Chapter46 Save Serafina or Talia

Chapter46 Save Serafina or Talia
Talia POV
Jareth shot to his feet. "Who did she contact?"
Nora shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't dare stay. I was afraid she'd notice me, so I ran straight here. The east wing guards haven't noticed anything yet. She's kept her door closed, pretending everything's normal."
Jareth turned and headed for the door. "Rico, bring two men with me to the east wing."
I quickly stood up and followed him. "Wait, I'm coming with you."
He glanced back, frowning. "Stay here. Don't get involved in this mess."
I caught up to him. "No, Serafina might do something extreme."
I also wanted to see Serafina's downfall, revenge for my unborn child.
Jareth didn't argue further. He just grabbed my hand, gripping it tightly. "Don't run off."
We rushed toward the east wing. The closer we got, the louder the gunfire became.
The faster we ran, the denser the shots grew, mixed with guards shouting and the sound of shattering glass.
Just as we rounded the corridor corner, we saw flames erupting at the east wing entrance. Aron's men were firing wildly with their guns. The four guards Jareth had left were returning fire from behind the doorframe, bullets kicking up chunks of concrete from the walls.
"Don, they're here for Miss Serafina." One guard spotted us and shouted. Before he finished speaking, a bullet grazed his arm. He grunted in pain and dropped to his knees.
Jareth pulled me behind him, drew his pistol, and fired back. "Take cover! Don't engage directly!"
I crouched in a corner, watching him shoot from a sideways stance, my heart pounding.
Aron had at least a dozen men, all armed with heavy weapons. On our side, including Jareth and Rico who'd just arrived, we only had six people total.
"Talia, stay here and don't move." Jareth left me with that instruction and charged into the building with Rico.
I couldn't just sit still. I grabbed a steel pipe from the ground and was about to follow when I felt something cold against the back of my neck. A gun barrel pressed against me.
"Don't move, or I'll blow your head off." A rough voice sounded in my ear. It was one of Aron's men, a buzz-cut guy who'd somehow circled around.
My whole body froze.
The buzz-cut man grabbed my hair and yanked me up, pressing the gun to my temple. He shouted toward the front, "Jareth, stop or I'll kill her."
The gunfire quickly ceased.
Jareth turned around. Seeing me held hostage, his eyes narrowed. He kept his gun raised. "Let her go!"
The buzz-cut man laughed. "Tell your men to stop firing first. Let us take Serafina and leave, or this woman dies in her place."
I followed his gaze and saw the second-floor window of the east wing smashed open. Two men in black were dragging Serafina down.
At that moment, another man in black aimed his gun at Serafina's head and yelled at Jareth, "You've got ten seconds to decide! Either let us take Serafina and we'll release Talia, or we kill them both!"
Everyone looked at Jareth.
Serafina screamed hoarsely, "Dad, I'm your adopted daughter! You can't abandon me! Talia's just an outsider. Why would you give me up for her?"
The buzz-cut man joined in the pressure. "Ten! Nine! Eight! Jareth, stop stalling!"
I watched Jareth's face as his gaze shifted between me and Serafina. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging.
I knew he was struggling inside, torn between his daughter of over ten years and me, who'd fought alongside him.
"Dad, save me. I'll never do it again." Serafina cried.
The buzz-cut man's countdown continued. "Three! Two!"
Just as he was about to shout "one," Jareth suddenly moved. He didn't lower his gun. Instead, he raised it sharply, aimed at the man in black holding Serafina, and pulled the trigger!
"Bang!"
The bullet hit the man's shoulder. He screamed and let go.
Serafina took the chance to struggle free and tried to run toward us.
"You're insane!" the buzz-cut man shouted in shock and rage, pressing the gun harder against my temple. "You really don't care if this woman dies?"
Jareth's eyes locked onto mine. "Let her go."
The buzz-cut man roared, "Let us retreat safely first, or I'll shoot her right now."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jareth suddenly dodged to the side and yelled, "Rico, now."
Rico had been waiting for the opportunity. He lunged at the buzz-cut man and they immediately grappled.
The moment the gun barrel shifted away, I lifted my foot and kicked hard at the buzz-cut man's knee. He bent over in pain. I took the chance to break free and ran toward Jareth.
But just then, another bullet flew toward me. Jareth reacted quickly, throwing himself over me and knocking me to the ground. The bullet grazed my back and hit the wall.
"Are you okay?" He held me tightly.
I shook my head. Just as I was about to speak, I heard Serafina scream. I turned to see her running toward the perimeter wall, taking advantage of the chaos.
But Aron's men weren't planning to let her go.
A man in black raised his gun, aimed at her foot, and pulled the trigger without a moment’s hesitation.
"Bang!"
The gunshot rang out. Serafina staggered, blood seeping from her back. She turned and looked at Jareth with resentment, then collapsed headfirst into the nearby bushes.
"Serafina!" Jareth tried to go to her.
Just then, police sirens suddenly sounded in the distance, growing closer.
Seeing this, Aron's men didn't dare continue fighting. They cursed and retreated, but not before firing two more shots into the bushes.
Jareth let go of my hand and went to search the bushes for Serafina. But all that remained was a pool of blood and a piece of dropped jewelry. She was gone.
"Serafina!" He called out several times. No response.
I heard the police sirens approaching and soon they arrived at the manor gates.
It didn't take much to figure out that Aron had called the police. That cunning old fox had it all calculated. He knew that after our firefight with his men, the scene would be full of shell casings and blood. When the police arrived, they'd arrest us first while he sat back and watched the show.
Vincent ran over and whispered, "Miss Hayes, the police are here. The one in charge is Tom, who's close to Prosecutor Ross. Judging by his attitude, he's coming for us. Aron probably already bought him off."
I nodded and smoothed my hair, heading toward the gate. "What's there to fear? We have nothing to hide. This is our manor. They broke in and tried to kidnap someone. If anyone's getting investigated, it's them. Let's go see what this is about."
I glanced at Jareth before turning to walk outside.
As soon as I reached the gate, several uniformed officers stopped me. Tom stood there with a stern face, holding a notebook.
"Miss Talia, there was a shooting and violent confrontation here tonight. Someone reported that your Camorra family intentionally harmed people and illegally possessed firearms. I need you to come to the station with us for questioning."
"Tom, you need evidence to make accusations, don't you?" I laughed coldly, pointing at the chaos in the manor. "Casa family members trespassed on my property and kidnapped Miss Serafina. We were acting in self-defense. Instead of investigating the intruders, you're questioning us first? That doesn't seem appropriate."
Tom's expression didn't change. He just waved his hand. "Whether it's self-defense or not, you can explain at the station. Take her."