Chapter 1064
Tiana's sudden move stunned everyone. Even Andrew's brows furrowed in disbelief. Jameson leaped to his feet, his voice trembling. "Tiana, you—"
Tears streamed down Tiana's face as she shouted, "Don't even try, Jameson. You're nothing but a coward—weak and useless. What? You want to know why I did this? Fine. I won't let you drag me down, and I won't let Lauren die alongside you!"
"I don't want to die! I'm not letting you—"
From the crowd, Bruno Rhodes, one of the Rhodes family elders, roared with fury. "Shameless! Tiana, as the lady of the Rhodes family, how could you throw away all dignity like this? Stand up right now! I said, get up!" He shouted, "Kneeling to a violent brute like that? You've disgraced our family!" With rage, Bruno stormed toward her, reaching out to yank her up.
Aidan's expression darkened as he growled, "How dare you? Calling me a brute—what, you think I'm beneath you? Well, let me send you off, free of charge!" With a single, powerful swing, Aidan unleashed a palm strike that ripped through the air with a deafening snap. It landed squarely on Bruno's chest—no mercy, no hesitation.
A spray of blood, thick with shattered organs, burst from Bruno's mouth as his body flew back like a ragdoll. He slammed to the ground—lifeless, silent, gone.
"Bruno!"
"Bruno—No! You animals! You kill him like it's nothing? I'm going to fight you with everything I have!"
Chaos erupted. The remaining Rhodes family members, eyes bloodshot and fists clenched, charged forward.
Aidan grinned. "Butch. Spike. Kill every last one of these stubborn ants." His apprentices, a man and a woman, stepped forward without a word, bloodlust flashing in their eyes.
Kenny rushed in, begging, "Mr. Haywood Senior, please! You only need to kill Jameson and Tiana. Please, spare the others!"
Yet, Aidan's voice was ice. "They're just a pack of mangy dogs. You think I'll let them live after they insulted me?"
Right then, Jameson's voice boomed across the hall. "Stand down!" He shoved the other family members back, stepping to the front and locking eyes with Tiana. Their gazes clashed—love, betrayal, heartbreak, and fury all tangled together.
"Tiana," Jameson said, his voice heavy, "I always knew someone might betray me. But I never thought it would be you." He laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. Tears welled in his eyes unnoticed.
He added, "I know you've hated me—for what happened with Lauren, for everything I failed to do. And now, you hate me even more because I can't protect you, and I've put your life in danger."
"I remember you didn't want to marry me in the first place. All these years of frustration may have led you to this moment, where you chose to betray me and our family. But hear me now—today, I, Jameson Rhodes, will be the first to die for our family. And I swear to the heavens, I will not hate you for it—not even a little." Tiana's body trembled violently as his words pierced her. She burst into tears.
Her voice came out hoarse and broken. "Whether you hate me or not doesn't matter anymore. This is the outcome of your choices, Jameson. You planted the seeds, and now we all reap the sorrow. I'm sorry. I just can't die with you. For Lauren and the Lamberts, I have to stay alive."
With that, she remained on her knees, crawling closer to Aidan's feet. Her voice softened into a plea. "Sir, please spare me. I'll serve you however you wish. And the Lambert family, my family… They'll pledge their loyalty to you as well."
Aidan's rugged face lit up with interest.