At the construction site...
Denis had hired a professional sharpshooter and so well-trained guards to counter those goons. He was determined to get Anne out of that place.
They reached the construction site late at night. The whole place was swallowed by darkness, but their focus was sharp. Denis crouched behind a mound of rubble, peering through night-vision goggles. He could see the ard n clustered around one unfinished block.
He nudged the guard beside him. "Can you see her? Where is she?" Impatience frayed his nerves.
The guard refocused his binoculars. "Yes. She is inside that building." He indicated the structure where the goons were posted.
"What are we waiting for?" Denis hissed, almost losing his patience. "What is the sniper doing? He should act."
"Mr. Beaumont, please calm down," the guard said. "Let’s wait a little longer. We are outnumbered. Let them tire themselves out a bit—then the sniper and the rest of us can move in with a much better chance."
Denis understood his point. He said nothing despite his restlessness and forced himself to wait.
Minutes dragged into hours, and the night grew heavier. The once-alert guards slouched, fatigue setting in. Eventually, they gathered in a corner and started drinking.
Denis watched everything, his nerves on edge. He couldn’t wait to go into the building and take Anne out.
The alcohol dulled their vigilance soon, their movents becoming sloppy. So keeled over into drunken slumber while others lingered, half-aware, still drinking.
"Ti to act," a voice ca through from the radio.
The guard beside Denis was alard. "Stay low. Don’t step out." With that, he disappeared into the darkness.
The sniper ca into action. He shot down the two n who had been stationed on the top floor of the building, then his target shifted to the n around Anne. anwhile, the other guards rushed in. They didn’t take long to eliminate the drunk n.
Denis thought it was ti to find Anne. He ignored the warning and bolted from cover, sprinting toward the structure.
From the darkness, fresh attackers charged him. Before Denis could react, his guards intercepted. Denis only glanced at the group fighting each other, raining fists and kicks. He didn’t have ti to watch them.
He dashed up the half-finished stairwell, his pulse pounding. Along the way, he passed sprawled bodies, blood seeping into cracks of cent. He didn’t flinch, didn’t slow.
Finally, he reached the floor where Anne was kept. His gaze locked on a figure slumped in a chair, wrists bound, mouth gagged. Her eyes t his, wide and terrified, and his chest tightened painfully.
"Anne," he exclaid.
Anne’s eyes were wide, full of horror. She shook her head as if asking him not to get closer.
"Anne, it’s alright. I’ll get you out of here," Denis rushed toward her, urgency lacing his voice. "You are safe now. The n are dead—no one can hurt you anymore."
But instead of relief, panic only deepened in her gaze.
"I’ll take you out of here. Hold on..." Determined, Denis pulled out a knife, crouching to cut the ropes binding her wrists and ankles.
Anne’s eyes darted past him, fixing on a tall, nacing silhouette advancing from the shadows. Her skin prickled with goosebumps. "Mm..." A muffled cry escaped her gag, raw with desperation.
Confused, Denis paused, frowning. Her terrified stare wasn’t on him—it was behind him. Alarm surged through him. He whipped his head around. But it was too late.
Before he could understand anything, a crushing blow slamd against his skull, sending him sprawling across the cold concrete. Pain exploded through his head, making him dizzy. Blood spilled down his temple. Before he could process it, another brutal strike ca, and darkness swallowed him whole.
Anne sagged her shoulders, sobbing miserably.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Denis slowly regained consciousness when he heard a faint voice calling his na.
"Wake up...Denis." Anne looked really worried when she looked at the dried blood on his forehead.
He groaned, forcing his eyes open, only for panic to strike hard the mont he realized he was bound to a chair—right beside her.
"You okay?" she asked.
Denis twisted against the ropes, his head whipping toward her. "Anne?" He struggled to break free.
"Why did you co here?" Anne muttered, her voice low. "You have no idea how dangerous these people are. They will kill you."
For a long mont, Denis said nothing. He had co in thinking his plan would work, that he could take her away. But just when he thought he and his team were winning this ga, everything had collapsed, leaving him caught in their trap.
