CHAPTER 146: CHAPTER 146: FLESH AND BLOOD AS THE PRICE

Hearing this, Iris Crawford felt as if her heart was brutally pierced by a knife, the shadow from two years ago engulfing her once more, a choice between two, a choice between two!

The excruciating sense of despair from being abandoned overwhelmed the woman’s rationality. The recurring pain of old wounds always hurts more than new ones. She shivered, her face pale as she looked at Lachlan Wyatt in the distance.

This man, cynical and charming, never giving his all, was the type to watch others die right in front of him. Would he save her?

Recalling how Lachlan once tore apart a dress they argued over with Vera, Iris increasingly felt that it was impossible for Lachlan to save her.

Yes, what image did she have in his eyes now? Sycophantic, by any means necessary to marry into the Royal Family, and now kidnapped, Lachlan probably thought it was divine retribution!

Iris’s hands were bound by chains, and Skye Lockwood beside her still hadn’t woken up.

Her calm and strong-willed sister had never experienced such a kidnapping. It was all Iris’s fault for being too presumptuous, dragging her sister into this mess...

Turning the matter over and over in her mind, Iris jangled the chains, telling the thug, "Let my sister go!"

"The deep bond between sisters is indeed touching."

The thug laughed after hearing this, but then cruelly pinched Iris’s face, his coarse fingers pressing against her chin without any tenderness, rubbing her lower face, "Too bad, this world isn’t determined by a woman like you!"

Seeing the obscene glint in the thug’s eyes, Iris shrank back, but unexpectedly, the next second, he yanked her back, saying, "Why are you running! Aren’t you, the princess of the Crawford Family, not afraid of anything! Haven’t you always been daring! What, seeing your sister kidnapped too, you’re finally scared?"

Iris didn’t speak, so the thug slapped her across the face!

With that, even Lachlan shouted angrily, "What are you doing!"

How dare he!

Bound, Iris had nowhere to escape, taking the slap with gritted teeth, not uttering a sound!

"Got some backbone, huh? When you had us captured, did you think you were so clever! You, a woman, dared step over us men, and this is the consequence!"

Before he finished speaking, another slap came, hitting Iris until her nose bled, right in front of Lachlan!

Heart splitting in two, Lachlan roared, "What kind of skill is it to hit a defenseless woman! Let her go, and I’ll be your hostage!"

"You?"

The thug laughed loudly, "No, no, no, only she deserves it! This vile woman ruined our plans several times, and you, are Mr. J’s nemesis. Torturing you this way is simply delightful! If we can’t escape today, then we must take someone to hell with us! Hurry, Young Master Wyatt, make your choice: this woman’s life or your white moonlight! If you don’t choose, then both must die!"

Lachlan’s eyes were bloodshot; the evil of humanity had exceeded his limits. All he could do now was buy time because his friends at the agency were...

Iris panted heavily; after two slaps, her whole body was shaking like a leaf in the wind, ears buzzing.

But she didn’t beg for mercy. On the contrary, she stared directly into the thug’s eyes, focusing on his black robe and glared at the ugly face under his hat, quietly raised her hand, and wiped away the blood from her nose.

Meanwhile, footsteps could be heard outside. The thug instinctively asked, "Is it the Royal Police?"

"Quick! Send someone to check it out!"

The thug assigned one of his men to look outside. That man nodded respectfully and pretended to leave, but instead, suddenly twisted around, knocked out another thug with a chop!

The leader holding Iris had a dramatic change in expression, "You scoundrel, what are you doing!"

"What am I doing?" The black robe fluttered, revealing a man’s voice. He quickly moved forward, snatching the weapon from the unconscious thug’s hand, then pointed the knife tip at the leader, "I’m, of course, being the mole."

"Kill this traitor!"

Iris’s mind was fuzzy, and she could barely register the commotion beside her, seeing people in black surrounding someone, seemingly eager to kill him. She awkwardly shifted her body, glancing at her handcuffs and tugging them, finding the chain hitched on a corner hook.

"Young Master Wyatt, with your capabilities, aren’t you afraid she will die?"

Her body was again yanked, Iris cried out and forced herself to open her eyes, surprised to find James Chesterton in front of her. She gasped, "Why are you here?"

James twirled the knife in his hand, in that moment resembling less the usual easygoing, jokingly handsome Red Guest, and more a traveling swordsman, a knight with a cause, "Since you set out for the Kingdom of L, the agency members stealthily followed as a precaution for unexpected situations to support Lachlan’s plans from within and without."

"Capture both of them for me!"

The thug leader lost patience, "Mr. J’s plan must not be disrupted!"

"It’s already impossible!"

Dante’s voice resounded, sending shivers through the thug. How could Dante be in another room, captive, and yet...

Lachlan’s suicidal entrance might have merely been a diversion, allowing them time to rescue the most crucial Prince?

Dante entered, followed by the rebellious-eyed Martin Hawthorne, who cracked his neck and relaxed his joints. Seeing Iris’s controlled face with bloodstains, his eyes glinted with murderous intent.

"Kidnapping Royal Family members leads only to a dead end. Lay down your arms now, and you might choose a comfortable death." Dante gritted his teeth, "Release them all!"

"At this point, my Prince, how’s that possible?" The thugs realized they were at the end of their line, cornered, their human nature’s evil unleashed. They even held the knife to Iris’s neck, "I said, if death is inevitable, I’m taking someone with me! Young Master Wyatt, anger me further, and I will kill someone!"

