Chapter 439 Lost the Child
Upon hearing the name Sky Wolf, Aurelia's expression shifted dramatically.
Nobody owned up to it, and nobody said a word, but that silence was as good as a nod.
"James, how'd you find out about Sky Wolf's secret?" Aurelia's tone turned serious. "Who spilled the beans?"
Sky Wolf's identity was top secret, and his moves were always in the shadows. Besides her, nobody else had a clue—not even Micah could crack it.
Yet James had nailed it right off the bat, leaving Aurelia stunned.
"So, you really are Sky Wolf."
James had just taken a wild guess, but their reactions confirmed it for him.
"Who would've thought Uncle Bruce, just a small-time businessman, would be running the Wolf Business Association."
He was genuinely taken aback. Years ago, Bruce, who couldn't even scrape together a meal and was so open-hearted with him, had turned into an agent for the Blood Medical Sect.
If it weren't for today's events, James would never have connected Bruce with Sky Wolf, no matter how hard he tried.
But that one move made everything click.
Why Ivy showed up at the Lee family shindig, why Marshall was quick to hit up Bruce's family, and why Bruce bounced back so fast.
It all seemed like chance, but it was Bruce pulling the strings.
Bruce looked at James in silence, then let out a long sigh.
"James, you've really changed. You've grown a hundredfold since back then."
He felt a mix of emotions—regret, relief, and a touch of helplessness.
James looked at Bruce too. "Uncle Bruce, you've changed as well. You used to hate evil with a passion, but now you're working for the Blood Medical Sect."
"No matter how tough things get, you shouldn't forget your eagerness for justice."
There was disappointment in his eyes.
Bruce's expression turned cold. "That's because you haven't seen the world's cruelty yet."
James shook his head gently. "No matter how cruel, you should have your own bottom line."
"James, who told you about Sky Wolf?" Aurelia snapped, "Where'd you hear that?"
James replied calmly, "I not only know that Sky Wolf hides in the shadows with an unknown identity, but I also know he was once with The Dragon's Breath before being turned by the Blood Medical Sect."
This time, not only did Aurelia tremble, but Bruce's face also changed.
"Kill him!" Aurelia stopped wasting words. "Sky Wolf, if you don't take him out, and the secret gets out, The Dragon's Breath will come for you."
Bruce's face turned grim. "James, where'd you get this info? Who else knows?"
"What?" James's gaze was cold as ice. "Worried The Dragon's Breath will find out and wreck your cushy life?"
"Stop talking and do it!" Aurelia's voice was sharp, but there was a hint of doubt.
"He's been in touch with Byron. If you don't finish him tonight, he'll spill everything to Byron tomorrow."
"Everyone of us would be dead, including your family. Bruce, are you just gonna stand by and watch everything you've built crumble?"
"Do you wanna go back to those days of barely scraping by, only to be left in the dust?"
"The pain you felt, the poverty you faced, remember who put you there?"
"Your status now, your health, remember who got you here?"
She was pushing Bruce's buttons. "Do it!"
James could feel Aurelia's words getting to Bruce, and he saw Bruce's grip on the knife tighten.
Without missing a beat, James snapped the knife in half, then leaped back, yanking the broken blade from his back and flinging it at Bruce.
Bruce's eyes twitched as he slashed at the flying blade.
With a sharp clang, the broken blade hit the ground.
Bruce didn't hesitate, charging at James with the broken blade.
James's voice was firm. "Uncle Bruce, are you really not gonna turn back? You've already messed up. Are you gonna keep digging deeper?"
"Can you face Marigold, face Coralie like this?" James gritted his teeth through the pain and shouted, "Can you really bring yourself to hurt me?"
That last question made Bruce hesitate for a split second, but then his face hardened, and he pressed on.
"I'm sorry, James, but you know too much. Don't worry, I'll look after your folks."
With that, his eyes turned steely, and he lunged at James.
James swung his Piercing Blade to meet him.
The Piercing Blade clashed with the knife, ringing out, and both stepped back.
James made one last plea. "Uncle Bruce, it's not too late to turn back."
Bruce didn't answer, just kept coming with the knife.
James had no choice but to defend himself.
In the whirlwind of blades, they clashed fiercely.
Finally, with a sharp sound, they passed each other, weapons in hand.
In that moment, they caught the fire in each other's eyes.
As they brushed past, Bruce's left hand twisted unexpectedly, landing a heavy blow on James's back.
James flew backward, but as he did, he kicked Bruce, twisting mid-air to steady himself, landing with blood trickling from his mouth.
