Sellers spoke on pure instinct. "How... how did you get in here?"
The man''s voice was as clear and cool as a mountain spring, dangerously pleasant to the ear.
"I walked in, of course. Though... the Burton family''s security is undeniably tight. Coming to see Mr. Burton certainly cost me a fair bit of time."
Sellers had known for a while that Joshua was highly lethal; otherwise, Leonard wouldn''t have met such a catastrophic end.
After all, Leonard had wed his way up through sheer violence, yet he hadn''t even been a blip on Joshua''s radar.
But knowing it and experiencing it were two different things.
Now, seeing Joshua bypass the Burton family''s irond defenses and blind-spot-
free surveince to appear in his home like a ghost...
Sellers finally understood the true terror of the man.
He stared Joshua down. "What do you want?"
One of his hands had already slid silently under the desk, fingers brushing the cold grip of a hidden handgun.
Joshua looked at him and smiled faintly.
"If Mr. Burton wanted to learn more about me, you could have just asked. Why use a middleman? Secondhand investigations always miss the mark of the actual truth."
Sellers'' face darkened, an ominous sense of dread wrapping around his chest.
"Joshua, why exactly are you here?"
Joshua tilted his head slightly. "Sellers, isn''t it nice to just be alive? Why are you so hellbent on digging your own grave? Out of respect for the Burton name, I''ve tolerated you for a long time. Did you honestly think my patience was infinite?"
Sellers sneered. "I''ve already updated my will. If anything happens to me, you''re the prime suspect. The Burton family won''t let you off the hook, and the old man certainly won''t let it slide."
Joshua chuckled softly. "Mr. Burton, usations require evidence. Do you really think you can frame me with a piece of paper? That''s a little naive, don''t you think?
To be perfectly honest, even if I killed you right now, I could make sure they never found a single trace tying it back to me.
Oh, and you can stop secretly pressing that panic button to stall for time. The rm system in your study was disabled before I even stepped inside.
Finally, take your hand off the gun.
Sellers, you''re out of your league."
Sellers'' hand unconsciously balled into a tight fist.
Joshua''s expression remained perfectly serene. His tone was smooth devoid of any steering superiority, as if he were simplymenting on the weather.
Yet the sheer arrogance behind his words was suffocating. He didn''t view Sellers as
a threat at all!
As if reading his mind, Joshua smoothly shifted gears.
"Of course, Mr. Burton is still quite a formidable yer.
This is the Burton estate, and my men couldn''t exactly spirit you away without
raising a few eyebrows. So, I had to make the trip myself."
Sellers'' face paled slightly. "Joshua, what the hell are you nning?"
Joshua offered a pleasant smile. "I just wanted to invite Mr. Burton over to my ce as a guest. A little
reunion. Last time you went MA for a month, you still managed to keep your seat at the head of the family.
This time, I''m genuinely curious: how long do you have to be missing before the Burton family crowns a new patriarch?"
Sellers gritted his teeth and whipped the gun out. "You wouldn''t dare—!"
However, before his finger could
even brush the trigger, a sh of
silver cut through the air. A wickedly sharp throwing knife mmed into his hand, the gleaming de punching straight through his palm.
Agonizing pain red. Sellers involuntarily released his grip, and the gun ttered uselessly to the floor.
Joshua watched him with rxed amusement, a lethal smile ying on his lips.
"Mr. Burton, I told you, you''re out of your league. Why are you so stubborn? Why won''t you ever learn your lesson?"
Sellers'' breathing hitched, growing ragged.
He had secured his position as head of the family using his intellect, not his fists.