Just then, Sophie felt a sudden, unbearable heat emanating from her pocket. With a sharp intake of breath, she quickly pulled out the three gems nestled inside. They glimmered faintly, casting a soft glow. Gordon noticed and furrowed his forehead in concern. Not far off, Joseph made a beeline for Sophie, intent on snatching the gems from her grasp. The gems he held seemed to resonate with Sophie''s, each one shimmering with the same subtle light.


    "Hand them over! Now!" he barked.


    Sophie instinctively tried to dodge, but James had already stepped in to shield her from Joseph.


    Joseph grabbed James''s arms, urging desperately, "Get those gems! Hurry!"


    James stayed silent, his eyes meeting Joseph''s with a frosty indifference, as if he didn''t recognize the man who was his father. Joseph, sensing this coldness, swiftly drew a pistol and aimed it at Sophie from a distance.


    James lunged forward to disarm him, but the gunshot that followed was earsplitting in the cavernous space. The sound quickly reached those above.


    Realizing something was amiss, Harold moved to head downstairs, but Kiran blocked his path.


    "Move it! Get outta my way!" Harold demanded, trying to push past. But Kiran wasn''t one to be easily shoved aside. Despite being younger, Harold found himself outmaneuvered by Kiran''s agility.


    "Hold on. I''m not stopping you. If there''s treasure down there, why don''t we check it out together?" Kiran suggested.


    Harold hesitated, considering Kiran''s proposal. "If you don''t trust me, go ahead on your own. But my sister asked me to watch over Sophie. Promise me her safety, and you can go solo," Kiran added. After a brief pause, Harold seemed to conclude that Kiran meant no harm. He nodded, "Alright, let''s both go."


    Before long, Kiran and Harold took the elevator down to the depths. As they stepped out, they were greeted by a dazzling disy of treasures.


    Kiran''s lips curled into a satisfied smile. The tales of the Devonport treasure were true after all.


    Harold immediately spotted James and Joseph locked in a standoff. James quickly drew his own firearm, pointing it at Joseph. "Hurt her, and I''ll end you," he warned icily.


    "James, you fool! All this for her, and does she even know? What''s the point? How could the Burke family raise such a disappointment? Joseph retorted, firing a shotat James''s leg.


    "James!" Sophie cried, shocked to hear a metallic ng instead of flesh.


    Joseph sneered, "She doesn''t know about your leg, does she? What good has all this done? How could


    the Burke family end up with such a disgrace?"


    Sophie looked at James, speechless.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "So this is the fabled Devonport treasure," Kiran remarked, stepping forward to join the scene.


    Before Sophie could react, Joseph shouted, "Get those gems! Now!"


    Kiran reached toward Sophie, but Harold''s eyes narrowed as he swiftly moved to block him. To Kiran, Harold''s attempt felt almost childish.