Everyone in the Russell Family was stunned.
Their second master… just died?
And not just died—he died miserably. Not even a whole body was left behind.
Damn it!
Jim had only returned to the Russell Family a few days ago, proudly declaring himself a martial artist. The family had been overjoyed. They even began fantasizing about how they would divide up Southern River's industry after seizing control of New York.
But now?
Just a few days later, all those dreams were crushed into dust.
Worse still, they might not even be able to maintain their current power and status. The young man standing in front of them was terrifying beyond reason.
That damn woman!
Everyone in the Russell Family turned their rage toward Amy.
If she hadn't smeared Queenie's reputation, the assassin from the Shadow Pavilion wouldn't have been sent. If that assassin hadn't shown up, Jim wouldn't have been bitten by the colorful centipede. And if not for the centipede's venom, their second master wouldn't have died so suddenly.
In other words, even if Jim was fated to die from the colorful centipede eventually, the Russell Family could have at least used this window of time to expand their influence into several cities surrounding New York.
Amy had become the scourge of the Russell Family.
As the seething eyes of the family turned on her, Amy's face turned ghostly pale.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
The worst was him—John. He was walking toward her, and the suffocating pressure in the air crushed her chest like a mountain.
"Amy…" John's voice was low, almost demonic. "Didn't I warn you before… never provoke me? Why did you insist on playing with fire—only to burn yourself in the end?"
Bang!
Amy collapsed to the ground in terror, her body trembling as a dark stain soaked the bottom of her skirt.
John stared down at her with cold, detached eyes. "I have no idea where your confidence comes from. You—daring to compare yourself with Queenie? If Queenie is the radiant moon in the sky… then at best, you're a firefly flickering in the dirt. Where did you find that kind of courage?"
The first wrong step led to a cascade of disasters.
If Amy hadn't framed Queenie Group during its crisis, her fate could have been vastly different.
If she hadn't chosen to marry into the Russell Family, if she hadn't chosen to seek revenge against Queenie, she might have lived comfortably, relying solely on her looks and charm.
But instead...
She made one bad choice after another.
Her jealousy had made her both cruel and foolish.
"Please… stop talking…" Amy whimpered, clutching her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her perfectly applied makeup was now a wreck—smudged, ruined, and pitiful.
Then, a cold voice pierced the air.
"Mr. John," said Ned, his tone devoid of emotion. "This entire disaster began with this woman. Effective immediately, I'm expelling her from the Russell Family. What happens to her next… is up to you."
Exiled.
Amy's entire body trembled. She looked up with disbelief, her tear-filled eyes sweeping across the faces of the Russell Family.
Ned.
Mason.
And her husband… James.
Every single one of them looked away—or worse, looked at her with cold, disgusted eyes.
They were cutting her off. Severing all ties.
So this… was the ruthlessness of a wealthy family.
Amy's heart shattered. Her soul plunged into hopeless despair.
What made it worse—unbearably worse—was James.
Just last night, while they were tangled together in bed, he whispered to her that he'd use his skills to take her to a happy moon.
And now?
Barely a day later, James treated her like a stranger—cold and heartless.
That betrayal stung more than John's words.
"Ha… ha ha… It's all my fault. I'm the real clown here, aren't I? Ha ha…!"
Amy laughed bitterly—then cried, then laughed again. In the end, no one could tell whether she was laughing… or screaming.
She had lost her mind.
John watched silently as Amy sprinted out of the Russell Family estate like a madwoman.
He sighed deeply.
If she knew it would come to this… why did she make all those choices in the first place?
But that wasn't the end.
"Now that my son is dead… and Amy has gone mad… Are you satisfied?" Mason growled, his voice hoarse with grief and rage. "Why are you still standing here?"
Leo and the others said nothing.
Their eyes were fixed on John.
Moments passed in silence.
Then John spoke. His voice was calm… but there was a glint of steel in his eyes.
"Today's business is finished. But… have you all forgotten what happened fifteen years ago?"
Fifteen years ago?
The Russell Family exchanged puzzled looks.
John took a slow breath. "Fifteen years ago, there was a massive fire at the Sunshine Welfare Center. Don't you think it's time someone explained that to me… Ned?"
His piercing gaze locked onto Ned.
Originally, John had planned to confront Mason on his sixtieth birthday. But with the situation spiraling out of control, and the Russell Family practically begging for death, John decided to act sooner.
Ned trembled, his face pale. "What… what's your connection to the Sunshine Welfare Center?"
"Fifteen years ago, I was one of the children living there," John said. "And I almost died in that fire. Now tell me… what do you think my connection is?"
The color drained from everyone's faces.
No wonder.
Even without Amy's instigation, this terrifying young man would have come for the Russell Family eventually. It was only a matter of when.
The evil the Russell Family committed back then had finally come full circle.
Ned collapsed to his knees, his voice shaking. "Mr. John, please… I beg you to show mercy. I set the fire—but it had nothing to do with the Russell Family. Please… forgive them."
He didn't bother trying to lie.
John wouldn't have brought it up if he didn't already have the evidence. Any attempt at denial would only hasten his own death.
John's methods were too refined. He could extract the truth in countless terrifying ways. It was better to confess—and hope to save a few lives.
"Do you think it's that simple?" John's eyes narrowed.
Leo had once told him: fifteen years ago, the Russell Family already had a real estate empire large enough to dominate the entire northern half of New York. Why would they take such a massive risk to burn down a welfare center in Southern River?
There was more to that fire.
Something deeper. Something darker.