?<strong>Chapter 748:</strong>


    A thunderous explosion ripped through the air, and in an instant, the blue car was engulfed in raging mes.


    Reece and Marina, sensing the danger, quickly darted toward them in rm.


    “Carrie!”


    “Arion!”


    The st left Carrie momentarily deaf, her ears ringing with emptiness. For a fleeting moment, everything around her blurred, and she was back at that fire, the sight of debris scattering violently before her eyes.


    “Kristopher? Are you okay?” Panic surged as she instinctively checked on him above her.


    The man who had shielded her remained eerily still.


    “Kristopher?” She pushed him urgently, but still, he did not stir.


    Struggling, Carrie managed to crawl out from beneath Kristopher.


    Turning back, her gaze fell on him—his eyes were shut, and hey motionless.


    “Kri-Kristopher!” A wave of panic surged within Carrie. Desperately, she reached for his nose, checking for any sign of life.


    A faint breath brushed her fingers, offering a brief sense of relief.


    Just as relief settled in, a sudden p cracked across her cheek.


    “Billie?” The name escaped Carrie’s lips in a breathless whisper as she cradled her face. Her eyes widened with momentary shock at the sight of the woman before her.


    “Don’t call me by my first name,” Billie’s voice cut through the air like ice.


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    “You drove Lise to the police station, and now you’re attempting to end Kristopher’s life. What grievance do you harbor against the Norris family thatpels you to bring such darkness to our doorstep?”


    “Mrs. Norris, I—” Carrie’s softer tone was swiftly interrupted as a hand swooped down for another strike.


    In one fluid motion, Arion intercepted Billie’s wrist while Reece enveloped Carrie in a protective embrace, positioning himself as a human shield between the two women.


    A sardonic smile twisted Billie’s features as she observed the men’s defensive stance.


    “I had mistaken you for an innocent soul, yet here you stand, barely divorced and already entangled with two men.


    Though your personal affairs hold no interest for me, I must ask—why continue this dance with Kristopher? Is he merely a pawn in your vendetta against Lise?”


    Rage flickered in Billie’s reddened eyes as she continued, “Carrie, whatever Kristopher’s faults, he was once your husband who cherished and treasured you. How can you disy such calcted cruelty?”


    Marina surged forward, her voice sharp with indignation.


    “You’re speaking nonsense! Reece and Arion are Carrie’s cousins!”


    “Such familialplications mean nothing to me.” Billie dismissed it with a wave of her hand.


    The conversation halted as an ambnce’s wail pierced the air, its white bulking to rest beside them.


    “Finally,” Billie exhaled.


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