Chapter 529

After a few shots, those who had been climbing the rock face–no matter how strong or famous they had been in life–turned into cold, lifeless corpses at the bottom.
They were caught off guard, and even those who realized what was happening had nowhere to run.
Their blood spread, staining the ground. The intricate patterns came to life, almost completely illuminated. There was just a little bit more to go.
But just when it seemed it would be completed, it stopped abruptly.
Pete ordered for two more shots to be fired into the depths, but it was still insufficient to complete the last pattern.
“Alas…” Pete sighed, almost as though he was disappointed, but it seemed to be within his calculations as well.
He then turned to Kayla, offering her a soft, affectionate smile. He asked slowly, “Kayla, do you love me?”
Kayla froze for a moment. She felt the progression was a bit too fast. After all, they hadn’t even officially become a couple, and he was jumping straight to this question already.
However, she had to admit that she had deep feelings for Pete, and she also valued the power and influence of the Carrell family.
Securing this man was the best option for her at the moment!
So, she nodded vigorously. Her gaze was tender, shy, and bashful as she replied, “Pete, you already know the answer. My heart is yours. Of course, I love you…”
“Great. Since you love me, you’re willing to do anything for me, right?” Pete asked as he took a step closer to her, his breath nearly brushing her ear. His posture was intimate and enticing, like a lover’s whisper–tender yet alluring.
Kayla’s face flushed again. Instinctively, she wanted to nod and please the man before her.
But at that very moment, her gaze inadvertently fell upon the grim scene in the crevice below and the last part of the mechanism before it was fully activated. A sudden chill shot through her heart.
An unprecedented sense of fear and dread washed over her, seeping through every pore of her being and chilling her down to the bones.
Kayla shuddered, feeling as if she had just been thrown into the icy waters of midwinter. All the admiration and fantasies she had harbored just moments ago shattered in an instant.
When she looked at Pete again, she saw not the gentle face she had known but an expression full of malice. Those eyes that had once been so tender and focused now glowed with the cruelty and viciousness of a venomous snake.
Finally, it clicked in Kayla’s mind. Before those people had fallen into the crevice, Pete had patiently answered all their questions. It was because the dead were the best keepers of secrets.
At that time, he had answered all her questions just as thoroughly without hesitation.
Back then, Kayla had secretly rejoiced, thinking she had gained access to the heart of his secrets. She thought Pete trusted her deeply and had let down his guard around her, even sharing the legendary secret with her.
Now, she realized how utterly wrong she was!
In Pete’s eyes, she was no different from the others. She was already a dead man walking in his mind. He had brought her along just for this moment.
“Pete…” Kayla trembled violently.
Pete seemed puzzled as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Still smiling, he asked softly, “Kayla, you’re shaking all over. Are you… afraid of me?” He was smiling, but his gaze was icy.