Chapter 244

The sunlight was blinding. Vincent Ashcroft raised a hand to shield his eyes. Behind him, the prison's iron gate slammed shut with a heavy thud.

Twenty-three days behind bars had transformed him completely.

"Son!" Vincent Ashcroft Sr. rushed forward, his throat tightening at the sight of the scars on his son's shaved head and the bruises at the corner of his mouth.

Vincent gave a faint smile. "Dad."

The car was silent. The elder Ashcroft's hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel.

"It was worth it," Vincent said suddenly. "Those twenty-three days made me realize a lot of things."

His father glanced at him.

"I was naive before." Vincent watched the scenery blur past the window. "Now I know—no one in this world truly cares about me except you."

Before the words faded, the car screeched to a halt.

Lucien Croix stood in the middle of the road, flanked by a dozen bodyguards. Dressed in a tailored suit, his smirk was as blinding as the sun.

"Son," the elder Ashcroft said darkly, "a rabid dog barks, but we don't engage. Stay alert."

Vincent unbuckled his seatbelt. "I won't act recklessly this time, Dad."

He stepped out of the car. The sunlight illuminated his tall, composed figure. The arrogant young master from a month ago was gone.

Lucien swaggered forward. "Vincent, heard you had quite the experience inside?"

Vincent simply stared at him.

"Guess what?" Lucien waved his phone triumphantly. "The Horizon Tech project ended up in my family's hands. Thanks to your bragging about securing it, my father had time to make arrangements."

He leaned in, whispering in Vincent's ear, "The world changed while you were rotting in that cell."

Vincent suddenly smiled. "You're quite something, Lucien."

"Damn right I am!" Lucien sneered. "You're not even fit to polish my shoes now!"

The sound of a fist cutting through air.

Lucien staggered back, blood spraying from his mouth as two front teeth clattered to the ground.

"My teeth!" he shrieked. "Kill him!"

The bodyguards surged forward.

Vincent's eyes sharpened as he dropped into a fighting stance. His time in prison hadn't been wasted.

Amid the flurry of blows, a red sports car rolled to a stop in the distance. The window lowered, revealing Evelyn Roland's striking profile.