The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1226

As the situation took an unexpected turn, Stella's earlier confidence wavered, and her smile vanished.

"You... you're all still here?" she exclaimed, her frustration evident in her voice.

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "And why wouldn't we be?"

He then narrowed his eyes and added, "Beneath the mountain you detonated, perhaps?"

Stella's pupils constricted, but she chose to overlook that part and steer the conversation elsewhere.

"I just assumed that you should have been taken out along the way, but you're incredibly fortunate to appear here alive!"

Then, she looked at Neera resentfully, grinding her teeth in anger.

"But don't get too thrilled. Even with reinforcements, what difference does it make? You'll still meet your end!"

Having delivered her words, she turned to Howard, urging him impatiently, "What are you waiting for? Planning to let them take care of you?"

However, in that moment, Howard couldn't manage a smile.

After witnessing Darcel's impressive skills, Howard maintained a serious expression. With Caleb and his group's arrival, his expression turned even grimmer.

"Stella, I think it's wiser to let this go for now. The most critical task at this moment is to secure the white flag."

Stella, defensive, glared at him with a furrowed brow. "What do you mean? Are you getting scared?"

Howard appeared a touch impatient, speaking in a deep tone. "It's not about fear. The current situation doesn't favor us. Confronting them directly might not end well. It's better to conserve our strength and make a beeline for the mountaintop to secure the white flag. That's our top priority."

Stella was consumed by anger and not inclined to listen to reason.

"You keep saying it's not fear? Ha, Howard, you talk a big game, but when it's crunch time, you turn timid. I'm not like you even though I'm a woman! Let me make it clear, if you're afraid of them, I'm not! Whatever you say, I'm determined to ensure Neera meets her end here today!"

With that, she turned to the group of people standing behind her and shouted, "Why is everyone just standing around? Move quickly and eliminate that troublemaker for me!"

On the opposite side stood Shane, whose brows knitted together. He pulled Neera behind him and cast a cold glance at Stella.

"Such audacious words! Do you think we, the Gordon family, are easy targets? I'm eager to see who will meet their end today!"

He was on the verge of giving orders to his fellow Gordon family members when Darcel spoke up first, his tone laced with a chilling resolve.

"I've had enough of this endless chatter; let's put an end to them."

Caleb nodded and then snapped his fingers. In an instant, a substantial group of individuals appeared from all directions, closing in to encircle Stella and her group.

Observing this scene, Neera was taken aback. "Who are all these people?"

Shane wasn't surprised, and he explained to her, "They're the forces from the Lordsworth Estate, probably more than ten squads."

Neera wasn't surprised to see the forces from the Lordsworth Estate gathering together, but she didn't expect that they had already joined forces with the Medicina family.

Stella, equally unprepared for this turn of events, was left dumbfounded, her whole demeanor in shock.

Howard, unable to contain his frustration, angrily scolded her, "Are you stupid? Didn't you think of the Medicina family when you saw them? Now, thanks to you, everyone is in danger!"

Stella still appeared disbelieving, muttering, "How could this happen?"

The situation had taken a complete turn from her expectations, and she was struggling to accept it.

But before she could react, Caleb gave the order, and the forces from the Lordsworth Estate, numbering over a hundred, charged forward.

There was a fierce battle, bloodshed, and the scene was chaotic and horrifying.

Shane pulled Neera toward him, shielding her from the sight. "Close your eyes; I'll tell you when it's over."

Neera couldn't handle the gruesome scene and nodded, obediently closing her eyes.

However, the cries of pain continued to penetrate her ears, sending shivers down her spine.

Before long, a sharp, agonized scream pierced the air—Stella's voice.

Neera hesitated but eventually opened her eyes and witnessed Stella's grim condition.

At that moment, her left arm had been severed by an unknown assailant, staining her clothes red and splattering blood across her face, creating a gruesome and horrifying sight.

"My arm... My arm!" She screamed in madness, gazing at her severed limb on the ground.

Seeing their leader in imminent danger, the Jennings family members were powerless to continue the fight. They gritted their teeth and took the opportunity to escape with Stella in the chaos.

Stella managed to flee in distress, but the Bartitsu Guild and other families involved suffered heavy casualties. Every family bore significant losses.

The remaining individuals, witnessing Stella's escape and the demoralization of their forces, lost their will to fight and surrendered, expressing their intention to withdraw from Stella's coalition.