Chapter 279: Whatever You Do, Don't Forget Me

Chapter 279: Whatever You Do, Don't Forget Me

Isabella could feel death's cold breath on her neck.

She clutched the rusty utility knife she'd managed to hide, having almost sliced through the ropes tying her wrists. Her palm was raw and bleeding from the knife, but just as she was about to break free, the kidnappers heard the rescue team approaching.

Panic overrode everything else. They grabbed Isabella and dragged her up to the actual rooftop, holding her in front of them as a shield.

"Didn't I tell you two to wait downstairs? What the hell are you doing up here?" the captain barked, his attention split dangerously thin.

Vance yanked Isabella's collar hard, his voice seething with rage. "I knew you'd pull something! You brought the damn cops!"

"Take one more step and I'm throwing her over the edge!"

From the weapons and tactical gear, Vance knew right then—they were trapped.

Isabella's heart hammered in her chest as she searched desperately for an opening. Her body hung halfway over the building's edge. If Vance so much as loosened his hold for an instant, she'd plummet to her death.

"Put her down. Aetheria is a society governed by law. As long as you haven't caused actual harm to public safety, we can consider leniency," the captain called out.

"You think we're idiots just because we didn't go to fancy schools?" Vance sneered, lips curling in contempt.

Kade and Luca went cold all over at Vance's words.

They might actually die here.

Death was staring them right in the face. Four or five laser sights painted red dots on their chests. In that moment, Kade and Luca understood exactly what Vance meant.

"This is my fault. I dragged you into this," Vance said quietly, his earlier bravado crumbling.

"We knew how this would end the moment we took the job," Luca replied, trying to sound casual even as tears welled in his eyes.

"When Mom and Dad died, I was just a kid. If Vance and Kade hadn't worked themselves to the bone to feed me, I'd have starved."

In their minds, they'd survived every hardship life could throw at them. They'd worked every low-wage, backbreaking job imaginable, but those jobs were never stable, never enough.

This job—it was supposed to be their one big score.

They never imagined the cops would track them down so quickly.

The rooftop wind howled fiercely. Isabella heard their words and decided to try one more time.

"Whatever you need—money, anything else—just let me go. I promise I'll find a way to give you a better life."

Her voice was nearly torn away by the wind.

"I want a lot of money. Fifty million dollars! That's the price for this woman's life. You wouldn't refuse that, would you?"

At this point, no amount of money mattered more than a human life. Richard nodded without hesitation.

"Let her go, and I'll transfer the money right now."

As he spoke, Richard took advantage of the established trust, inching forward one tiny step at a time. He agreed to every demand.

"You're still lying!" Luca suddenly exploded.

"Bank accounts have daily transfer limits! Once you hit the cap, you can't move any more money. You think banks are your personal piggy banks? Fifty million dollars at the snap of your fingers?"

Kade looked at Luca in surprise. "Since when do you know all that?"

Luca thumped his chest proudly. "Of course I do! I don't watch TV for nothing."

Isabella finally stepped back from the edge, her feet touching solid ground. She exhaled in profound relief.

Richard and William didn't bother explaining to these men. There was no point.

Seeing Isabella momentarily safe, William couldn't hold back any longer. He charged toward her position.

Kade and Luca drew their knives in alarm, but William deflected each attack. Despite his injuries, he fought like an avenging angel.

Seeing things going south, Vance grabbed Isabella again and shoved her toward the roof's edge.

But this time William was close enough. Vance had no room to maneuver.

"I surrender! I surrender!" Vance suddenly released Isabella and shouted at the armed officers.

"Drop your weapons! Hands on your head!" the police commanded.

Vance obediently threw down his machete and stared at William, his eyes wide.

Everyone thought the danger had passed. All attention focused on checking Isabella's injuries.

Then, just as everyone lowered their guard, Vance's hand darted into his jacket. He'd hidden one more weapon—a switchblade.

The blade drove straight toward William's heart, piercing flesh.

Caught off guard, William took the full force of the attack.

He staggered. Vance yanked the knife back out. Blood sprayed in a crimson fountain.

Some of it spattered across Isabella's face.

Already wounded, William lost his balance and collapsed.

 

Blood. Isabella's entire world turned red.

She no longer cared how the kidnappers were dealt with. She and Richard helped William onto the ambulance, watching as his face drained of color.

Her heart grew heavy.

She didn't want to owe this man anything more, but William always found a way to entangle their lives together.

The emergency medical team moved with practiced efficiency, applying pressure to the wound and fitting William with an oxygen mask before rushing him to the nearest hospital for suturing and transfusion.

William felt his head spinning, his vision fading to white.

He reached toward Isabella, his voice sincere. "Isabella, I'll agree to the divorce."

"Whatever you do, don't forget me. Please?"

He felt like he was dying.

Even so, he didn't want Isabella to forget him.