Chapter 243: Roland Graves and His Men Encircled Caleb

Roland Graves and his men encircled Caleb, suspended precariously above the water. Their eyes darted nervously toward Lucas Harrington, filled with palpable dread. Roland’s knife shook visibly in his unsteady grip. He swallowed hard, forcing out the words. “Boss Harrington… I apologize for the disrespect. But you must see—we had no other option!”

“Time’s up.” Lucas’s mouth curved into a cold, faint smile.

Confusion flickered across the men’s faces—but it was too late. Lucas had already drawn a sleek, matte-black firearm from inside his tailored suit. He raised it, aiming directly between Roland Graves’s eyes. Roland’s gaze sharpened. He lifted the blade, ready to sever the rope. He was certain—Boss Harrington would hesitate. He wouldn’t risk it. Bang. Lucas pulled the trigger. Before the knife could even touch the rope, the bullet tore through Roland’s forehead. Blood sprayed. Such impossible speed. It was over in less than a breath. He’d been stopped the instant he moved.

Roland’s body convulsed violently. The knife slipped from his fingers, vanishing into the dark lake below as he collapsed backward.

“Boss Graves!”

His remaining men scrambled to catch him. Thoughts of the promised five million vanished. Survival was all that mattered now. They dropped to their knees, begging.

“Forgive us, Boss Harrington! We were wrong! This—this man is yours! Take him!”

They bowed low, dragging Roland’s body as they scrambled away, desperate to escape. Lucas paid them no further mind. He tucked the weapon away and strode toward Caleb. With a sharp tug, he loosened the knot securing the rope to the tree. Caleb dropped heavily onto the grass. Caleb stared up, stunned. The man before him moved with lethal grace. Every gesture controlled, every action precise. Why would someone of his stature come to save him?

“Why did you help me?” Caleb rasped, his voice weak.

Lucas looked down at him, a slight, almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. “I’m your brother-in-law.” Five words. Delivered like a verdict. Quiet, yet burning with intensity. Brother-in-law? Lucas Harrington? His? Caleb ran through his sisters. Vanessa—her reputation in ruins. Sienna—scandalized years ago. Sophia—still locked away, hidden from the world. Which one could possibly be connected to Lucas Harrington? Just then, the door of the luxury car swung open. Noah came running out on unsteady legs, his small voice urgent. “Daddy! Daddy, hurry! The bad man is proposing to Mommy!” Proposing?

Lucas took the tablet from Noah. On the screen, the glamour of the Starlight Gala unfolded. Derek Prescott was on one knee, holding out a massive bouquet of roses to Sienna. Right on cue, her voice rang clear. “Alright. I have three conditions. Fulfill them, and we can be married tonight.” Married. Tonight. Was she actually considering it? A man like Derek would agree to anything—thirty conditions wouldn’t stop him. Lucas’s fists clenched, his knuckles bleaching white. He was about to pull out his phone when Sienna began speaking again.

“First,” she stated, her tone icy and resolved. “You will testify publicly about every crime Vanessa Bennett committed against me. You will personally ensure she is sent to prison.”