Thousands of Brilliant Stars: You Deserve the Best!-Chapter 214: Her Beauty, Forever Young

Pearl Winters heard the name Lachlan Wyatt and paused for a moment.

But Lucas Lane, held in her arms, couldn’t hold on any longer, and collapsed, falling into the heavy rain.

"Lucas... Lucas..."

Pearl Winters, like a blind person, continually groped over Lucas Lane’s body, "I’ll go find Lachlan... I’ll go right now..."

Not far away, Jonas Kingsley chuckled, putting away his weapon. He seemed to enjoy witnessing moments of life and death separation. Isn’t life’s endeavor leading everyone towards a death anyway?

He merely advanced the countdown to that death.

Jonas Kingsley lowered his gaze; behind him, Hannah Lennox stepped forward to hold an umbrella for him. The woman gave him the entire umbrella surface, standing herself in the rain. Her long hair wet and sticking to her frame, she opened her mouth, "The Third Young Master... How far do you want to go?"

"Destroy everything Lachlan Wyatt has."

Word by word, Jonas Kingsley’s statements were washed away by the heavy rain. He spoke with gritted teeth, as if mentioning Lachlan Wyatt was the only thing that could stir his emotions, "Everything he worked so hard to accomplish, I want to destroy."

"But Lachlan Wyatt is just like you. In the case from that year..."

You were both innocent.

Hannah Lennox wanted to say something but ultimately shut her mouth, following behind Jonas Kingsley. Jonas Kingsley didn’t bother with her drenched state. He merely glanced at her and then said, "Let’s go."

He noticed pedestrians by the roadside observing Lucas Lane’s collapse. Blood spread along his limbs on the ground, and the air seemed to carry an indelible scent of blood.

And Pearl Winters had already vanished.

Lachlan Wyatt and Iris Crawford were awakened by a midnight knock on the door, only to find Pearl Winters standing outside.

Lachlan Wyatt was shocked, impossible, Pearl Winters actually...

It must be Jonas Kingsley deliberately letting her out to find them!

Iris Crawford found it novel, "Are you Uncle Liam Winslow’s wife?"

Pearl Winters didn’t speak, reacting after a long pause, saying to Lachlan Wyatt, "Save Lucas Lane, save Lucas Lane..."

Lachlan Wyatt held Pearl Winters’ hand, "Please wait a moment, we’ll check what’s happening right away..."

Iris Crawford looked at Lachlan Wyatt with confusion, "Aren’t you notifying Liam Winslow?"

"Jonas Kingsley deliberately sent her here to find Liam Winslow."

Lachlan Wyatt pulled Pearl Winters into the room, "Liam Winslow must not know Pearl Winters is here. Otherwise, it will benefit Jonas Kingsley."

"What do you mean?"

Iris Crawford couldn’t comprehend why Jonas Kingsley had ties to the previous generation. Why... Lachlan Wyatt presented her an exhibition of a plan transcending humanity, while she was just a small part of this plan.

Perhaps, malice is the most dangerous weapon in this world.

Lachlan Wyatt locked Pearl Winters in the room, then said to Iris Crawford, "Find Shayna Shaw’s brother Elias Shaw, tell him Lucas Lane is in trouble, remember to also protect the foundation; its data is important. This is another part of Jonas Kingsley’s revenge because, after the Zelarian Federation’s gang was eliminated, Lucas Lane took over those victims."

Which means the women and children kidnapped by Jonas Kingsley were rescued by Lucas Lane and his foundation.

No wonder Jonas Kingsley deliberately targeted Lucas Lane.

"What about you?"

Iris Crawford was stunned, surprised by Lachlan Wyatt’s primal and physical method to hide Pearl Winters, "But that’s a living human being! Right now, only Uncle Li Winslow can protect her; she’s his wife. He has the right to know all of this!"

Iris Crawford’s words were correct; it was Lachlan Wyatt acting on impulse.

But.

Lachlan Wyatt isolated Iris Crawford outside the door, "Sorry, Iris, I have something I must do."

"If Jonas Kingsley’s purpose is to strike Lucas Lane and you, why release Pearl Winters specifically? He can easily find our location..."

Why?

Why?

Perhaps Lachlan Wyatt knew in his heart.

To witness destruction firsthand.

Like, at fifteen.

News of Pearl Winters being alive and found would soon reach Liam Winslow; Lachlan Wyatt knew, it couldn’t be hidden.

Unless he now could destroy the signal emitter on Pearl Winters, Jonas Kingsley would certainly have this trick in mind.

