My Substitute CEO Bride (Nash Calicraft) novel Chapter 2336

Just then, a gunshot echoed through the sky, cutting Barther's attack short.

He plummeted straight to the ground, fully aware of the power behind that bullet—it was enough to cost him half of his life.

Between his earlier true energy outburst and his relentless punches, Barther's energy was nearly depleted, leaving him defenseless against the impact. The result was inevitable.

Fortunately, the bullet had not struck a vital point. After lying still for a moment, Barther managed to pull himself back up. "I... I can't lose yet!" he spat.

However, before he could regain his footing, Clayton appeared beside him, ready to deliver the final blow.

Without hesitation, Barther swung a punch at Clayton's abdomen, but Clayton absorbed the blow effortlessly. The damage from the bullet was too severe, leaving Barther with no strength left to fight back.

As Clayton reached out to grab the bracelet, he suddenly realized his body was immobilized. Barther, too, found himself restrained by an invisible force.

Chuck emerged from behind them, calmly controlling Clayton to unleash a torrent of flames on Barther, setting him ablaze.

Barther struggled desperately, knowing that once his true energy was exhausted, the flames would consume him entirely. This time, however, Chuck had no intention of sparing either of them.

Clayton's hands trembled as he tried to muster a final resistance, but his efforts were in vain. Chuck approached Clayton from behind, his expression tinged with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Clay."

"What did you do?" Clayton shouted angrily, his voice filled with disbelief.

Chuck glanced up at the sky, lost in thought. He recalled the moment from just hours before when he first touched Zoe's bracelet. He realized then that his ability and Zoe's true energy were remarkably compatible.

When he later acquired Vizimir's bracelet, Chuck knew exactly what he needed to do next.

Smiley approached slowly, her eyes fixed on Barther's lifeless body.

Relieved, she collapsed to the ground. The direct hit she had taken from Barther moments ago had inflicted significant damage, and she was now completely exhausted.

Seeing that the fight was over, Chuck turned to Clayton and asked, "Do you really hate me that much, Clay?"

Clayton remained silent, lost in thought.

The two brothers reminisced about the past. Despite everything, their age difference was small—Chuck was a teenager, around 17 or 18, while Clayton was in his early 20s.

If none of this had happened, Clayton would have been just a young man, full of life and dreams.