Madam Hughes had fallen asleep after a night of heavy drinking.


    Carter and Killian''s arms were around each other as they raised their sses in celebration. In their inebriated state, they dispensed with the usual formality maintained between the elder and younger generations.


    Killian looked outside as the day broke and stretched his back. Not only didn''t he feel tired from the night''s drinking, he felt that he was alert and in high spirits.


    He was excited, ted, and a sure winner now. With Jack''s death, his talent, and Madam Hughes'' support, he was bound to be the next head of the Hughes family! Now he only needed to wait patiently for Patrick''s birthday. That would be the day that he rose to be the head of the family.


    Killian could even imagine the grandeur of that day''s event. The glory and the attention that he received on that day would be second to none. There would be countless social elites and champions of industries who would attend. Just imagining the power that he would inherit was enough to make his head dizzy.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    His cell phone beeped with an iing message.


    Killian picked up his phone for a look and then his eyes lit up and said, "Have a good rest, Uncle Carter. It''s daybreak and I should be going home now."


    Killian stood up slowly and he shook his tipsy head as he staggered out of the mansion. Carter looked drowsily at Killian who was walking away.


    Until Killian was nowhere to be seen, Carter scoffed and narrowed his eyes sinisterly as he mumbled, "Happy, I''m really... happy!"


    In the small courtyard, Ivy felt unsettled and surprised as she looked at the approaching George. How could George prate Jack''s protection, kill him and return unscathed? This was the first time Ivy looked at George with such scrutiny. Imagine that when Jack was being targeted by the dark assassin squad, the top killers on the Azrael list were unable to kill Jack but George was able to do it! Just this alone was able to set George apart from the rest!


    "So, you faked grandma''s orders?" George sat on the wheelchair and asked coldly.


    Ivy rushed over as soon as he returned to the Hughes residence. So he very quickly connected Ivy with the recall order.


    "It was Killian." Ivy said and continued, "He made me impersonate grandmother to demand your return in the hope that you would sneak back and get away with it."


    "Sneak back?" George''s eyes lit up.


    The doors of the courtyard were pushed open and the tipsy Killian stumbled in. His bespectacled eyes radiated brightly when he saw George. He stumbled quickly towards George and said happily, "Brother, I''m so happy that you''re back."


    Smack! George hit away Killian''s open arms and refused his hug. The atmosphere turned awkward immediately. Killian was stunned and Ivy was dumbfounded. George looked coldly at Killian and scoffed, "Do you really want me back? Don''t put up an act!"


    Killian''s eyes immediately turned red. It was a huge gamble for him to have Ivy issue the order on behalf of Madam Hughes. But his first gamble proved to be correct now that his brother was back. But now, George''s attitude towards him had poured cold water onto his spirits.


    Killian ground his teeth and said, "George, I''m your elder brother. How could I not hope for your safe return? Don''t you know that you had killed Jack and if you were still outside, you won''t be able to escape the wrath of the head of the family? Since you sneaked away when you left the residence, you can simrly sneak home now. Once you are home, Jack''s death would have nothing to do with you and you will be safe." Killian said as he pointed outside while his eyes started to well up with tears.


    "Do you know how big the risk was for me to have Ivy order you back? How much am I shouldering for you? If this was to be exposed, I will have to shoulder everything!" Killian almost yelled in fury but he knew enough to suppress his voice. Ivy also looked angrily at George as she stood on one side.


    Killian had taken a huge risk to provide a lifeline for George only to get such treatment from George. Wasn''t that ungrateful of George for Killian''s act of kindness? Furthermore, Killian said that he was willing to ept all the me had this been exposed but it was clear to Ivy that when that happened, she would not go scot-free. But even at the risk of being punished, she did as Killian said without any hesitation. But now that George was back, he did not even express a hint of gratitude!


    The atmosphere in the early morning courtyard tensed up and turned explosive. George''s eyes glimmered as he looked at the furious Killian and Ivy. He suddenly shook his head andughed, "Kill? Who told you that I had killed Jack?"


    Kaboom! His cold and nonchntughter was like a huge explosion.


    Killian and Ivy''s expressions changed drastically and both looked at George with their eyes and mouth wide open.


    About three secondster, Killian immediately turned sober and his face was filled with horror and disbelief as he asked, "You, what did you say? Repeat what you said!" Killian''s heartbeat raced instantly." "I said that Jack isn''t dead!" George said.


    Killian felt his body go limp and he staggered a couple of steps backward. Now he was totally sober and started to feel faint from the sudden change of events. He felt as if the surrounding was spinning and his eyes began to ckout. Killian almost erupted.


    How could this happen? Why wasn''t he dead?


    Killian clenched his fist and pounded his head firmly a couple of times. His eyes turned bloodshot and he felt as though he was turning into a raging beast. He was no longer his usual calm andposed self. Killian staggered towards George and grabbed George''s shoulders and asked hysterically, "Why isn''t he dead? Why isn''t he dead? He should be dead! The head of the family already issued a summon for specialist doctors. If it wasn''t you who severely injured him, then why did he summon the doctors for?" Killian started to grin as he said. The grin was sinister and yet bone-chilling.


    "George, you shouldn''t lie to your brother. You are saying this to prank your brother, aren''t you? Jack was barely alive, isn''t he? The doctors were summoned there to save him, weren''t they?" The string of questions was all as per Killian''s fears.


    Then. p! George pped Killian''s hand and said coldly, "Stop the game, Brother! I have no mood to fool around with you. If you didn''t impersonate grandmother and issue the recall order for my return, perhaps I would be conducting another attempt on Jack''s life! Those specialist doctors were summoned for Jack''s friend. It''s that Quinn fe who killed his father!"


    Killian was stunned. His expression turned drastically as his eyes went nk. Ivy also covered her mouth in disbelief trying hard to suppress her scream.


    The tranquility of the small courtyard and the Hughes residence was suddenly broken by Killian''s desperate yell, "Argh!"


    The peace and calmness of the Hughes residence were shattered instantly.0000000---------