Chapter 224: Chapter 224: No Place to Rest
A deafening gunshot echoed through the high-ceilinged parlor, the round shattering a porcelain vase right next to Alexander’s head. Alexander slipped the kinetic line by instinct, his hand already dipping into his waistband as two more estate guards rushed through the side entrance, their sidearms raised.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Alexander didn’t hesitate. He pulled his standard pistol and fired three rapid-fire shots in a fraction of a second. The three high-velocity rounds found their targets with terrifying precision—shattering the foreheads of both guards. Their bodies hit the marble floor with dull, heavy thuds.
Rachel let out a horrified, strangled shriek stumbling backward alongside a bleeding Xavier.
Alexander casually lowered the smoking barrel of his gun, his dead, emotionless eyes locking onto his trembling grandmother.
"Now, where the hell were we, you old bitch?" said Alexander, a cold, unyielding smirk returning to his face.
"I wouldn’t want anyone saying I rely too much on a gun," said Alexander, casually sliding the weapon back into his waistband with a cold, mocking smile. He locked his eyes onto the bleeding butler. "So get back up, old man. I’m not even close to finished with you yet."
"You... You are a ungrateful monster!" shrieked Rachel, her voice cracking as she gripped Xavier’s arm for support. "How dare you step into this house and act like a savage?!"
Alexander let out a long, heavy sigh, shaking his head with utter disgust. "I guess you’re lucky today... because I really don’t want to stain this clean floor any more than I already have. I hope I never have to look at your face again, Rachel. Enjoy the miserable remainder of your life knowing that you destroyed your own bloodline, and no amount of money will ever buy it back."
Ignoring his grandmother’s shrill, frantic screaming echoing down the corridor, Alexander turned on his heel and walked deeper into the mansion. He met Helen and Amy halfway down the hall, both of them carrying a couple of hastily packed suitcases. Without a word, he grabbed the heaviest bags from their hands, guiding them quickly out the front doors and toward the driveway.
He popped the secure locks of the silver Tahoe and tossed the luggage into the back. When Amy and Helen climbed into the rear passenger cabin, Amy couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp, her eyes widening in awe. The heavily armored SUV was a masterpiece; the custom leather interior, the sleek integrated console screens, and the pristine finish made it feel like a high-end luxury fortress. For a young girl like Amy, who had never seen a vehicle this specialized and opulent, it was breathtaking.
Alexander slid into the driver’s seat, keying the hidden ignition as the massive engine purred smoothly to life. "Let’s go," he said, shifting into drive. "We’ve wasted enough time here."
"Thank you, Alexander," said Helen, her voice trembling slightly as she looked back at the fading gates of the estate. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then looked at the back of his head. "Where are we going? Where are you taking us?"
Alexander’s hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel as the heavy vehicle rolled onto the main avenue. He suddenly froze, a sudden, suffocating weight pressing down on his chest as he realized he didn’t actually have a clear answer.
He frantically ran through his available options in his mind. He had access to the secure TMC hotel, but he immediately discarded the thought; he wouldn’t bring either of them to that den of wolves even if someone forced a gun to his head. The TMC territory was a place where human flesh was routinely devoured and not even the bones were left behind. Bringing two civilian women into an environment like that was pure insanity, and if anything happened to them, he would only have his own stupidity to blame.
The only other property he had was the secure apartment of Marcus’s mother. It was impossible to just show up and kick an elderly woman out of her home to clear space.
As the massive silver SUV glided smoothly through the afternoon traffic, Alexander felt the crushing, bitter weight of his own rash behavior. He had successfully torn them away from the viper’s nest, but because he hadn’t planned three steps ahead, he had nowhere safe to take them.
"I’m going to be honest with you" said Alexander, his eyes remaining fixed on the road ahead as his grip tightened on the wheel. "I have no idea where we’re going... I don’t have a safe house ready for us right now."
Amy blinked in confusion, leaning forward between the front seats. "Why not? It’s not like you live on the streets, right? We can just crash at your regular dorm or apartment for a single night while we figure things out."
She was entirely oblivious to the reality of his situation, but Helen, who knew exactly what kind of blood-soaked, lawless den the TMC hotel truly was, turned pale before a flush of panicked red rushed to her cheeks.
"No..!!" Helen cut in sharply, her voice filled with urgency as she grabbed Amy’s shoulder to pull her back. "That place is not an environment for a young girl like you, Amy. We are not going there. We will just find a standard, decent hotel somewhere in the commercial district. There’s no issue with staying there for a few days while we look for a proper place."
Hearing her words, Alexander suddenly slapped his own forehead in sheer disbelief at his own stupidity.
He was overthinking things. He had been so hardwired into his paranoid mindset that he had forgotten standard civilian options even existed. With his current funds, he could easily just drive up to any high-end, reputable hotel in the safer sectors of the city, pay for a premium suite, and keep them perfectly comfortable. There was no need to overcomplicate the situation; sometimes, the simplest solution was the most effective one.
