"Three, two—"
"Stop!" Ethan Sullivan's eyes burned crimson, his voice hoarse. "I'll do it. Just let her go first."
Ethan had absolute faith in Sophia Sullivan.
He picked up the gun, appearing ready to end his life while silently counting down. Sophia should have completed her preparations by now.
The man in the baseball cap sneered. "Fine, I'll release one hand."
His right hand still clutched the detonator while his left loosened its grip slightly. In that split second, the man suddenly shrieked in agony.
"My hand!!!"
No one expected Emma Sullivan to summon such ferocious strength, sinking her teeth deep into the man's wrist.
White-hot pain made the assailant break into cold sweat. His grip slackened instinctively. Emma tumbled to the ground.
She scrambled forward on hands and knees.
Faster. She had to move faster.
She couldn't let Uncle Ethan and Sister Sophia worry about her!
The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Enraged, the gunman raised his weapon.
"You little bitch!"
The gunshot echoed.
Ethan lunged like a panther, shielding the girl with his body.
The bullet tore through his shoulder blade. Blood gushed instantly. Ethan grunted, beads of sweat forming on his temples.
The trauma triggered a flood of fragmented memories in Emma's mind. Clutching Ethan's arm, her pale lips trembled until two fragile yet distinct syllables escaped her throat.
"...Uncle!"
Then she burst into tears.
Ethan froze, looking down at his niece. "Emma."
Since her last kidnapping, Emma hadn't uttered a single word. Now she'd called him by name.
The joy was fleeting. Across from them, the gunman's face twisted with humiliation. He never imagined being bested by a child!
"Then die together!" The man's features contorted as he slammed the detonator button. With his bargaining chip gone, he knew mutual destruction was his only option.
Chaos erupted.
"Run! It's going to blow!" "Mr. Sullivan, watch out!" "Ethan, take Emma and go!" "Help—"
Ethan knew any resistance now would be futile. He and Emma stood too close to escape the blast radius. At this distance, death or severe injury was inevitable.
Facing mortality, Ethan cradled Emma protectively against his chest while his gaze locked onto the explosives strapped to the gunman.
Strangely, he felt no fear. Instead, Sophia's image filled his mind.
Their first passionate encounter... The gardenia-scented kiss in the elevator... The suppressed yet frenzied desire in the restricted zone... Memories flashed like a kaleidoscope.
When had he, a man who never believed in love, started losing control over Sophia again and again?
Seconds ticked by. The expected explosion never came.
Someone dared to open their eyes, then pointed excitedly toward Sophia's direction.
"It's Ms. Sullivan! She did it!" "Sophia disabled the detonator remotely!" "Damn bastard, where will you run now?"
The baseball cap man stiffened, staring disbelievingly at the vehicle. Through the window, a slender figure could be seen rapidly typing on a laptop.
"Impossible... How could she—?"
Staggering backward, the man frantically mashed the detonator button. But no matter how many times he pressed it, the device remained dead.