Asher raced after Thalia but was blocked by a man who appeared from nowhere.
The man collided with Asher head on, spilling red wine across his bespoke suit.
Asher paid no attention to his ruined clothes, his focus entirely on reaching Thalia as panie gripped him
The man, however, deliberately remained in his path, offering exaggerated apologies, “Terribly sorry, Mr. ckwood. Complete ident. Shall I have your suit professionally cleaned?”
“It’s fine.” Asher attempted to sidestep him.
The man mirrored his movement perfectly. “Mr. ckwood, I do apologize. I hope you won’t hold this against me.”
Asher’s patience evaporated. “Get out of my way!” he snapped.
The man touched his nose awkwardly and finally stepped aside.
When Asher reached the lift, he watched the numbers changing rapidly on the disy, his heart plummeting. The elevator had already reached the ninth floor.
Even if he took the adjacent lift immediately, he’d be toote.
Suddenly, he spun around–the stranger hadpletely vanished.
Asher’s expression hardened with realization. That man had dyed him deliberately.
Meanwhile, outside a side entrance to the estate, a nondescript ck Audi sat parked in a secluded
corner.
The man who had blocked Asher slid into the driver’s seat. “It’s done, Miss Bet.”
Grace reclined in the back seat with her eyes closed. “Drive.”
The driver nced at her through the rearview mirror. “Aren’t we waiting for Miss Miller?”
Grace gave a contemptuousugh. “If we waited for that fool, none of us would escape today.”
Thalia burst onto the rooftop immediately after exiting the lift.
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Opening the heavy metal door, she spotted Lucy at once.
The child was bound to a chair positioned perilously close to the edge of the roof.
Her mouth was sealed with tape, her hands and feet tied with rope.
The masked figure still held a knife to Lucy’s throat.
Unable to cry out, Lucy could only stare at Thalia with tears streaming down her face, looking utterly
terrified.
Thalia’s heart constricted seeing her sister in such a state.
She was just an innocent child.
Only hours ago, Lucy had been yfully clinging to her–how had she ended up in mortal danger so
quickly?
Steadying herself, Thalia addressed the kidnapper: “Let my sister go. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Come here. Trade ces with her.” Without the voice distorter, the masked figure spoke in their natural
voice.
It was a woman–a
inger.
“All right,” Thalia agreed without hesitation.
She began walking toward them.
When she was approximately two meters away-
“Thalia! Stop!” Asher’s voice rang out behind her.
Thalia froze and turned.
Asher rushed to her side and pulled her protectively into his arms, his voice uncharacteristically unsteady. “Don’t. It’s too dangerous.”
Watching this scene unfold, Vanessa broke down, her heart constricting painfully.
Sheughed bitterly, her eyes filled with raw anguish. “How bloody touching.”
“Asher, you don’t care if I live or die, yet you’d do anything for her.” Vanessa removed her mask.
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Her tears gave way toughter, bordering on hysteria. “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”
“Why does she get your love? Why her?” Vanessa’s eyes shed with murderous intent as she suddenly lunged toward Thalia, thrusting her knife forward with deadly force.
They were only steps apart. Thalia had her back to Vanessa and couldn’t see the attacking.
Given the close proximity, Vanessa moved with frightening speed. Asher, distracted by shielding Thalia, faced an impossible choice–he needed to push her away and counter Vanessa, but there simply wasn’t
time.
Despite his training, he couldn’t possibly push Thalia to safety and counter–attack in such apressed
moment.
As the knife came toward them, Asher made the only choice he could.
He turned his body, deliberately shielding Thalia and taking the blow himself.
As the de plunged into him, Asher let out a sharp, muffled grunt.
“No!” Vanessa’s agonized scream tore through the air.
She stumbled backward, horror dawning on her face.
“Why-” she howled, “Asher! Why her? You’d die for her?”
The metallic scent of blood filled the air as Thalia finallyprehended what had happened.
She stepped back from Asher’s embrace and looked down, seeing the knife embedded in his side.
In an instant, all color drained from her face.
“Asher!” she cried out, tears immediately spilling from her eyes.
At that moment, security personnel flooded through the rooftop door, rapidly moving to surround them.
The well–trained guards quickly subdued Vanessa.
Thalia held Asher, crying uncontrobly.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” she sobbed, her voice breaking. “This is all my fault… I shouldn’t havee up
here alone…”
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She had intended to feignpliance, approaching to exchange herself for Lucy while nning to overpower the kidnapper once Lucy was safe.
She hadn’t acted impulsively–she’d had a strategy.
But she hadn’t expected Asher to arrive so quickly, unwilling to let her risk herself.
And she certainly never imagined he would take a knife for her.
How could this have happened?
It was entirely her fault. She shouldn’t have been so stubborn.
Asher had told her he was mobilizing all the estate’s security. She should have trusted him and waited for his rescue operation.
She should never have rushed to the rooftop alone.
The security team had arrived only minutes after Asher, but those critical minutes had resulted in this
nightmare.
Thalia was consumed with regret, wishing desperately that she had been the one stabbed instead.
Asher was in emergency surgery in the hospital,
Arge group of people stood anxiously in the corridor outside the operating room<b>, </b>everyone visibly distressed.
Thalia had cried until she had no tears left. Now she stood against the wall, her eyes hollow and expression vacant.
Lady ckwood and Lady ckwood Jr. had both cried until their eyes were red and swollen.
Lucy was safe and unharmed. Victoria had taken her home.
With everything that had happened, the engagement ceremony had naturally been cancelled.
A heavy, oppressive atmosphere filled the corridor.
“How could this happen? Who was that woman? Why did she kidnap Lucy and try to exchange her for Thalia?” Randolph’s face was dark with concern. “Is she an enemy of your family?”
Lord ckwood looked bewildered. “No, I don’t recognize her at all.”
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“I know who she is,” said William, Asher’s close friend. “She’s one of Asher’s admirers.”
Lady ckwood Jr. looked at him questioningly. “Admirer?”
“Yes,” William replied. “I saw her face when the police took her away. Her name is Vanessa Miller. She was our ssmate in secondary school. She’s been pursuing Asher for about ten years now, since our
school days.”
Thalia suddenly seemed toe back to awareness. “Asher’s admirer?” she asked numbly. “Why… why would she do something like this?”
? (4)