Chapter 168 - I Will Save You

"Julian, what the hell do you think you're doing?" 

Lewis's voice shook as his eyes landed on the pistol in Julian's hand. As soon as his voice reached the man whose back was facing him, Quentin turned around with a pale complexion. His eyes first landed on Lewis and then on Dion, whom he believed Devon's lover.

"Hey," called Quentin, snapping Dion back from his trance. "Why are you just standing there? How can you let your brother do this to her?"

"What..." Dion didn't even have the luxury to be surprised upon recognizing Quentin, as the matters at hand were far more shocking. 

"Lu," Devon choked in panic as soon as she locked eyes with Lewis.

"Julian..." His hand balled into a fist as his vision slowly darkened. This... this look on her face was what he haunted him before. 

"Damn it... one after another..." Julian let out a deep sigh before shifting his eyes back to Devon. "My dear, why do you have to flirt with every man you see? If only you behaved, this won't happen."

"Ken, please don't...." her lower lips trembled as her voice got lost in her throat. All she could do was stare at Julian, who was looking down at her in pity.

"You don't love him, my dearest. You're simply too caught up in his lies," he muttered while caressing her cheek with his thumb. "So, I'll be saving you again. Don't worry."

"Second brother, what are you saying?" Dion took a step forward, wide-eyed, but stopped when Julian glanced at him. The latter moved his arm and pointed his pistol at him, making Dion raise his hand in disbelief.

"Second brother, how can you... point a gun at me?"

Until now, Dion was hoping this wasn't real. That this was just a terrible nightmare. Julian wasn't this crazy. He was always composed, calm, and too blunt on his own good. But his brother wasn't a criminal. 

Lies.

Was Julian lying all this time? Who was the second brother who had protected him? Wasn't he Lewis' most trusted brother beside Derek? Just what was going on? Just who was this person right in front of them right now?

"Put down the gun," Quentin tried to persuade him while taking a step but halted when Julian shifted the gun at him. "I don't know the problem, but you are hurting her and your brothers."

"Tch." Julian snickered, which soon grew into hair-raising laughter. "Brothers? Mister De Luca, you better stay away from here because the more I see your face, the more I want to peel that face off of you."

"Julian..." Lewis gazed down while clutching his hand into a tight fist. "... have you ever... think of us as your brothers?"

"What a stupid question." Julian chortled as he glanced at Lewis and then at Dion apathetically. "It should be I who is asking that question. Have you Qin Lewis and that old man Qin ever considered us as your family? Or are we just your pets, so that the lonely young master Qin isn't sad?"

"Second Brother!" Dion yelled angrily as his entire body shook.

"Oh, Dion... I am always amused at how you always stay so positive. You know very well that we are just the lost children the old man Qin picked up for his beloved grandson. Can you even recall a time where that bastard old fool acknowledged you?"

Dion's eyes darkened as his chest moved in and out heavily. "You... don't disrespect Grandpa like that."

"Disrespect? Oh, Dion. Apparently, I am not trying to. I'm simply stating a fact." Julian rolled his eyes and waved the hand that was holding the pistol. "If it hurts, then that only means it's true, right?"

"You ungrateful bastard," Dion cursed Julian for the first time, but Julian just replied with a chuckle.

"Whatever you say, Dion. But know this, I considered none of you as my family. You don't know how I loathe every second I had to waste my precious time trying to please the young master Qin. And you don't know how I seethed inside when I have to pretend like a good brother to you annoying brats."

"Enough." Lewis raised his head, as he had heard enough. It was painful to hear and see all this unfold so suddenly. Marshall would also be heartbroken if he heard about this, but this situation was irreversible. 

What Julian said just now only proved that he truly planned to frame Lewis for tax evasion. That his second brother, whom he trusted so much, had planned to bring the Qin Empire to ruin. 

"What, Master Qin? Derek is not here, and so are your guards. I don't think they can shoot me in this place." Julian looked around the way to the fire exit. They had been here for quite some time now, but no one had accidentally walked in. He was aware Lewis probably closed off the area, as he was that kind of person. 

"You know, CEO Qin, you should worry about something else." Julian continued in a knowing tone, tugging Devon closer to him. "I believed you will have to face bigger issues later."

