Chapter 626:
Kendrick shot to his feet, unable to stay calm. “You’re still too young, not knowing the danger of this situation. How could you handle such terrain? I’ll send professionals into the mountains to find Felix. You stay here and wait for news.”
Brad’s voice was steady and firm. “I may serve in the navy, but I’ve gone through strict army training. I won’t fall short of the professionals you’ve hired, Mr. Kendrick Owen.”
Marcus spoke earnestly in return. “This mission is extremely dangerous. If you can bring Felix back, the Owen family will owe you a debt beyond measure.”
“I don’t need repayment.” Brad’s gaze swept past Marcus and landed on Rylie’s tense face. “All I ask is for your sister to stay here, away from danger. I’ll bring Felix back safely.”
He had been tied up at the military district, managing the unrest sparked by the Strait of Emerald, when Marcus urgently called asking for a rescue team. The moment Brad learned Felix was in danger, he immediately thought of Rylie. Knowing her nature, she would surely attempt a rescue herself. Fearing her reckless courage, he rushed over straight from his meeting, still in uniform.
“You don’t need to stop me. I must go. Felix will need me.” Rylie’s tone was calm, her eyes unwavering. “Among everyone here, no one understands the toxins in those mines better than I do. Handling dangerous radioactive toxins, how to suppress toxin spread in a short time, how to buy time without a specific antidote… Who else here has that experience?”
Her words silenced the room. The soldiers exchanged troubled glances. Brave as they were, none had her expertise. This wasn’t just terrain and danger — it was a battle against unseen poisons that required medical skill far beyond theirs.
“I’ve faced it before. I’ve survived it.” Rylie’s voice carried quiet conviction. “If anyone can keep Felix alive, it’s me. If you wait until he’s carried out for treatment, it might already be too late.”
The truth of her words hung heavily.
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Everyone present knew Rylie was the “Healing Hand.” Her skill in medicine was unmatched. Taking her along wasn’t recklessness — it was necessity.
She looked at Brad, her eyes calm yet pleading. “Brad, I have to go.”
Brad’s dark gaze locked with hers. He saw the worry she carried, her readiness to risk everything for family. But there was something deeper — her past with perilous mines, her survival through toxins most couldn’t face. What else was she keeping from him, from them all?
Brock finally broke the silence, speaking with quiet support. “We’ve all seen Dr. Owen’s abilities. Even the senior doctors at the military hospital hold her in the highest regard. With such strange and unpredictable toxins, she is the only real hope for Felix.”
The room fell into stillness, only the whisper of the wind outside breaking the quiet. Kendrick and Marcus exchanged troubled looks, torn but unable to deny the truth. More than anyone, they knew Rylie’s skill exceeded all others.
After a long pause, Brad finally spoke, his voice low but resolute. “Alright. You’ll come with me.”
“Brad! She’s the granddaughter I only just found!” Kendrick’s voice rose, heavy with refusal.
Brad turned to face Kendrick and Marcus, standing tall and firm, his expression more solemn than ever.
Slowly, he raised his hand in a gesture close to a vow. “Mr. Kendrick Owen, I swear on the honor of the Morgan family, and on my rank.” His words rang like steel, each one striking the hearts of those present. “No matter the cost, I will make sure she returns to you safe and sound. Even if it takes my life, I will bring her back unharmed.”
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