But... it’s too late.

Car sounds arose outside; it wasn’t only Liam Winslow but also the firm’s people who had rushed over.

Having accepted Liam Winslow’s commission request, they had naturally appeared, and at this moment, Liam Winslow led the crowd into Iris Crawford’s villa, seeing Iris Crawford also standing at the door, he asked, "Where’s my wife?"

Iris Crawford pointed to the locked door upstairs, "Upstairs..."

"Why don’t you let her out?"

Liam Winslow swept his gaze around, "Lachlan Wyatt locked her up?"

"Yes. We can’t go up temporarily." Iris Crawford didn’t understand why Lachlan Wyatt was doing this, but... instinctively she spoke up to defend Lachlan Wyatt, "Perhaps, Uncle Liam Winslow, giving him some time to handle things, Lachlan Wyatt will give you a perfect explanation."

"Explanation?"

Liam Winslow uncontrollably rushed upstairs, "Lachlan Wyatt! Get out here! Give me back my wife, I beg you, anything you want—you bring back my wife..."

In the end, Liam Winslow seemed to suddenly realize what Lachlan Wyatt was trying to do. He kicked open the door, trembling as he looked inside, "Lachlan Wyatt, I know what you’re trying to do... I’m grateful for your efforts over the past few years, but..."

Iris Crawford became increasingly baffled by Liam Winslow’s words, yet even without understanding, she still went forward with the firm’s companions; if Liam Winslow and Lachlan Wyatt clashed, they’d have to intervene.

But, Iris Crawford did not expect, Liam Winslow suddenly knelt before Lachlan Wyatt.

That kneel felt as if the sky were collapsing.

Iris Crawford and the firm’s people showed shocked expressions, and in the next second, heard Liam Winslow say, "Lachlan Wyatt, I know, without doing this, these matters cannot be thoroughly resolved, but Lachlan Wyatt..."

Don’t, I beg you...

Years ago, I already saw her die before my eyes once, don’t let this time...

"The dream was built by you for me..."

Liam Winslow’s heart felt as if dead ashes, watching Lachlan Wyatt’s actions, "Don’t smash my dream with your own hands again."

Inside the room, Lachlan Wyatt’s hand was placed on Pearl Winters’ neck, yet Pearl Winters didn’t resist. She merely looked motionlessly at Liam Winslow outside, softly saying, "Brother?"

Just those two words, Brother, brought Liam Winslow to tears.

Seeing Lachlan Wyatt’s movement at that moment, Iris Crawford realized it.

Yes, indeed from the start, all the truths were fully revealed before her.

Her eyes reddened, she moved her mouth to say to Pearl Winters, "Your perfume remains eternal in this world, undying and unvanishing."

Undying and unvanishing.

Pearl Winters blinked her eyes, as if something touched her.

"If I die, will you remember me?"

"Death won’t make you disappear."

Iris Crawford closed her eyes, "Forgetting will."

Liam Winslow had seen much in his life, yet at this moment he couldn’t control his emotions. He collapsed on the ground like a child, breathing heavily and crying bitterly.

"Give her back to me..."

Amidst Liam’s futile pleas, Iris saw Lachlan Wyatt’s face suddenly change, and in the next second, a beep sounded from Pearl Winters’ body!

"There’s a bomb on her!"

Lachlan turned pale and shouted to Iris and the others, "There’s no time to run! Get down!"

The sound of an explosion roared in their ears. Iris hadn’t expected that Jonas Kingsley had also placed a bomb on Pearl Winters. Thick black smoke enveloped her entire vision, and the impact of the gunpowder sent her rolling away!

As Iris tried to dodge, a hand reached out to protect her. The smoke stung her eyes, preventing her from opening them. It was a long while before she managed to ask, "Where’s Lachlan? Where’s Lachlan?"

The person protecting her was Martin Hawthorne, who kicked away a piece of rubble beside him. The blast’s force was significant, and his ears were still ringing from it. After hastily calling for emergency services and notifying Elias Shaw, they rushed to the blast center and found Lachlan unconscious, blown into a corner of the room!

He was covered in blood and seemed to be clutching something tightly in his hand.

In that moment, Iris’s heart clenched. She rushed forward, shouting, "Lachlan is here! Peach, Peach!"

"I’m here, leave him to me."

Peach carried some medical supplies with her, "I’ll perform some basic wound care; Iris, don’t touch him now. If his ribs are broken, any movement may puncture his internal organs during transportation!"

Iris, who was about to lift Lachlan, paused. She couldn’t believe that such an explosion had happened right before her eyes and that Lachlan was now...

