Adrian Frost understood that even if Emma Johnson had regressed to the mental state of a three-year-old, Elijah Clark would never abandon her. Killing her would be far kinder than that.
"The boss won't allow it, but as long as you can never return to Silverdale, that's good enough. It's a pity Elijah has already taken you under his wing. Otherwise, it would have been nice to keep you by my side."
Adrian gazed at the delicate, beautiful woman lying across his lap, his eyes dimming. Then he let out a sigh, as if filled with regret.
But Adrian had calculated everything, yet he still failed to account for one unforeseen variable.
Just as he ordered his men to drive the car and planned to wait for Elijah at the designated meeting point, his phone suddenly rang. The man on the other end was gasping for breath, reporting that the black market trading post had been raided. Elijah had been shot and was now unconscious. They were locked in a firefight with the police and struggling to retreat. He begged for help, asking Adrian to bring more men.
The colder Adrian's expression grew, the more his eyes turned icy. He hadn't expected the black market's location, hidden for years, to be compromised.
Especially when the man mentioned that the leader was Liam Williams, and that he had wounded Elijah. Adrian knew there would be no easy escape tonight without a fight to the death.
"Drive to the black market. Tell the rest of the brothers to bring their guns and wait outside for backup."
As he spoke, Adrian pulled out a pistol. In that moment, his entire being radiated a chilling coldness. The car soon arrived at a shabby alley behind the black market. Adrian glanced at Emma and finally decided to leave her in the car for safety.
Though a fleeting thought crossed his mind—to take Emma as a hostage, forcing Liam and the police to back off—he dismissed it. Even without considering Elijah's feelings, it would be hard to justify to his own people. He still believed he could leave with Emma and return to Italy.
So Emma lay alone, unconscious in the car. Adrian quickly slipped into an inconspicuous, abandoned high-rise building. There, behind a pile of crates, he saw Elijah, slowly coming to, his body bathed in flames.
A cold, sinister smile crept across Adrian's face. As expected, Elijah was tough. How could his life be taken so easily? It seemed he could hold on long enough for Adrian to make his escape.
"How are you holding up?"
Adrian approached Elijah, taking in the blood-soaked man before him.
At that moment, Elijah pressed one hand against the wound on his left abdomen, his face as pale as paper. He replied coolly, "Don't worry, I won't die."
That was exactly what Adrian wanted to hear. He couldn't help but laugh. Then, he looked at Captain Reed, who was speaking into his walkie-talkie in front of them, urging them to lay down their arms for lenient treatment. Adrian sneered inwardly.
"Huh? Lay down our arms and we get to live?"
Adrian shoved a pistol into Elijah's hand, then looked him in the eye.
"You'd better get out of here alive. Otherwise, even if you want to fight for your childhood friend, you won't have that chance. Nothing is more important than keeping your life."
Adrian didn't tell Elijah that Emma was in the car waiting in a desolate alley outside. At this critical moment, he had no chance to explain. But as long as he could instill in Elijah the will to survive, that was enough.
"I never expected Liam to be the one to wound me?"
Elijah's usually warm eyes had vanished, replaced by a pair of bloodshot, terrifying orbs filled with ferocity.
Adrian sighed inwardly. He feared Elijah now had every intention of killing Liam.
Meanwhile, as their life-and-death struggle unfolded, Emma had woken up in the car. The kidnappers hadn't bothered to gag her tightly, thinking she was just a girl. And because Adrian had been in a hurry to leave, the car had no heat. The winter wind howled like a beast, and the car quickly turned into an icebox. Emma was naturally jolted awake ahead of schedule.
She sat up from the back seat and surveyed her surroundings. Her heart pounded. The wind battered the windows like a wild animal. Seeing no one in the car, fear and confusion washed over her. Why had the kidnapper fled?
And left her here all alone?
No, she had to get out. Drawing on her past experience of self-rescue, Emma quickly calmed down. She saw that the car doors were locked, but the keys weren't inside. She silently cursed the damned kidnapper. If you're going to run, at least leave me the keys.
With no other choice, Emma closed her eyes and kicked the window with all her might. Only when her foot went numb did she hear the sound of shattering glass.
Then she took off her coat, wrapped it around her arm, and used her clenched fist to clear the broken glass from the frame. Finally, she squeezed herself out.
Unfortunately, she forgot to lay her coat on the ground first, so her hands inevitably touched the shards. Accompanied by the biting wind, the pain cut to the bone. Emma could only grit her teeth and flee without hesitation. After all, there was no guarantee the kidnapper who had knocked her out wouldn't come back.
Emma turned out of the desolate alley, but the sound of sirens rising in the distance caught her attention. Her heart suddenly felt a surge of relief. No wonder the kidnappers had fled—the police had arrived.
She couldn't understand why so many sirens were blaring at once. Seeing the lights in the dilapidated building ahead, she assumed the police were inside.
Without a second thought, Emma quickly put on her coat and ran toward the old building.
But when she reached a side door, she peered through the gap and saw a group of people in special forces uniforms, along with Captain Reed and a squad of police officers. Leading them was Liam Williams.
And standing opposite him, if her eyes weren't deceiving her, was undoubtedly Elijah Clark.
At that moment, Emma was stunned and confused. Elijah seemed injured, his hand pressed against his left abdomen. His face was as white as paper, as if he might collapse at any moment.
What was going on?
The more doubt swirled in Emma's mind, the greater her shock. Especially when she saw the man with deep blue eyes standing beside Elijah. Her brain seemed to go blank, overwhelmed by the sudden scene.
Wasn't that the man who had hurt her? Why was he with Elijah? And why did they all have guns in their hands?