Chapter 157 Action and consequences

Chapter 157: Chapter 157 Action and consequences

Chris’s eyes never left the frightened pair who had been dragged before the stage. Madison and Thomas were forced down in front of the entire gathering, surrounded by armed soldiers who made sure neither of them could move.

Only moments ago, the crowd had looked exhausted. People had been yawning; some had already begun whispering about wanting to leave after spending the entire night at the ceremony. But the moment Madison and Thomas were brought onto the stage, the exhaustion mysteriously disappeared. Everyone suddenly had the energy to watch.

The atmosphere changed. Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire. People stood straighter; some leaned forward, others pushed closer together so they wouldn’t miss whatever was about to happen.

Among them was Ava. She stared at the stage in confusion, her eyes widening when she recognized the woman being forced toward the center. Her mother.

"What’s going on?" Ava asked the people around her.

Instead of answering, several people looked at her with disdain. One woman dressed in a golden flowing gown leaned toward another woman wearing an elegant silver gown. "Who is that?"

The woman in silver glanced at Ava. "Oh, that girl?" Her lips curled. "She’s the traitor’s daughter." She paused deliberately. "And the murderer’s sister."

Her partner’s eyes widened. "Really?"

"Apparently it runs through their blood."

The words struck Ava like a physical blow. Her heart began pounding, and a cold feeling settled inside her chest. Traitor? Murderer? She immediately understood. Something had happened. Something terrible.

There was a very strong possibility that her mother had been caught. And if Madison had been caught, then Thomas might have been caught too.

Ava didn’t wait another second. She pushed through the crowd. She didn’t care about the people she bumped into, didn’t care about the angry looks or the whispers following her. All she wanted was to reach her mother.

Mom. She had to get to her. She had to protect her. Whatever had happened, she couldn’t simply stand there and watch.

"No." Ava shook her head as she moved. "Nothing is going to happen to her." She continued forcing her way through the crowd.

But just as she was getting closer to the stage, a hand suddenly grabbed her arm. Ava stumbled backward, her body crashing into someone’s chest.

"Where are you going?"

Simon. His voice was calm—not too loud, not too soft—but there was something warning in it. "Do you want to die?"

Ava immediately tried to pull away. "Let me go!" She struggled against his grip. "That’s my mom and my brother! They’re going to hurt them!" Her voice cracked. "I have to protect them."

Simon stared at her, then laughed. Not kindly. Mockingly. "Protect them?"

Ava glared at him.

"How?" His smile widened. "By thrashing around like a fool? By standing there gaping at them?" He shook his head. "Is that your brilliant plan?"

Ava’s face tightened.

Simon continued. "Because if that’s your idea of helping, it’s probably the shittiest one I’ve ever heard." He looked her up and down. "Look at you, Ava Hart." His voice became crueler. "You look so useless that I can’t even believe this is the girl I was once trying to choose over Luna." He laughed again. "What the hell was I thinking?"

Ava felt something sink inside her. His words hurt—not because she wanted him back, but because she was already terrified and he was using that fear against her.

"Stop." Her voice trembled. "I said stop, Simon." She pulled her arm again. "Shut your worthless mouth."

Ava’s eyes became cold. "I won’t choose you." She stared directly at him. "And I definitely don’t want you back."

Simon sneered. "Get off your high horse." His expression was full of contempt. "Nobody said anything about choosing anyone." He stepped closer. "And you’re definitely not the person I’d choose in this universe."

Ava clenched her fists.

Simon continued. "So put that inside your empty skull, since apparently the one you had has already turned to dust." His eyes narrowed. "Have you forgotten that I left you?"

Ava’s breathing became heavier.

"I’m definitely not going back to the fake daughter of the Hart family." He laughed. "You’re not even the real heiress." His words cut deeper. "Nothing about you is real."

Ava clenched her teeth, her nails digging into her palms.

"Luna is gone." Simon looked at her. "I’m sure of it." He shrugged. "So if you’re hoping to see her again, you’re too late." His smile became vicious. "That bitch is dead."

Ava’s expression changed.

"Probably turned into zombie meat by now." Simon shrugged as though he had just commented on the weather. Then he paused. "But what if she isn’t?"

Ava immediately froze. "What?"

Simon stepped away from her. "What if she’s not dead?" His voice lowered. "Answer me, Ava." He looked toward the stage. "What happens then?"

