Chapter 769: Chop Off His Little Finger

The atmosphere inside the old villa was warm and harmonious. Chloe Reed felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation here, as if the place were an idyllic paradise.

After dinner, she went out for a walk. The estate’s landscaping was designed to reflect the shifting seasons, and since it was currently winter with the New Year fast approaching, plum blossoms were blooming on the branches. From a distance, they looked exceptionally beautiful and delicate.

The bodyguards arranged by Walker Grant were already in position, and their captain had been sent to meet with Chloe.

"Mrs. Grant, my name is Leo Sterling. Let’s exchange contact information so I can notify you promptly if any issues arise," Leo said, taking out his phone with a deadpan expression.

Chloe nodded and exchanged numbers with him. She then asked about his shift schedule, which Leo answered in detail.

The evening breeze brushed against her, bringing a faint chill. Chloe gathered her scarf closer and typed out a message on her phone to show him: "You can get back to work. I’ll stroll around by myself for a bit."

Leo nodded. "Understood." His figure quickly vanished into the shadows, becoming completely undetectable.

Chloe felt deeply reassured by these arrangements. Holding her phone, she sent Walker Grant a message.

Chloe: [Thank you.]

Because of his eyes, Walker had a screen reader application installed on his phone. This allowed him to operate it himself and check incoming messages and emails, though his replies were generally slow. However, he had recently learned how to use the screen reader to reply with voice memos.

Chloe tapped on the voice message he had just sent.

The man’s deep, gentle voice played from the speaker. "Thank me for what?"

Chloe’s slender fingers tapped across the screen as she typed her reply.

Chloe: [Thank you for being so thoughtful toward my grandmother.]

Walker’s soft chuckle came through in his next message. "Haven’t I told you before? What’s yours is mine." His tone was light, tinged with a tender affection that seemed even more intoxicating than the fruit wine she’d had tonight.

She tapped the voice message again, listening to it in silence. Afterward, she put her phone away and continued her stroll through the estate.

Meanwhile, Walker had been waiting for her next message. When she didn’t respond for quite a while, he couldn’t help but frown.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Dylan Finch walked in. "Mr. Grant, Mr. Quinn replied to the email. He said that if we cause him any more trouble, he doesn’t mind eliminating the biggest troublemaker first."

"Heh..." Walker sneered. "Threatening me? It seems he really doesn’t want to cooperate anymore. Issue a bounty. I want him dead."

"Yes, sir," Dylan replied.

On the other side of the ocean.

William Quinn had just survived an ambush. Battered and disheveled, he boarded a helicopter. The roaring WHIR of the propellers was deafening enough to shatter eardrums, while the sound of gunfire and explosions continued from below.

A ruthless gleam surfaced in his blue eyes as he pressed down on a bleeding wound on his abdomen. Beside him, a medic was frantically treating the injury.

William closed his eyes, his rapid breathing gradually steadying. Grabbing his phone, he dialed a number. "Chop off his pinky finger and send it straight to Walker Grant." A cruel, manic smile spread across his face. "I’m sure he’ll absolutely love my gift."

"Yes, sir."

Two hours later, the helicopter landed on an island.

William strode into the castle, still reeking of blood. But the moment he saw Iris Yates, who was wearing a beautiful dress and sitting on the sofa watching TV, the murderous aura surrounding him seemed to melt away, vanishing little by little.

He hurried over and cupped her face in his hands. Ignoring her frown and clear resistance, he kissed her forcefully.