TWIST OF FATE

TWIST OF FATE
Xender's POV

I pulled up in front of Mike's clinic, my heart sinking at the scene unfolding before me. Paramedics were frantically wheeling a staff member out, an oxygen mask strapped over her face as they rushed her into the back of an ambulance.

“She's losing a lot of blood!” one of them shouted as they leaped into the vehicle, instantly tending to her wounds.

“What in the world has Seth done?” I muttered in utter shock.

Before I could even process it, another stretcher was wheeled out—this time carrying an officer. I recognized him from the few times I had crossed paths with Detective Jason.

Police officers were spread across the lot, questioning the remaining clinic staff, who were all visibly shaken and trembling from the nightmare that had just occurred. I spotted a familiar face among them—Mary, one of Mike’s newer hires who had quickly become a close friend of his.

As the officer questioning her walked away, I took the opportunity to hurry over.

“Mary,” I called out.

She flinched, her eyes still clouded with pure horror.

“Sir...” she stammered as I reached her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over as she tried in vain to brush them away.

“Mary, what happened? Have you seen Charles?” I asked, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder.

“He... I saw him outside for a moment,” she managed to choke out, pulling herself together. “When the patient from the private ward was being beaten and dragged out by that man, Charles got into the car with an officer who took off after them.”

Panic seized my chest.

It felt like my mind was about to shatter. Seth had stabbed Mike, shot a clinic worker and a police officer, and kidnapped Anna. I couldn't comprehend it. What had triggered this sudden rampage? Tomorrow was supposed to be the day we exposed everything in court. What pushed him over the edge when I hadn't even taken action yet?

“Thank you, Mary. And I'm so sorry you had to go through this,” I said, my heart heavy with guilt. “I'm sorry to all of you. After all, I was the one who brought the patient here. It was never my intention to put anyone in danger.”

“I'm just worried about the patient he's holding hostage,” she sobbed softly, nodding in understanding. “I just hope the injured survive... I'm going to go back inside now.”

I nodded and let her go.

Suddenly, my phone began buzzing non-stop in my pocket. I yanked it out, praying it was Charles, but Emily's name flashed across the screen instead.

“Hey, Em—”

“Xender, what is going on? Have you found Charles? You haven't, have you? Please tell me he's safe, Xender! Tell me Charles is okay!” Emily sobbed frantically. Her hysterical cries only added to the chaos consuming my mind.

I opened my mouth to reassure her, but no words came out. The world spun around me—until an officer's loud voice cut through the noise, shouting to the rest of the squad that Detective Jason had captured the suspect.

“Emily, let me call you right back,” I blurted out, hanging up immediately and sprinting toward the officer.

“Please, wait! Wait!” I called out before he could step into his cruiser. “I'm Xender—Xender Armstrong. I'm working with the lawyer representing Mr. Albert, the man falsely accused of killing Mr. and Mrs. Barnard alongside their daughter.”

The officer paused and extended his hand, which I shook tightly.

“Well, allow me to give you the good news,” the officer said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Mr. Albert was innocent after all. The real culprit has been captured and is in our custody. I still can't believe that bastard managed to deceive us into thinking Albert murdered them.”

“I don't understand...” I stammered, completely bewildered. “Up until now, wasn't there a total lack of clear evidence clearing him of the Barnards' deaths?”

“Someone mailed an anonymous video to the station,” the officer revealed. “Clear footage of Mr. Sebastian exiting the Barnard residence.”

I stood frozen. An anonymous tip? Who could have sent that?

“Would you like to follow me to the station?” the officer asked, pulling me back to reality.

“Yes! I'll be right behind you,” I replied hastily, turning back toward my car.

Minutes later, I pulled up in front of the precinct, my mind fixated solely on finding Charles. I rushed through the front doors and into the main lobby, releasing a long, shaky sigh of relief when I spotted Charles standing near the front desk, talking to Detective Jason.

“Mr. Armstrong,” Jason called out first, noticing me approach.

“Oh, thank God you're here!” Charles breathed out the moment he turned around.

“You scared me half to death!” I scolded, completely ignoring Jason's presence for a moment. “Emily is probably crying her eyes out right now thinking something terrible happened to you!”

