Chapter 238
“No way!” Landon didn’t even hesitate before rejecting the idea.
Irritated, Eddie snapped, “Are you just going to stand by and watch her die? Oh, and by the way, you’ve got a chip in your head too. Sooner or later, that’s going to loosen up…” The call was cut off before he could finish.
Furious, Eddie slammed his phone down. “That ignorant brat! How dare he hang up on me!”
“Then let Paloma die!” Eddie’s wife’s perfectly maintained face twisted with malice, making her look every bit the snake in the grass she truly was.
Eddie was thinking the exact same thing. But first, he had to get his younger son out of danger. He’d originally planned to wait until his grandson was old enough, then just hand the Kington Gang over to him. But now, after the Kington Gang had been wrecked by the Flying Tiger Sect, the whole organization was teetering on the edge of collapse. He couldn’t wait for Landen to grow up anymore. He had to get Aiden out and help him rebuild the Kington Gang.
“Send Poppy to Norava,” Eddie said.
Eddie’s wife looked startled. “You mean…”
“She will replace Paloma and send Paloma back. Once we have Paloma back, Landon will have no choice but to give in,” Eddie replied.
In Norava, Kayla was having another episode because of Eddie’s threats. She clutched her head in agony, rolling around on the floor. Brian rushed in and quickly injected her with a sedative to calm her down.
“What did you do to set her off this time?” Brian demanded, his voice tight with anger.
Landon replied, “Eddie’s using Landen to manipulate us.”
“And then?” Brian pressed.
“Kayla refused,” Landon replied.
Brian let out a long, heavy sigh of relief. “Good.”
“Brian, you’ve known Kayla for a long time, haven’t you?” Landon asked.
Brian’s gaze flickered, like he was turning something over in his mind. After a moment, he sat down and said, “If you’ve got questions, just ask.”
“Back when Kayla was still with the Limitless Sect, you already knew each other, right?” Landon guessed.
Brian smiled. “That’s right.”
“So, were you with the Limitless Sect too?” Landon asked.
“No,” Brian replied.
Landon felt a little more at ease and asked, “Why doesn’t Kayla remember anything from when she was seven to twenty?”
“She was seriously injured before she joined the Limitless Sect and lost all memory of her past. Later, after the Limitless Sect was destroyed, she ended up in Jonny’s hands,” Brian explained.
Brian suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Landon and Amelia both felt their hearts clench. “Brian, please, go on!” they urged together.
“Jonny was a madman. He claimed it was love, but it was just cruelty. The more he said he loved her, the more brutal he became. She tried to run away several times, but he always caught her and dragged her back,” Brian said, his voice growing heavier with each word.
“To keep her from escaping again, Jonny developed a brain chip that could erase her memories and had it implanted in her brain,” he continued.
Brian spoke slowly, his tone growing heavier with each word.
Amelia gasped. “Wait, Jonny was actually some kind of scientist?”
“Yes. He was a genius. That’s why the Kington Gang always kept his existence a secret. If he hadn’t died, the Flying Tiger Sect never would’ve been able to break in so easily,” Brian said, his gaze fixed meaningfully on Landon.
Landon’s fingers tightened into fists. “And then?”
“Aiden killed his own brother, which finally ended Kayla’s suffering. But that also made Eddie decide to implant another chip in her, turning her into the Kyle family’s eldest daughter,” Brian said.
“So she’s lost her memories more than once…” Amelia murmured, her heart twisting painfully. She couldn’t even put her feelings into words right now.
‘Even the most tragic webnovel heroine doesn’t get it this bad! Kayla is just so miserable!’ she thought.
“It’s really been so hard for her,” Brian said, his eyes dropping to the floor. His hands, resting on his thighs, trembled slightly.
After several minutes, he finally looked up again, fixing his gaze on Landon. “You have to find a way to save her. This is your debt to her.”
“Of course!” Landon gritted his teeth. “Brian, please look after Kayla until then.”
“I will,” Brian replied.
