Chapter 1310


    Bernard stood before him, the weight of silence hanging between them. It was a long while before he


    finally asked, "What if one day, Eric starts acting out of character, showing signs that something''s


    seriously off? What then?"


    Without hesitation, Ian replied, "I''d take him down."


    "Even if it meant the real Eric might nevere back? From what I remember, Eric used to be quite


    fond of you."


    Ian remained silent, prompting Bernard to squat down slowly, umbre in hand.


    "Eric''s be unpredictable, refusing to give up the chip, and his temper has turned sour. Brotherly


    love won''t bring him back. Hell, he''s even got it out for you now. He has no attachment to the


    Raymonds, let alone any patriotic feelings. Ian, it''s time to head back. A promise won''t be enough for


    my support."


    Ian, kneeling, looked up with a gaze sharp and resolute.


    "Grandpa Bernard, do you recall when I was fourteen? You sent me off to North America, saying no


    one had ever made it out of those underground fight clubs alive, let alone climbed to the top of the


    heap. You thought I''d die there. But I survived. I fought men built like mountains and beasts that could


    tear a man apart. And I made it. I took the biggest risks and came out on top. You said I could work


    miracles. For all the intel I''ve brought you from those pits over the years, I''m asking you, give me


    another chance like when I was fourteen."


    Bernard didn''t reply. The relentless rain pounded on the umbre, the sound echoing amidst the misty


    surroundings, as if the world had been turned into a swirlingndscape painting.


    Fog rose from the ground, visibility dropping all around them.


    With a sigh, Bernard patted Ian''s shoulder.


    "I have a way you could take Eric, but it''s risky. Are you willing to take that chance?"


    "Absolutely."


    Ian''s eyes were razor-sharp.


    Bernard clenched his hand into a fist, tapping it against Ian''s shoulder.


    "We''ll discuss the details inside."


    The storm raged on, the content of their conversation known to no one.


    Until two dayster.


    The Raymond Corporation made a sudden announcement: President Ian had transferred all his shares


    to a trust, and his assistant Jeff would hold these shares for three years, which meant no trading, but


    enough clout for Jeff.


    Just as everyone thought the Raymonds were in for a shake-up, a bombshell dropped. Ian, heir to the


    corporation, had defied orders and fled the country with a key individual, now branded a criminal.


    [Am I seeing this right? Ian, abducting and fleeing with a key individual?]


    [Out of respect for Holden''s service to the country, they''re just pursuing him for now. I heard Bernard''s


    passed out from the shock, facing interrogation by a rival faction.]


    [So, was it Eric he took?]


    [Nobody knows for sure. The details are locked down. Last I heard, Ian was on a ne to North


    America.]Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Spection was rampant, with Ian, who had been aggressively acquiringpanies, now a fugitive.


    Only Fitch, upon hearing the news, tried calling Ian, but found his phone under surveince due to his


    close ties to the wanted man.


    Ian didn''t pick up.


    Fitch sat in his mansion, its doors swiftly breached by Tyler storming in.


    "He''s gone mad. He''s taken Eric and vanished! With Eric under such scrutiny, this could get them both


    shot. He''s got guts, I''ll give him that. Was it for Maja?"


    Fitch couldn''t untangle the mess.


    He tried Bernard again, only to be told by someone else that Bernard was bedridden with rage and


    refusing visitors.


    Fitch set his phone down, his expression grave.


    Tyler paced before him, usually preupied with showbiz gossip, rarely the power ys of the


    Greenfield elite. But this was too big to ignore.


    "Fitch, think of something! Are we just going to let Ian get shot?"


    "What can I do?"


    Fitch was frustrated too. He''d apanied Ian to see Bernard, only for Ian to end up fleeing with Eric


    after a mysterious two-day plea. Now, with Bernard incapacitated and their affairs in the hands of rivals,


    if they caught Ian, an on-the-spot execution was a real possibility.


    Especially with Eric in tow, a man of international intrigue. Ian was now up against the world powers,


    alone in a fight that seemed impossible to win.