Dante was stunned. Unfeeling toward Skye Lockwood, he immediately said, "Then release Iris first!"

Such an uninhibited statement made Iris widen her eyes.

"No!" Lachlan unexpectedly protested,

If Iris were to choose and abandon Skye Lockwood, Iris would live a lifetime of regret and pain... He couldn’t be as decisive as his brother and save only Iris.

He knew how much Skye Lockwood meant to Iris; how could he ignore Skye Lockwood! If only Iris survived, Iris would be more desperate than he, the one making the choice.

Shaking his head, Lachlan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Iris’s mind was a whirlwind, mouth agape, "Lachlan... my sister is important to you, and I don’t want her harmed either, so... save my sister."

No... Iris, you don’t know how important you are to me...

Lachlan Wyatt felt like the sky had fallen, "Do you think leaving your sister alone will mean no one will suffer..."

Do you think my heart won’t fucking hurt!

And these words, somehow snapped Iris Crawford back to reality.

Yes, if every choice is just too painful...

She bowed her head, suddenly letting out a low laugh.

The Royal Police pressed to the door, everyone was startled by Iris’s laughter.

"Hey, you know? I was kidnapped once too." Iris spoke to the criminal proactively.

This sentence, in an instant, dragged her back to the blood-red storm of two years ago.

The criminal’s gaze was icy, "Haha, that’s just your bad luck, serves you right!"

Standoff persisted, cold sweat appeared on everyone’s forehead.

Serves me right? Serves me right?

Iris felt as if her entire body had been ignited, rebellion flaring inside her chest, she closed her eyes, the past flashing like a movie reel in her mind.

Seraphina Colbert struggling overseas after being trafficked, James Chesterton despairingly waiting after losing his sister, Sarah Shaw nearly carried away in a suitcase, such heartless and ruthless people, committing so many inhumane crimes, while so many innocent people suffer the pain of family separation, how can they easily say "serves you right"!

The scar on her stomach from two years ago seemed to sense what its owner was about to do, aching and itching faintly.

"No." Iris screamed hysterically, "This time, this isn’t kidnapping, this is resistance, this is revenge!"

Her sudden outburst sent chills through everyone, including the criminal, "What can you do with a knife at your throat!"

What can I do? I can do anything!

As time passes, you’ll never kidnap me again.

Society, morality, life and death, safety.

Nothing can ever hold me hostage again.

Want to use my life to threaten others? So—let me crash right into the blade!

Iris called out, a mere two words, "Lachlan!"

In an instant, as if pierced through the heart with a sharp blade, it was just two words and Lachlan Wyatt’s insides twisted together, "No, what are you planning to do!"

The next second, Iris unthinkingly slammed herself into the knife’s point!

Blood gushed out, splattering into a wall of blood!

At that moment, what flashed through Lachlan’s mind was a kaleidoscope of black and white.

Two years ago, she begged for help under the criminal’s knife.

Two years later, she blocked the fugitive’s blade with her own flesh and blood!

The moment the blood splattered, it was as if the same scar had been pierced again.

But what was pierced wasn’t just flesh.

What was ruptured was the darkness, the claws, the monster attempting to harm others.

It was the demon destroying a family’s happiness, the evil of the crime syndicate!

"Iris!" Lachlan went insane, rushing at the shocked criminal, kicking him forcefully to the ground, then Dante, pale-faced, pointed at Iris bleeding profusely, "Save her! Raymond! Get a doctor for her!"

Iris’s action tore open a massive hole in the kidnapping case, the moment the hostages lost their lives, there were no hostages, the criminals lost the chance to threaten others with her, she was so ruthless, breaking this cruel kidnapping choice through suicide!

"Iris!"

The criminal tried to control the still-unconscious Skye Lockwood, but was promptly punched against the wall by Martin Hawthorne, the temple hit hard causing his eyes to roll and foam to spew as he fell.

The Royal Police stormed in to take control of the situation, James Chesterton helped Dante keep order, and on the other side Martin rescued Skye and held her up, handing her to The Royal personnel before rushing to Iris’s side.

Lachlan Wyatt was pressing against the knife wound on Iris’s neck, hands trembling, unable to control his actions, constantly shouting, "Iris, Iris... how can you be so cruel to yourself, how could you even do such a thing..."

This woman was always rebellious, kidnapped two years ago she was timid and meek, and two years later... she tore open a bloody path at the expense of her own flesh and blood!

Do Seraphina Colbert know, does Sarah Shaw know, do the innocent and vulnerable groups harmed by this crime syndicate know, that in this world, there are truly people... who would risk their lives for you.

Lachlan trembled, "It’s okay now, Iris, don’t let anything happen to you, I’ll do whatever you say when we’re back home, I’ll never argue with you over Steven Rhodes again... I can save you, I could save you two years ago, I can save you two years later..."

He didn’t know what he was saying, who he was comforting, Martin couldn’t bear it, Lachlan trembling while pressing the wound was worse than not pressing.

So Martin took a deep breath, hand covering Lachlan’s shaking hand, giving it some force, together pressing down on Iris’s knife wound to stop the bleeding.

The man who rarely spoke, faced with Iris’s closed eyes and pale face, couldn’t hold back.

"Don’t die, Iris, I don’t have many friends."

"Don’t die, you’re my important friend."