And just like that, Brian settled in to stay. For now, their last hope was that the Flying Tiger Sect might have a way to remove the chip.
After discussing it with Amelia, Landon flew to Lunova the next day, while Amelia stayed behind to keep Kayla company. Everyone in the family was a nervous wreck, except for Kayla, who stayed calm like nothing could shake her. She actually ended up comforting everyone else. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ve still got half a year left, right? We’ll figure something out.”
“Yeah, we’ll definitely find a way!” Amelia squeezed out a smile, trying her best to keep up with Kayla’s optimism. Honestly, she’d lost count of how many times she’d sighed behind everyone’s back. And Gloria was a total mess, her eyes so swollen from crying she could barely see.
Seeing how anxious everyone was, Kayla finally suggested, “Why don’t we go out for a walk?”
“Are you sure you’re okay with that, Kayla?" Amelia asked, glancing at the scars on her face. She was worried people might stare or say something hurtful, and afraid it might set off another headache.
“It’s fine, I’ll just wear a mask,” Kayla replied with a relaxed smile. She didn’t seem to care at all, just picked up an oversized mask and put it on.
To make up for everything Kayla had been through, Gloria started buying her all kinds of jewelry and clothes.
Kayla laughed. “Mom, are you trying to empty out the whole mall or something?”
“Once you’re better, I’ll buy the whole mall and give it to you!” Gloria declared.
“No way, running a business is way too much work,” Kayla said, shaking her head.
Amelia laughed. “Well then, why don’t you come to the company with me tomorrow? Mom set aside 20% of the shares for you. We can handle the equity transfer together.”
“No need. If I ever need money, I can just ask the family for it,” Kayla replied, shaking her head.
“You should really take what’s yours, Kayla,” Amelia insisted.
“I’ll wait until I’m better before I take it,” Kayla said, still refusing.
But Kayla just wouldn’t budge. She only had six months left to live. There was no point owning shares. It’d just be more hassle and paperwork she didn’t need.
Everyone could read her mind, but nobody wanted to break the silence. All anyone could do was sigh and hope Landon and Tuff would bring back some good news.
As the three of them chatted and strolled through the mall, they unexpectedly ran into Elaine. “Mrs. Kingsley, it’s been a while!” Elaine greeted with a bright smile.
Gloria frowned and instinctively glanced at Amelia. Amelia was completely unfazed–she’d never taken Elaine seriously. If Elaine wanted to be the other woman, she’d have to get past Landon first. Someone like Elaine, who was just chasing after a one-sided crush, didn’t even count as a rival.
“Oh, who’s this?” Elaine looked Kayla up and down, then suddenly exclaimed, “Kayla? Is that really you?”
“You know me?” Kayla asked, surprised. Back when she was kidnapped, Elaine was just a baby.
“Of course! I’ve heard all about you from Landon,” Elaine grinned from ear to ear. “Wow, Kayla, you’re so beautiful.”
Kayla’s eyes dimmed.
‘Beautiful? No way. I’m just ugly now, not fit to be seen by anyone,’ she mocked herself inwardly.
“Kayla, why are you wearing a mask? Isn’t it hot in there?” Elaine asked with concern.
Kayla instinctively took a step back, as if she was afraid.
Worried Kayla might get upset, Amelia quickly said, “Kayla, I need to use the restroom. Can you come with me?”
“Sure!” Kayla agreed, glad for the excuse to get away from Elaine. She’d been looking for a way out anyway, so she immediately followed Amelia to the restroom.
When Kayla and Amelia came back out, Elaine was already gone. Gloria was still grumbling. “That Elaine is just too much. If it weren’t for her dad, I’d really want to tell her off…”
“Mom, it’s really okay. She’s gone now, I’m fine,” Kayla reassured her, lightly touching her face for a moment before letting her hand fall away.
Amelia affectionately linked her arm with Kayla’s. “Kayla, now that the annoying person is gone, want to keep shopping for a while?”
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Kayla replied.
Kayla impassively glanced in the direction Elaine had left, giving nothing away.