Chapter 2

It was true that my grandfathers—the men who'd raised me—lived on an island, but they were no fishermen.

Edgar Blythe, or Grandpa Eddie, was the highest-bounty serial killer on the international wanted list. Countless tyrants and scum had died at his hands.

Franklin Graves, or Grandpa Frankie, was an underground boxing champion who could smash half a ton of granite into powder with just one punch.

Tobias Mercer, or Grandpa Toby, had been one of the top secret agents in Acratius in his younger days.

Then there was the king of mercenaries, Grandpa Harry, or Harold Keene, and the arms dealer, Grandpa Luke, or Lucian Calder. I had been brought up on an island by a huge group of men like them.

Back when I left Dreadvault Isle for college, these old men had held my hands with their eyes red-rimmed.

"Eli, if anyone gives you trouble out there, don't you dare just take it in silence."

"If anyone bullies you, you give us a call, and we'll come over and take care of them right away!"

That was what they said, and they were more than capable of doing it. But how could I possibly make the call?

Every single one of them had dabbled in things that could cost them their lives. The moment they set foot on this land and their identities were exposed, the consequences would be disastrous. There was no way I was going to risk my grandfathers' lives over something as trivial as this.

Fighting through the searing pain, I struggled to my feet and dropped to my knees in front of Mr. Chappel. Between my dignity and my grandfathers' safety, I would choose the latter every single time.

"Mr. Chappel, I'm sorry. I was wrong," I said in a shaky voice, keeping my head down.

"The men who raised me are old and aren't in the best of health now. They can't handle the stress. I'll apologize! I've saved up some money from working odd jobs. I'll give it all to Leonard for his medical bills. Please, just don't bother my grandfathers, okay?" I begged in a pathetic manner.

Before I left for college, my grandfathers had slipped a black bank card into my bag as a reward. I had never checked the balance, but it should be enough to cover Leonard's medical fees.

Just then, the door to the disciplinary office was kicked open. "No way!"

Leonard's father, Mr. Felix Hargrove, stormed in furiously. "Look what he did to my son! You think a simple apology will settle this? Have you forgotten who donated the funds for the college's new academic block last year?"

Mr. Chappel had initially been hesitating, but the moment he heard that, his expression changed instantly. When he turned around, his gaze had turned cold and vicious. "Call your guardians right now, or I'll send you straight to the police station!"

My heart sank immediately. If this really reached the police and I ended up with a criminal record, my entire future would be ruined. And even worse, if the police traced things back to Dreadvault Isle...

I was instantly flustered.

Seeing this, Leonard laughed smugly. "Go ahead, make the call! Tell those bloody fishermen to come over and grovel in front of me! If they don't lick the soles of my shoes clean today, I swear we won't be seeing the end of this."

I gripped my phone tightly, contemplating whether I should make the call. If I called, my grandfathers could be exposed. But if I didn't, the Hargroves would definitely destroy me, and they might even trace things back to Dreadvault Isle.

"Hurry up!" Mr. Hargrove kicked me in the shoulder.

The last shred of hesitation in me swiftly vanished. My finger moved across the screen, and right in front of all of them, I made the call.

There was no turning back now. Since they weren't giving me a way out, we could all end up in hell together.

The phone rang for only a second before it was answered.

"Eli? Why are you calling at this hour? Missing your old gramps?" Grandpa Eddie's voice carried a light chuckle, followed by a few coughs. It had been raining for days, and his lung condition was probably acting up again.

I was instantly hit with a pang of regret. They were all so old already—how could I bear to have them worry about me? I bit down hard on my tongue to stop any groans from escaping.

"Grandpa Eddie, I... I just miss you guys and wanted to hear your voices," I said, trying my best to sound as cheerful as possible.