?<strong>Chapter 540:</strong>


    Surgeons quickly wheeled Carrie into the operating room. A short timeter, a doctor approached Kristopher with a grave expression. “The bullet struck her uterus,” he said. “It’s highly unlikely the child will survive. Mrs. Norris is also in critical condition due to severe blood loss.”


    Bloodstains marred Kristopher’s white shirt, but it was the coldness in his eyes that made everyone around him uneasy. In a fit of rage, Kristopher flipped a nearby table, scattering its contents across the floor. “Ensure her safety, at all costs.”


    “Absolutely,” the doctor replied, taken aback by Kristopher’s apparentck of concern for the unborn child. It was rare for a prominent family to ce the mother’s well-being above the child’s.


    The doctor hurried out, signaling to the nurses to set up a blood transfusion.


    As the doctor left, Oliver stepped forward cautiously. “Mr. Norris, would you like to change your shirt?”


    Ignoring the offer, Kristopher asked coldly, “Have they caught the person responsible?”


    His gaze was unwavering, filled with unyielding resolve.


    “Not yet…” Oliver was interrupted by his phone’s ringtone. He exchanged a brief look with Kristopher before taking the call.


    After a moment, Oliver ended the call and said, “They’ve located the culprit. It’s just that…”


    Kristopher looked at him impatiently. “What is it?”


    Taking a moment, Oliver continued, “It seems the assant knew what fate awaited him with us. Cornered, he chose to leap from a cliff into the sea. Our team found him barely alive.”


    “Make sure he survives,” Kristopher ordered sternly. “I need to find out his identity. I want to know who dared target someone I protect.”


    “Yes,” Oliver said with a nod.


    Kristopher, fiddling with his wedding ring, said deliberately, “Make sure he keeps breathing. If he dies, the agony Carrie suffered will be paid a hundred times over on those he holds dear.”


    “Yes, Mr. Norris,” Oliver replied, his eyes betraying a flicker of fear.


    Kristopher had never involved non-offenders in his vengeance before. This time, however, his fury was exceptional. The depth of Mr. Norris’s affection for Mrs. Norris ran far deeper than most realized.


    Without hesitation, Oliver quickly exited the room. Both Mr. and Mrs. Norris had shown him nothing but kindness. That someone had dared to harm Mrs. Norris—especially on such a significant asion—fueled his resolve to seek severe retribution.


    Meanwhile, Lise paced nervously across her living room. This was their wedding day, and there had been assurances of disruptions. Yet no news hade her way from dawn until now. Her coffee sat untouched, long since cooled.


    Elva, preupied with nning tasks, nced up and sensed Lise’s unease. “Lise…”


    Startled by the sound of her name, Lise jerked, knocking the coffee cup to the floor. It shattered on impact. The sight of the broken cup sent a shiver through her.


    Elva’s expression darkened with concern. “What are you keeping from me? If you don’t share, and things go wrong, don’t expect me to cover for you.”


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