Chapter 278

Chapter 278

The sharp smell hit Olivia's nose instantly. She struggled on instinct, but within seconds her arms and legs went limp, the world spinning around her, and she blacked out.

Vance moved quickly with the rest of the Edwards family, carefully lifting the unconscious Olivia into the back seat.

"Alright, clean up the scene — don't leave anything behind."

He watched both cars disappear into the distance before finally turning to leave.

Some time later, a bone-deep chill crept over her. Olivia shivered on reflex, then slowly came to. She opened her eyes to pure darkness.

Her wrists and ankles were bound tight with rough rope that cut into her skin. Her whole body felt heavy and drained, and a dull, throbbing ache still lingered in her head from whatever they had used to knock her out.

She struggled and shifted, glancing around. The room was empty.

Thinking of Nina, whose mind had been clouded by whatever drug they gave her, and of Zara, still shaken from the ordeal, Olivia felt a knot of dread tighten in her chest. She pulled harder against the rope, but it held firm. There was no getting free.

……

In the sealed room they were using as a makeshift cell, Holden lay unconscious on the floor, barely breathing. He looked like he could go at any moment.

While the standoff dragged on, Vance pushed open the door and walked in with his men, dragging Olivia behind him. She hadn't fully come around yet, her face drained of all color.

Her legs could barely hold her, and a dull pain still pounded at the back of her skull. But they forced her to stand in front of everyone — the Edwards family's only bargaining chip.

Vance's expression was cold and flat. He looked directly at the two men across from him and spoke.

"Mr. Anderson. Mr. Johnson. Let Holden go, and I'll return Ms. Smith to you in one piece. One for one. That's a fair trade."

A hard glint flashed in Andrew's eyes. Michael's entire body radiated barely contained fury. Both of them fixed Vance with a stare that could cut through steel.

"Quite the move, Edwards family."

Andrew's voice was low and ice-cold, every word loaded with the promise of consequences.

"You're really willing to risk everything — the whole Edwards family — for someone like Holden?"

Michael followed without missing a beat, his tone dripping with threat.

"Is Vaughn tired of living? I don't mind helping him along."

Vance's face didn't change, though Michael's words made something shift behind his eyes for just a moment. His stance stayed firm.

"Mr. Vaughn Edwards wants Mr. Holden Edwards home safe. Either we make the exchange, or we all go down together."

Andrew looked at Olivia, weak and unsteady in front of him. He thought of Nina, and whatever had been injected into her. He clenched his jaw and gave a slow nod.

"Fine. I'll take the trade."

He stepped aside and signaled his bodyguard to release Holden.

Vance immediately had his men push Olivia forward. Both sides made the exchange. It looked like a deal had been struck — but no one caught the brief flicker of satisfaction in Vance's eyes.

The moment Olivia steadied herself on her feet, the iron doors around them burst open. A wave of the Edwards family's trained enforcers flooded in and surrounded the entire warehouse in seconds.

The air turned thick with violence.

This was never a trade. It was a trap. The Edwards family had no intention of letting them walk out alive.

Michael's face went dark.

"How dare you. Who the hell gave you the nerve?"

Faced with the threat, Vance finally dropped all pretense. The cruelty in his eyes came through.

"Save your breath, Mr. Johnson."

"Your people have all been pulled away. It's just the few of you left in here. We're everywhere. You're not getting out."

He gestured, and the enforcers who had been holding the exits surged forward, closing in from all sides.

"Enjoy yourselves."

With that, Vance walked out into the night with Holden and was gone.

Andrew and Michael exchanged a glance. No words needed. Both had already made up their minds.

They moved fast, positioning themselves on either side of Olivia. At least the two kids had already been taken to the hospital with the doctor.

The numbers were badly against them — dozens of enforcers, and only two of them, while Olivia was still barely conscious and needed protecting.

The fight broke out fast. Fists and bodies collided, the dull impact of blows filling the air from every direction.

Both men came from the top of the business world and knew how to handle themselves, but there were too many, and the waves kept coming.

Within minutes, Michael took a hard hit to his forearm, blood seeping through the scrape. Andrew caught a heavy blow from a club across his lower back, staggering slightly as blood soaked through the fabric of his shirt.

In the middle of the chaos, Andrew forced himself to scan the room through gritted teeth. He spotted the nearest exit, calculated the angle, and spoke low and fast.

"Michael! You're closest to the door!"

He threw himself forward, driving hard into two of the enforcers coming at them head-on, absorbing the full force of their assault.

"Take Olivia and go. I'll hold them off."

Blows were raining down from every direction. Michael took hit after hit, grunting through the pain.

The words landed like a punch to the chest. He rejected it without thinking.

"Not a chance. We leave together."

He knew exactly how bad it was. Andrew was already hurt. If he stayed alone against this many men, he wouldn't make it out.

"This isn't the time to play the loyal friend."

Andrew's shoulder wound was screaming, but he held his ground and pushed back another wave. His voice was sharp and left no room for argument.

"Olivia can barely stand. She's not going to last. Zara and Nina are still at the hospital and we don't know how they're doing. Someone needs to be with them."

Olivia was leaning heavily against them, still barely aware of what was happening around her. She couldn't stand on her own, let alone fight her way out.

Andrew was pulling the attention of every man in the room onto himself — buying Michael the opening he needed. Michael was close enough to the exit. If he got out, he could come back with backup.

Michael looked at the wall of bodies blocking every path. He watched a club come down hard across Andrew's back. Something darkened in his eyes.

He knew Andrew was right. It was the only way.

If they stayed like this, all three of them would end up trapped here.

"Hold on. I'll be back with people right now."

No more hesitation. At the critical moment, Michael bent down and lifted Olivia into his arms, holding her close and steady. He pulled back, then drove hard toward the gap near the door.

The enforcers saw it and immediately moved to cut him off.

Andrew's eyes sharpened. Ignoring the pain tearing through him from multiple wounds, he surged forward and tore through the men blocking their path, drawing every hit meant for them.

"Go!"

Michael held Olivia tight and drove through the circle, breaking free and sprinting out through the heavy warehouse doors.

Inside, the gap he had punched through was already sealed shut again by fresh bodies.

Every man in that room turned their full attention to Andrew.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and waved them on with a reckless grin.

"Come on then. Show me what else you've got."

The enforcers traded a look and came at him again. Time blurred. Blood kept seeping from the wound on his shoulder and the one at his lower back, soaking through his white shirt until it was almost entirely red. Every time Andrew raised his arms, it cost him.

But his back stayed straight. His eyes were steady. He gripped his weapon and held his ground, staring them all down.