My Substitute CEO Bride (Nash Calicraft) novel Chapter 2330

Zoe could not afford to hesitate. She compressed the water droplets and shot them from her fingertips, creating a tiny puncture in the barrier.

Realizing it worked, she gathered more water from the air, aiming precisely at the barrier.

Before she could continue, flames erupted beside her, forcing Zoe to step back. She knew the barrier's creator had detected her attempts to break through and was now interfering directly.

A wall of raging flames surged toward her. Zoe reacted swiftly, summoning a massive water column to counter the fire. As she struggled to hold back the flames, she heard footsteps approaching behind her.

It was Clayton, looking frantic.

"Zoe? What are you doing here? Did you start the fire?" Clayton asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

Zoe shook her head at this.

Clayton continued, "Where's Chucky? Where is he right now?"

Zoe no longer bothered to respond. She continued to focus on the barrier, launching water droplets at it.

A large crack finally appeared. Just one more hit, and she knew the barrier would collapse.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, Zoe felt an intense heat sear her back just as she released another burst of water.

At the same time, the barrier shattered, and Chuck emerged. He was relieved to be free.

His joy, however, quickly turned to horror at the sight before him.

Zoe lay on the ground, struggling to breathe. Behind her stood Clayton—his own brother—holding his hand out that was still blazing with fire. He had struck Zoe directly, piercing her chest with flames.

Though Zoe had narrowly dodged a fatal hit, the damage was severe. She collapsed, weak and gasping. Clayton grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up.

Clayton suddenly snapped, shouting, "I am not your brother! Shut up!"

He then began to recount his deep-seated hatred for the Calhouns.

"Do you know? Dad should have never spared me that night. He should've killed me along with my mother and sister! "From that night on, the flames of revenge within me were already burning!"

Clayton's memories drifted back.

Many years ago, the Calhouns were on the verge of becoming a powerful, emerging family. However, this rise had nothing to do with Nestor. It was Nestor's older brother, Nielsen, who truly held the reins of the Calhouns.

Nielsen constantly sidelined his younger brother, forcing Nestor into a secluded life in the mountains, where he married an ordinary woman and had a son and a daughter.

Nestor had thought he could live a peaceful life away from his family's ruthless power struggles, but an unexpected disaster quietly unfolded.