Chapter 145
Terrence's eyes were filled with venomous hatred: "James, you made me go bankrupt. I racked my brains and finally found your weakness."
"I'm going to kill the woman you love most. I want you to live the rest of your life in pain."
James's eyes turned cold and sharp, his presence terrifying: "Touch her and see what happens."
With that, James waved his hand. A burst of gunfire rang out, and more than half of Terrence's men fell.
Seeing things going badly, he pulled a knife from his jacket, rushed in front of me, grabbed my arm, and held the knife to my throat: "James, don't come any closer! Or I'll kill her!"
James stopped in his tracks, watching him warily.
"Let her go!" James shouted, his voice full of urgency. "Whatever it is, come at me!"
"What's the fun in coming at you? I'm going to kill her—that's how you'll feel the real pain."
With that, he raised the knife, about to stab me.
"No!" James shouted and suddenly dropped to his knees. "Don't kill her. Whatever you want, I'll give you. Just don't kill her—I'll agree to anything!"
Seeing James kneeling on the ground, my feelings were all mixed up.
I never thought he would kneel before his former defeated enemy for my sake.
Seeing James on his knees, Terrence laughed triumphantly: "James, you have this day too! Never thought you'd kneel and beg for a woman!"
The moment he got distracted, I used all my strength, raised my head, and slammed it hard into his nose.
A dull thud.
I hit myself so hard my vision went black, and the back of my head throbbed with pain.
Terrence was clearly worse off!
He screamed, blood pouring from his nose.
The intense pain of his broken nose made him immediately loosen his grip on my neck, instinctively reaching to cover his gushing nose.
I seized this fleeting opportunity, fighting through the dizziness, and stomped my not-so-high heel onto his foot.
Terrence screamed again, hopping on one foot.
"Bitch!" The thug beside him snapped out of it, cursing as he lunged forward.
"Sophia!" James ran over.
But I had already used the moment when Terrence loosened his grip in pain to run toward James with all my strength.
"Grab her!" Terrence covered his bleeding nose, shouting furiously.
James caught me, and the police poured out from behind us.
Seeing this, Amelia panicked. In her frantic attempt to escape, she hit her head on a pillar and passed out.
"Listen up, you're surrounded. Put down your weapons immediately and surrender!"
Terrence's face changed: "Damn it!"
He couldn't bother grabbing me anymore. He glared at James on the screen, then looked at the panicked Amelia, and shouted to his two men: "Through the back door!"
They tried to escape, but as soon as the warehouse's back door opened, they were blocked by police waiting outside.
After a chaotic struggle, Terrence and his two men were subdued.
The police asked me with concern: "Ms. Brown, are you okay?"
I shook my head. The cut on my face burned with pain, and the back of my head hurt badly, too.
James immediately came over to support me: "Sophia, how are you? Your face..."
"I'm fine, just surface wounds," I said coldly, my gaze turning to Amelia being handcuffed by the police.
She was arrested along with the others. She must have just recovered from being knocked out.
Her hair was disheveled, her face covered in dust. Being held by police, she struggled unwillingly, her eyes full of hatred as she glared at me.
When James saw Terrence being brought over, his expression turned dark and terrifying. He suddenly turned around and strode toward Terrence, who was being controlled by the police.
"Mr. Smith, what are you doing?" The police tried to stop him.
James was like an enraged beast at that moment, surprisingly strong. He shoved aside the police blocking him, rushed up to Terrence, and before anyone could react, kicked him hard in the stomach!
Terrence doubled over in pain.
James wasn't satisfied. He grabbed his collar, and his fists rained down on Terrence's face and body like hail, each punch carrying a vicious intent to kill.
"You dared to touch her!"
"Mr. Smith, stop! Calm down!" Several officers rushed over and struggled to pull the furious James away.
Terrence had already been beaten black and blue by James, lying on the ground, groaning.
James was breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot, like a trapped animal.
Held back by the police, his gaze was locked firmly on me.
Watching him go crazy for me like this, I only felt it was ridiculous.
I walked over, and under everyone's surprised gazes, raised my hand and slapped James with all my strength.
The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the empty warehouse.
James's face turned to the side from the force, finger marks quickly appearing on his cheek.
He turned back to look at me in a daze, his eyes full of shock and confusion.
I looked at him and said clearly, word by word: "If you hadn't indulged Amelia again and again, how could she have had the chance to hurt me?"
"Today's disaster, when you get down to it, was caused by you! Nothing good ever happens when you come near me, so I'm begging you—don't come near me anymore. Stay far away from me, okay?"
My words drained all the color from his face.
James turned pale, his eyes full of pain and guilt: "Sophia, I'm sorry... I know I did many things to hurt you before."
"But I really understand now—I love you. I can't live without you."
"Love me?" I laughed coldly. "I don't need your love!"
After saying that, I didn't look at him again and walked straight out.
James's POV:
I watched Sophia's retreating figure, instinctively lifting my foot to chase after her, but remembering what she said, I forced myself to stop.
She didn't want to see me. She said I only brought her disaster.
I clenched my fists tightly, restraining my belated, overwhelming love.
Just now, when I thought Sophia was going to die, my heart raced wildly, and my breathing stopped.
That's when I understood—I really had fallen in love with Sophia. I loved her.
Not just simple liking, but love carved into my bones.
But it was too late.
I loved her, but she had taken back all the love she had for me. Now she didn't have a trace of love for me, not even liking.
This was all my own doing. I didn't blame her, and I had no right to blame her.
Even if she didn't love me, I would still love her. I would protect her and never let what happened today happen again.
I decided in my heart.
"James, save me, I don't want to go to jail."
As Amelia was about to be taken away by the police, she screamed at me: "James, save me!"
I looked at her expressionlessly: "Amelia, you should pay for what you've done."
Last time I begged Sophia to spare her, so I didn't owe her anything anymore.
I only owed Sophia.
Whatever happened to Amelia from now on had nothing to do with me.