know he’ll blame himself. But if I had the chance to live another life, to start again... I would do everything in my power to help Max. To never be a burden to him."

Her voice didn’t crack. She didn’t look away.

She had said her piece.

And in the very next instant,

Chrono pulled the trigger.