Chapter 610 Escape
"There's a fire escape on the left," he suddenly said. "I'll count to three, and we run."
Before Emma could react, he grabbed her and dashed towards the window. The iron door behind them crashed down, and the shouts of the attackers were dangerously close. George shielded her as they climbed the rusty iron ladder, bullets pinging off the metal around them.
"Jump!"
They leaped from the second-floor platform, landing on a pile of cardboard boxes.
The boxes crumpled beneath them, and Emma tumbled into George's arms. He grunted as his back hit the concrete hard, but he kept her head protected.
"You..." Emma scrambled to get up, noticing in the moonlight that George's shirt sleeve was soaked with blood. A jagged cut from a steel rod had torn his arm when they jumped.
"It's just a scratch," George said, not even flinching. He pulled her behind a shipping container. "They're heading east. We'll go west."
Emma tore off the bottom of her shirt and pressed it against his wound. "Do you want to bleed to death?"
George paused, letting her bandage him. Her fingers trembled, casting delicate shadows in the moonlight.
"Why are you after Wanda?" Emma suddenly asked.
"And you?"
Emma's hands stilled as their eyes met in the darkness, the answer unspoken but understood.
Three hours later, at a safe house on the outskirts of town.
George tossed a warm towel to Emma. "Clean your face."
The wooden cabin, hidden deep in a vineyard, was a property George had acquired years ago, unknown even to the Russell family. Emma looked around, seeing a map of Sunterra on the wall with several locations circled in red, and scattered photos of Wanda on the coffee table. George had clearly been tracking her for days.
"She goes to the cathedral every Wednesday," George said, opening his laptop. "Not to pray, but to meet an informant." The screen lit up, showing surveillance footage of Wanda slipping a small envelope into a confessional.
Emma stared at the screen. "Who's backing her in Sunterra?"
"Michael."
The name hit Emma like a knife to the heart.
"Let's team up," George suddenly said. "We both want her dead."
Outside, the sound of the grapevines rustling made them tense. George silently reached for his gun.
A black cat jumped down from the windowsill. Emma exhaled in relief, realizing she had been clutching George's shirt.
"Starting tomorrow, you move here," George said, putting away his gun. "The casino incident has alerted them. The hotel isn't safe."
Emma wanted to refuse, but the faint sound of car engines outside made her hesitate. George's face darkened as he pulled her to the window. Two black SUVs were slowly making their way up the vineyard path.
"Damn it!" George quickly yanked out the computer's hard drive. "How did they find this place?"
Meanwhile, Wanda paced in her luxury apartment. She had just hung up on Michael, the last message on her phone still displayed: [Clean it up]
"Maniac," she muttered, lighting a cigarette with trembling hands.
Michael's voice had been as smooth as a snake's. "Wanda, you know I hate surprises, right? If George has tracked you to Sunterra..."
"I'll handle it," she had promised urgently. "But he seems to have help."
"Really?" Michael had chuckled. "Who?"
Wanda had seen Emma, but she didn't mention her. Everyone knew Michael's feelings for Emma. If Emma's presence made Michael hesitate, Wanda could act freely.
She intended to use Michael's resources to eliminate Emma.
What she failed to do at Lakeside Haven, she would accomplish in Sunterra.
Her phone buzzed with an encrypted email: [George's safe house located, photos sent to employer]
Wanda opened the attachment, seeing a satellite image of the safe house marked with a red X.
Michael stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, idly playing with a sapphire cufflink. Celeste had given it to him for his birthday last year, blushing as she said, "The gem matches your eyes."
"Mr. Russell," the butler entered quietly. "Ms. Salazar has..."
"She withheld information," Michael smiled. "Investigate George's companion."
The butler was about to leave when Michael stopped him. "Wait."
Michael looked at the rose bushes in the garden, once meticulously tended by Celeste. They had grown wild in her absence.
"Prepare the helicopter," he suddenly said. "Have Celeste come to the study tomorrow."
The April sea breeze carried a salty tang as Celeste sat on the inn's terrace, lost in thought. Her face was pale, almost translucent, and her fingers absently stroked her flat stomach, where a small life had once been, now replaced by an aching void.
"Daydreaming again?" Zachary's cheerful voice came from behind. He held a bag of freshly baked croissants, still steaming. "The baker said this is the last batch for today."
Celeste forced a smile. "Thanks."
Zachary sat across from her, sunlight filtering through the umbrella, highlighting his bright features. He broke a croissant in half and handed her a piece. "You need to eat. You're getting so thin, a breeze could knock you over."
Celeste took a small bite, finding it tasteless.
"Has Michael contacted you?" Zachary suddenly asked.
Celeste's hand trembled, crumbs falling onto the table.
"No," she whispered. "He probably forgot about me."
Zachary scoffed. "Forget? Someone like him never forgets."
Celeste didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the distant waves.
Sunterra, downtown.
George stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city. His personal assistant stood behind him, respectfully reporting. "The Stuart family confirmed that Wanda is staying at the Starlight Hotel, in the presidential suite."
"Starlight Hotel?" George narrowed his eyes. "That's my property."
The assistant nodded. "Yes, so the Stuart family can't search it without your authorization."
George turned to Emma, who was sitting on the sofa. "What do you think?"
Emma's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest. "Wanda wouldn't choose your territory without a reason. She's either provoking you or waiting for someone."
"Michael," George said coldly.
Emma stood and walked over to him. "I need to get into that hotel."
George stared into her eyes, then smirked. "Fine, but on one condition."
"What?"
"I go with you."
Starlight Hotel, presidential suite.
Wanda stood in front of the mirror, slowly applying lipstick. The woman in the mirror was as beautiful and deadly as a viper, her red lips curling into a cold smile.
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