Chapter 132 Chapter 132

Chapter 132 Chapter 132
Chapter 132

Boat speeding across Lake Isabella. Steering one handed, gun in other hand, pressed against Sienna’s temple.

Sienna tied, gagged, crying silently. Body shaking from cold, from fear, from everything.

Landon and team running out of boathouse onto dock, watching boat getting away, getting smaller, getting gone.

“There!” Marcus shouted, pointing across lake. “Other side beach. She’s heading there. Car waiting probably.”

“Go!” Landon ordered, already running back toward land, toward vehicles, toward chase not over yet.

Team piled into cars, engines roaring, tires spinning, racing around lake to other side, to beach, to where Isabella would land.

Five minutes felt like hours. Every second counted. Every moment mattered. Every breath Sienna took with gun to head could be last.

Arriving at beach other side of lake, screeching to stop, jumping out, weapons drawn.

And there, gunfight already happening. Isabella’s guards, three of them, firing at Landon’s road team who circled around, got here first.

Bullets flying everywhere, hitting sand, hitting trees, hitting car windows, shattering glass everywhere.

Landon ducked behind vehicle. Noah beside him, also taking cover. Heart pounding, adrenaline rushing.

“Cover fire!” Marcus shouted. Team spreading out, returning fire. Professional. Coordinated. Taking down threats.

One guard fell, shot in leg, screaming, dropping weapon.

Another guard retreating behind black SUV parked near dock, Isabella’s escape vehicle.

Third guard still firing, wild, desperate, covering Isabella, who was dragging Sienna from boat onto dock, toward SUV.

Sienna fighting best she could with hands tied, pulling back, trying to slow Isabella down, trying to give Landon time.

Isabella yanked her hard. “Move!” she screamed, gun still at Sienna’s head, finger on trigger, ready to fire.

Landon saw opening. Guard reloading, distracted. Ran from cover, sprinting across beach toward dock, toward Sienna, toward everything.

“Landon!” Noah shouted, warning. But too late, already running.

Bullets chasing him, hitting ground behind feet, beside legs, missing barely, but missing.

He reached dock, sliding behind wooden post, breathing hard. Close now. So close.

Isabella saw him, smiled cruel, victorious still. “There you are Landon. Just in time to watch.”

She pressed gun harder against Sienna’s head. Sienna whimpered through gag, tears streaming, eyes finding Landon, begging him silently to save her.

“Let her go Isabella,” Landon said, voice steady despite terror inside, despite gun against wife’s head, despite everything.

“Why would I do that?” Isabella asked, backing toward SUV, dragging Sienna with her. “She’s my only leverage. My only guarantee you won’t kill me.”

“You’re right,” Landon admitted, honest, direct. “I won’t kill you while you have her. So let her go and we can talk.”

“Talk?” Isabella laughed, bitter, broken, insane. “We’re past talking Landon. We’re past everything normal, everything sane.”

Noah appeared other side of dock, hands raised, weapon holstered, non threatening, trying different approach.

“Isabella,” he said, calm, gentle, like talking to scared animal. “Please don’t hurt her. She’s pregnant. Innocent baby inside her doesn’t deserve this.”

“Innocent?” Isabella spat, looking at Noah, hatred in eyes. “She stole everything from me. How is that innocent?”

“She didn’t steal anything,” Noah said, patient, reasonable, inching closer slowly, carefully. “Landon was never yours to steal. He made his choice. You can’t blame Sienna for that.”

“I can!” Isabella shouted, finger twitching on trigger. Sienna closing eyes, preparing for death maybe.

Landon moved slightly, positioning himself better, angle clear shot if needed, if opportunity came.

“Think about what you’re doing,” Noah continued, still talking, still trying, still hoping. “You kill her, you kill that baby. You become murderer. Is that what you want?”

“I don’t care anymore,” Isabella said, voice breaking, crying now, gun still steady despite tears. “I don’t care about anything. If I can’t have him why should she?”

Behind them, gunfight ending. Landon’s team winning. Guards down, injured, surrendering.

