Chapter 78: No escape
Ruan didn’t even pick the phone up from the bed. He just clenched Aysel’s hand so tightly that it almost hurt. He pulled her up onto her feet, his dark eyes wide with panic.
"We have to get away right now," Ruan commanded, his voice shaking with fear. He grabbed her shoes from the floor and pushed them onto her feet as quickly as he could. "The police are coming, Aysel. Arthur framed me for murder."
"I’m going with you," Aysel cried, her tears falling onto his shirt. She held onto his arm tightly so he wouldn’t leave her behind. "You are not leaving me alone, Ruan."
"I’m not leaving you," Ruan promised. He grabbed his gun from the table and shoved it into his waistband. "I told you I was sending you away to keep you safe, but I can’t let you out of my sight now. Arthur will find you if I end up in jail, we both have to disappear tonight."
He pulled her out of the room, running fast down the hallway. He didn’t care about packing bags or taking money. All that mattered was getting his wife far from this place.
A loud banging came from the gate, the sound of metal crashing against the walls. Aysel jumped and hid her face against Ruan’s back.
"Boss, the SWAT team is breaking the main gate down!" a security guard yelled as he rushed into the living room, terrified and holding his radio. "What do we do? Do we shoot them?"
"Drop all your weapons immediately," Ruan shouted back, stopping in the middle of the room and looking at his guards. "Don’t shoot the police. They are just doing their jobs. Arthur tricked them. If you shoot at them, they will kill you. Just open the doors and let them come inside."
"But they will arrest you, Boss," the guard panicked, throwing his gun to the floor and raising his hands.
"They have to find me first," Ruan growled, taking Aysel’s hand again and pulling her toward the kitchen. "Tell the cops I ran away. Tell them you don’t know where I went. Stay safe, guys."
Ruan dragged Aysel through the kitchen, throwing the basement door wide open. They ran down the stairs so quickly that Aysel almost tripped.
"Where are we going?" Aysel gasped, her chest hurting and her stomach aching, she felt weak and exhausted.
"We are taking the secret tunnel," Ruan whispered. He caught her before she could fall, wrapping his arm around her waist to steady her. "The same tunnel Liana used to sneak inside. It leads straight to the back rocks. I have a boat tied up out there for emergencies."
They reached the bottom of the stairs and dashed across the floor. Ruan shoved a door open with his shoulder, leading her into a freezing, pitch-black tunnel that smelled badly.
Aysel shivered violently, her teeth chattering. She cried, feeling mud splashing onto her shoes. She completely relied on Ruan’s strength to guide her through.
"I’m so sorry for making you run," Ruan said, his voice filled with guilt. He stopped for a moment, lifted her off the ground, and carried her in his arms. "You are bleeding and tired. You just lost our baby, and I’m dragging you through this mud like an animal. I’m a terrible husband."
"You are saving my life, Ruan," Aysel sobbed, burying her face into his neck and holding him tightly. "Don’t say sorry, just keep running, please don’t let them catch you."
Ruan kissed her hair and hugged her tightly against his heart. He walked as fast as he could through the tunnel, listening to the footsteps of police officers rushing into his house above.
He could hear them shouting his name and breaking his things. This pushed Ruan to run even faster toward the cold wind blowing at the end of the tunnel.
"We’re almost there, baby," Ruan whispered. He saw a sliver of moonlight shining through the green vines covering the exit door. "The boat is right outside. We’ll go far down the coast. I know a safe place where Arthur can never find us."
Ruan pushed the vines aside, kicked the door open,the rain hit his face, and the salty water touched his lips.
He gently set Aysel down, keeping her behind him. He took his gun out of his waistband, scanning the dark for his boat.
The boat floated in the water, tied to a post, bobbing up and down.
Ruan sighed heavily with relief. He took Aysel’s hand and carefully stepped onto the rocks.
"Step into the boat, Aysel," Ruan instructed softly, keeping his gun pointed at the water and scanning the shadows. "Sit in the back. I’ll untie the rope and start the engine. We’re getting out of this city."
Aysel nodded quickly, sniffing loudly. She stepped onto the edge of the boat, reaching out to grab the railing.
But just as her foot was about to touch the boat, a white light suddenly turned on, shining directly into their faces. Ruan and Aysel squeezed their eyes shut and raised their hands to block the light.
A loud laugh echoed over the waves. It was so cruel that it made Aysel’s blood freeze.
"You really think I’m that stupid, Ruan?" a cold voice yelled from the back of the boat. A figure stepped into the light, holding a shotgun aimed directly at Ruan’s chest.
Ruan forced his eyes open, squinting at the light.
It was Arthur.
"I knew Liana used a secret tunnel to get into your house," Arthur laughed, the wind blowing his hair around. "So I knew exactly where to find you when my police friends came knocking down your doors."
"Put the gun down, Arthur," Ruan roared, his voice thick with rage. He pushed Aysel behind him. "If you shoot, I will shoot back. We will both die here tonight."
"I don’t care if I die, bastard," Arthur laughed. His eyes looked insane as he stepped closer to the edge of the boat. "I already ruined your company and took your money. Seraphina took your baby. I’ve won the game, Ruan."
Arthur aimed the shotgun past Ruan's shoulder but at Aysel.
"But my bride asked for one last wedding present," Arthur whispered over the rain, pulling back on the trigger. "She asked me to erase your wife from her world forever."
Aysel screamed, grabbing Ruan's shirt and closing her eyes tightly, waiting for whatever that's coming.