"Aveline Laurent, if you don't bring the pilot back, I swear, you will drop dead before ." Holding a handgun, Theodore threatened Aveline at the hangar.
Aveline stepped forward, unruffled, and said, "Go ahead."
Theodore's eyes flicked to Ezra for a fraction of a second. Ezra's face did not move; there wasn't even a change in his expression.
Theodore was alard. How could they be so calm and bold? He slapped at the bullet magazine, checked the rounds, then froze. The magazine was empty.
How?
'Clink… clink… clink…'
He suddenly heard the sound of small tal falling to the ground. He turned to Ezra and watched him let the bullets fall at his boots.
"Motherf...," Theodore cursed when he recalled security checking his gun and arms licence in the na of safety protocol.
His blood roared in his veins. His limbs itched to lunge over Aveline. He wanted to rip her apart, hold her hostage until he left the country, and slit her throat.
But he wasn't stupid enough to throw himself at Aveline like so feral animal.
He lowered the gun slowly, breathing hard. "Aveline… listen," he said, voice shifting into sothing softer, sothing almost pleading. "We don't need to escalate this. I wasn't the mastermind behind this."
Aveline tried to study him as she heard him.
"Do you really think I have so many resources?" Theodore began slowly stepping down the stairs. "Damien, he set up."
Aveline clenched her teeth. She couldn't believe that despite being behind bars, he haunted her and appeared before her eyes, and continued haunting her using Theodore and Seraphina.
"I didn't even know you. He planted here, against you. I didn't want any of this." He stepped on the ground as he took a small step closer, watching her not move.
Whereas Ezra's eyes narrowed. He began moving stealthily.
Theodore tried again. Begging her this ti, "Just let explain. Give one minute. I..."
He took another step. He was close enough. Close enough to grab her wrist, pull her against him, and hold her hostage. "You were seeing Damien, rember? It was Seraphina Astor. She was helping him leave the prison for a day to torture you, to label you as ntally ill..."
Then he suddenly moved quickly, and sharply...
Aveline, who was studying his actions, quickly stepped aside as if she knew exactly what he was planning.
Theodore stumbled forward, balance snapping out from under him.
Thud.
He was trying to push himself up swiftly when a boot rcilessly slamd into his back. Ezra pinned him to the ground with unforgiving force, his knee pressed into his spine.
"Tsk…" Aveline clicked her tongue, disappointnt heavy in her voice.
Ezra had warned her, angry, desperate n would find won weak and try to physically restrain her. But considering him a businessman, she expected better of Theodore.
"Twice, Theodore Marston. Twice, you thought you were smarter than . Twice, you ended up on the floor. I expected better from soone who calls himself a businessman."
Theodore growled in anger and humiliation, but Ezra didn't ease his hold.
Airport security rushed into the hangar, startled by the chaos. Theodore pointed wildly despite being pinned down.
"They're stopping ! They're causing a scene! This is harassnt, get them out!" he shouted, wincing as Ezra's grip tightened.
Aveline turned to the official and easily recalled his na. "Officer Hendrick," she called out calmly, "there's a flight ban on Mr. Theodore Marston. Confirm it before you let him take off."
"Yes, Ms. Laurent," the officer said, lifting his walkie. "Dispatch, confirm if passenger Theodore Marston is cleared for departure or flagged. Repeat, confirm his status."
Theodore cursed under his breath, struggling to breathe. "Just let go, dammit, I said, let go!"
The walkie crackled. "Officer Hendrick. Flight ban confird. Do not clear departure under any circumstances."
Theodore went still. The blood drained from his face. He had counted on the system's delay, on the bureaucracy being slow. And he would've been right if Aveline hadn't walked into the hangar before the system updated.
"You..." he choked out, fury twisting his face. "You b*tch!"
Aveline didn't flinch. Ezra simply kicked him again, sending him back to the ground.
The security restrained him fully this ti, wrists bound, legs held down. Theodore glared at her with pure venom.
"You think you've won?" he spat. "I'll destroy you, your whole bloodline, do you hear ?! I'll..."
Aveline didn't bother sparing him another word. She simply turned and walked toward the Bugatti with unhurried calm, each step a verdict. She slipped the round hat from the bonnet.
Ezra pulled open the door, and the car glided out of the hangar like a shadow choosing not to dirty itself further.
For a heartbeat, the hangar fell silent.
Then... Headlights cut across the concrete, flooding the dim space in a stark white beam. A heavy engine rumbled, a deeper, older growl than the smooth purr of Aveline's Bugatti.
Theodore blocked the light with his hand as the silhouette of a tall man stepped out with slow and unhurried grace.
Like soone arriving after the fight, not because he needed to, but because he owned the final word.
Edward Lancaster strolled closer to the group. He looked down at Theodore with a smirk. "Simon Caldwell," he said, loud enough for the security to hear. "You dared show your face in Velmora knowing I could reveal your identity."
Officer Hendrick looked from Edward to Theodore.
Edward's voice dropped into a command, "Inform Country Z. Their most-wanted, Simon Caldwell, has been found."
Theodore's protest turned into a harsh hiss. "Edward Lancaster, this is between Aveline Laurent and . I did nothing to..."
Edward's smile didn't change. He leaned in, voice low and cold. "You influenced my daughter-in-law. You tried to harm the woman my son loves. Count yourself lucky it's here and not my son. Otherwise, you would have vanished, and no one would ever learn why."
Those were not empty words coming out of Edward's mouth. Theodore swallowed hard, his bravado crumpled into fear as the n with radios moved in to cuff him.
The prey had been caught.
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