Chapter 52
In the alley, the surveillance camera captured terr
Hayden sat in a cat not far away, and Carl had rushed over after dropping Lorraine off at the mall
Hayden’s expression was dark, like a storm was firewing inside him. “Arrut you prijs going to arrest hert What are you waiting for? Are you just going to let Courney get beaten to death?
He was alumit to jungi vst of the car when Carl grabbed his arm. Holden? We’r
for will be wasted” Carl urged, trying to keep Haysler calue.
They needed scorch Vera
se up now. If you lose it, everything we’ve worked
of harmung Courtney, wtbry had to endure watching Courtney suffer for a linde lomgre
“And remember, the victim’s injuries will factor fun
“Are you saying we wait until Courtney is dried, and then you’ll just go after Vera! This is kidnapping” Hayden yelled, his anger flaring.
“I didn’t mean it than way? Carl said quickly. “Last night, I talked to Courtney about my plan. She agreed and said she would signal me when the
“What do you mean!” Hayden asked, narrowing his eyes at Carl
Carl pointed to a nearby officer, who was monitoring the situation. The necklace Courtney’s wearing has a listening device built into it”
“But she can’t speak. How as she supposed to signal us” Hayden was getting frustrated.
“She said that she would find a way to speak if things got out of hand, Carl replied, lowering his gaze…
Courinry was taking a gamble, hoping that in a moment of danger, she could push through her fear and speak up.
bed his forehead, feeling the weight of the situation. He regretted letting Courtney
y take such a risk alone
Hayden frowned and rubbed his
You know Courtney’s personality. She won’t easily accept help from anyone. If you let her handle this herself, she might regret it later, Carl reminded Hayden. Protecting her was one thing, but overprotecting her could do more harm than good.
Courtney had been trapped for five years, and upon returning, she faced betrayal from her husband and the tragic loss of her parents. She barely had time to grieve before she had to uncover the truth behind their deaths and reclaim what was rightfully herS
“She was traumatized in South Weidan and is dealing with stress and depression. If we protect her too much. Lim afraid.” Carl voiced his concerns, reflecting the mindset of a psychiatrist.
Courney had already contemplared giving up on life. Without something to hold onto, she might not survive.
Hayden understood thus all too well. From the moment Courtney had been ready to jump off the building, he knew that he had to let her take some riku if he wanted her to live
If Hayden fixed every problem for her, it might not be a good thing. But by tackling challenges side by side, maybe Courtney would slowly find a new reason to keep pushing forward,
The rusty hinges of an old factory door squeaked as they slowly opened, revealing the dimly lit interior on the edge of town. Imide, Courtney, battered and bruised, slumped on a tattered couche
Vera stood over Courtney, her bandaged hand a stark reminder of their last encounter. “This wasn’t how I wanted things to go, but you choice,” she spat, her eyri ablaze with resentment
This time, Vera had come prepared. She had arranged for paper and pen, demanding that Courtney write her will.
ine no
Just write that your life has been miserable. Your husband fell in love with someone else. Your parents are gone, and you have no courage left to live,” she barked, her voice echoing off the factory walls.
Vera’s endgame was clear she wanted Courtney out of the picture. Her plan had been carried out methodically with Marilyn’s help.
Now, with Marilyn caught up in her own mess, Vera was winging it, scrambling to tie up loose ends. Her scheme to make it look like Courtney had killed herself was full of gaps, but she was too shortsighted to see it
Are you even listening?” Vera snarled, yanking Courtney’s hair back. “If you don’t cooperate, I’ll make you regret the day you were born.”
Courtney met her gaze with a smirk. “Have you ever been to hell? Seen war! Known real suffering?” she asked, sure that Vera, the pampered rich girl, had never faced true agony
11.02 AM ch
Chapter 32
As she saw Courtney’s defiance, Vera’s temper flared. “What are you waiting for?” she snapped at her henchmen. I didn’t bring you here to watch! Make her write that will!”
Courtney let out a bitter laugh, knowing Vera was clueless that she was already under police scrutiny. Every word was being recorded, a testament to Vera’s attempted murder.
For Courney, Vera was just a pawn in her vendetta against the Lewis family. If anything happened to Vera, James would step in. Courtney was resolved to ensure her parents‘ deaths weren’t in vain, and Mark’s death in South Weidan wasn’t for nothing
She needed to uncover the traitor in the medical team. If James were behind it, as the director, he’d face the harshest consequences for his betrayal.
“Are you going to write or not? one of the thugs growled, gripping Courtney’s hair.
With a sudden surge of adrenaline, Courtney snatched the pen and drove it into the thug’s neck. He howled in pain as the others descended on her with a barrage of blows,
Courtney weathered the assault, biting back her screams. It was only when a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest signaled broken ribs that she fumbled with the necklace around her neck.
She wanted to scream for the police, but with her lungs punctured, each breath was a struggle. If she could just show them her injuries, this would be more than a crime scene. Vera, the puppet master, wouldn’t slip the noose.
But the pain and shock kept Courtney silent. As her vision blurred, she weakly tapped out a distress signal in Morse code on her necklace–a trick Hayden had taught her. She prayed the police would understand.
Suddenly, the warehouse shook as a car plowed through the entrance. The door exploded in a shower of splinters. Hayden stormed in with the police at his heels.
Courtney lay on the cold concrete, blood pooling on her lips. As Hayden’s face came into focus, a flood of relief swept over her, and her world went
black
