All Chapters of The Strong-Willed Sean O'Connor: Chapter 261
- Chapter 270
272 chapters
CHAPTER 261
The moment Sean stepped out of the building and into the cold night air, the baby’s cries seemed to intensify.He walked quickly, weaving through the deserted back streets until he reached his car, a sleek, dark vehicle parked discreetly around the corner.He opened the back door. He didn't have a car seat, of course. His only goal was temporary safety.He quickly scanned the back seat and found a large, soft, heavy-duty jacket he used for carrying heavy things, thick enough to provide padding and insulation.He placed the baby down gently in the middle of the back seat. He rolled the jacket into a thick U-shape and placed it around the baby's body, creating a soft, makeshift nest to prevent the infant from rolling.It wasn't perfect, but it was the best he could do to secure the small boy.He retrieved his phone from the front console and sent a coded message to a contact, a single word: “Extraction.” Then he threw the phone onto the driver’s seat.Before closing the door, he made
CHAPTER 262
“It’s just two men, Kian,” Levi said, his voice flat with confidence. “They’re hired guards. They aren’t him. I’ll finish them quickly. We take their gear, grab the flower, and leave.”Kian frowned. “I told you to forget the flower. And who said to challenge them? You’re making things worse.”Despite himself, Kian looked at the men again. There were only seconds to decide: fight them now or go back into the auction room and find another exit. Going back might mean facing Sean, and fighting them might be their only chance.‘If we fight together, maybe we can break through,’ Kian calculated. ‘If we run back, we’re cornered.’Kian took a deep breath. “Fine. You take the one with the gun,” he commanded, adrenaline kicking in. He dropped into a combat stance. “I’ll deal with the shock stick.”The scarred guard chuckled, ugly and dry. “Listen to them, trying to decide and beat us. Come on, little mice. Let’s see you try.”The man with the tranquilizer rifle gave a slight, mocking bow. “Whe
CHAPTER 263
The masked man’s eyes narrowed just slightly behind the theatrical slit. He tilted his head, as if weighing Sean.‘He’s figured me out, the man thought, fingers tightening slightly around the knife. ‘I’ll have to kill him before he moves any further. No mistakes.’He straightened, voice smooth again, hiding the tension.“I’m here for the fun down in the underground,” he said, letting the words hang in the small elevator. “To join the games… and to collect a certain item from the auction. Is that the same for you, or are you just passing through?”Sean’s gaze didn’t falter. He watched the man, noting every twitch, every weight shift, every small indication of intent. He could tell what the man wanted to do.The masked man didn’t wait for a reply. With a fluid motion, he lunged, the knife flashing in the dim light.Sean moved instantly, letting the blade slide past his shoulder with a narrow scrape against his jacket. He twisted, dropped his weight, and drove his elbow into the man’s
CHAPTER 264
The masked man’s eyes narrowed just slightly behind the theatrical slit. He tilted his head, as if weighing Sean.‘He’s figured me out, the man thought, fingers tightening slightly around the knife. ‘I’ll have to kill him before he moves any further. No mistakes.’He straightened, voice smooth again, hiding the tension.“I’m here for the fun down in the underground,” he said, letting the words hang in the small elevator. “To join the games… and to collect a certain item from the auction. Is that the same for you, or are you just passing through?”Sean’s gaze didn’t falter. He watched the man, noting every twitch, every weight shift, every small indication of intent. He could tell what the man wanted to do.The masked man didn’t wait for a reply. With a fluid motion, he lunged, the knife flashing in the dim light.Sean moved instantly, letting the blade slide past his shoulder with a narrow scrape against his jacket. He twisted, dropped his weight, and drove his elbow into the man’s
CHAPTER 265
Kian looked around for a weapon. He never fought unarmed, and standing there empty-handed was dangerous.His hand closed around the first thing he could grab, a broken chair leg, splintered and heavy. It felt wrong in his palm and exactly right.He lunged immediately.The guard with the rifle didn’t wait.He squeezed the trigger.The dart flew past Kian’s ear and buried itself in the plaster by his shoulder with a wet thunk.Kian dove, the chair leg cracking against the guard’s forearm. Pain flared in his shoulder where the dart had nicked him, a hot, sick buzzing at the edge of his vision. He tasted blood, threatening to crawl into his mouth.‘What the hell is that? Did they put something in those darts?’Levi was already on the other side, his attention on the other man.He moved like a shadow, quick, small steps, fists striking between ribs, elbows catching the jaw.The shock stick arced blue light as the scarred guard struck, sending a hiss of electricity into the air. Sparks ju
