His After The Heartbreak (BL)-Chapter 178: The Ones Who Came Back

Chapter 178 – The Ones Who Came Back

Declan’s POV

I knew those faces.

The moment my headlights flashed across them—even for that brief second—I knew exactly who the hell they were.

The same bastards.

The same motherf*ckers who had betrayed me.

They were the ones who shot Beatrice.

The same traitors who drained my account like it was theirs, who scammed Beatrice.

My breath changed immediately.

I could feel my heartbeat jump. My hands froze on the wheel for a second.

What the hell were they doing here?

What in the actual f*ck were they doing at my private place?

They came here.

They were waiting.

They came to finish the damn job.

To kill me.

I knew it.

I just f*cking knew it.

They weren’t done with me. They wanted my head, and they thought I’d walk into their trap like a fool.

Idiots.

They thought I wouldn’t see them standing by the gate like vultures.

Right then, I noticed my damn headlights were still on. Not just the outside—the inside cabin light was on too.

F*ck.

I reached for the switch and quickly turned everything off. I wasn’t about to give myself away because of something so stupid. One flicker of light and they’d know it was me. I’d be a walking corpse.

Bloody bastards.

Good thing I wasn’t turning into the mansion just yet. I had planned to drive straight in—but thank f*ck I saw them first.

Instead, I eased my foot on the gas and drove like I was just passing by. Like I didn’t know the mansion even existed.

Like I didn’t own the damn place.

I didn’t stop. Because I knew—I knew—that stopping would mean death.

No one ever stops on this road unless they’re turning in. If I so much as slowed down, they’d know.

And they’d shoot.

I kept my head low and pretended not to see them.

But inside, I was burning with rage.

I knew they couldn’t get inside. That gave me a little peace.

My private mansion had a security system so tight, not even a fly could sneak in. Steel doors. Reinforced locks. No access unless you had my fingerprints and voice.

They couldn’t get through the gate even if they used a bomb.

So they waited.

The only sound I could hear now was my tires screeching on the road. I had stepped hard on the pedal, speeding away from them.

"Dad?! What’s happening?! What the hell is happening?!"

Tyler’s voice suddenly snapped me out of my head.

He was still on the line.

"Dad, please! Talk to me! You’re scaring me!"

I couldn’t talk.

Not right now.

I couldn’t even catch my breath.

My eyes were glued to the rearview mirror, checking if they were following me.

"Please! Answer me! What’s going on?!"

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, sweat dripping from my forehead.

"Who’s chasing you?!" Tyler yelled through the phone. "Who the f*ck is chasing you?! Why are you breathing like this?!"

I wanted to answer him.

But right now, survival came first.

I had to disappear. I had to vanish before they caught up.

"Why are you breathing so hard, Dad?"

Tyler’s voice came through the phone again, nervous and shaky.

I swallowed hard.

"Tyler... you don’t have to worry, alright? Your mom isn’t with me, she’s safe. That’s the person you should be worried about. And she’s fine." I tried to sound calm, even though my chest was about to explode.

"I’m also worried about you, Dad. Not just Mom. I know she’s safe. But what about you?"

I blinked.

For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

Did... did he just say that?

The same Tyler who hated me. The same kid who wouldn’t even call me "Dad" all of the time. And now, suddenly, he was saying he was worried?

I didn’t know what to say.

Maybe this was my chance. Maybe this was the first step.

"I’m going to be okay, Tyler," I said softly. "Be rest assured, I’ll be fine. Don’t be scared, alright?"

I didn’t let him say anything else.

I turned the phone volume down a bit. Not off—just low enough so I could focus on the road and still hear him if he screamed.

I stepped on the gas harder.

I needed to move fast.

Barely anyone knew about the secret. Not even my old security team. I built it for cases like this—for when the front was no longer an option.

"Great idea," I muttered to myself, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

But then... something didn’t sit right.

How the f*ck did they know where my mansion was?

I was so careful. I made sure no one knew. I didn’t even trust my shadow with that information. My new wife? She had no clue. My personal guards? I gave them access to my other houses, but never this one.

So how did they know?

How were they standing right outside the gate like they owned the place?

That place wasn’t even on paper. No records. No address with my name. I made sure of it.

Then it clicked.

Those cocky bastards.

"Those motherf*ckers have been following me," I growled, slamming my palm against the steering wheel.

They had been watching me for weeks.

No—months.

They had tracked my every move, waiting, studying. I hadn’t even gone near that mansion in over a month, and yet they knew.

That means this wasn’t just some rushed job.

They planned it.

They planned all of it.

"Those bloody goats!" I thundered.

My blood was boiling now.

I turned the car into a side street that curved toward the back path leading to the secret entrance. It was a small, almost forgotten road. Even Google Maps wouldn’t recognize it.

I drove faster.

Then it suddenly hit me again—I was still on a call with Tyler.

"Sh*t."

I quickly reached for the volume button and turned it up.

It was like he could sense I turned the volume up, because the moment I did, his voice came through the speaker again.

"Are you there?" he asked, his voice soft but clearly filled with worry.

"Yes, I’m here," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Don’t let your mind run wild, son. I’m okay. You don’t have to be bothered."

He was quiet for a few seconds, like he was trying to calm himself down. But then he spoke again.

"Okay... but what happened? What’s happening over there, Dad?"

I let out a shaky breath.

"I was on my way to my other house... to hide there for a while, just to be safe. But the moment I got close, I saw them."

"The same bastards who betrayed me. The same ones who tried to kill me and your mom. They were already there. Waiting."

I heard him gasp on the other end.

It was loud..

"Don’t panic," I added quickly. "I’m okay. I noticed before they noticed me. I drove past like I was just taking a route. They didn’t follow. I’m fine, Tyler. Stay calm."

He was breathing hard now, and I could tell his mind was racing.

"Where are you going now, then?" he asked. "If they already blocked that place, where are you headed? You said that was your only safe house..."

I paused for a second.

"I told you not to worry about me," I said gently. "I’m not going to die. Not now. Not tonight. I always have a way out. Always."

He went silent again.

Then he finally said, "Okay... please be safe, Dad."

He was about to hang up. But then a question rushed into my mind.

"Wait—Tyler," I said, before he could end the call.

"Yeah?"

I cleared my throat.

"How... how did you know your mom wasn’t doing okay? Who told you that she was dead?"

He didn’t say anything.

"I mean it, Tyler. I didn’t call you. My phone didn’t dial by mistake. There’s no way you could’ve overheard anything. So how did you know something happened to Beatrice?"

He was silent for a moment.

Then he answered.

"Actually, Dad... your phone didn’t dial by mistake," he said slowly.

"The person that called us... didn’t do it by accident. They called to tell us that my mom was dead."

"What?"

"Yeah," he continued, his voice tight. "They said she was shot to death. That she didn’t make it. They called and told us that she’s gone."

In that moment—everything clicked.

Of course.

It was still them.

Those goats. Those f*cking snakes.

After they shot Beatrice, they didn’t stop there. They didn’t just walk away.

They called.

They called to spread fake information. To make sure that even if Beatrice survived, her own child would already believe she was dead.

Maybe... maybe they thought she really was dead.

Maybe they didn’t wait long enough to see if she was still breathing.

Or maybe... they just wanted to make sure we were all broken from the inside before they finished the job.

I gritted my teeth.

"But Tyler," I said, my voice raw, "I didn’t call. I wasn’t even thinking straight around that time. Beatrice was shot right beside me. Blood everywhere. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to call anyone. I didn’t even think of my own damn phone."