CHAPTER 264
Arianna moved cautiously toward the window, her heart pounding as she maintained her calm demeanour. She reached it and turned her back to the glass before continuing the conversation.
“I can hear you now,” she said into the phone, her voice steady.
“I’d like to transfer ten million dollars to an account. Yes, immediately.”
She glanced at the madman and asked,
“What’s your account number, sir?”
He hesitated briefly before rattling off the number.
As he spoke, Arianna used her free hand to discreetly push the window open behind her, making sure not to draw any attention.
Once he finished reciting the number, Arianna calmly repeated it to the bank representative on the other end of the line.
A brief pause followed, and the representative confirmed,
“The transfer is in progress. Please hold for a moment.”
The minutes that passed felt like hours, but after what seemed like an eternity, the voice on the other end of the call returned.
“The ten million has been transferred successfully, though there may be a slight delay in the notification. Is there anything else I can assist you with?”
“No, thank you,” Arianna responded coolly before ending the call.
She looked straight at the madman, her expression unflinching.
“The money has been transferred, sir. You should receive confirmation any moment now.”
Just as she said those words, a familiar sound chimed from the madman’s phone, signalling an incoming message.
Arianna offered a small, controlled smile.
“That must be the notification. Would you like to check?”
The madman’s eyes flickered with greed, barely able to contain his excitement. The thought that he had just gained ten million was overwhelming. Unable to resist, he loosened his grip on the knife slightly and fumbled with his phone. He pulled it from his pocket, his hands trembling as he checked the screen.
Sure enough, the notification from the bank was there, confirming the transaction.
It was then that Arianna heard the two words she had been waiting for through her earpiece:
“Get down!”
Arianna immediately crouched down, covering her head as instructed.
A sharp crack echoed through the room as a bullet whizzed in from the open window, striking the madman’s arm. He let out a piercing scream, his grip on the knife faltering as pain overwhelmed him. The phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor, while his weakened grip on the child loosened.
Arianna had been keeping a close watch on everything happening around her when she saw her chance.
Without thinking twice, she dashed forward, scooping the frightened child into her arms and racing toward the exit.
Just as they were about to escape, the crazed man, driven by a mix of adrenaline and fury, managed to get back on his feet and lunged after them. He reached out with his uninjured hand and yanked the child's hair roughly.
The child cried out in pain, wriggling in Arianna’s grasp. The sudden movement made Arianna lose her hold, and the boy tumbled to the ground.
In a panic, Arianna bent down to grab him again, but the madman was quicker. With a wild look in his eyes, he kicked Arianna hard in the side, sending her crashing to the floor.
The impact knocked the breath out of her, and for a moment, everything went blurry.
When her vision cleared, she saw the madman holding the child once more, his eyes filled with rage. In his other hand, he raised a knife, poised to strike at the child's neck.
“No!” Arianna shouted, her voice laced with urgency. Somehow, she found a burst of strength and threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around the boy to protect him.
The madman swung the knife down, targeting the child, but Arianna shielded him with her own body.
At that very moment, another gunshot echoed through the air. The madman jerked violently and fell to the ground with a heavy thud, lifeless.
Arianna held the child close, her heart pounding, but they were finally safe.
Arianna embraced the child tightly, her body momentarily frozen as she gazed at the madman lying still before her.
The sniper’s bullet had found its target—right in the centre of his forehead. A small, gruesome hole was all that remained, and in an instant, the life had vanished from his eyes. His face still bore a twisted expression of rage, as if challenging her even in death, and the sight sent a chill down her spine.
It was the first time Arianna had ever witnessed someone die so close to her. Her heart pounded uncontrollably in her chest, and she instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. Without thinking, she covered the child's eyes too, shielding him from the horrifying sight.
For a moment, all she felt was relief—pure, overwhelming relief. She had narrowly escaped death, and so had the child. Had it not been for the sniper’s quick and accurate shot, they both would have met a terrible fate.
A sudden wetness on her fingers pulled her back to the present. She glanced down and saw that the wound on the child’s neck had worsened, blood seeping steadily from the gash. The child had stopped crying, whether, from fear or the pain; she couldn’t tell.
Moving quickly, Arianna took off her jacket and wrapped it around the child’s neck, tying it securely to stop the bleeding. Her voice was soft as she reassured him,
“It’s okay now. You’re safe.”
Just then, the door burst open as the police finally entered, rushing into the room.
One officer approached the madman, checking his pulse to confirm his death. Another knelt beside Arianna, his eyes filled with concern.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
Arianna nodded, though her voice trembled slightly.
“I’m fine, but the boy is hurt. He needs medical attention right away.”
As she spoke, a pair of frantic parents rushed into the room. The mother and father grabbed the boy in a tearful embrace, their voices choked with relief.
“Brian! Are you okay? We were so scared!” The mother gasped at the sight of the blood.
“Oh no, you’re hurt. We need to get you to the hospital!”
Without wasting another second, the father scooped up the boy in his arms and ran out of the room, his wife following closely behind.
