08
A nagging sense of foreboding gripped me as I made my way to the cemetery.
The rain began to fall as I placed flowers on my parents‘ graves, pouring my heart out to them about everything that had happened.
My bodyguards stood nearby, and I wasn’t worried until the sudden crack of gunfire rang out.
A guard collapsed beside me, and icy rain soaked through my clothes.
I turned to see a familiar figure stepping forward.
It was Sean. But this wasn’t the Sean I remembered.
He was no longer a polished surgeon. Now, he was a disheveled, deranged man who looked more like a desperate vagrant.
11.03 AM
My heart sank as I saw the guard’s body.
My fingers trembled as I fumbled with the phone in my pocket, blindly dialing a number.
I didn’t know who I called.
Sean approached me, and I knew I couldn’t fight against him.
Before I could think further, Sean struck me hard, and darkness swallowed me whole.
When I regained consciousness, the acrid smell of gasoline filled the air.
I opened my eyes to see Sean standing nearby, and to my shock, Judy was bound and lying on the ground as well.
Judy’s condition was no better than mine.
Her clothes were torn away, leaving her vulnerable as Sean’s hands roamed over her.
Judy stirred awake, and the moment she recognized Sean, she lashed out with curses, oblivious to the danger.
Her defiance enraged him, and with a cruel slap, he made her mouth bleed.
Sean’s fury only grew. He pummeled her with his fists, shouting, “You traitorous wh**e! You left me the moment I lost my wealth! Weren’t you the one who claimed to love me most?”
Judy lay limp on the ground, beaten within an inch of her life.
Finally, Sean turned his attention to me, his face twisted with malevolent glee.
I instantly tensed up, but my limbs were all tied up, and I couldn’t even move.
With a twisted smile, Sean approached me.
“You’re next,” he snarled. “You’ve always been afraid of fire, haven’t you? Then I’ll let you burn.”
He drenched me in gasoline, the cold liquid soaking through my clothes.
The air reeked of fuel, and I knew that even the tiniest spark could ignite everything.
Sean really wanted me dead.
I didn’t plead. I knew it would be useless.
Instead, I silently prayed that the call I’d made earlier had reached someone.
Sean held up a lighter, its flame flickering ominously as he thrust a stack of documents at me.
He actually wanted me to transfer all my property to him.
Feigning compliance, I nodded and asked him to untie me so I could sign properly.
I even agreed to record a video and give it to him as a proof.
Smug in his perceived victory, Sean relaxed his guard.
I took the pen and scanned the documents.
Everything was meticulously detailed. It was clearly a plan he’d been working on for years.
But as I was about to finish, I slashed through my name and bolted toward the door.
However, Sean was faster.
He yanked me back by my hair and threw me to the ground.
“You little b**ch! I knew you would escape!”
Pain shot through my face as he ground his heel into my cheek.
No matter what, I would never give the Sanders Group to him.
It was a gift from my parents and my only hope.
Seeing me resist, Sean reached for the lighter.
But before he could strike the flame, sirens wailed outside.
I struggled to look up and found a familiar figure. It was Nathan.
His presence renewed my strength, and I shouted desperately, “Don’t come in! I’m covered in gasoline. It’s too dangerous!”
This place was full of inflammable stuff. Even a tinder could blow this place up.
I didn’t want anyone to die for me,
Deep down, I was already satisfied that Nathan could stay by my side during this time.
Meanwhile, Sean was emboldened by his hostage and sneered.
But just then, Judy, bloody and battered, lunged at Sean with a knife she’d somehow grabbed.
Her face twisted with rage as she drove the blade into him over and over again.
In no time, Sean collapsed, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground.
Even after he stopped moving, Judy kept stabbing, her fury consuming her until the police restrained her.
In the chaos, I was suddenly enveloped in a familiar embrace.
Nathan’s arms tightened around me, his voice trembling.
Thank God. I didn’t lose you,” he whispered, his heart pounding wildly.
Suddenly, I realized something.
Maybe, just maybe, I could open my heart again.
Everything was settled. Judy stabbed Sean in his heart, and he died on the spot.
She was also sentenced to stay in prison for the rest of her life.
Justice was served, and I felt unexpectedly relieved. The heavy burden on my shoulders finally disappeared.
Maybe things could really work between Nathan and me.
The End
