Chapter 478
No.1
“Hah! Finally, someone with some sense—” Takashi’s boast was cut short.
Isabella moved like a shadow. In a blink, she was behind him. The cold edge of the dagger pressed against his throat.
Takashi froze, completely caught off guard. He stood rigid, fear locking his limbs. Everyone in the basement stared, stunned. How was she so fast? How did she take their leader hostage so effortlessly?
The head bodyguard reacted first, lunging for Benjamin. But Benjamin was quicker, dodging and scrambling behind Isabella’s protective stance.
Isabella pressed the blade harder. A thin red line appeared on Takashi’s neck. “Everyone, step back. Now. Or this blade goes deeper,” she commanded, her voice icy and devoid of mercy.
The guards halted, rooted in place. They could only watch their captive boss, unsure what to do.
Takashi growled, furious and scared. “You’ll pay for this, Isabella! Hurting me is a death sentence! Murder is illegal! You don’t want to—”
He yelped as the dagger bit deeper. A trickle of blood ran down his neck.
“Try me,” she threatened, her gaze terrifyingly cold.
No.2
His legs trembled. “Get back! All of you, move!” he shrieked, his bravado gone.
The bodyguards reluctantly stepped back, creating a path.
Holding Takashi tightly, Isabella began moving toward the exit. Benjamin stayed close behind her. The air was thick with tension, a dangerous standoff with every step they took.
Robert trembled as he followed Isabella closely. He had never felt such bone-chilling fear before.
They were fortunate to have Takashi Yamamoto with them. They made it out of the basement and onto the outdoor walkway. The path was dangerously narrow, and accidents could happen at any moment. Isabella knew Takashi Yamamoto wouldn't let them escape so easily. He definitely had backup plans.
Her priority was ensuring Robert's safe exit from Takashi Yamamoto's stronghold. She pressed a hidden button. It was an emergency signal for Maxwell.
Beep!
Maxwell responded immediately. With the infrared deactivated and the walkway visible, he should arrive quickly.
"Go first," Isabella commanded Robert. "Just keep moving forward. Someone will be waiting for you at the bottom."
No.3
"I can't..." Robert instinctively protested. How could he abandon Isabella in such danger?
Isabella shot him an icy glare. "What good are you staying? You'll just be a liability. Go!"
Robert froze. She was right. He was useless here. He couldn't even protect himself.
Self-loathing washed over him. He hated his own weakness. Swallowing his pride, he turned toward the passage. He had to leave without causing more trouble for Isabella.
As Robert stepped onto the walkway, a bodyguard moved to intercept him. Isabella instantly dragged Takashi Yamamoto to block the entrance. She pressed her dagger against his throat.
"If even one hair on his head is harmed," she threatened coldly, "Takashi Yamamoto dies right here."
The terrified man screamed at his guards, "Don't move! Listen to her! Back off now!"
The bodyguards reluctantly retreated. No one dared touch Robert. His footsteps grew fainter until they disappeared into the night.
Takashi Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. He hadn't seen anyone at the mountain's base earlier. His alarm system hadn't been triggered either. Yet someone was waiting for Robert down there!
No.4
How many people had Isabella brought? He didn't know she only came with two men. More would have been detected. A small team was easier to conceal.
Isabella maintained her vigilant watch. Her eyes never left the bodyguards or Takashi Yamamoto's movements. Nothing could go wrong now.
Time passed slowly. Takashi Yamamoto's back ached from the tense position. He spoke with forced condescension, "Isabella, this is all a misunderstanding. Your brother is safe now. Why not let me go? I promise you'll leave unharmed."
"Shut up," Isabella snapped coldly. She was still calculating how long Robert needed to reach safety.
Takashi Yamamoto flinched at her tone. No one had ever spoken to him like that since childhood. Yet with Isabella, he didn't dare fight back. He could only roll his eyes in frustration.
How dare she treat him this way? She would pay for this!
After twenty minutes, Isabella finally narrowed her eyes. "You're right about one thing," she told Takashi Yamamoto. "Do exactly as I say, and I might let you live. Try anything funny, and you're dead."
She released her hold on his neck and delivered a powerful kick to his backside.
Thud!
No.5
Takashi Yamamoto went flying toward his hundred bodyguards. Isabella immediately sprinted down the walkway.
“Yes, Sir!” Takashi Yamamoto’s hundred bodyguards immediately charged toward the wooden pathway.
Concealed in the darkness beyond the estate were his archers, poised to unleash a deadly volley of arrows at Isabella Montgomery as she fled through the forest.
Swish, swish, swish!
Dozens of arrows sliced through the night air, their razor-sharp tips aimed directly at her shadowy figure.
Isabella’s brow furrowed. Had Takashi stationed snipers around his property?
Hah!
If she dared to come alone, she certainly had a plan to leave unscathed.
With agile precision, she weaved left and right, evading each projectile effortlessly.
No.6
She retrieved a compact, owl-claw grappling device and launched it skyward.
The metal claw embedded itself into a thick tree branch, allowing her to swing through the air gracefully.
In one fluid motion, she propelled herself more than ten meters forward, creating significant distance from her pursuers.
A quick press of a button retracted the device seamlessly back into her hand.
A faint smile touched her lips. Her uncles’ latest invention proved incredibly useful. The upgraded sensitivity far surpassed previous models.
She repeated the maneuver several times until she reached the mountain’s base.
The bodyguards now trailed over two hundred meters behind!
A sleek black car idled silently within the shadowy woods.
Inside, Benjamin Kensington kept vigilant watch over the path.
No.7
The moment he spotted Isabella, he flung the door open urgently. “Isabella, hurry! Get in!”
She leaped into the vehicle without hesitation.
Leaning out the window, she extended a triumphant thumbs-up before abruptly flipping it downward.
The pursuing bodyguards witnessed the taunting gesture as the car sped away.
Fury burned within them. Her skills were unnervingly superior, and she mocked them openly! Damn her!
The team leader immediately contacted Takashi. “Sir, she escaped in a black sedan.”
Upon hearing the news, Takashi’s face darkened with rage.
He hurled his phone against the ground violently. Damn it! How did that woman slip through his fingers?
She had humiliated him profoundly!