Chapter 302 - 301: Asher Is Going to Sacrifice Himself Again

Chapter 302: Chapter 301: Asher Is Going to Sacrifice Himself Again

The mob swarmed the balcony. Julian Fletcher was simply no match for so many people. The bloodstains on his white shirt grew, making it impossible to tell if the blood was his or someone else’s.

Standing on the deck, I looked away. Even if I no longer loved him, watching him die right in front of me was something I couldn’t seem to stomach.

Asher glanced at me, then turned to the crowd and shouted, "His mother is on one of those rescue ships opposite us! If you kill him, you’ll never leave this place alive—even if you manage to find the CEO of Astraeus Group!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the attackers froze.

"Don’t listen to his nonsense! He must be the CEO of Astraeus Group! Kill this guy first, then we’ll go up and grab him! We can hand him over to those lunatics in exchange for our lives!"

"Yeah, kill him first!"

"You can go ahead and try," Asher said softly, his aura chillingly calm. "But the price will be that none of you will ever leave this ship."

The men exchanged uncertain glances. None of them dared to make the first move.

When it came to threats like this, it was better to be safe than sorry.

And so, nobody dared to act rashly.

"What do we do?" someone asked their leader.

The leader frowned, staring up at Asher. "Are you really the CEO of Astraeus Group?"

Asher sneered. "If I were, do you really think I’d tell you?"

The man’s expression darkened. "Who cares if he is or not? Let’s hand him over first so we can get off this damn ship."

"I know everyone wants to make it out of here alive," Asher spoke again. "But have you ever thought that if we keep slaughtering each other like this, we’ll all be dead before they even lift a finger?"

The crowd exchanged looks again.

"I know all of you have families, lovers, and children waiting for you back home. If you kill him today, his people will kill you tomorrow. It’s a vicious cycle. When the dust settles, how can you be so sure you’ll be among the few who actually survive?"

Asher’s words silenced them.

"Then what do you suggest we do? If we don’t do as they say, we’ll starve to death on this ship before rescue ever comes. And even if we don’t starve, we’ll be killed by someone else for our room keys! We don’t have a choice. We just want to get out of here alive," the leader asked, staring at Asher.

"If you trust me, I can give you a way out," Asher said. "Bring him up to the deck and shout at the rescue ships over there. Tell them that if they don’t save you, you’ll kill him. There’s a high chance they’ll panic and negotiate with the terrorist organization." Asher guessed that Julian’s mother had to be on one of The Genetics Organization’s rescue ships nearby.

Julian shot Asher a resentful glare. Was he trying to save him or get him killed?

Julian was certain Asher was just taking the opportunity to exact revenge.

The men evidently bought Asher’s plan. They stepped forward and pressed a knife to Julian’s neck. "Don’t try anything funny. Get up there."

Keeping a wary eye on the men behind him, Julian slowly climbed up the rope ladder.

Lucas Grant and Zeke Shaw reached out and hauled him onto the deck.

Just as the men below tried to climb up onto the deck as well, Asher tossed the rope ladder down.

The men glared up at Asher in fury. "You tricked us?!"

Asher smiled, the corners of his lips curving upward. "All’s fair in war. In a situation like this, never trust anyone."

Lucas, Zeke, and the others were stunned, staring at Asher in shock. "You were lying to them? I thought you were telling the truth! I was so happy thinking we were saved. You big liar."

Felix Foster, however, was used to this. He chuckled. "Are you guys idiots? Even if Julian’s mother really is part of The Genetics Organization, she would never expose her identity, let alone Julian’s. If those people found out his mother belonged to The Genetics Organization, do you really think they’d let him live?"

Realization finally dawned on Zeke and Lucas, and they glared indignantly at Asher.

He had managed to show off yet again, saving Julian with just a few words.

Furious, the men below tried to scramble up, but without the ladder, it was nearly impossible. "How long do you think you can hide up there?! There’s no way you’re never coming down! Just you wait! You dared to trick us, and I’ll make you regret what you just did!"

With that threat, the leader led his men away.

Erin Whittaker was still crying. Seeing Julian safely up on deck, she rushed over and threw her arms around him, bawling as if she had suffered some massive grievance.

This time, however, Julian was unequivocal in his response. He pushed Erin away directly.

Erin looked at him in panic.

Julian took a deep breath. "Erin, our agreement was that you would tell me the secrets you knew, and in return, I would protect you. You’ve already told me what you know. Per our deal, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. But beyond that, there is absolutely nothing else between us."

Erin’s eyes grew red and she shook her head. "Julian, do you really not love me at all? Was it all really just an act for Cecilia Caldwell to see?"

She still refused to give up.

But Julian was firm. "Yes. I never loved you. I’ll admit that I used to have feelings for you, but those feelings were purely based on gratitude. I misunderstood that gratitude, thinking you were the one who saved me, and you deceived me."

Erin slumped to the ground in despair. She finally knew that Julian had never loved her, not even for a second.

Standing nearby, Ace sneered. He walked up to Erin step by step. "You plotted and schemed, even killing Cecilia, but in the end, you still couldn’t get what you wanted. How pathetic."

Erin sat hopelessly on the deck, looking like a lifeless puppet.

Julian turned to look at Asher. "Thank you..."

He was actually thanking Asher.

Asher ignored him. I knew Asher hadn’t actually wanted to save him.

"We need to figure out how we’re going to survive from here on out," Zeke said, taking a deep breath as he looked around the deck.

"The wind and waves are getting stronger, and there’s a storm coming. We can’t spend the night on the deck," Lucas added nervously.

"Right now, there’s only one way out," Asher said, his voice deep and solemn. "I’ll go meet those people as the CEO of Astraeus Group."

"No!" I stepped forward in a panic, fiercely opposing the idea. Gripping Asher’s hand tightly, I refused to let him take such a risk.

"Are you really the CEO of Astraeus Group?" Killian Lancaster asked, smiling with intense curiosity.

Asher looked right back at him. "Actually, I feel like you look more the part than I do. Why don’t you go instead? Sacrifice yourself to save everyone else. We’ll all be sure to remember your noble deed."

Killian’s smile vanished. "Forget it... I’m not God."

"Who exactly is the CEO of Astraeus Group? They’re way too mysterious," Lucas wondered aloud.

"For now, the only way to buy you all some time is if I step forward and impersonate him," Asher said, waving his injured hand slightly.

At the very least, those people wouldn’t kill him before his hand was fully healed.