Chapter 248

Chapter 248

Soon, Ethan, still in the conference room, received the message. His face went pale. Yanny immediately sensed something was wrong.

"What is it?"

Ethan pressed his lips together.

"Hestia took Mom up to the mall rooftop. She's threatening a murder-suicide."

Yanny's expression turned grave.

"We need to get there now."

Seeing the two of them move toward the exit, Aubrey rushed forward to block their path.

"Ethan, you can't leave! Don't forget—Aunt Cleo is still in my hands."

Delbert quickly stepped forward as well. He was still nursing a grudge from last time, waiting for this moment to get revenge. But he hadn't expected things to spiral like this. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to tear Ethan apart.

Ethan kicked both of them to the ground without hesitation, his eyes full of disgust.

"Get out of my way."

Aubrey scrambled to her feet, ready to cause more trouble, but was immediately handcuffed by the police who had just arrived.

Their bitter protests echoed through the conference room as Ethan and Yanny rushed to the scene.

On the rooftop, Bianca slowly regained consciousness. She glanced down at the ground below, and her legs went weak with fear.

Hestia's face was twisted with hatred. She'd been jealous of Bianca for years—jealous that her son got to be CEO of the Smith Group, jealous of her privileged life.

After being sent to the nursing home, Bianca still hadn't stayed quiet. Hestia had waited so long for today, only to watch all her fantasies crumble to dust. How could she accept that?

"Bianca, I never thought I'd see the day you'd be afraid. Take a good look at this world one last time—you'll never see your precious son again."

Bianca's legs trembled.

"Are you insane? What did I ever do to you? Just because your power grab failed, you're going to drag me down with you?"

Hestia had completely lost her mind.

"I have nothing left now. Why should you still get to live so comfortably?"

While they spoke, the rooftop had filled with people. The moment Bianca saw Ethan, tears streamed down her face.

"Ethan, save me."

Ethan suppressed the panic rising in his chest. Seeing how unstable Hestia looked, he didn't dare take another step forward.

"Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Just let her go, and we won't hold you responsible."

Hestia burst into laughter, laughing so hard tears spilled from her eyes.

"Ethan, don't think I don't know how cunning you are. You sent my husband and son to prison, and now you think you can buy me off with a few perks? What do you take me for—some cheap commodity? Unless you stab yourself and pay the price, I 'might' consider negotiating with you."

Bianca shook her head.

"Ethan, don't hurt yourself for my sake. This woman is insane—don't listen to anything she says."

Hestia's fury flared even hotter.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll push you off right now!"

Seeing her emotions escalate, Ethan quickly grabbed a knife from someone nearby.

"I'll do it. Just stay calm."

Without hesitation, he avoided vital organs and drove the blade into his abdomen. Ethan bit down hard on his lip as bright red blood began to spread.

Yanny's heart clenched. She watched Hestia laugh triumphantly, and without another thought, she rushed forward, grabbed Bianca's hand, and yanked both women backward. The weight was overwhelming, and Yanny crashed hard onto the ground.

Her hand was injured from the force. Hestia scrambled to her feet, trying to run, but Ethan kicked her down.

The police, who had just arrived, quickly apprehended her. Yanny ignored the pain in her hand.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Bianca was still shaken, but her eyes immediately landed on Yanny's reddened wrist. Tears fell as Bianca finally understood—the daughter-in-law she'd been searching for all along was Yanny, right in front of her.

"Yanny, I'm so sorry. I was foolish before. Having such a wonderful daughter-in-law, I should have treasured you from the start. Is your hand all right?"

Yanny forced a smile.

"Mom, I'm fine. It's just a sprain. I'll be okay after some rest."

But Bianca knew she was putting on a brave face. Her eyes filled with guilt.

"I've wronged you all these years. From now on, I just want you and Ethan to be together. I won't interfere anymore. I won't meddle in your lives."

Soon, everyone was taken to the hospital. Fortunately, none of the injuries were serious. Yanny's hand would heal after a few days of rest.

After a quick bandage, Ethan immediately rushed to the Smith Group to deal with the remaining fallout.

All the problems had been handled. When everyone saw Ethan return, they erupted in cheers.

With the troublemakers gone, Ethan managed company affairs with renewed efficiency. During the day, he handled business; at night, he stayed at the hospital.

Their relationship warmed rapidly. Just when Yanny had decided to forgive him completely, Ethan stopped coming to the hospital for several days.

He wasn't even there the day she was discharged. Yanny knew he wasn't at the office either. All the hurt from the past came flooding back.

She felt restless.

The apartment next door hadn't been opened in days. Looking at their chat history, she saw their last exchange was from three days ago. Yanny was sighing when the doorbell suddenly rang. She opened the door to find William standing there.

"William, when did you get back?"

William smiled at her.

"I just got in today. I was hoping to invite you to dinner. Will you accept?"

Now that they'd cleared up their misunderstanding, Yanny had no reason to refuse.

But throughout the ride, she remained anxious. After what felt like forever, William's voice broke through.

"We're here."

Yanny murmured acknowledgment and walked absentmindedly into the restaurant. But the moment she stepped inside, everything went dark. Before she could react, the lights came back on.

She saw masses of roses, still glistening with fresh dew.

Romantic music began to play in the distance. Yanny looked up to see Ethan—missing for days—slowly walking toward her. He held a ring in his hand and knelt before her.

"Yanny, I let you down for so many years. Now that I finally have a chance to make things right, I don't want to wait anymore. I want to ask you—will you marry me again? So we'll never be apart."

Voices rose around them. Yanny glanced around and saw Xanthe, Cindy, and Logan.

Everyone wore smiles full of blessing. Tears slipped down Yanny's cheeks as she looked at the three-carat diamond ring and extended her hand.

"I do."

A spark of excitement flashed in Ethan's eyes. Then, with the utmost care—as if handling a priceless treasure—he slipped the ring onto her finger.

Amid the cheers, the two embraced beneath fireworks blooming across the sky. After all their twists and turns, they had found each other again.

The End!