Chapter 172
Flames surged along the ceiling like raging serpents, devouring everything in their path.
The building groaned, walls collapsing inward as the heat warped steel and shattered stone.
Harrison stared in shock as Nash appeared before him, standing tall amidst the chaos—shielding them from the flames with his glowing, energy-infused body.
“Nashy… w-why did you come in too?” Harrison’s voice cracked.
He had rushed in because his father was inside—because he couldn’t bear to let the old man die alone. But Nash? Nash didn’t owe the Lewis family anything.
He was just Hera’s boyfriend. They weren’t even married yet. If something happened to him in here… how could Harrison ever face Hera again?
Nash’s gaze flicked to the charred, barely recognizable figure of Cain sprawled on the ground. Grief clutched at his throat, but he swallowed it down.
Above them, the ceiling groaned ominously. The chandelier—now a molten wreck—teetered dangerously.
Fractures spread across the walls like cracks in porcelain. The entire structure was moments from total collapse.
“Let’s go! Hurry!” Nash barked, his voice sharp.
Harrison struggled to lift his father, but his limbs trembled from oxygen deprivation. His body refused to respond.
Cain, barely conscious, murmured through clenched teeth, “The box… my box…”
Harrison spotted the iron box a few feet away and lunged for it. “Dad, I’ve got it…!”
But then—
Click.
A faint sound. Metallic. Rhythmic.
Nash froze. His sharp ears caught it—the ticking of an electronic timer coming from inside the wardrobe.
His eyes narrowed.
A bomb.
A split second later, his internal energy flared like a white-hot blaze. With a surge of strength and speed beyond human, he grabbed both Cain and Harrison, pulled them close, and launched himself through the wreckage.
BOOM!
The villa exploded with a thunderous roar that shook the ground.
A storm of glass, bricks, and splinters burst into the sky.
“Get down—get down! Cover your heads!” Jupiter roared.
Everyone hit the ground as a wave of fire and debris swept through the estate.
“Mom, watch out!”
Hera threw herself over Lauren, knocking her to the ground just as jagged shards of a window came hurtling toward them.
Silence followed the explosion—then coughing, groaning, sobbing.
The once-majestic villa now stood at barely two stories. Black smoke curled into the air, painting the sky in a sickening gray.
“H-Harrison…” Lauren’s voice trembled, her lips pale and quivering.
She clutched at the dirt with shaking fingers, staring at the ruined villa with wide, unblinking eyes.
Her world had shattered.
“Nash…” Hera whispered, her voice almost inaudible.
She could only stare at the smoldering rubble, her mind numb with grief.
Beside her, Helena stood silently, eyes fixed on the ruins.
She had always hated Nash… but now, even if he was gone, she couldn’t summon the satisfaction she once thought she’d feel.
Hubert closed his eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. “Dad… Harrison… rest in peace…”
He’d never had the guts to run into the fire.
He’d always battled Harrison for control over the Lewis legacy, but now, watching the flames consume what remained of their family, the guilt hit him like a tidal wave.
Then—
“Great! Nash is dead too! They all deserve to die!”
Rooney’s shrill voice cut through the smoke like a knife. Her eyes gleamed with malice, her pudgy face twisted in delight.