The subordinate repeated, โMr. Burke is dead! He was killed by Andrew. The Hopkins family just sent word.โ
After he heard the report, Maurice was finally certain his ears were not playing tricks on him. Nonetheless, while his hearing was fine, his heart gave a painful jolt, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
โThat bastard really dared to attack the Driscoll family! I didnโt think heโd actually have the guts to do it!โ Maurice growled through clenched teeth, his voice rising into a furious roar.
Walterโs death was, at best, a mild loss to him. The man had been a loyal servant for decades, yes, but to someone like Maurice, who was long accustomed to power plays and betrayal, loyal dogs were easy to replace.
What truly stung was not the manโs life, but the insult to the familyโs reputation. Walter had been the Driscoll familyโs chief steward and the leader of the Shadow Division. For him to be hunted down and killed by Andrew was undoubtedly a hard slap to the Driscoll familyโs face.
โExterminate!โ Maurice snarled. โAn eye for an eye. Hit him the way he hit us!โ
After the initial wave of rage passed, his eyes turned ice-cold. โTonight, the entire Shadow Division will storm The Sovereign Residences and wipe Serenity Villa off the map. If this little brat wants to play, weโll play to the very end.โ
Two Shadow Division enforcers knelt before him, their voices in unison. โYes, sir!โ
Maurice continued, โWalterโs dead, but I assume the Hopkins family is fine. What about Diego and Timothy? Are they on their way to Blumedale to follow orders?โ
The two men exchanged a heavy look, both seeing the discomfort in the otherโs eyes. One of them spoke reluctantly. โSir, Mr. Hopkins Senior says the Hopkins family suffered heavy losses. It might take at least ten days before they can come to aid the Driscoll family.โ
Maurice froze for a second, then gave an angry laugh. โAt least ten days? By then, I couldโve killed that Andrew brat 100 times over. The Hopkins are clearly stalling. But fine. Once Andrewโs dealt with, Iโll make sure the Hopkinses learn what fear really means.โ
At this moment, Scarlett dragged herself into the room. โDad!โ
Maurice looked up and could not help but frown, โYouโre this badly injured, yet youโre not resting? Why are you running around?โ
Scarlett gritted her teeth, โThe injuries on my body wonโt heal overnight. But no matter what, I wonโt die from them! I came to tell you that something else has happened!โ
Mauriceโs eyelid twitched as he hurriedly asked, โSomething happened? What happened?โ
Walterโs death had put him on high alert, and now Scarlett had come personally to report. Maurice had an ominous feeling that this matter would not be small either.
โJust now, word came from Mr. Edisonโs side that Andrew went straight to his door,โ Scarlett said, her voice trembling. โMr. Edison fought to the death but was defeated and killed.โ
The room went silent. Maurice didnโt speak. His expression froze instantly, as if someone had struck a pressure point.
Edison, by seniority, outranked Maurice. He had been considered the familyโs second most important figure, just beneath Maurice himself. Though his martial skill had never been top-tier and Scarlett herself could outmatch him, his prestige and influence within the Driscoll family far outweighed any of the younger generation. Mauriceโs position as the familyโs leader was in no small part thanks to Edisonโs backing. And now, this crucial right-hand man had followed Walter to the grave, both killed by Andrew.