Chapter 246: Blood Shield

Bradley POV

I was too far. Too damn far. My legs burned as I lunged forward, but I knew I wouldn't make it. Panic clawed at my throat. "Diana!" I roared.

Colin, closer to her, moved like a shadow. He shoved Diana with all his might, sending her stumbling sideways. She hit the ground hard, a gasp escaping her lips as she clutched her swollen belly. I abandoned Anne without a second thought, sprinting to Diana's side, my hands trembling as I knelt beside her.

"Diana, are you okay? Talk to me," I pleaded, my voice softer now, laced with fear. I gently lifted her, brushing the dust from her face, my fingers lingering on her cheek. Her emerald eyes, wide with shock, met mine. She winced, her breath hitching.

"It hurts... a little," she admitted through gritted teeth, her hand pressed against her abdomen. "But I can handle it." Her clothes were smeared with grime, and a shallow cut marred her arm from the debris on the floor, but she was alive. Whole. My relief was a fleeting wave, quickly drowned by the sight of Colin.

He wasn't as lucky. The steel had caught him instead, a jagged piece of rebar piercing through his side. He staggered, blood seeping through his shirt, staining the ground beneath him.

I rushed to his side, kneeling beside him in the pool of blood. His breathing was labored, each inhale a struggle as the rebar pinned him in place.

"You saved her," I said, my voice low with gratitude as I placed firm pressure around his wound. "Just hold on." I fumbled for my phone, my fingers slick with sweat. "I'm calling an ambulance," I said, my tone clipped, urgent. But Colin's hand shot out, weak but insistent, grabbing my wrist.

"No," he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. "This... this is my end. A killer's end. Let it be."

I shook my head, jaw tight. "Not on my watch." Ignoring his protest, I dialed emergency services, barking orders while pressing my other hand against his wound, trying to stem the bleeding. His blood was warm, sticky under my palm, but I couldn't stop.

A sharp, metallic click echoed behind me. The sound of a gun being cocked.

I froze, my pulse spiking. Slowly, I turned my head. Anne stood there, her face a twisted mask of desperation and rage, the pistol she'd somehow retrieved trembling in her grip. Her eyes, wild and unhinged, locked onto mine. "Don't lie to me, Bradley," she hissed, her voice breaking. "Tell me the truth. Tell me you feel something for me. You have to."

I stood, my body a shield. My mind raced for a way to defuse this, to keep her talking. "Anne, listen to me," I said, forcing calm into my tone. "We can sort this out. Put the gun down."

Her laugh was bitter, a jagged edge to it. "Sort it out? There's nothing left to sort!" Her finger tightened on the trigger, and before I could say another word, a deafening shot rang out. My breath caught as I spun around, only to see Colin slump forward, a crimson hole in his head. He was gone. Just like that.

Shock turned to fury. "You can kill as many as you want, Anne," I growled, stepping closer, my voice sharp as a blade. "But you can't force someone to love you. It doesn't work that way."

Her gaze shifted past me, locking onto Diana. The barrel swung toward her, and my heart stopped. I moved without thinking, positioning myself fully in front of my wife, my arms outstretched. "If you want to shoot, shoot me," I said, my voice low. "But you'll never have me. I love her, Anne. I'd walk through fire for Diana. I'd die for her. So go ahead. Pull the trigger. You'll lose everything. Kill me, and you're as good as dead yourself. But if you stop now, I'll speak for you. I'll ask your mother and brother to reconsider your title. You could have a life again."

Anne's face contorted, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I have no life without you," she whispered, her voice raw with pain. "I fell for you the moment I saw you. If I can't have you, what's the point of a title? What's the point of anything?" She glanced at the gun's magazine, her lips curling into a broken smile. "Two bullets left. If you don't come with me, I'll kill you first. Then myself. We'll be together in heaven, Bradley. Forever."

I took a cautious step forward, my hands raised. "Suicide doesn't get you to heaven, Anne. You know that. You'll never be with me, even in death." My voice softened, almost pleading. "I know you care about me. You won't shoot. Put the gun down. Let's talk this through. There's always another way. We can find it together."

Her laughter turned into a sob, a guttural cry of anguish. "There's never been another way!" she screamed, her hands shaking. "I just want you. If I can't have you, what's the point of living? What's the goddamn point?" Her eyes searched mine desperately, a final plea in her voice. "Are you absolutely certain you don't want to be with me, Bradley? Tell me now. The truth."

I took another careful step toward her. "Anne, that's not what we need to focus on right now," I said, deliberately sidestepping her question. "First, put the gun down. Once you're calm and we're all safe, then we can talk about what happens next. About us. About everything." I kept my voice steady, reasonable. "Please, just lower the weapon first."

I kept talking and moving closer. Anne's eyes flashed with panic at my approach. She jerked the gun upward, firing a shot that whistled past my ear. "Don't come any closer!" she screamed, her voice breaking. "I swear I'll shoot!

I paused, counting mentally. "You only have one bullet left now, Anne," I said calmly. "What will you do with it? Kill me? Kill yourself? Either way, your plan has failed. Just put the gun down."

But her eyes glazed over, lost in her own torment. I could see she registered my words as final rejection. I saw the decision settle in her gaze before she moved. "No, Anne—!" I shouted, lunging forward. Too late. The gun pressed against her temple. A single shot. Her body crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

I staggered back, my chest heaving. How had it come to this? In the span of minutes, three lives were gone. Marisa. Colin. Now Anne. The weight of it pressed down on me, a suffocating fog. I turned to Diana, needing to see her, to know she was still safe.

But then I heard her sharp and pained gasp. Diana's face was contorted, her hands clutching her belly again, this time with a different kind of urgency.

"Bradley," she whimpered, her voice tight with agony. "Something's wrong... I think... I think it's too soon..."