"You mean the tax evasion?" Julian's brows quirked, a little taken aback as he didn't expect Lewis to know about this 'present' he prepared for him. "Julian, let her go and I will give you a head start. Because if you don't, I might not go to prison for tax issues, but for murder."

"Hahaha!" Julian burst out in laughter upon hearing Lewis' empty threats. "Ahh... brother, I don't know you can speak jokes! That is hilarious!"

But Lewis wasn't joking as he took a step forward. He didn't stop even when Julian pointed the muzzle at him, but he did when Devon shook her head.

"Lu! No!" she warned at the top of her lungs, shaking her head profusely. "Stay away!"

Out of desperation, she hooked her arms around Julian. "I don't want to be saved! You three! Turn around and go! Just leave us alone, will you!?"

"Sis..."

"Just let us go! What is wrong with you?!" 

"You..." Quentin balled his hand, seeing how she desperately wanted to sacrifice herself... for them. 

"Please... just give up... for me...!" Devon bit her lower lips as tears stained her cheek. "I'm tired already..."

Lewis' heart sank upon hearing her last remarks. His eyes fell on her trembling arms, which were clinging to Julian. Among them all, she was the most scared, but she was clinging to the person whom she feared the most. That was because she didn't want any of them to get hurt. 

"How can I...?" before he knew it, Lewis took another step forward while gnashing his teeth. He didn't care if Julian would shoot him, and he knew deep down this was stupid, but they were desperate. 

"Stop, Young Master Qin," Julian warned, but Lewis didn't listen. "Do you think I won't shoot?"

Devon held her breath as she gazed up at Julian. His eyes glinted as the corner of his lips curled up into a sinister smirk. Before she could think, she pushed herself away from him and tried to run towards Lewis. 

However, Julian had seen it coming. Hence, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back before they heard a deafening shot across the establishment. 

BANG!

*******

Meanwhile, in the Qin old residence, Marshall Qin gazed at Derek who was on the long couch inside his study room. The atmosphere in the room was thick, as neither of them talked for quite some time now.

Marshall let out a deep exhale as he glanced at the documents laid on the small table before him. "Julian set this all up?"

"Yes, Chairman." Derek nodded solemnly. "I had checked multiple times and everything leads to him."

"And that brat knew about it?"

"CEO Qin is the one who told me to investigate the second young master." Derek clarified, still wondering how Lewis knew Julian was up to something. Knowing Lewis, he trusted his brothers so much that he wouldn't suspect them of anything. 

Marshall let out a faint chuckle while slapping the leather armrest lightly. "Did he ask you to come in here?"

"No, Chairman. I came in here of my own volition to inform you about this problem that will strike the Qin Empire." Derek's tone remained distant and solemn, staring at Marshall fearlessly in the eye. "This might lead to the company's bankruptcy with all the fine it will have to pay. Not to mention, CEO Qin will go to prison... for sure."

All Marshall could do was laugh weakly, still unable to wrap his head around this huge issue. But what truly shocked him was the person who orchestrated this. 

"Julian... that child, I knew he is ambitious, but I never thought he will stab his brother in the back like that." The old man's eyes flickered with sadness. There was not a trace of hatred in it, but just melancholy.

"That boy... I can still remember how his eyes were on fire when he asked me to adopt him. He was a strange kid... but a pitiful one." A bitter smile turned up on his wrinkly face as he gazed down at the documents. "It's not his fault. That child and Lewis… it's not their fault. It's mine. I failed them."

There was a moment of silence in the room. Derek respected Marshall to absorb everything. The chairman was known as a tyrant in his prime, but actually, he had cherished his grandsons as his treasures. He didn't spoil them, but he thought giving them the knowledge and honing their survival skills in this cruel world was the best he could do. 

But in the end, it seemed he had failed since Julian seemed to hold a grudge against them. Marshall thought this could be prevented if he paid more attention to them.

"Anyway, I'm very sure you didn't come in here without my grandson's permission just to tell me this problem." Marshall raised his head and set his eyes on Derek, the man who would kill for Lewis. "Am I right?"

Derek took a deep breath before his lips parted. "Will you go to prison, Chairman Qin?"