Female Novel
Chapter 1511
Clutching the family seal ring in his fist, Oliver turned on his heel and walked away without a backward
glance.
With a gentle touch, Ian brushed Maja's hair from her sweat-dampened forehead as she lay on the
ground, lost in a fitful slumber that even her dreams couldn't soothe.
His heart ached for her, and guilt gnawed at him for not being able to save her mother.
But right now, protecting Maja was his only focus.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, a rare moment of vulnerability washing over him.
Ever since they had set foot on Forbidden Island, he hadn't dared to rest, working tirelessly to convince
Oliver, investigate the elders' secrets, and familiarize himself with the treacherous terrain.
He regretted dragging Maja into this mess.
The situation with Patric had spiraled beyond his understanding. He wasn't omnipotent; even he could
make a mistake.
"Oliver, you've got ten minutes. If you're not back by then, I'm leaving without you," Ian said into his
phone, his voice steady but firm.
"Okay," came the terse reply.
Oliver was already a good distance away, his figure gradually swallowed by the smoke and chaos of
the battlefield.
Ian started the ten-minute countdown on his phone, determined to keep his promise to Oliver.
Leaning against the wall, he held Maja tightly in his arms as the seconds ticked by. Seven minutes
passed without any sign of Oliver, causing Ian's brow to furrow with concern.
Two more minutes slipped away, and still no Oliver.
As the final minute approached, Ian's gaze was fixed, unblinking on the ticking clock.
He didn't know that Oliver, who had gambled everything, was now lying bloodied and broken, his body
failing him.
Gazing up at the murky sky, Oliver felt raindrops kiss his cheeks. Desperately, he tried to crawl toward
the rendezvous point with Ian, but could only manage to move a mere meter.
As his eyelids grew heavy, a figure approached, stopping close by. A pair of shoes came into Oliver's
fading vision.
"Can you walk?" It was Ian's voice.
Oliver wanted to shake his head, but he couldn't even muster the strength to do that.
Ian crouched down, taking in the gory sight of Oliver's chest wound. It was clear there was no saving
him. A direct hit to the heart, he was merely in his final moments.
Ian closed his eyes for a brief second, swallowing the lump of sorrow in his throat.
Oliver raised his hand, a pained smile on his lips, but his arm fell limp, crashing to the rain-soaked
earth.
Taking a deep breath, Ian felt a newfound contempt for Forbidden Island. It seemed Oliver was the only
one who truly wanted to escape from the Inner Island. He shouldn't have come to confront Robin,novelbin
driven only by a flicker of brotherly loyalty.
But as Robin plunged the knife into Oliver's heart, he uttered only one cold truth.
"The Bradshaw family must not vanish."
It all pointed to Ralap's influence.
The Porter family couldn't tolerate Oliver's defiance, and there was no way they would let him walk free.
Before closing his eyes for the last time, Oliver whispered, "Go on, don't wait for me."
Ian looked up at the distant gunfire and explosions, then turned and walked toward where Maja lay,
leaving Oliver's body to be soon covered by the rubble of the destroyed surroundings.
When he reached the entrance to the tunnel, the others were still waiting.
Picking Maja up, he spoke softly, "Anyone who wants to leave with me, come now. Those who wish to
stay, this is your chance."
The remaining few exchanged hesitant glances. "What about Oliver?" one asked.
Ian didn't reply. Instead, he strode into the depths of the tunnel.
After a moment, the group saluted in the direction he had gone. "Mr. Raymond, until our paths cross
again."
They belonged to the Porter family, and having temporarily followed Ian's command, returning would
mean certain death. They were unfamiliar with the world outside; it would be a fate worse than death.
They were not like Oliver, who had the resolve to break free from it all. They only wished to protect their
own small piece of territory.
Ian didn't look back, holding Maja close as he moved forward.
Meanwhile, K sat on a ship with his face growing darker by the minute. He had expected a smooth
operation, but Dylan and Abner's men had arrived, and to his shock, Quentin had betrayed him.
Even if he and Quentin had never seen eye to eye, they belonged to the same organization. How could
Quentin turn against him to help Ian?
It simply didn't make sense.