Chapter <b>257 </b>


    Briar’s marksmanship was superb, or at least<b>, </b>that was what Ashton thought.


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    So, as Freddie and his bodyguard tried to break out of the established safe zone, Ashton simply stepped aside to give Briar a clear shot.


    At the same time, he shifted to another angle to shield Briar from the line of fire of the bodyguards battling


    Ian.


    Ashton nced over at Ian, utterly speechless that he had spent two minutes and still hadn’t dealt with a few bodyguards.


    ‘One of the top eight instructors from the DDC Vanguard Base? Hisbat skills are pathetic,‘ he thought.


    After capturing Freddie, he would have to find time to talk to Jabari. If the instructors‘bat skills were this poor, how could they dare ask for such a high price for a coboration?


    Ian had no idea that his desperate efforts to buy time for Briar were being thoroughly despised by Ashton.


    Briar knelt on the hood, aimed, and fired three shots, blowing out three tires on Freddie’s car.


    The car swerved uncontrobly. Inside, a terrified Freddie was tossed about, losing all his usualposure.


    “Boss, get out and run! I’ll cover you,” the bodyguard yelled after struggling to control the swerving vehicle and crashing it into a tree.


    Blood oozed from the gunshot wound in Freddie’s shoulder, drenching his upper body. He was in a wretched state but had no time to worry about the injury.


    Heeding his bodyguard, he nodded, pushed open the car door, and got out. He struggled to keep his bnce as he ran toward the woods.


    If he could just get out of Ashton’s and Briar’s sight, he might survive. He knew better than anyone just how terrifying Briar could be.


    After all, he had watched Briar grow from a naive child, who would only cry when in danger, into an international assassin.


    Her abilities and her capacity to learn were as precious as her mother’s blood.


    This was also why, despite having numerous opportunities to kill Briar before she was fully capable, he never did.


    He wanted to use her brain and blood for new drug research. If sessful, theb could continue to operate in <b>secret </b>for decades.


    No one could resist a living specimen that grew stronger and brought hope right before their eyes.


    With two bangs, the bodyguard covering Freddie’s retreat copsed. One shot to the heart and another to the


    12:58 <b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>20 </b>


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    head; he couldn’t be any deader.


    His body didn’t even twitch as he copsed, and he stopped breathing instantly.


    Freddie clutched the gunshot wound on his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers as he ran on, panting heavily.


    But he had relied on medication to maintain his health for years. While he could manage a brisk walk, such intense running was utterly exhausting for him.


    Before long, all Freddie could hear was his own heavy gasping. His legs seemed to be rooted to the ground.


    He couldn’t run anymore.


    Freddie nced back to see if anyone was following, but horror filled his expression the moment he turned.


    Briar was just three steps away, following at an unhurried, leisurely pace. He didn’t even know when she had gotten behind him.


    He hadn’t heard a single sound the whole time.


    How terrifying!


    Freddie stumbled and his legs gave out. Trembling, he pitched forward and was about to hit the ground.


    In his peripheral vision, Freddie saw Briar reach out a hand. He hoped she would help him up, but instead of pulling him, she gave him a hard push.


    Thest thing Freddie felt before passing out was pain.


    Ashton and Ian walked over. Frowning at Freddie’s stiff body on the ground, Ashton said, “He’s so useless. I doubt he’s the mastermind behind the secret live experimentationb.”


    Ian walked over to Freddie and nudged him with his foot. When he saw Freddie wasn’t faking, he nodded in agreement. “Yeah, how could a pathetic old man like him kidnap and sell people for experiments? He has nobat skills, doesn’t seem very smart, and his bodyguards are useless…”


    “Seriously? Briar, this <b>is </b>the old guy who chased you all over town when you were a kid?”n asked.


    It wasn’t that he was being nosy; the whole situation just felt strange, no matter how he looked at it.


    “That’s it? That’s him?‘ he thought.


    Briar pouted, put away her rifle, and took out a small gourd–shaped bomb, tossing it up and down. “I hate to admit it, but he was the source of every danger I faced as a child.”


    “He hunted you from the time you were five until you were eighteen?” Ashton asked.


    Even before Briar could answer, Ashton’s voice had already turned icy.


    He looked at Freddie <b>as </b>if he were already a dead man.


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    Briar gave a self–mockingugh. “Yeah. All the assassins who hunted me were hired by him. Pathetic, aren’t <b>I</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>


    <b>She </b>couldn’t believe she had been hunted for so many years by someone so pathetic.


    Other children had childhoods filled withughter and y, but hers <b>was </b>spent either being hunted or on the run. Every time she survived an attack, she would spend even more time learning how to stay alive in the shortest time possible.


    “No, you’re incredible–stronger and braver than anyone your age.” Ashton pulled Briar into his arms and smoothed her windblown hair. “It’s because of your bravery that I was able to meet you.”


    Ian was speechless.


    ‘That’s Ashton for you. He even flirts at a time like this. How did he manage to make such an earnest and heartfelt confession in this tense atmosphere? But judging by Briar’s reaction… well, Ashton certainly knows how tofort a heartbroken Briar,’ he thought.


    A single sentence made Briar smile through his tears.


    “Mr. Wade, Mrs. Wade.” Connor and Brandon rushed over with their men. Seeing the body on the ground and the car with its tires blown out, they had expected to find a fierce battle.


    Instead, all they saw was Ashton with his foot on Freddie’s “body,” whispering sweet nothings to Briar.


    Well, they had worried for nothing.


    With Ashton around, nothing could go wrong.


    It didn’t matter who this mysterious man was. Anyone who recognized Ashton would never dare toy a hand on him.


    “Is everyone in the vi taken care of?” Ashton asked, casually pulling his foot back from the “body.” As he lifted his foot, the crisp sound of a bone breaking came from Freddie’s leg.


    Connor’s eyes flickered, and he pretended not to see Ashton vent his anger with that kick. “They’re all taken care of. No one was left behind. I’ve already arranged for our men to take inventory of everything in the vi.”


    Ashton nodded and gestured at the “body” on the floor. “Take him back and lock him up. Don’t let him have it


    too easy,”


    Brandon and Connor exchanged a look. “Understood.”


    This meant they were to break every bone in Ben’s body, one by one,


    <b>12:59 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>20 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>258 </b>