The blood dripped onto Coralie's face on the sofa, making the scene look pretty grim.
Bruce hadn't expected James to react so fast, and he couldn't dodge the kick to his lower back.
He stumbled forward a few steps, then turned around with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"James, you really make me proud." He sighed. "At your age, with your skills, your folks can be proud too."
James looked at him, pained. "Uncle Bruce, drop the knife. If you're willing to turn back, I can talk to Mr. Reyes, maybe get you a break."
He didn't want to face Bruce in a fight to the death.
Bruce looked at James with cold eyes. "James, some things can't be undone."
James shouted, "It's not that they can't be undone, it's whether you want to undo them."
Aurelia laughed mockingly. "Killing you means there's no need to turn back."
"Shut up!"
James then glared back at Bruce. "Uncle Bruce, do you really not regret this?"
"Don't worry, if you die, I'll take care of your parents." Bruce let out a clear shout, raised his arm, and thrust his knife straight at James's chest.
This move from above gave him the upper hand, and the injured James seemed to be completely under his knife's shadow, unable to change his move or even dodge.
But James didn't dodge.
Seeing James standing still, Bruce frowned slightly, unsure of what James meant.
Was he unable to resist?
But he didn't think much of it, lowering his wrist, the knife's shadow closing in, a direct stab at James's heart.
But James didn't counter or move to dodge.
He suddenly grabbed Coralie from the sofa and held her in front of him.
Her throat was directly facing Bruce's broken blade.
Seeing Coralie's face, Bruce's expression changed drastically. He couldn't retract the knife in time, so he had to twist his wrist.
With a dull thud, the broken blade pierced through the outer clothing and into Coralie's skin.
Seeing Coralie injured, Bruce's movements froze.
At that moment, James's blade, like a snake's strike, pierced Bruce's heart.
Suddenly, all movements stopped, even the wind seemed to freeze.
In the blink of an eye, the battle was over.
Aurelia's face changed, staring at the two in disbelief.
"How could this happen?"
She couldn't believe that James, on the brink of collapse, had turned the tables again.
But the bloody reality was right in front of her.
Blood flowed down. Bruce didn't even feel the pain, just a coldness spreading through his chest as his strength faded away.
He wobbled and collapsed to the ground.
Coralie was splattered with more blood, bright as garnet.
Seeing Bruce truly fall, Aurelia snapped out of her shock, her whole body cold. She quickly turned off the camera and vanished.
James ignored her. He knew that as long as he was alive, Aurelia wouldn't dare harm Kaitlyn first.
He gently placed Coralie back on the sofa and leaned down to quietly look at Bruce.
"Uncle Bruce, I'm sorry."
Using Coralie as a shield had left James feeling guilty, but he was exhausted and had no other choice.
Bruce felt the chill spreading through his body. "It's not your fault, it's me who let you down."
"I should've protected you, but instead, I stabbed you and tried to kill you."
He gave a bitter smile. "You had every right to fight back."
James quickly spoke up. "Don't struggle, the wound is only half an inch from your heart. If you exert yourself, it could tear and lead to death."
He couldn't bring himself to kill Bruce. He still had a special bond with him.
Bruce clutched his heart with his left hand, giving a bitter smile. "Are you going to hand me over to The Dragon's Breath?"
"I can't do it, nor can I judge you." James didn't hide his thoughts. "Let Mr. Reyes handle it. Don't worry, I'll do my best to save your life."
"Thank you, James." Bruce's gaze suddenly became calm. "You've never disappointed me, but I've let you down like this."
James's mouth twitched. "I know you must have your reasons."
"No reasons, just that I couldn't bear poverty, couldn't resist the temptations of the world." Bruce interrupted James, then changed the subject. "If you can, take care of Coralie for me."
"I've thought more than once about having you as my son-in-law, but fate played a trick, and now we're in this situation."
"I won't accept judgment, not because I disdain it, but because I'm too ashamed. I can't face you, face Coralie, face your parents."
"I've also let down The Dragon's Breath. Ending it here is my best fate."
Bruce's smile was serene, then he turned the knife on himself.
Quick and ruthless!
James instinctively shouted, "Uncle Bruce!"
He reached out to grab him, but it was too late.
The broken blade pierced his heart. A gush of blood spurted out, beyond saving.
Bruce's body stiffened, his life slowly fading away.
"The Dragon's Breath never wronged me. It was my negligence twenty years ago that lost a child I shouldn't have, and then I stole a child as a replacement."
"I've let down The Dragon's Breath, let down the leader."
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