Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1148

By the time I regained consciousness, three days had gone by. We'd been drifting at sea overnight until a fisherman rescued us. By then, everyone at Albert's Arms assumed we were dead. Lyman lost his mind and stormed into The Obsidian Order's lair, determined to bring down Blacktalon with him. But he was beaten until he was barely alive. Nichol and Shipley, along with a group of our guys, went in for a rescue. But due to a traitor within Albert's Arms who tipped off The Obsidian Order, they walked right into an ambush. They were gunned down before they even realized what was happening.

Years later, the memory still pierced Reggie's heart like a dagger. He closed his eyes, the scenes as vivid as if it were only yesterday. One of his greatest regrets, one of the deepest wounds in his life, was not being at Albert's Arms when it all happened. If he had been there, perhaps Nichol and Shipley wouldn't have been lost so easily.

Afterward, Reggie risked everything to rescue Lyman from The Obsidian Order's grasp. But by then, Lyman was an unrecognizable shadow of his former self, tortured beyond recognition. The knowledge that his brothers had died trying to save him only added to his agony, and he didn't survive much longer after that.

Reggie clenched his fists at the memory.

Agnes had never imagined her godfather had faced such brutal experiences in his youth. And now, it seemed history was repeating itself. No wonder there was such a dramatic change in him.

"Do Phoenix and his brothers know the truth? What about their mother?" Agnes asked.

"Their mother died in childbirth years ago," Reggie replied, his voice heavy with emotion. "Lyman and his wife were incredibly close. When Lyman died, she was heartbroken and passed away from grief within two years. Phoenix was just a baby at the time. After Shipley was killed, his mother abandoned him. I essentially adopted those three children, and they grew up together like siblings, incredibly close."

Agnes pondered silently, realizing the situation was more complex than she'd thought.

Reggie continued, "Because of my brothers' vendetta, Albert's Arms and The Obsidian Order could never coexist. Their deaths drove me to expand our territory like a man possessed, eventually splitting the Capital's power structure in half. We had The Obsidian Order on the ropes, ready to finish them off, but internal conflict beat us to it. The new leader wanted to ally with us, but I refused. That rejection turned us into sworn enemies."

"Have you considered that the drug case from before might not be over? Could the mole in Albert's Arms be connected to The Obsidian Order?" Agnes cautiously suggested.

Reggie's eyebrows knitted together in deep thought.

"Agnes, what are you implying?"

"I think Phoenix's accident wasn't just bad luck. It might be tied to the drug case, maybe even to The Obsidian Order. Godfather, I..."

"Agnes!"

Before she could finish, Reggie cut her off sharply.

"Septima, I forbid you from getting involved in Albert's Arms' affairs. Whether it's about your brother, the drug case, or The Obsidian Order, you are to stay out of it. Don't even mention it again."

Agnes hadn't expected such a fierce reaction from Reggie. Startled, she could only stare at him in silence.

Reggie stepped closer, gripping her shoulders tightly, as if trying to extract a definite answer from her.