Chapter 452 - 455: Dragged Back to Aston

Outside the country.

Layers of shadows from the gloomy shipping containers overlapped, forming an inescapable net that trapped Laura Lawson on her way home.

A man in a black uniform advanced on her, step by step. The sound of his boots crushing the gravel was dull and deadly.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Laura Lawson’s heart sank. She retreated warily, a terrible premonition washing over her.

"You don’t need to know who I am."

As the words fell, the man in black moved like lightning. He took a step forward, and a hand like an iron pincer clamped down on Laura’s shoulder. The force of his tightening knuckles was enough to nearly crush her bones.

The rough fabric of his uniform pressed against her skin, carrying a bone-chilling cold. His grip was vicious and merciless—a killing move, meant to silence her for good.

Laura cried out in pain, her face contorting in agony.

"Let go! Help me!"

"I’ve never done anything to you! Why are you trying to hurt me?"

In a flash, the image of a person shot through Laura’s mind.

Claire Bennett!

"You were sent by Claire Bennett! She wants to silence me, to kill me and destroy the evidence that she planned the car crash."

"That way, no one in the world will ever know the evil things she’s done."

An intense chill shot through her limbs and spread throughout her entire body, followed by a tidal wave of fury and bone-deep hatred.

The instinct to survive, combined with the overwhelming rage of betrayal, instantly unlocked all her hidden potential.

’I refuse to be a silent victim in Claire Bennett’s scheme.’

Without waiting for the man in black to react, Laura raised her arm and, with all her might, slammed it into the soft part of his torso.

At the same time, she dug her fingertips into the flesh of his wrist, her nails nearly embedding themselves in his bone as she tore at him with the ferocity of someone bent on mutual destruction.

The man in black clearly hadn’t expected a seemingly weak woman to resist with such feral intensity. He cried out in pain, and his grip on her shoulder loosened slightly.

His two companions on the other side immediately moved to surround her.

One locked his hand around the back of her neck while the other grabbed for her arm, intending to overpower her completely and end her struggle.

The moment the cold palm touched the back of her neck, a suffocating pressure washed over her. The shadow of death loomed above.

The closer she came to death’s door, the more fiercely the hatred in Laura’s heart burned.

She hated herself for being so stupid, for being such a poor judge of character. For years, she had been loyal, only to become someone else’s pawn.

But she hated Claire Bennett even more. Claire was the epitome of hypocrisy, wearing the skin of a gentle, kind person while possessing a heart so venomous it was horrifying. Her hands were stained with blood and darkness, yet she feigned innocence every day, fooling everyone.

Hatred seared her soul, numbing the pain. Laura saw red and threw all caution to the wind.

With her neck seized and her breathing restricted, she violently threw her head back, smashing it into her attacker’s face.

With her arm gripped so tightly that the skin was turning purple and swollen, she drove her knee into another man’s kneecap. In the instant he flinched in pain, she twisted her body wildly, flailing her limbs and tearing at them with all her strength.

The sound of tearing fabric filled the air. Her skin burned from the friction, and her wrists, neck, and shoulders were quickly covered in a dense web of red marks and bruises.

Her body was exhausted, her limbs sore and numb. Every bone felt as if it had been broken and reset, and the intense pain was relentless.

The three trained men in black took turns subduing her, their grips and pulls growing more vicious each time as they dragged Laura toward a dark, dead end deep within the shipping containers.

Laura clenched her jaw so hard she bit her tongue, the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth.

She refused to back down. Even as her strength failed, even as her body became covered in wounds, she continued to struggle frantically, fighting for her life.

She wasn’t just doing it for herself, but for her two children.

Their father was already dead. As their mother, she couldn’t let anything happen to her.

The thought of her children gave her a final burst of strength. She suddenly bent low, dropping her center of gravity and violently throwing off the hands that held her.

Then, heedless of everything, she hunched over and sprinted, forcing her way through a gap in their encirclement!

The wind howled past, the cold sea breeze slapping hard against her face.

She didn’t dare look back, didn’t dare stop. Her lungs burned with an unbearable stinging pain, and her legs were so weak they threatened to give out from under her.

The sound of rapid, vicious footsteps behind her—the relentless pursuit—was a constant reminder that she couldn’t stop. If she did, it was a dead end.

As Laura ran, a towering wave of hatred churned in her chest.

Claire Bennett was terrifying. But it was never her methods that were the most frightening thing about her.

It was her flawless disguise, her profound cold-bloodedness, her bottomless treachery.

Today’s disaster had allowed Laura to see this woman’s true face completely.

’I am alive. I have to stay alive. I will rip off Claire Bennett’s perfect mask and make everyone see her for the venomous snake she is! I’ll make that woman, who schemes against everyone and treats human life as disposable, pay for her crimes in blood!’

Just as Laura was about to collapse from exhaustion, several black cars suddenly sped over and stopped in front of her.

The men sent by Adrian Lancaster quickly got out and took control of the scene.

Laura staggered to a halt, leaning against the cold car as she gasped for breath. She was trembling uncontrollably, her clothes soaked with cold sweat, dirt, and faint traces of blood. She was a complete mess.

The harsh, dangerous sound of pursuit behind her came to an abrupt stop.

Several more men, also dressed in black, tailored suits, stepped out of the cars. They were tall and well-built, their movements crisp and efficient. They radiated a sharp, steady aura, each step carrying the oppressive weight of professional training.

Seeing this, the three pursuers didn’t give up. Gritting their teeth, they sped up and lunged forward, trying to grab Laura before the newcomers could fully take control.

The difference in their skill levels was apparent in an instant.

Adrian Lancaster’s men were incredibly formidable fighters and gave their opponents no chance to even engage in a prolonged struggle.

Working in pairs with precise coordination, their close-quarters combat was clean and decisive. There were no superfluous moves, only professional techniques designed to neutralize a target.

A raised-hand block, a sidestep to deflect force, a reverse wrist-lock, a knee to the stomach...

The series of movements flowed like water, each strike precise and ruthless.

In just a few short seconds, the three once-ferocious figures were completely subdued.

Dull thuds echoed across the empty port area. There were no sounds of a desperate brawl, only the silence of absolute, overwhelming power.

The men Claire Bennett had sent had no room to even struggle. A precise chop to the neck, and their eyes rolled back in their heads. They collapsed to the ground, knocked unconscious.

The crisis vanished in an instant.

The shadow of the hunt dissipated. Having survived the ordeal, Laura’s tense nerves finally relaxed.

Utterly drained, she stood frozen in place, gulping down the cold air. The burning sting in her lungs lingered.

The bruises and scrapes all over her body stung fiercely. Her clothes were torn and tattered, covered in dirt and faint bloodstains. Strands of messy hair clung to her cold, sweat-dampened cheeks. She looked utterly wretched.

But in that moment, she felt incredibly fortunate.

Laura raised her head, looked at the men before her, and said gratefully, "Thank you for saving me. Thank you."

The words had barely left her mouth when the man closest to her suddenly stepped forward and, with a swift motion, chopped her unconscious.

"..."

Laura’s consciousness faded, her last lingering thought one of utter absurdity and chilling despair.

’I escaped Claire Bennett’s death trap, but I still couldn’t escape this meticulously laid cage.’

Her body went limp. Laura’s eyes closed as she passed out completely, falling forward.

The men in black worked in perfect sync, one on each side, catching her and quickly shoving her into the back seat of the car.

The engine rumbled to life. The black car turned around and drove away, its tires crunching over the gravel with a silent, oppressive weight.