But one guard, Isabella's guard hit earlier, lying on ground bleeding from shoulder. Not dead, not unconscious, still dangerous.

He lifted weapon weakly, aimed at Landon standing on dock, exposed, vulnerable.

And fired.

Chaos exploding again.

Landon saw movement, saw gun raising, saw threat.

He fired first. Instinct. Training. Survival. Bullet hitting guard center mass, dropping him instantly dead before hitting ground.

But sound of gunshot startling everyone. Isabella jumping, turning, distracted for second, just second.

Noah saw chance, took it. Lunged at Isabella, grabbing for gun, for Sienna, for saving her.

Isabella screamed, trying to aim at Noah, at Landon, at someone, anyone.

Noah’s hands on gun, on her wrist, struggling, fighting for control, for weapon, for everything.

Sienna falling backward, away from fight, away from gun, away from danger finally.

Landon running to her, catching her before she hit dock, pulling her close, ripping gag from mouth.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered against her hair, against her skin, against her everything. “I’ve got you baby. You’re safe.”

Sienna sobbed against him, unable to hold him back, hands still tied, but feeling him, smelling him, knowing him real, here, saving her.

Noah and Isabella still fighting over gun, stumbling toward edge of dock, toward water, toward danger.

“Noah!” Landon shouted, warning, seeing where they headed.

But too late. Isabella pushed Noah hard. He pushed back. Both off balance, both falling.

Splash loud, cold water swallowing them both under surface, gone.

Security team running to edge, looking down into dark water, seeing splashing, seeing struggle continuing underwater.

Noah surfaced first, gasping, coughing, swimming toward shore, gun lost somewhere below.

Then Isabella surfacing too, also gasping, also swimming, but slower, weaker, hypothermia setting in maybe.

Two guards jumped in, swimming to her, grabbing her arms, pulling her toward shore, toward capture, toward end.

She fought them weakly, screaming, crying, cursing everything, everyone.

“Let me go! Let me die! I have nothing left! Nothing!”

But they didn’t let go. Pulled her onto beach, holding her down, handcuffing her, restraining her finally, completely.

Isabella collapsed on sand, sobbing, defeated, broken, lost.

Noah climbed out of water, shivering, drenched, but alive, victorious, successful.

Landon still holding Sienna on dock, cutting ropes from wrists, freeing her finally, truly.

Her hands immediately going around his neck, holding tight, tighter, tightest.

“Landon,” she whispered, voice hoarse, broken, beautiful. “You came. You found me. You saved me.”

“Always,” he promised, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, gentle, reverent, grateful. “I’ll always find you. Always save you. Always love you.”

She cried harder, relief, joy, safety, all overwhelming, everything.

“The baby,” she said, sudden, scared, hand going to stomach. “Is the baby okay?”

“We’ll check right now,” Landon said, calling medic over, team doctor rushing to them with equipment.

Portable ultrasound, small one, battery powered for emergencies, for this exactly this.

Doctor placed it on Sienna’s stomach, searching, looking, praying.

Then sound small, fast, rhythmic, beautiful.

Heartbeat. Baby’s heartbeat. Strong. Steady. Alive.

Sienna and Landon both crying now, hearing it, knowing it, believing it.

Their baby survived everything Isabella did, everything Sienna endured, everything wrong survived anyway.

“Miracle,” doctor said, smiling through own tears. “Strong baby just like mother.”

Police arriving, sirens wailing, lights flashing, taking over scene, taking Isabella into custody, taking statements from everyone.

But Landon didn’t care about any of that. Just held Sienna, held their baby, held his world returned to him finally.

Noah standing nearby, wet, exhausted, watching brother and sister reunited, smiling despite everything.

He did it. Helped save her. Made up for Lora’s guilt. Made difference finally.

And on beach, Isabella watched from police car, handcuffed, defeated, seeing Landon and Sienna together, seeing love she could never have, seeing end of everything.

She closed eyes, accepting it finally, knowing she lost, knowing they won, knowing it was over.