"Shut the hell up, you cheap substitute!" Uri shouted, exploding with humiliated rage as Jonah''s words struck a raw nerve.


    He lifted his foot and kicked Julien hard in the stomach.


    Julien let out a muffled groan of pain.


    "Julien!"


    Jonah''s heart felt as if it were being torn apart. Unable to wait any longer, he roared, "You want me toe to you, don''t you? Stop wasting your breath and give me the address. I''ll be there immediately!"


    "Of course I''ll send you the address shortly. But you have toe alone. No guns. No tricks."


    With a sinister smirk, Uri continued, "Otherwise, I''ll make sure your lover breathes hisst right in front of me. Even if I end up dying by your hands, at least I''ll have him apany me to the afterlife. I suppose I wouldn''t feel too lonely then."


    "Uri"


    Before Jonah could finish speaking, Uri ended the call.


    "We''reing with you, Jonah!"


    Alyssa stepped forward, her bloodshot eyes zing. She grabbed Jonah''s trembling hands and held them tightly. "Don''t listen to his nonsense. You need a gun for self- defense, and you have to let use with you. Otherwise, you''ll just be walking straight into his trap!"


    Remy nodded grimly. "Lyse is right. We''ll go with you and hide nearby. He won''t notice us."


    Jasper stepped up to Alyssa and added, "I can bring a sniper rifle. When the momentes, I''ll take him down with a single shot."


    "No. I''ll go alone. This is a fight to the death between Uri and me."


    Jonah''s eyes reddened as he shook his head firmly. "You''re not well, Lyse. Jasper should stay and take care of you. As for Damien, he just survived death and is still recovering. He needs to resta can''t have him pushing himself any further."


    No matter the situation, he was still the eldest son of the Taylor


    family the elder brother to all his siblings. No matter how panicked and heartbroken te was, he still had to prioritize their safety.


    Alyssa''s eyes widened in panic as tears streamed down her face. "No way, Jonah: I can''t let you go alone. Can''t you see? Uri is using Jul as bait to lure you there so he can kill you. He never nned to let you leave alive!


    "How could I possibly live if anything happened to you? I would rather die!"


    Hearing those words, Jasper''s chest tightened. Instinctively, he grabbed Alyssa''s wrist, his grip firm.


    Jonah slowly closed his eyes, tears gathering in them.


    Night fell heavily over the earth. A biting wind howled, and not a single star could be seen in the vast, deste sky.


    With an ear-piercing screech, a ck sports car drifted to a sudden stop outside the main entrance of an abandoned factory in the northern suburbs.


    The car door swung open, and Jonah stepped out. The cold wind whipped the hair back from his forehead and made his ck coat snap sharply behind him.


    He stood before the entrance—tall, rigid, and alone.


    After a moment, a low mechanical hum sounded from the motorized steel doors ahead of him. Slowly, they slid open to both sides, revealing the cold darkness waiting within.


    "Dear God, please watch over me this once."


    Jonah closed his eyes and pressed the silver cross in his hand to his lips.


    Silently, he prayed, "If you cannot watch over me, then please protect Julien instead.


    I''m willing to give up my life to keep him safe for the rest of his days."