As the time for the press conference drew near, Jareth escorted Baron out of the vi and into Thaddeus''s car.


    "Thad, let me go with you. I''m worried," Jareth said, leaning down to look at Thaddeus, who satposed in the back seat.


    Thaddeus''s eyes were cold and resolute. "No need, Jareth. You''ve already helped me more than enough. This is where it ends."


    Any more help, and Jareth would inevitably be dragged deeper into this mess. Even if Thaddeus couldn''t articte his emotions clearly anymore, Jareth was his brother of over twenty years, his best friend. Jareth had finally found happiness with Mari, and Thaddeus couldn''t be the one to shatter their peaceful life.


    “Gordon, if anything happens, call me immediately!" Jareth, knowing Thaddeus''s stubborn nature, could only turn to Gordon.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Fairhaven!" Gordon readily agreed.


    Baron got into the car, sitting in the back with Thaddeus. Another car with some of his own trusted men followed behind.


    The two vehicles sped off, one after the other.


    Jareth stood there, watching them disappear, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.


    The luxury car raced toward the Abernathy Group hotel.


    "Mr. Thaddeus, am I... am I going to die?" Mr. Zade asked, his voice trembling.


    Thaddeus remained expressionless. "Why would you ask that?"


    "By turning to your side, I''ve made a powerful enemy of Mr. Chad... He''s already sent people to kill me... Is there any way for me to survive this?" Mr. Zade buried his face in his hands, convinced he was a dead man.


    Thaddeus didn''t show any sympathy, but he had no intention of letting him die.


    "Don''t worry..."


    Before he could finish, a deafening crash erupted from behind the car.


    Gordon jumped, his soul nearly leaving his body, and quickly checked the rearview mirror.


    Thaddeus''s eyes darkened as he too looked back, a chill filling his chest.


    The car that had been following them was sent flying into the air by a massive truck that had appeared out of nowhere. It crashed heavily onto the side of the street, the impact shattering the windows of nearby shops.


    "It''s over! This is karma! It''s all over!" Mr. Zade cried, holding his head in his hands.


    Gordon, who had never witnessed such a movie-like scene, was pale with fright. "Mr. Thaddeus, what do we do now?!"


    "Floor it! Keep going, don''t stop!" Thaddeus snapped his gaze forward, his voice tight.


    It wasn''t that he wanted to abandon his men. He knew that if they stopped, their fate would be even worse.


    The ck Maybach sped down the street.


    From behind, another car appeared, tailgating them relentlessly.


    “Gordon! Watch out!" Thaddeus''s eyes suddenly widened.


    Gordon, focused on the car behind them, hadn''t noticed anotherrge truck hurtling


    toward them from the front, ready for a head-on collision.


    Danger was imminent. A direct hit would mean certain death.


    Gordon let out a terrified scream and yanked the steering wheel to the left.


    The Maybach shot into a narrow alley just as a tremendous crash echoed from behind. Thaddeus


    looked back to see that the trucet


    had collided with the ck sedan that had been chasing them The scene was brutal, straight out of an action film.


    "Holy shit! That was awesome!"


    Gordon was drenched in a cold


    sweat, yet he felt a strange sense of


    exhration. When/ have


    kids h


    going to tell them how their old man


    was a total badass, something


    straight out of *Fast & Furious*!"


    Mr. Zade, who was muttering prayers, retorted, "Don''t get too cocky, Mr. Gordon. If


    Mr. Thaddeus hadn''t been so quick to warn you, we would have been the ones in that wreck!"


    Just as Gordon was about to reply, another car shot out in front of them, clearly part of the same group, blocking their path.


    “Mr. Thaddeus... now what?!" Gordon''s voice cracked with panic. Thaddeus''s eyes were like fire. “Don''t stop. Ram them!"


    It was broad daylight. Thaddeus calcted that they wouldn''t dare use firearms. They were in the city not some deserted area. A gunshot would bring the police swarming. With cameras everywhere, any escape attempt would leave a trail, making it easy for the police to track them down. They would have to rely


    on melee weapons.


    Gordon grit his teeth, steeled his nerves, and mmed his foot on the elerator, charging toward the car in front.


    Just then, the Maybach''s body suddenly copsed. The tires screeched as the car spun 180 degrees in the narrow alley, mming hard into the side of a building, nearly flipping over.


    "Damn it! A t tire!" Gordon yelled.


    A glint of cold light caught Thaddeus''s eye. Realizing what was happening, he roared, "Gordon! Get down!"


    At the same time, he pushed Mr. Zade''s head down, and they both ducked.


    With a *whoosh*, a sharp, steel-tipped arrow shot from the front, pierced the windshield, and embedded itself in the driver''s seat headrest.


    If not for Thaddeus''s timely warning, that arrow would have gone straight through Gordon''s head.