Chapter 1041: Chapter 1040
Rosemary’s words left without anything to rebut. Indeed, this was how Martha had taught her. But she had always been wavering, so.
"I regret letting her raise you." Louisa, bound to a pillar, lamented with a heavy heart, "If it weren’t for her, maybe there was still hope for you."
Once upon a time, Serena was as pure and innocent as a blank canvas, untainted by the world.
It was Martha who poisoned her ear, fanning the flames of deceit, coupled with the shift in her own mindset, that led her down the path of no return.
If only they, as her parents, had realized in time.
Maybe everything could have been different.
It wasn’t that they were overly attached to Serena as their daughter, but rather they grieved the loss of a kind soul who had been led astray—the cost was simply too high.
"Can you swear that everything you just said is the truth?" Serena looked at Rosemary, her emotions fluctuating slightly.
Rosemary’s expression remained as calm as ever, "I’ve already sworn it. If you don’t believe me, what else can I say?"
Serena wanted to believe, but all she could muster was a bitter smile, "There’s no going back. It’s all irreversible."
It was too late.
Everything was far too late.
She was curious to see whom Rosemary would save!
The eight Chesters seemed to understand her command and immediately advanced toward the bound figures.
Rosemary swiftly kicked at the lead Chester, who blocked her strike with his arms.
Rosemary only then discovered that Chester’s arms were particularly hard. Kicking him, he only stepped back one step.
Usually, anyone she kicked would have to retreat several steps, clutching their stomach.
Rosemary delivered another powerful roundhouse kick, and this time the Chester finally stepped back two steps, but then as if nothing happened, continued walking towards the people tied to the pillars.
Serena’s subordinates guarding the hostages was about to retreat when Rosemary lunged at one of them, snatched his knife, and plunged it decisively into the top of Chester’s head.
Atop the altar, Serena chuckled as if she found Rosemary’s efforts futile.
"This Chester is an upgraded version from before. Attacking the top of the head is useless against them."
In short, their vulnerability wasn’t there.
As the two Chester advanced with their mechanical strides towards Kenneth and Louisa, Rosemary quickly rushed to their rescue. She pushed Chester back several steps and slashed through the ropes binding her parents with the knife in her hand.
No sooner had Kenneth and Louisa been freed than three more Chesters headed towards her grandparents, and another trio made their way to the bodyguards tied to the pillars.
Rosemary couldn’t possibly save them all at once.
Luckily, Stinger caught her eye and decisively cut through the ropes binding Bernard and Cornelia, pulling them to safety behind him.
Since the Chesters were programmed to kill Bernard and the others, they wouldn’t attack Stinger, assuming he was one of their own.
And Rosemary took this opportunity to run to the three bodyguards tied to the pillars, slicing through their ropes swiftly.
As Stinger and Rosemary stood shoulder to shoulder, protecting everyone behind them, Serena’s face twisted with surprise and anger, "Stinger, you dare betray me??"
Stinger looked up at the girl on the altar, his voice cold, "For years, I served your father loyally, risking my life to do his bidding. But behind closed doors, he tormented my parents, made them live lives worse than animals, and they died in disgrace. Tell me, with whom should I settle this account??"
Serena’s brows furrowed, "Is it Rosemary who’s been sowing discord? Telling you these things? Her words can’t be trusted."
Her father would never do such a thing.
"Her words are far more believable than yours," Stinger said, and then he made a break for the figure on the altar.
The leading two Chesters swiftly aimed punches at Rosemary, while the remaining six targeted Kenneth, Louisa, and the others.
Rosemary was struggling to fend off the swift and fierce attacks in front of her, while also trying to save the four behind her. It was too much to handle.
One of the Chesters grabbed Kenneth’s shirt, about to lift him, when Rosemary kicked out. The Chester before her seized the opportunity, delivering a kick that sent her flying meters away, crashing to the ground.
"Rose—" Her four family members rushed towards her, but Cornelia, slower to react, was caught by a Chester.
As Rosemary lay on the ground, she could finally comprehend the horrifying torment Cookie and Amos had faced before their demise.
The kick in her stomach was several times more painful than any she’d received before, but when she saw Chester lift her grandmother and throw her their way, Rosemary still managed to spring forward at incredible speed, catching and tossing her back.
"Mom, Rose." Louisa was petrified, rushing over to them in panic.
Cornelia was thrown with such force by Chester that Rosemary fell to the ground once again. Guilt and worry flooded through Cornelia as she struggled to lift her aching body off her beloved Rosemary, but her limbs refused to cooperate.
Bernard and Kenneth reached out to help her up.
But there was no time to catch their breath; eight Chesters were already bearing down on them once more.
Rosemary pressed a button on her watch to alert Jack and the others, then quickly got up and fought against the eight Chesters.
Meanwhile, Stinger made a beeline for the altar, intent on finishing off Serena. But Serena was not alone; she was guarded by Tyrannosaurus and Nighthawk, who, despite Stinger’s earlier battering from Jack, stood unwavering, like emotionless robots programmed to protect.
"My parents were killed by Erik, and who knows, maybe your families too. Are you really going to foolishly lay down your lives for her?" Stinger taunted them.
But his words fell on deaf ears as Nighthawk and Tyrannosaurus remained stoic, forming an impenetrable barrier around Serena.
"She’s definitely going down today, do you really want to go down with her?" Stinger shouted, but to no avail.
As he prepared to engage them, reinforcements led by Romeo and Jack burst through the doors. Serena’s face twisted with rage, "Rosemary, you dare bring backup."
She felt betrayed, her voice seething with anger, "Fine, if you all want to escort her to the grave, then you’ll all meet your maker today!"
With that, Serena pressed a button on her remote, and the doors slammed shut. From all directions, more Chesters appeared, their numbers swelling to over twenty.
"Kill them." Serena commanded, and her army of Chesters advanced.
Wolf sprang into action, fending off Chesters threatening Kenneth, pushing them back.
A Chester approached Louisa, who, gripped by fear, picked up a knife and swung wildly, her eyes shut tight. To her horror, the Chester seemed unfazed, grabbing her clothes, ready to lift her.
A scream caught in her throat, but Jack arrived just in time to save her from being hurled into a pillar.
The situation was dire. Their forces were halved, and the Chesters remained unscathed.
"Boss, we can’t keep fighting like this." Jack was panting heavily from exhaustion.
These Chesters were incredibly strong; even he couldn’t withstand their power, let alone the boss, with her delicate constitution.