Ava couldn’t respond. Something about the way he said it made her uncomfortable.

Simon smiled. "Because something tells me she isn’t dead." He turned away. "And one day, she’ll come back for everything that belongs to her." He glanced over his shoulder. "And when she does..." His smile widened. "I’ll be back at her side."

Then Simon walked away.

Ava stood frozen. She barely understood what had just happened, but she didn’t have time to think about it. The show had begun.

Someone stepped beside her. Ava didn’t even look—she recognized the hair and clothing. Bonnie. But Bonnie’s expression was different. There was something wrong with her face; there were faint injuries around her skin, and marks surrounded her arms. Ava didn’t notice. She couldn’t. Her attention was completely fixed on the stage.

Her mother was there. Madison was sitting on the bare floor. Thomas was on his knees beside her, looking like a prisoner awaiting execution.

Ava’s chest tightened. She wanted to scream. She wanted to tell everyone that those were her family. She wanted to push through the crowd and drag them away.

Bonnie grabbed her arm. "Don’t." Ava looked at her. "Don’t make that mistake." Her voice was low and urgent. "If you say anything right now, they’ll kill you."

Ava stared at her.

Bonnie continued. "They’ll accuse you of treason just like they did with them." She glanced toward the stage. "So what do you want to do?" Bonnie’s grip tightened. "Do you want to do this the dumb way or the smart way?"

Ava’s lips trembled.

Bonnie leaned closer. "When I saw your mother running after her son that time, I knew immediately that she was going to end up in trouble." She swallowed. "And now..." Bonnie shook her head. "Here we are."

Ava’s eyes filled with tears. Her chest felt as though something had been placed over it. She struggled to breathe.

Then Mr. Davis stepped forward. Thomas barely had time to look up. Mr. Davis kicked him directly in the head. Thomas crashed sideways. "Ah!" His body hit the floor. Blood immediately began running from his mouth. His jaw throbbed; his lips were split.

Mr. Davis looked down at him. "You killed the General, didn’t you?"

Thomas struggled to lift his head.

Mr. Davis’s expression twisted. "Why would you do such a thing?" He gestured toward Chris. "Who gave you the right to touch the leader of our people?"

Madison suddenly screamed. "Don’t kill him!" She crawled forward. "Please!" Her voice broke. "Let me take his place." She looked toward Mr. Davis. "Please, just let him go." Tears streamed down her face. "He’s my only son."

The words echoed through the hall. "My only child."

Ava’s entire body went rigid. Her mother’s words struck her harder than anything else. Only child? She wasn’t mentioned—not even once. Ava’s hand went to her chest. "Mom..."

Madison continued pleading. "He’s my first child." She looked desperately at the people around her. "Please don’t do this to me." Her voice cracked. "He’s my happiness."

But nobody moved. Mr. Davis simply smiled. It wasn’t a normal smile. There was nothing human behind it. His eyes looked hollow. Dead.

"Rest in pieces." He leaned closer to Thomas. "And next time, mind your business."

Chris had now stepped onto the stage. He stood beside Mr. Davis with his hands behind his back. His expression was calm. Almost pleased.

Mr. Davis lifted his hand. A flash of metal appeared.

Before Thomas could react—Slash! The blade cut through his neck. His body collapsed, and his head rolled away across the stage.

Madison screamed—a raw, horrifying scream that echoed through the entire hall. "No!" She lunged forward, but before she could reach her son’s body, soldiers grabbed her and shoved her away from the stage. Madison lost her balance and fell backward. Her body struck the floor violently. A terrible crack echoed through the hall as her neck bent at an unnatural angle. Then she stopped moving.

Ava stared. For several seconds, she couldn’t breathe. Her mother. Her brother. Both of them were gone. In front of everyone.

A shrill scream finally tore out of Ava’s throat. "NO!" Her voice echoed through the hall.

Chris slowly turned. Their eyes met. Ava stared at him with pure horror. Chris simply smiled. Then he turned toward the crowd, raised his hand, and waved casually. Nobody waved back. The entire gathering was frozen. Some people looked terrified; others looked down. No one dared challenge him.

Chris lowered his hand. "Now." His voice carried across the hall. "Let’s talk about the progress." He looked toward Mr. Davis. "And how the new human experiments are going."

Mr. Davis nodded.

Chris continued. "And the next stage we’re going to enter." His smile returned. "The stage that will finally make the process complete."