Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 2805

Back in Chetvine, Nigel and his squad returned to the Lloyd family estate just as daylight broke. As the division head, Nigel was drenched in blood, and the sight made every other department head in the council hall tense up immediately.

At the head of the table, Donovan's expression was dark as he asked, "Did you find Andrew?"

Nigel unstrapped his bloodstained saber and slammed it onto the table before he finally caught his breath.

"I'm sorry, Patriarch Donovan. I failed. I couldn't find Andrew. But he should still be alive."

He had said "alive," not "safe," which only made the news slightly better than the worst-case scenario.

Donovan suddenly roared, "Keep searching! Even if it's just a body, I want every inch of this land turned upside down until you find it."

The other department heads flinched. They had served the Lloyds for years, yet it had been a long time since they had seen Donovan completely lose his temper.

Nigel reported coldly, "Patriarch Donovan, on this mission, I caught up with almost everyone from the Harding family apart from Sergio and executed them on the spot. As for the Cunningham family, Otto managed to get back to Chetvine with the help of the Godsmith's Armor and Guillermo's support.

"But the old bastard still traded blows with me before he fled. I took a punch from him, but my saber pierced clean through his palm."

The head of the assassination unit said coldly, "That can serve as our formal declaration of war. Within Chetvine, we won't move. But outside its borders, the Cunningham and Harding families are now prey for the Lloyd royal family. Being executed at will is the final mercy the Lloyd family will show them."

Donovan shook his head, his voice grave. "I'm not concerned with that right now. I only want to know Andrew's whereabouts."

The department heads fell silent. They had exhausted every available method and were unsure of Andrew's current state as well. They could only confirm he was alive; everything else was unknown.

The Lloyd family's intelligence network was vast, but the one who had taken Andrew was a foreign martial god.

Nigel had learned this while pursuing Sergio, who had been injured by that very foreign martial god. However, the Lloyd family had no idea who this foreign martial god was, their name, or their intentions.

That unknown factor was what infuriated Donovan the most.

The family had not anticipated that this ambush would ultimately draw in powerful figures from beyond their borders.

The head of the Assassination Unit suggested cautiously, "Patriarch Donovan, perhaps the person who took Andrew is connected to Reginald."

So, even though Reginald was regarded as unmatched by the Lloyd upper ranks, they could not help but worry deeply.

Nigel hissed, "Those Western freaks really love ambushing people. Seems they've forgotten how our Eastern martial artists wiped them out 100 years ago."

The head of the assassination unit replied coldly, "Talking about the past is pointless. Holtrien has been too busy fighting itself. When we kill our own, it's no wonder outsiders take advantage."

Donovan gave his orders sharply. "Everyone, continue tracking Andrew's whereabouts. And contact our overseas branches. No matter the cost, we need to know Reginald's situation. Anyone in the Lloyd family can fall except for those two. If anything happens to either father or son, our century-long endeavor will be ruined in an instant."

The department heads nodded slowly, their expressions heavy. Losing either Reginald or Andrew would be like removing a cornerstone of the Lloyd family's foundation.

Currently, the Lloyd royal family's position within Holtrien was already precarious. Thanks to Guillermo's machinations, they were facing constraints from multiple sides, and it was unclear how long this would last.

The one small relief was that Sheena and the others had returned safely to the family compound, which allowed Donovan, the helmsman, to breathe a little easier.

It truly seemed like an era of great turmoil was dawning. Chaos was erupting among all factions, both at home and abroad.