Chapter 320 Help, Help!
The Montgomery Group had thirty floors, and the eighteenth was where some of the marketing folks hung out. Usually, it was a ghost town, and today was no different.
Grace shot a text to Kelly.
Grace: [I'm here.]
Kelly: [Turn left, go to the end, then turn right, and at the next junction, turn left again.]
This place was a maze, with endless hallways on every floor. Grace followed Kelly's directions and ended up at a room that looked like a conference room, but the blinds were down, so you couldn't see squat from the outside.
Kelly: [The box is in that conference room.]
Grace scoped the area, grabbed the doorknob, and swung the door open. Sure enough, there was a box inside. Evelyn's ashes!
Grace stepped in, but out of nowhere, a dude dressed as a janitor lunged at her with a knife, aiming straight for her heart. If he hit his mark, she was a goner.
Just then, a gunshot rang out, echoing through the office, followed by a scream.
The knife clattered to the floor, glinting under the lights.
Grace spun around and saw the guy was just inches away from her, the knife lying right by her heel. One more step, and she would've been toast.
Grace broke into a cold sweat. James didn't expect anyone to tail them. Ignoring his gunshot wound, he grabbed Grace by the neck with his other hand and glared at Sterling, who was standing at the door with a gun.
James snarled, "Stay back, or I'll choke her out!"
Sterling didn't even flinch. He strolled in, and James backed up, step by step.
"Sterling?" Grace was baffled. Why was Sterling here?
If it were anyone else with a gun, it would've been a horror show, but with Sterling, it somehow felt... normal.
The smell of blood filled the air, as crimson droplets trickled down the back of James's hand.
This was the first time Grace had seen a real gun, and she was sweating bullets.
James could feel the intensity radiating from Sterling. Who the heck carried a gun like it was no big deal? He thought Sterling was here to save Grace, but to his shock, Sterling pulled out a chair, sat down, and started fiddling with his gun.
Sterling said, "Really? Go ahead and strangle her. Let's see what happens."
This was not part of James's plan. He and Kelly had set this up to lure Grace here, then James would stab her and bounce.
He was in a janitor's getup and a mask. He'd just ditch the outfit in the restroom later, and no one would be the wiser.
Hardly anyone came up here, and by the time Grace was found, she'd be long gone. Who would've thought some dude would follow her, and he looked tough as nails. Kelly said only Grace would show. Who was this guy?
Grace wasn't dumb. Even though James was choking her, she kept an eye on Sterling. She found the right moment, aimed at James's bleeding hand, and pinched it hard!
The scream was louder than a fire alarm. The pain made James shake like a leaf. His grip on Grace loosened, and she bolted.
Grace kicked James hard and dashed behind Sterling.
James didn't see that coming. Just as he was about to go after her, another gunshot rang out, followed by another scream.
This one nailed James in the leg, and he hit the floor, clutching his leg. Blood was pouring out, and he was writhing in pain.
"Did you call the cops?" Sterling asked Grace.
Grace heard a voice in her earpiece. "Yeah, I did."
That's when Grace realized Sterling being here had Xavier written all over it!
Xavier must've known Kelly wouldn't just hand over the ashes. He figured something might go down and had Sterling tail her to keep her safe!
Grace thought, 'But aren't Sterling and Xavier supposed to hate each other? Why's he helping?'
Meanwhile, the cops had already shown up downstairs. Kelly, sitting in a car near the company's entrance, was freaking out. How did the cops get here so fast? She had no clue what was happening inside. According to the plan, James should've been done by now. Did they get busted that quick?
Since marrying Ryan, Kelly had been rolling in dough. She'd given James a lot of cash over time.
James was no stranger to the police station; he had a rap sheet a mile long. He'd blow through money like it was nothing, gambling it all away. He kept hitting Kelly up for more because he knew all her dirty secrets. The kid she was carrying? His.
Kelly told him to take out Grace, and she'd pay him big. So they cooked up this plan together. She wanted James to do her dirty work. Grace knew too much and was a major threat!
Kelly sat in the car, sweating bullets.
The cops rushed up to the eighteenth floor and found James on the ground, barely hanging on. They called for an ambulance. "Nobody move! What's going on here?"
Seeing the cops, James looked like he had just seen a glimmer of hope. "Help, help me!"
Sterling stayed cool and cooperative. "We'll cooperate with the investigation."
Grace clutched the box. She'd opened it and confirmed it had ashes, but she wasn't sure if they were her mom's. Xavier said he knew someone who could ID them.
With all this chaos, Patrick got wind of it. The company's employees were freaking out. Who would've thought there'd be a shooting here?
Before long, Kelly saw Grace walking out unscathed, while James was being carried out. Kelly's heart sank. She couldn't believe Grace was still alive. This meant their plan had tanked. How could Grace be so lucky? How could she have taken down James?
Kelly knew James was tough. Grace, with her skinny arms and legs, was no match for him. But if Grace had killed James, that'd be even better.
James knew too much, and Kelly was worried about how to deal with him. This way, Grace would be a murderer and have to go to jail. Perfect!
Kelly was secretly thrilled. James and Grace were both huge threats to her. If they both disappeared, it would be a dream come true.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
