Chapter 647:
“Who dares?” Brad’s command rang out like a blade slashing through the air.
The atmosphere froze. Soldiers shifted uneasily, but none moved.
Brad’s years of victories and iron command had already won him their true loyalty. The balance of power was no longer Sean’s to control.
Sean’s chest heaved, rage choking his voice. “You defy me? I am your grandfather!”
Brad’s tone was cold, yet weary. “And because you are, I obeyed you for decades. I’ve fulfilled every demand, built every victory you wanted. Why stop me now, when I finally choose something for myself? I am a human, not a puppet under your control.”
“Because you are the Morgan heir!” Sean roared, his voice shaking the tent. “The family’s future rests on you! You have no right to chase whims or be swayed by love!”
Brad’s reply was quiet but resolute. “If I could, I’d give it all away.”
“You!” Sean’s voice broke, but no words followed.
The tent sank into heavy silence.
Then Frieda stepped forward, her hands trembling as they clenched together. Her face was pale, but her voice carried a rare determination. “Sean, how can you say that? Just like he said, he’s human. We all are. Don’t we deserve our own hearts, our own choices? If life means living like puppets, then what’s the point of living at all?”
She looked at Brad. Her eyes flickered with pain, hesitation, and something deeper, before hardening into resolve. “I support him.”
Brad’s eyes lingered on her briefly, unreadable, before he turned back to Sean.
His voice was final. “Grandpa, I’m not asking. I’m telling you my decision. Whether you agree or not, it doesn’t change my mind.”
He didn’t spare another glance and barked to Brock and the waiting elites, “Gear up. We leave in five minutes.”
“Brad!” Sean’s face drained with anger and despair, but he could only watch as Brad strode out into the storm.
Rain poured down as Brock hurried after him. His eyes fell on the trail of blood dripping from Brad’s torn wound. He grabbed his arm, pleading, “Admiral Morgan! Your leg—look at it! How can you climb the mountain or avoid danger like this? I’ll lead this team and bring Dr. Owen back. Please, just wait in the tent and rest.”
Brad shook his head firmly. “No. You’re not enough.”
In such perilous conditions, he barely trusted himself, let alone his subordinates.
He met Brock’s gaze steadily. “I know your strength. And I know mine. Out there, only I can do this.”
Brad stopped, staring at the black maw of the mine under the rain. His voice was low, almost lost in the storm. “All I know is, I can’t let her die in there.”
After a long silence, he added, barely above a whisper, “If she dies… I don’t want to live either.”
Brad’s feelings for Rylie had grown into something he could no longer control, a love that consumed him completely.
Brock finally stopped arguing with him and released his hand. “Fine. I’ll get myself ready. We’ll leave together in a little while.”
Storming in without a plan would only mean certain death, and no one could even promise that Rylie was still alive.
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