?<strong>Chapter 336:</strong>


    Adrian unleashed his fury like a wild beast once Bryce finished his taunts.


    His eyes burning with rage, Adrian delivered a forceful kick that sent Bryce reeling back. Had his cronies not caught him, he would have crashed onto the ground in humiliation.


    “Fuck, you ungrateful brute!” Bryce regained his footing and cruelly dragged Joelle by her hair, forcing her to kneel painfully on the ground. The agony in her scalp rivaled the pain shooting through her knees.


    Adrian, just within reach, watched helplessly as Joelle stretched out her hand towards him, only to be pushed down to kneel before her. There was Adrian.


    For eight years, Joelle had loved this man, once so dignified and untouchable.


    Tears streamed down Joelle’s cheeks as she gazed at Adrian, her heart breaking.


    Bryce began to unbuckle his belt. “You ungrateful scoundrel, you’re going to watch her suffer!”


    In a burst of raw power, Adrian broke free from the men holding him back and charged at Bryce.


    Bryce, caught off guard, gave Adrian a critical two-second opening.


    In that brief window, Adriannded several fierce kicks to Bryce’s lower regions before he was dragged away.


    “Ah!” This time, Bryce remained on the ground, clutching himself and howling in pain.


    His henchmen stood frozen. “Boss…”


    “Ah! Kill him! Kill him!”


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    He was screaming for Adrian’s death.


    “No!” Joelle cried out in despair.


    Exhausted yet resolute, Adrian had bought them crucial time. Finding a reserve of strength she hadn’t known she possessed, Joelle threw herself protectively over Adrian, covering him with her own body as she sobbed.


    Several blows struck her back, and while she remained silent, the pain was evident on her face.


    Adrian used every ounce of his remaining strength to shield Joelle with his body. “Joelle, now it’s my turn to protect you.”


    Her hands, slick with his blood, cradled his face gently.


    She shook her head, her voice filled with desperate fear. “Please, just hold on a bit longer! Adrian, I can’t bear to lose you!” Adrian, too weak to speak, offered her a faint smile.


    Joelle clutched his head protectively with both hands. As despair enveloped them, a gunshot suddenly pierced the air, shifting the tide.


    Heads turned toward the noise. There stood an elderly man with white hair and a beard, exuding strength. On either side of him were Shawn and Katherine.


    Only half an hour before, Shawn and Katherine had managed to connect with Jax Ricard, Jonathan and Bryce’s father, thanks to the diversion created by Adrian and Joelle.


    The decoy ring Adrian had been clutching was now just fragments in his hand.


    Bryce was helped to his feet. “Dad…”


    Jax spat, “Take your brother to me! If anything happens to him, you’ll share his fate!”


    He thenmanded his men to assist Adrian and Joelle. Upon seeing the extent of their injuries, Shawn and Katherine hurried over to aid them.


    “Mr. Miller, I apologize for the distress my sons have caused. Please apany us back to the estate where my personal doctor can attend to your wounds.”


    Joelle had her first look at the famous Rose Manor that Jonathan had mentioned, but she couldn’t fully appreciate its grandeur. Adrian was seriously hurt, and Bryce was in even worse condition.


    This was because Adrian had kicked him, aiming to kill him.


    Jax had a conversation with Jonathan and found out that Joelle had once saved Jonathan’s life. This revtion increased his respect for them immensely.


    “You saved my most promising son. Consider yourselves honored guests of ours!”


    That evening, Jax threw a banquet to celebrate them.


    At the event, Joelle met Jonathan’s mother, Effie Ricard. The news of Leo and Lara’s demise clued her in on the gravity of the situation.


    “Joelle, thank you so much for saving my son!” Effie’s tears flowed freely, her fear still clear.


    Years back, Effie was merely a waitress who had a fleeting rtionship with Jax. Her humble background and status didn’t align with the prestigious Ricard family.


    Her current position was all thanks to her son’s achievements. She was well aware of the dangers her son had faced over the years. Now, her concerns for wealth and power had faded; her son’s safety and well-being were her only priorities.


    “Was there another young person who saved my son?” Joelle understood she was talking about Adrian. “He’s badly hurt and couldn’t make it here.”


    Effie got up immediately. “Then I must go and thank him myself.” With no time to waste, the elderlydy hastened to Adrian’s bedside.


    In the room, Adrian was resting quietly in the bed. From afar, Effie noticed his head bandages and felt a sharp twinge of sadness.


    “Young man, thank you for saving my son.”


    Approaching him, Effie saw Adrian open his eyes, and their eyes locked.


    Effie’s face transformed with astonishment. “You…”


    Adrian asked, “Do you know me?”


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