Chapter 512 Explosion
The man in black, already riled up from the beating he took, ignored Nolan's pleas and aimed his gun at Charles.
This guy's vibe was different from the others; he seemed to be their leader.
"Hero saving the damsel, huh? Too bad, when I got a gun, you do what I say."
With that, he shot Charles in the leg. The sudden attack made Charles collapse to the ground.
The bullet tore through his flesh, missing the bone, but the intense pain made him break out in a cold sweat.
He heard Diana's scream and the child's cries.
They were scared.
That was his first thought after being shot.
Charles hung his head, trying not to make a sound, but the man in black mistook it for fear.
The guy who had been beaten by Charles earlier kicked him a couple more times. The once formidable Charles now looked pitiful, lying on the ground.
Suddenly, the man in black let out a short cry of pain and collapsed. His gun flew out of his hand, and Benjamin quickly grabbed it.
"I got it! Don't move!"
He held the gun with both hands, trembling because it was too big for him.
The man in black was initially stunned but then laughed when he saw it was a kid holding the gun.
"Kid, don't get blown away by the recoil."
He didn't believe the kid would dare to shoot.
Benjamin sniffled. Earlier, while they were beating Charles, Diana had kicked a metal shard that hit the man in black on the back of the head.
Now, Diana was being supported by Nolan, watching the scene nervously.
"Nolan, go help him, don't let him shoot!"
Diana pushed Nolan, barely managing to stand.
Nolan, following orders, quickly took the gun from Benjamin.
"He won't shoot, but I will. Try me if you want to die."
The situation flipped instantly. No one noticed Stella moving her fingers on the ground.
The sound of car engines came from outside the factory, and everyone's faces changed.
Nolan's face lit up with joy; help had finally arrived!
The man in black glanced at his fallen comrade and immediately let go of Charles.
"It's not personal, just business."
With that, he ran.
Nolan was about to stop him, but Benjamin grabbed his sleeve.
"Mr. Smith!"
Following Benjamin's pull, Nolan saw that Diana was being held hostage by Stella, a sharp knife pressed to her neck.
Stella's forehead was bleeding, her once beautiful face now stained red, both terrifying and striking.
"You're lucky, everyone helps you."
She whispered into Diana's ear.
A group of people, including police and Percy family bodyguards, entered the factory. Seeing the scene, they drew their guns, all aimed at Stella.
"You're surrounded. Let her go, and you still have a chance to live."
Charles, now standing with help, glared at Stella with a murderous look.
"Let her go? If I die, she dies too! Drop your guns, or else!"
Stella pressed the knife harder, drawing blood from Diana's neck.
Blood flowed, but Stella showed no fear.
To her, this was just another scene, but this time without props or cameras.
And she was the real director.
"Don't hurt her! I'll give you anything you want!"
Charles shouted desperately. Seeing the blood, he wanted to tear Stella apart.
"Kneel!" Stella screamed.
"Kneel and beg me!"
Charles's eyes darkened. He pushed away the bodyguard supporting him and slowly knelt on one knee.
"Please, let her go."
Diana's pupils contracted, tears streaming down her face.
This proud man was kneeling for her.
Stella, not expecting Charles to comply so easily, grew angrier. "Such deep affection. For her, you'll do anything? Why did you mess with me then?"
"What are you talking about? You and Mr. Percy had a deal. If you didn't want to, he wouldn't have forced you. You were drawn to the Percy Group's power, don't act innocent," Nolan couldn't hold back anymore.
Even after the breakup, the Percy Group compensated her generously, enough for several lifetimes. Stella and Charles should have parted amicably, but her provocations led to this.
But Stella wouldn't listen. In her mind, she was the perfect victim.
Angered by Nolan, she pressed the knife harder. "Shut up!"
Seeing her agitated, Charles quickly scolded Nolan.
While they argued, the police exchanged glances. The ones in front holstered their guns and spoke gently.
"Miss, you're young. If you kill someone, your life is over. Put the knife down, let's talk."
"I'll die with her. None of you can stop me!" Stella snarled.
But she didn't notice two officers slowly approaching from behind.
To prevent her from getting more agitated or turning around, Charles spoke up.
"Stella, if you let Diana go, I'll pretend nothing happened today. You won't go to jail. I'll take care of everything, just let her go."
Stella's eyelashes fluttered, clearly wavering. She didn't really want to die, nor go to jail.
But feeling cornered, she wanted to take Diana with her.
"Trust me, the Percy family can help you," Charles continued, subtly moving closer.
Stella bit her lip, silent, but Diana felt the pressure on her neck lessen.
"We can all live, everything will go back to normal." Charles's voice seemed to have a magical effect, breaking down Stella's defenses.
But then, a deafening noise erupted behind them. Flames and shockwaves burst out, making everyone pale with fear.
The explosions continued, heat waves hitting them. In a split second, Charles instinctively shielded Diana, knocking Stella away.
A flying metal shard grazed his arm, soaking his sleeve in blood.
"Someone planted explosives! They're going off! Run!" someone shouted.
Nolan grabbed Benjamin and ran, while the police helped everyone out, friend or foe.
Charles shielded Diana, looking up in horror as the factory's steel beams began to collapse.
Before he could react, old machine parts started falling, crashing down on Charles.
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