Chapter 264 A Narrow Escape
"Feeling sad, huh?" Raymond sneered, a cruel grin spreading across his face. "Death comes for everyone. Some deaths matter, some don't. This one," he said, nudging Thelonius's lifeless body with his foot, "was pointless. But I bet it stings for you." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "Who knows what your death will mean to the world, huh?"
With that, he kicked Thelonius aside like a piece of trash. Years of living on the edge, dealing death as casually as others exchanged pleasantries, had stripped him of any empathy, any regard for human life. It was all just a transaction to him, a bloody business deal.
"Goodbye," he murmured, aiming his gun at Kaelen's chest. He couldn't stick around. Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside, a clear sign that time was running out. Escape was still possible, but if he got caught, things would get messy. And Raymond didn't do messy.
He squeezed the trigger, the gunshot echoing in the fancy suite. Then, holstering his weapon, he turned and headed for the emergency exit. As he descended the stairwell, he shed his waiter disguise, revealing the clothes he wore underneath.
To anyone watching, it would have been a shocking transformation. Gone was the nondescript young man. In his place stood a woman, her figure curvaceous and alluring in a scarlet dress. He pulled a pair of high heels from his bag, slipping them on with practiced ease. A delicate silicone mask, followed by a long, flowing wig, completed the illusion. Raymond had disguised himself as a stylish, utterly forgettable woman.
This ability to disappear, to become anyone and everyone, was his true strength. It was why he could operate with such brazen confidence, even in a place like Golden Valley. Eulalia, for all her skills, could only dream of such audacity.
He was arrogant, sure, but with good reason. He didn't even bother with a silencer. Not that he needed one; he simply enjoyed the sound of gunfire, the sharp, staccato symphony of death. It was music to his ears. But what was music to him was a death knell to others.
The sound of gunshots ripped through the hallway, reaching the ears of Kaelen's bodyguards stationed by the elevator.
The first shot had given them pause, a fleeting moment of disbelief. But the subsequent shots, the unmistakable sound of gunfire, erased any doubt. It was coming from Room 2007, the suite Kaelen and Thelonius had entered.
Panic seized them. They hesitated, fear warring with duty. The Darkmoon family was one of the most powerful in Skyscape City. If something happened to Kaelen, there would be hell to pay. They might escape retribution if they fled, but their families, back in Skyscape City... they would be as good as dead.
For their families, they had to act. They cursed Golden Valley's strict gun laws. If they were armed, they might stand a chance.
Bursting into the suite, they were greeted by a scene of carnage. Kaelen and Thelonius lay sprawled on the blood-soaked carpet, their bodies riddled with bullets.
"Kaelen! Kaelen, are you alright?" one of the guards shouted, his voice tight with panic.
"Get an ambulance!" another yelled.
"He's still breathing! We can save him!" They had some medical training, enough to know that all hope wasn't lost. Thelonius, sadly, was beyond saving. But Kaelen... there was still a chance.
A quick examination revealed a bullet wound to Kaelen's left rib, and another to his chest. And then, a miracle. Kaelen's eyes fluttered open. "Get... security... " he gasped, his voice weak. "I'm... in great danger."
"Kaelen! You're alive!" one of the guards exclaimed, relief flooding his features.
"What's that look? Did you... want me dead?" Kaelen rasped, his voice laced with pain and a touch of bitter humor. The guard stammered, unable to meet his gaze.
Kaelen reached into his shirt, pulling out a bloodstained pendant. It wasn't made of gold or any metal they recognized. It was a gift from a man he had once helped, a man who claimed to be a mage. The pendant, the mage had said, would protect him from harm.
Lodged in the pendant was a bullet, its path deflected just enough to save Kaelen's life. It had pierced his skin, but the full force of the impact had been absorbed by the strange material. The shock had been enough to knock him unconscious, but the bullet itself had been stopped.
"Kaelen, you're really lucky," one of the guards breathed, staring at the pendant as if it were a holy relic.
Kaelen himself seemed shaken. "I'll have to thank that mage properly when this is over," he murmured. "But first... we need to catch the bastard who did this."
As if on cue, the wail of sirens pierced the air, drawing closer by the second. The ambulance was still on its way, but the police were already here.
Kaelen muttered with a wry smile, "The police always arrive too late!"
Back at the Twin Group headquarters, Eulalia stared defiantly at Suzanne, her small frame radiating an unexpected ferocity. "What are you going to do to me?" she spat, her voice laced with venom.
"Nothing much," Suzanne replied, her voice deceptively soft. "Just going to persuade you to tell the truth. I've met many stubborn souls in my time, little bird, but none who could withstand my methods." A cruel smile spread across her lips, sending a shiver down Eulalia's spine.