Ruthless

75

Edward's words hit like a hammer, leaving the room in stunned silence. Every eye turned to Adam, confusion etched on their faces, trying to make sense of what was happening. Yet Adam remained eerily composed, seemingly unaffected by the weight of the stares thrown his way.

Allison was the first to break the silence, her voice unsure. "What do you mean?" she demanded.

Allison's eyes darted between Edward and Adam, suspicion brewing beneath her furrowed brow. "And why would Adam come to *you* of all people?"

Edward didn't hesitate. "Adam came to me," he said, his tone cool and detached. "He wanted an alliance."

Allison's gaze settled on Adam. "Why would Adam come to you of all people?" she asked.

"He wanted to eliminate his brother, his aunt, and his cousin. All to seize power and wealth for himself."

Shock should have coursed through me, but I felt none. I had seen this coming for a long time. In fact, what was most shocking was that it hadn't happened sooner.

Adam had always been calculating, always scheming...and now, it was laid bare. His hunger for control, his willingness to destroy even his own blood.

Allison's eyes clung to Adam, searching for a denial that never came. His face was indifferent. His silence spoke louder than any words. He wasn't going to deny it. Edward was telling the truth.

The truth of Adam's betrayal now lay bare, and Allison's face, once filled with bewilderment, twisted into a mask of fury.

Her voice, trembling with rage. "I should have known," she spat, venom dripping from her words. "I treated you like my own son, gave you everything, but you—" Her eyes narrowed into slits, pure hatred burning in her gaze. "You're just like your mother. A snake...treacherous and ungrateful."

Adam responded with a slow, chilling smile that sent shivers down my spine. Without a word, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a sleek black gun.

He held it with unsettling ease, his grip loose yet confident. With a swift, practiced motion, he pressed the barrel to Allison's temple, the metallic click of the gun loading echoing through the air.

"If I'm a snake," he whispered, his voice low and menacing, "then it's time for the bite."

Allison's lips barely twitched, her expression hardening despite the cold metal pressed against her skin. "You think this intimidates me?" she said, her voice ice-cold. "I should've let you rot in that gutter, like the worm you've always been."

Before another word could be spoken, the sharp sound of another gun being cocked rang through the room. Hades, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, now had a gun leveled at Adam's head.

"You're not the only one who can play this game, Adam," Hades said, his voice calm but dangerous. "You think you're untouchable, but one move, and I'll blow your brains out."

Adam didn't even flinch, the cold smile never leaving his face. "Go ahead," he mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Shoot me, if you think that will solve your problems."

The room was thick with tension, the air itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting for violence to erupt. My chest tightened as I watched the scene unfold, unsure whether this would end in bloodshed or another brutal twist in the nightmare.

As if the situation wasn't chaotic enough, Adrian, smirking with twisted amusement, pulled out his own gun and aimed it at Hades. "I hate Adam as much as anyone," he drawled, a smirk playing on his lips, "but I'd rather keep my brother alive than let 'you' be the one to kill him."