Chapter 390 A Preference for Death
A cry for her father escaped Millie's lips, causing Emmeline's face to drain of color. Panic flickered in her eyes like a candle in the wind. Stov was in pursuit, and they were his quarry. The question hung heavy in the air: what were they to do?
Caught in the whirlwind of Millie's excitement, Emmeline's words tumbled out in a panicked rush. "Millie, don't call him dad. He's not your dad; he's a demon!" Millie recoiled, her young eyes wide with confusion. "Mommy, isn't he my dad?" she asked, her voice trembling. "He's not! You don't have a dad!" Emmeline's voice was sharp, a knife cutting through the tension.
Millie's brows furrowed as she cast a glance at the man who was closing in on them. Wasn't he her dad?
But she had always called him dad.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the deafening sound of a gunshot fired into the air by Stov. "Stop, or I will shoot!" he bellowed, and everyone froze.
Ross's men swiftly encircled Aaron, who was cradling Billy in his arms. Their guns were trained on Stov and his men, who were hot on their heels. Aaron set Billy down, his face a mask of stoicism. Stov's face twisted with rage as he glared at James, who was holding his daughter protectively. "James, where are you taking my wife and child?" he demanded.
James held Millie closer, her head buried in his shoulder, and replied with icy calm, "I'm taking them away from here, back to Emmeline's hometown!" At his words, Stov's gun swung towards James, a lethal promise in his eyes. "Say it again, do you believe I'll fucking shoot you!" he spat, firing a warning shot next to James's feet. Emmeline shrieked, covering her ears.
Seeing Stov take aim at James once more, she quickly moved to shield him. "Stov, if you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me first!" she declared. Stov's eyes blazed with fury.
"What did you say? Are you actually defending him? Emmeline, don't tell me those rumors are true, that you've been fooling around with this piece of shit behind my back!"
Emmeline paled, swallowing hard before responding, "Stov, I'm not as low as you, but I indeed have feelings for James. I asked him to help me and my daughter escape from this hell. I hate you, I hate everything about this place, and I want to leave this hellhole and start anew with him!"
Stov's face contorted with ferocity. "What did you say? You like him! Emmeline, I am your man. I've treated you wholeheartedly well, and yet you dare to like someone else!"
Emmeline's fists clenched, a physical manifestation of years of pent-up resentment. "Who asked you to treat me well? Stov, you're nothing more than a demon; I want to kill you every day!" she spat.
Stov's eyes widened, his body rigid with rage.
After a moment, he ominously offered, "Emmeline, I'll give you one more chance. If you obediently come back to me, I'll let today's incident slide. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Emmeline's resolve was unwavering. "I would rather die than spend my life by your side!" she retorted.
Hearing this, Stov's face twisted into a fearsome scowl. "Fine, so be it. Since you're asking for death, don't blame me for it!" he growled.
His gaze then shifted to Aaron. "Who is this guy?" he demanded.
"I am Aaron," came the cold reply.
"So you're Aaron!" Stov exclaimed, "Aaron, let's make a deal. As long as you let my people go, I will allow you to leave the castle with that child!"
His original plan had been to use Billy as leverage against Aaron, but now he knew it was futile. There was a traitor in the castle, and they were under attack from the outside. His only desire now was to purge the traitor.
"Stov, at this point, what do you think you can use to make a deal with me?" Aaron's face was as cold as ice, a hint of scorn in his eyes.
In the near distance, the harsh cacophony of gunshots and the roar of explosions echoed ominously.
The night sky was set ablaze, the towering flames casting an eerie glow on the scene below.
Ross's men, it seemed, had been relentless in their assault.
Stov's forces were bearing the brunt of the attack, their numbers dwindling rapidly.
Stov's eyes, bloodshot and wild, roared out a command, "Then let's go down together! Attack!"
At his order, a hail of bullets began to rain down in Aaron's direction.
Aaron's expression hardened, his face a mask of cold determination. Swiftly, he and Billy retreated to the safety of Ross's men's cover.
"Emmeline, stay close to me," he instructed.
James, in a similar fashion, shielded Millie and Emmeline as they made their retreat.
Emmeline's face was ashen, her heart pounding as the relentless gunfire continued behind them. She watched, her breath hitching, as James fended off the soldiers charging at them one by one.
A sudden movement caught her eye. She turned her head to see Stov, his aim steady on James.
Her heart clenched in fear, but before she could react, a loud bang echoed. A bullet struck James' arm, causing the gun in his hand to clatter to the ground.
James grunted, his face contorted in pain as he looked at the blood gushing from his wound. He gritted his teeth, determination etched on his face.
Emmeline gasped, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. "James, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he reassured her, his gaze never leaving Stov.
Seeing Stov taking aim again, James quickly moved, pulling Emmeline with him. Another loud bang echoed, the bullet narrowly missing his foot.
Not far away, Billy watched the scene unfold from behind the cover of a tree, his fists clenched in anxiety.
"Uncle Gordon, please save them," Billy said.
Aaron's face remained impassive, his resolve unwavering. Without needing to be told, he had already taken aim at Stov.
The sound of a gunshot rang out, the bullet finding its mark in Stov's shoulder.
Stov cursed, clutching his wound as he unleashed a barrage of gunfire towards their hiding place.
In the ensuing chaos, James handed the terrified Millie to Emmeline.
"Emmeline, go over there," he instructed.
Emmeline took her daughter from him, her face pale with fear. "What about you?"
"I'll cover you. Go quickly," James replied, picking up his fallen pistol and providing cover as Emmeline made her way towards Aaron.
Billy, watching from his hiding place, felt a surge of anxiety as he saw Emmeline and Millie running towards him. Instinctively, he stood up.
"Millie, Auntie Emmeline, this way," he called out.
Emmeline, carrying Millie, crouched behind the big tree.
"Big brother," Millie finally managed to say, her voice trembling with fear and surprise. Her eyes were reddening.
Aaron took Millie from Emmeline and handed her to Billy.
Billy held Milli's hand tightly, comforting her. "Don't be scared; everything will be alright."
Millie glanced at Emmeline, her lips forming a pout, but she remained silent.
Emmeline gave Aaron a grateful smile, her attention quickly returning to the ongoing battle between James and Stov's men.
As James fought back and retreated, he noticed he was inching closer to safety. However, Stov, armed with a machine gun, stood up and opened fire on James.
James's eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly rolled to the ground, narrowly avoiding the hail of bullets.
Emmeline's heart pounded in her chest, her hands clasped together in silent prayer.
Just then, Ross's men arrived, their numbers overwhelming Stov's forces.
Seeing his men fall one by one, Stov's rage was palpable. He emerged from his men's protection, unleashing a barrage of gunfire towards James.
Despite James's agility, he was hit by a few bullets.
Seeing James get hit again and collapse on the ground, Emmeline rushed out, tears streaming down her face.
"James!" she cried out.
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