"I underestimated them," he accepted his mistakes. "I thought I could outplay them."
Anne glanced around before leaning closer to him. "They are more dangerous than we can imagine. I overheard them talking—they plan to kill the mafia king. They told Augustine to hand him over if he wanted alive. And you...you thought you could beat them with just a handful of guards. Denis, you should never have co."
"I know I miscalculated," he hissed, fury at himself bubbling over. "But how could I sit still while you were in danger? I couldn’t reach Augustine. Gustave wouldn’t tell anything—what was I supposed to do? Just do nothing?"
Anne grimaced, helpless. She knew who the mafia king was and believed Augustine would certainly find a way out of it. Even though she was scared and in pain, the hope still burned bright. She believed Augustine was out there sowhere, planning, waiting for the perfect mont to strike. But Denis’s reckless arrival had thrown everything off balance.
"The stunt you pulled has enraged them," Anne said. "Now things are even more dangerous. I don’t know what they’ll do to you."
Denis regretted his reckless action. He cursed himself for barging into sothing he didn’t fully grasp. He started thinking he should have heeded Gustave’s advice and stayed out of this matter. His action had only added to Augustine’s difficulty. But in the corner of his heart, he was satisfied that he had done sothing to save her. If that ant to sacrifice himself, he was willing to do that.
To him, this was a chance to atone for the pain he had once caused her.
"I don’t care," he muttered, the muscles of his body tensing. "If they want to kill , they can. But I’ll not let them hurt you."
"So you are the new hero." A deep voice bood in the air, startling them.
Anne trembled when she saw the intimidating figure approaching. It was the real boss, dangerous, yet sohow considerate to her. Without him, she would have been torn apart long ago by the wolves circling her. He had stopped them, shielded her in his own ruthless way. But after Denis’s reckless interference, she was no longer sure if he would protect her.
She recoiled as she watched him crossing the distance.
"You think you could kill my n and walk away freely?" the man sneered dangerously, his murderous intent clear. He was not at all happy with the chaos.
The idea that this might be Denis’s last day sent ice through Anne.
"I can do anything to protect Anne," Denis hissed, eting his glare head-on. "I am not afraid of you. To , you are nothing. You used a pregnant woman as a bargaining chip to achieve your goal. Are you even a man?"
At those words, the man’s expression turned stone, a dangerous light flashing across his eyes. Seeing his expression, Anne panicked. She wanted to stop Denis, signaling him with a glare and a flick of her head. But Denis wouldn’t listen as if he had determined to provoke this man.
"If you had courage, you’d have co straight to or Augustine," Denis continued. "Instead, you kidnapped Anne and forced Augustine to fulfil your demands. You are no more than a common kidnapper."
"A kidnapper?" The man’s pride was hurt. "You have no idea who you are dealing with. I can kill you right away. But I won’t. Your sentint is connected with this woman." He pointed at Anne. "If I hurt her, you will be in pain."
"Dare you hurt her, I’ll finish you," Denis growled, though his heart was sinking in fear.
The man sneered and swung his hand with a force that landed on Anne’s cheek.
"Ah," Anne cried at the sudden, deafening slap. The insides of her cheek were torn, the tallic taste of blood filling her mouth. Tears stung her eyes.
Denis twisted himself desperately. "Don’t hit her. Co to if you dare."
"Are you in pain now?" the man scoffed sarcastically. "What if I hit her belly?"
Anne’s eyes widened, icy waves travelling down her spine.
"No," Denis shouted, horror written all over his face. "Please don’t." His confidence crumbled, the arrogance disappearing. "I am begging you. Don’t hurt her and her baby. You can hit instead."
The man lunged at him and tightened his fingers around his throat. "Hit you?" he muttered, grinding his teeth. "I want to kill you instantly."
His grip remained firm, strangling Denis. "But this would be an easy death. I want you to feel the pain, the horror, and the life seeping out of your body slowly, painfully."
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