He was always so frivolous, yet so strong. But now he lay there, silent and covered in blood.

Iris collapsed next to Lachlan, "Why is this happening..."

She gently pried open Lachlan’s hand, discovering a tightly held chip.

All at once, the whole situation unfolded like a painting before Iris. Electric currents seemed to surge through her mind, and she understood, she finally understood!

At this moment, Liam Winslow, choking and coughing, shakily stood up, seemingly searching for something.

"Where is my wife, my wife..."

Blood was everywhere on the ground, but whose was it really?

"Your wife is here," Iris’s gaze darkened as she seemingly accepted this despairing truth. She gently raised the chip Lachlan had protected with his life, looking up with eyes full of profound sorrow at Liam Winslow, "Uncle, your wife... is here."

A small chip carried all the memories of Pearl Winters "returning" to Liam Winslow.

He approached with trembling steps, looking at the chip in Iris’s hand, his dreams shattered, he staggered back a few steps, supported by James Chesterton, "Uncle Liam, please accept my condolences."

"I should have realized it... from the beginning."

Iris shook her head, as if denying herself, "This was all Jonas Kingsley’s plan. He released Pearl Winters, implanted a bomb on her, first sending her to find Lucas Lane, then to us, all for the purpose of..."

Forcing us to repeatedly watch our loved ones leave.

"Lachlan’s action of placing his hand on Pearl Winters’ neck was to destroy her, to prevent the bomb on her from detonating..." Iris lowered her head, her hair falling over her face, obscuring her expression, "When Lachlan destroyed Number One, it was the same action. I should have known... the most direct and cruel evidence was already before us, yet we failed to realize it. Was it because it was too real? Or did everyone just not want to wake from this dream..."

Iris finally looked up, tears slipping from her eyes as she rubbed the chip in her palm, "Aunt Pearl, we’re really stupid, your returning appearance... has always been frozen in time from when you were young."

Everyone felt a shock in their hearts.

Pearl Winters’s never-aging appearance perhaps revealed the entire truth.

She was a robot.

A robot Liam Winslow purchased from Lachlan, custom-made for him.

That’s why Liam said Lachlan created a dream for him.

And they, busy with the case, forgot that real humans age; only robots do not.

If Pearl Winters were truly alive, her appearance should have aged alongside Liam Winslow, with some wrinkles, a few strands of white hair...

But she remained eternally young.

Iris handed the chip to Liam Winslow, "Lachlan locked her away for emergency treatment, perhaps having guessed that Jonas Kingsley had tampered with the programs in Pearl Winters’s body, causing her to self-destruct before us."

Jonas Kingsley was a twisted individual, wanting to see separation and despair time and time again.

She misunderstood Lachlan.

He bore all the burden alone, locking Pearl away so that the explosion wouldn’t harm others?

Lachlan took on all the risks himself, and she failed to realize...

Liam Winslow wailed, "I thought... this time, I could walk to the end with Pearl Winters..."

She wouldn’t age, wouldn’t bleed, wouldn’t feel pain.

She was a robot; even after his death, her parts would likely still function smoothly.

But... now, watching Pearl Winters explode into pieces before his eyes, Liam’s heart felt like it was being torn out.

The pain brought clarity; he saw the chaos around him, feeling as if he had aged in an instant, "My Pearl..."

Pearl Winters was a robot designed for him by Lachlan, and after her appearance, Liam Winslow gave everything he had to her, knowing she wasn’t truly alive, yet still wanting to offer her the best of everything in the world.

As if it was compensation.

Pearl, is this the punishment from heaven?

We parted once in life, and now once again in death.

Liam Winslow covered his face, letting out a mournful howl.

The sound of ambulances grew nearer, amidst the chaos, Iris seemed frozen, looking at the pieces of robot parts scattered on the ground, looking at Lachlan lying there. All she felt was bewilderment, and following that endless pain, repeatedly experiencing the process of "losing" was like being tortured over and over again.

Jonas Kingsley wanted to see them in despair. Behind this act, what else was being provoked besides Liam Winslow?

Iris went to look at Lachlan’s face; his eyes were shut, and at this moment, he could provide no answers to her.

Yet a thought crossed her mind.

Was it possible... someone had died like this before Lachlan in the past?

That’s why Jonas Kingsley used this method, to provoke not only Liam Winslow but Lachlan as well.

To tell him.

With eyes wide open, alive, I will make you watch someone leave you.

All the people around you, everything you protect and create, will die like this before your eyes.