Chapter 901: Chapter 901



Ryland turned over in bed, not yet asleep, and noticed Wade standing there.

“Dad, is something wrong?”

“Go back to sleep. I just came to check on you.”

Ryland closed his eyes, and Wade sat beside him. After a moment of silence, he began to speak.

“Before I knew it, you grew up so fast. Do you see this scar on my neck? It’s from saving you when you were little. To be honest, I thought I wouldn’t make it that day. But when I thought about you, all alone in this world, I couldn’t let go. I held on with everything I had.”

He gently patted Ryland’s head. “Life here is getting harder. I checked the mountains today—there’s barely any land left for farming. If you’d like, I can arrange for you to stay with your mom.”

“Dad.” Ryland cut him off, burying his face in Wade’s lap as tears streamed down his cheeks. “Don’t say that, I’ll never leave you. I won’t accept them as my family, and I’ll hate them forever. If I get the chance, I want them to pay for what happened to Uncle Chris.”

“Okay, okay,” Wade said softly, forcing a smile. “Adult stuff isn’t your burden. Just be happy, and that’s enough for me.”

“Okay,” Ryland murmured, his voice breaking before he cried himself to sleep.

Wade’s expression grew somber as his rough fingers continued to stroke Ryland’s hair.

Ryland was his brother’s only son.

How could he possibly send him away?

Ryland would live with him forever.

Even if death came for them both, at least Wade would know he hadn’t failed Chris.

At eighteen, Ryland found no peace in the mountains the Potter family called home.

The land was rife with territorial disputes and ceaseless violence. One day, he carried Wade out of the deep mountains, both of them drenched in blood.

Ryland’s entire body was soaked, his face a chaotic mask of crimson, no longer distinguishable from the blood of others.

Pushed to the brink of survival, Ryland crouched behind a jagged rock, his breath ragged. Aiming at the path they had just escaped, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

“Ryland…” Wade coughed.

Ryland kept his aim steady, his voice resolute. “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll get us out of this. I promise.”

“Ryland.” Wade’s voice was weaker this time as he grabbed Ryland’s arm. “Run…”

In that moment, as death loomed close, Ryland realized how desperately he didn’t want him to die here.

“Dad, don’t worry about me.” Bang.

The shot went wide, but it was enough to alert their ambushers.

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