Chapter 188 Confession

Chapter 188 Confession

The screech of tires echoed from outside the factory.

Drake's face went pale. "Damn it. He's here."

Scarlett grabbed a fistful of Cecilia's hair, pressing the blade against her throat. "Perfect timing."

The door slammed open, and a gust of cold wind swept in. Felix strode into the warehouse, his black coat flapping open, radiating barely controlled fury.

Seeing Cecilia bound to the chair with a knife at her neck, he nearly lost it. "Let her go."

Scarlett tightened her grip on Cecilia, the blade biting into skin until a thin line of blood appeared. "Don't move!"

Felix stopped, his gaze locking onto her. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Scarlett laughed, tears streaming down her face. "I want you to choose."

She dragged Cecilia backward. At her feet lay freshly laid fuses and explosives.

"Felix, you like her so much, don't you? Then make your choice today."

"Call off your people. Drop the lawsuits. Stop the investigation. And reverse all those acquisitions. Do that, and I'll let her go."

"Otherwise... we all die!"

Roman muttered under his breath, "She's insane."

Felix raised his hand, signaling his team to stand down.

He looked at Scarlett. "You really think you can keep Campbell Group alive?"

"Whether it survives or not is my business." Scarlett shouted, "Choose!"

Cecilia's scalp burned where Scarlett gripped her hair, but she still managed to look up at Felix. "Don't listen to her."

Scarlett's blade hovered so close it nearly broke skin. Blood trickled slowly down Cecilia's neck.

Felix's eyes turned cold as ice as he stared at Scarlett. "Scarlett. Look at me."

Scarlett held her breath. This was the voice she'd known her whole life—the one she couldn't let go of.

Felix met her gaze without taking another step forward. "What you really want is me. Not Campbell Group staying afloat. Isn't that right?"

Tears spilled down Scarlett's cheeks. "I... I just wanted you to look back at me. Just once."

"Put down the knife first." Felix's voice dropped low. "We can talk."

Cecilia lifted her head to look at him, suddenly understanding.

He was stalling.

Drake caught on to his intent and raised his gun at Felix. "Nice try."

But the moment he aimed, a sniper's red dot appeared on his shoulder from the side.

Roman said coldly, "Go ahead and test it."

The tension ratcheted up instantly.

Felix didn't break eye contact with Scarlett. "You've always wanted to know what she means to me, haven't you?"

Scarlett stared at him through her tears.

"She matters more than the Knightley project. More than every business deal in New York. More than your precious Campbell Group. If you hurt her today, I'll make sure there's nothing left of you. Not even bones."

"Good. That's just great." Scarlett froze for a beat. "So I lost this badly."

Cecilia seized the moment. She kicked back hard, tipping the chair—and herself—backward.

Scarlett stumbled, the knife shifting away from Cecilia's throat.

In that instant, Felix lunged. A gunshot cracked through the air.

Drake took a bullet to the shoulder and collapsed, screaming. Felix grabbed Scarlett's wrist, wrenching the knife away, while his other hand tore at the ropes binding Cecilia. He pulled her into his arms.

Scarlett staggered back, hair wild, face smeared with blood and tears. She'd completely unraveled.

"None of you are leaving!" She pressed the detonator in her hand.

Beep. Red lights flared to life in all four corners of the warehouse.

Roman's face went ashen. "Boss! Get out! The bombs are armed!"

Drake clutched his wound and scrambled to his feet, bolting for the exit. "Damn it! Scarlett, you crazy bitch!"

Scarlett just laughed—a raw, throat-shredding sound. "Cecilia, you got lucky last time. But what about now? How are you going to dodge this? How are you going to beat me again?"

Felix crushed Cecilia against him, lowering his head to speak directly into her ear. "Hold on tight."

Cecilia grabbed fistfuls of his coat, her heart hammering so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest.

The next moment, the factory exploded.

Flames, shredded metal, shattered glass, and searing heat tore through the building, threatening to rip everything apart.

Felix held her close. Using the force of the blast, he smashed through the window frame beside them and carried her out of the warehouse.

A second wave of explosions followed. The entire abandoned factory was swallowed by fire in an instant.

Cecilia tumbled into the snow, ears ringing with a deafening roar. But the body covering hers never stopped shielding her.

She froze for two seconds, then looked up, ears still buzzing. "Felix!"

Felix coughed up blood. His temple and arms were scraped raw, but his first instinct was to check on her. "Where are you hurt?"

Cecilia looked at him, her eyes brimming red.

Not far away, the abandoned factory had half-collapsed. Flames shot skyward. A final, desperate scream echoed from within before being swallowed by the explosion.

Drake hadn't made it out. Neither had Scarlett.

Sirens wailed. Fire trucks approached. The sounds converged all at once.

But Cecilia heard none of it.

All she saw was Felix—covered in soot, hands still pressed against her back, terrified she might vanish.

She reached up and brushed the dust from his face, her voice hoarse. "You saved me again."

Felix looked at her, chest heaving violently. "This time, let me say it clearly."

He pushed himself up onto one knee, still keeping her sheltered in his arms.

"Cecilia, I handled things wrong back then. I should have reopened that case sooner. I should have told you the truth. I shouldn't have tried to shoulder everything alone, thinking I knew best." He looked at her, eyes filled with regret—and all the words he'd left unsaid years ago.

"I wanted to protect you. But instead, I left you alone—without your memories, without the truth, without trust in me."

"I was wrong." He said, "From now on—whether it's injuries, cases, or my past—I won't hide anything from you. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you. Whatever path you want to walk, I'll walk it with you. Whoever you want to hold accountable, I'll see it through with you to the end."

Cecilia looked at him, her nose stinging. She'd resented him. She'd kept her guard up. But every time danger came, he'd stepped in front of her.

This time, he'd risked his life for hers.

Felix dropped to one knee amid the sirens and the echoes of the explosion.

"Cecilia." His voice was rough, but every word rang clear. "Will you be with me?"

Roman had just rushed over with his team. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide. Behind him, firefighters and police officers froze too.

Cecilia looked at the tall, stubborn man kneeling before her. Suddenly, she laughed—a laugh that made her eyes well up.

"Felix," she said, "you picked a really terrible place for a proposal."

Felix's mouth twitched slightly. "I'll make up for it next time."

Cecilia grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. "Deal."

Felix's breathing hitched for a split second.

She looked at him and gave him her answer directly. "Yes."

Emotion surged in Felix's eyes. Then he pulled her tightly into his arms.

Cecilia pressed against his chest and finally felt herself relax.