CHAPTER 266
The guards Sean had sent had failed to take care of the two men he’d ordered them to subdue, and now they lay sprawled across the floor, crushed by Kian and Levi.Sean stood over the wreckage, hands in his pockets, eyes gleaming faintly in the chandelier light.For a long, heavy second, he said nothing—just studied the two of them, battered and breathing hard, surrounded by shattered glass and overturned crates.Then, slowly, a small smirk curved his lips.“You two,” he began, voice low and sharp, “are impressive.”Levi straightened slightly, still clutching the shock stick.Kian stayed silent, chest rising and falling fast.Sean walked closer, boots crunching over the broken glass. “To beat those men… that’s not something ordinary people can do. They’re not weak. I trained them myself.” He paused, his tone hardening. “And yet here they are—unconscious.”Levi’s jaw clenched. “What’s your point?”Sean’s smirk widened. “My point,” he said softly, “is that both of you have great skill. S
CHAPTER 267
A few minutes after he had knocked them out, he dragged them out of the auction house and tied them in the car where Jamie had been tied. Now there were three people bound behind his vehicle.Without saying another word to them, he got into the car and glanced back at the baby.The baby was staring at him, his large, bright eyes still wet—he had probably been crying for a while.“Time to go,” he told the baby. “Hold on.”Igniting the engine, he drove off without another word.Later, the car pulled up in front of a warehouse.He turned the steering wheel, driving into the wide driveway that led straight to the warehouse gates.The headlights illuminated the entrance, casting a pale glow across the area.The car came to a smooth stop in front of the main doors.He shut off the engine and exhaled quietly, the sound of the cooling motor filling the silence.Pushing the door open, he stepped out, his boots crunching against the ground.The early morning air was cool, and the heavy breeze t
CHAPTER 268
At first, Kian didn’t hear what Sean had said clearly, so he just nodded his head, but then the words suddenly sank in.“What?!” Kian yelled, dumbfounded. “What do you mean — use us as bait?”Sean folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Do you need me to explain the meaning of bait to you?” he asked, eyes darting to the window again.Sean had first noticed the man was following him when he had finished tying Jamie to his car. At first, when he saw the man watching him, he had done nothing and just pretended not to see him, the man was that good at stalking and following. If Sean had been someone without any experience, he wouldn’t have noticed the man because of how skilled he was at his job.Sean wasn’t confused about where he had seen the man, either, since he had made sure to look at everyone at the auction. He had spotted the man earlier, scribbling in his notes, and had noticed the man’s weary appearance. Black hoodie, black pants, black glasses, literally everything b
CHAPTER 269
Several men sat in a dimly lit room, their faces shadowed and hard, each exuding an intimidating aura.The only light came from a single overhead bulb, flickering slightly, casting long, uneven shadows across the walls.The air was thick with tension, and the faint smell of smoke lingered, as if the room had been sealed for hours.All eyes were serious—brows furrowed, lips pressed into thin lines.No one moved. They stared in one direction, as if something there held their attention.At the far end of the room sat a large, slightly elevated chair, the most imposing piece of furniture in the space. One man occupied it, his presence commanding.He leaned back, hands resting on the armrests, eyes sharp and calculating. The others occasionally flicked glances toward him, subtle gestures of acknowledgment and respect.This was clearly the leader.Even without words, it was obvious. The way his posture filled the room, the faint smirk that hinted at control, he didn’t need to speak to ass
CHAPTER 270
There was no reason for Kian to answer that question. He knew nothing would come of it. He only wanted to finish the task Sean had given him before Sean arrived. It had been a command — complete it and Sean would keep him alive.Earlier, he had come with the remaining two. Sean had told him to deal with the lackeys and bring the leader to him. He’d called it a test, and Kian wanted to be sure he finished it before Sean came for the leader himself if they dragged on too long.“Hey!” the leader yelled, snapping Kian out of his thoughts. “We’ve never done anything against each other before. So why did you and Levi come here to bother me and my men?”Kian hesitated; nothing came out.“Don’t tell me you’re here for the flower I sent my men to get?” the leader pressed.Kian shook his head as if the leader could see him. “That’s not it. I wanted the flower at first, but I don’t need it anymore,” he replied. “That flower almost became the death of me.”“What do you mean?” the leader asked,