“I'm so sorry,” Charles apologized genuinely. “I called her in the middle of the high-speed chase. I didn't mean to panic her.”

I rested a heavy hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Go call her back and let her know you're okay.”

He nodded and walked off to make the call. I turned back to Jason, who was wearing a tired but relieved smile.

“It seems it’s finally over,” Jason said softly.

I nodded. Even though everything felt strangely convenient, I was deeply grateful that someone had finally stepped up to expose Seth’s crimes.

“I heard you received an anonymous tip?” I asked.

Jason nodded. “Yes. And the doctor who cremated the body claimed to be Alda also turned himself in. The remains didn't belong to Miss Barnard. This means Alda might still be alive, and Albert’s name will be officially cleared very soon.”

Relief washed over me. I quickly thanked him, then reached deep into my pocket to pull out the USB drive Anna had entrusted to me.

“Here. My lawyer was going to submit this in court tomorrow, but I'm handing it straight to you,” I said, reaching out to give him the drive.

Before his fingers could touch it, a violent commotion erupted from down the hall.

Jason and I locked eyes for a split second before sprinting toward the holding area. We burst into the main corridor only to find a terrifying sight: Seth had managed to grab an officer, holding a gun directly against the man's temple while every other officer in the room had their weapons drawn on him.

“Drop your weapons, or I put a bullet right through his head!” Seth screamed, his eyes wild and unhinged.

Suddenly, his gaze snapped to mine. The moment he recognized me, something shifted in his expression, and a dark, twisted laugh escaped his lips.

“Well, if it isn't Mr. Armstrong! I was afraid I wouldn't get the chance to see you again,” he sneered.

My eyes flicked to the hostage officer, who gave me a subtle, desperate glance—signaling me to keep Seth talking.

“Yeah, me too,” I said, keeping my voice as even as possible. “That's why I came rushing right over.”

The grotesque smile instantly vanished from Seth's face.

“This is all your fault! Yours and that bitch's!” he roared, shifting the barrel of the gun away from the officer and aiming it straight at my chest. “I should have pushed her off that cliff just like I did to Alda! They were both so fucking pathetic!”

That split-second distraction was supposed to be the officer's opening to disarm him—but before anyone could react, a figure charged out of nowhere.

It was Anna.

She threw herself directly in front of me, raising a gun and firing a shot straight at Seth. The hostage officer ducked out of the way, but a rapid volley of deafening gunshots filled the room: BANG! BANG! BANG!

Anna collapsed right at my feet as the surrounding officers unloaded their weapons into Seth. His body hit the floor with a heavy, lifeless thud.

It all happened in a split-second blur.

I dropped to my knees beside Anna instantly. She had been shot point-blank in the abdomen, and within seconds, dark blood began pooling around her lips.

Her tear-filled eyes locked onto mine, burning with a desperate, unspoken message. She reached out, her trembling, blood-soaked hand clutching tightly at my shirt.

​“You... you can't die,” she coughed, leaving me completely confused. “You have to tell Alda that I am sorry.”

Slowly, the light in her eyes faded into a cold, hollow stare, and her grip on my shirt went completely limp.

“Xender!” I heard Charles yell frantically from somewhere behind me.

With a shaking hand, I reached down and gently closed Anna’s open eyes.

A sudden, overwhelming wave of weakness washed over me. My head throbbed violently, and the room began to tilt. I forced myself to my feet, but my legs gave out almost instantly.

Charles rushed forward, catching me just before I hit the ground.

“Charles... I don't feel so good,” I managed to choke out, my vision blurring at the edges.

“Xender, stay with me, please!” Charles begged, his hands frantically pressing down on my lower abdomen. Warm blood soaked through my shirt, and it was only then I realized I had been shot, as well.

“Has someone called 911?!”

“They're already on their way!”

The panicked voices around me began to fade into muffled echoes. Darkness crept in from the corners of my eyes, swallowing everything whole.

As consciousness slipped away, only one terrifying thought pierced through the dark: What if I never see Alda again? What if I'm not here when she comes back?

I had never been truly terrified of anything in my life—until that exact moment.