Chapter 171 The Dust Settles
Chapter 171 The Dust Settles
Seeing the high-speed patrol boats racing toward them in an encircling formation and the intimidating helicopter hovering overhead, the hands gripping Sophia's arms involuntarily loosened their grip. Both men shook like leaves in a hurricane.
Sophia jerked her head up, looking toward that reassuring source of light.
Though the powerful beam made it impossible to open her eyes fully, that familiar voice, like the most solid and reliable fortress, instantly dispelled all her fear and the bone-deep cold.
He had come.
He had really come.
Almost the instant Henry's warning rang out, the patrol boats shot forward like arrows, and professionally trained personnel swiftly boarded the yacht.
The helicopter circled overhead while a sniper's red laser dot settled precisely on the tattooed man's forehead.
"Don't... don't come any closer! One more step and I'll push her over!" The tattooed man erupted with final viciousness in his ultimate terror.
He wrapped one arm around Sophia's throat, pressing half her body against the ship's rail while screaming at the boarding officers.
His other hand pulled out a knife hidden at his waist, pressing it against Sophia's carotid artery.
Henry stood at the bow of the lead patrol boat, sea wind whipping through his hair, but unable to dispel the terrifying, murderous aura surrounding him.
His eyes were bloodshot, and when he saw the knife at Sophia's throat and the bleeding wound, the atmospheric pressure around him dropped to freezing, as if he could crystallize the very air.
He raised his hand, stopping his men from advancing further. His gaze locked onto the tattooed man like a bird of prey, his voice cold enough to freeze the ocean.
"Let her go. I'm giving you three seconds to think it over. Three..."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable promise of destruction.
The tattooed man could clearly see the unconcealed killing intent in his eyes—the kind of gaze that could instill bone-deep terror.
"Two..."
Cold sweat poured down the tattooed man's forehead, his arms trembling violently. The stocky man had already crouched down with his head in his hands, scared out of his wits, continuously muttering pleas for mercy.
Sophia could feel the arm around her neck growing weaker. She knew Henry was buying time for the sniper to find the optimal shot.
She deliberately tilted her head slightly, avoiding the knife's edge, while using her eyes to signal Henry that she was okay.
Henry caught her gaze, his heart clenching, but his resolve only strengthened.
The sniper in the helicopter immediately adjusted his angle, aiming at the tattooed man's knife-wielding wrist.
"One!"
The moment "one" fell, a barely audible suppressed sniper shot cut through the night air.
"Ah!" The tattooed man's knife arm was instantly pierced by the bullet, blood spattering as he screamed and reflexively loosened his grip on Sophia.
The knife clattered into the sea with a splash.
In that same instant, as the patrol boat made contact with the yacht's hull, Henry leaped with perfect precision onto the yacht's deck!
"Sophia!" he roared, reaching out to catch her as she fell backward from the momentum.
However, the wounded tattooed man, driven by pain and desperation, summoned a final burst of vindictive fury. With his good hand, he lunged forward and grabbed Sophia's bound arms behind her back, snarling with a twisted smile as he fell backward, "Let's die together!"
"Ah!" Sophia stumbled as he dragged her, on the verge of being pulled into the black ocean below.
The icy seawater had already reached her ankles, bone-chilling coldness instantly spreading through her entire body.
In that split second, Henry's pupils contracted sharply. Without any hesitation, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Sophia's waist while his other hand desperately gripped the ship's rail.
The railing groaned under the strain, hairline cracks appearing in the metal joints.
Henry's arm muscles bulged with veins, his temples pulsing as he gritted his teeth, using his incredible willpower and core strength to barely maintain his grip.
He could feel the tremendous pulling force of the tattooed man's fall, almost tearing his arm apart, but he never let go, holding Sophia's waist in a death grip—his only obsession in this life.
Another gunshot rang out, this time precisely hitting the wrist of the tattooed man's hand that gripped Sophia.
"Ahhhh—" The tattooed man let out one final piercing scream before finally releasing his grip, falling like a broken puppet straight into the churning dark waters below, instantly swallowed by the waves.
Henry immediately pulled with all his strength, completely hauling the shell-shocked Sophia back onto the deck and into his arms.
His embrace was impossibly tight, his body even trembling slightly with barely perceptible relief, like someone clutching a treasure thought lost forever.
"It's over, it's over, I'm here."
He whispered repeatedly in her ear, soothing her equally violent trembling.
Warm lips pressed against her forehead and the crown of her head, carrying the relief and lingering fear of having found what was lost.
Sophia buried her face deeply in his chest, which carried the scent of seawater and his familiar cool fragrance. The terror and shock of surviving the ordeal only now came flooding back, making her tremble uncontrollably. With her hands still bound, she could only press close against him.
Henry quickly untied the rough rope around her wrists and ankles. Seeing the deep red marks where she'd been bound, storm clouds gathered in his eyes.
He removed his jacket, wrapping her tightly in it before lifting her in his arms.
"Clean this up."
He threw those ice-cold words at his subordinates, then carried Sophia away without looking back, boarding the rescue boat as the helicopter provided aerial escort, swiftly leaving that stretch of ocean.
...
Meanwhile, Clara paced restlessly in her apartment, constantly dialing the tattooed man's number, but the calls never went through.
An ominous premonition gripped her heart.
She paced frantically around the living room, having drunk most of the bottle on the table. Her face was flushed, but her eyes remained sinister.
Thinking of Sophia's success, of Henry's devotion to her, the jealousy and hatred in her heart grew like wildfire.
"Answer the damn phone! Useless piece of shit!"
She cursed in frustration, hurling her phone onto the sofa.
Just then, the doorbell shrilled piercingly.
Clara's heart leaped with joy—were the kidnappers back to report their success? She practically sprinted to open the door.
However, standing outside weren't the people she expected, but several uniformed, stern-faced police officers.
"Ms. Garcia? We've received a report that you're involved in orchestrating and directing the kidnapping and attempted murder of Ms. Sophia Brown. This is an arrest warrant. You need to come with us."
The lead officer's ice-cold voice rang like a final death knell in Clara's ears.
The color instantly drained from her face as her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor.
She tried to struggle, screaming, "I didn't do anything!" but was hauled to her feet by the officers.
As she was being led away, she caught a glimpse of a news broadcast through the window showing Henry carrying Sophia to shore. In that moment, she knew she had lost completely.
（I highly recommend a captivating book that I couldn't put down for three days and nights. It's incredibly engaging and a must-read. The title of the book is "The CEO's Wife and Her Hidden Heirs" and the author's name is Harper. You can find it by searching in the search bar.
Here is the synopsis of the book:
I'm Sophia. After three years of marriage, my husband abandoned me for his first love, leaving me in danger and at the mercy of a stranger.
Desperate and pregnant, he accused me of cheating and even tried to harm our unborn child.
Five years later, I return with twins. With tears in his eyes, he demands, “Whose children are they? Who did you cheat on me with?”）