<h4>Chapter 309: 309 - Without Waiting (2)</h4>


    "Who the hell called the cops?!" Annie screamed, her voice shrill and cracking as the piercing sound of sirens drew closer. Panic shed across her face. She snapped the gun toward Cammy, fury burning in her eyes. "You! You called them, didn’t you, bitch?!"


    Cammy froze in ce, breath catching in her throat, but before she could respond—


    "I told Randolf!" Duncan shouted, stepping protectively in front of Cammy, his arms wide. "I asked him to help. He must’ve been the one who called. Annie, please, let go of Dn! You’re hurting my son!"


    "Your son?! That’s all you care about... him? What about our daughter?! What about the life we were supposed to have? You promised! You said we would live in this house together! You agreed!" Annie wailed, tears running down her face, her grip on Dn trembling but firm.


    Duncan’s voice cracked. "Listen to yourself, Annie. I care about Dn because he’s my son. You tricked me into believing your baby was mine, but the DNA test proved otherwise. She’s not my daughter!"


    Greg’s eyes flicked between them, confusion furrowing his brow. "Wait—what? She’s not yours? Then... is the baby mine?"


    Duncan shook his head. "I don’t know. All I know is she’s not mine."


    "Does it even matter?!" Annie shrieked, her voice a blend of rage and desperation. "Even before I gave birth, you were ready to marry me. You were willing to take care of me, of the baby! You wanted my father’s money—you got it! And now you’re throwing me away like I’m nothing!"


    Her hand trembled more violently now, the barrel of the gun swaying erratically. "If you don’t marry me... if you refuse to be the father of my daughter... then I swear—I won’t let you be happy! I’ll ruin everything!"


    Her hand twitched toward Dn—


    But the boy acted faster.


    With a scream, Dn turned and sank his teeth into Annie’s arm, biting down with all the force his little body could muster. Annie yelped in pain, her grip loosening just enough.


    "Run, Dn!" Cammy shouted as Dn broke free and bolted straight into her arms.


    Duncan lunged forward, tackling Annie and grabbing the gun, wrestling her with every ounce of strength he had. The two of them struggled fiercely, hands wing, limbs iling, each fighting for control.


    Greg surged forward. "Cammy, get Dn out of here! Now!"


    Cammy didn’t hesitate. She grasped Dn’s arm and ran, whispering reassurances through choked sobs as she fled.


    Back in the room, the fight was reaching a boiling point. Duncan and Annie stumbled backward, step by step, unknowingly nearing the edge of the unfinished second-story balcony.


    Greg’s eyes widened in horror. "Stop! Stop moving! You’re at the edge! You’ll fall!"


    But they didn’t hear him—or didn’t care. Annie’s eyes were wild, consumed by obsession and fury.


    Duncan refused to let go of the gun. It was a deadly tug-of-war.


    Greg’s instincts screamed. No time to think. Just move.


    In one burst, Greg lunged forward—arms outstretched, every muscle coiled in desperation. One wrong step, one second toote, and both Annie and Duncan would fall.


    Just as Gregunched forward to grab them—


    *BANG!*


    The sharp, deafening crack of a gunshot shattered the chaos.


    Greg froze mid-stride. His heart mmed into his ribcage as the sound echoed through the unfinished walls. ’No. No. Not that.’


    Everything went still.


    Even Duncan and Annie—locked in their brutal struggle—froze in ce, wide-eyed and breathless. Their grips loosened slightly, the gun trembling between them.


    No one dared to move.


    No one wanted to look down and discover whose blood would start pouring first.


    Seconds stretched into eternity.


    But then—Duncan’s eyes flickered with fire.


    If this was it... if this was the end...


    He’d make damn sure his son would be safe.


    He’d make it count.


    With a guttural roar that tore from the deepest part of him, Duncan surged forward with raw, unfiltered rage—his entire weight crashing into Annie. A final act of defiance. A father’sst stand.


    Annie saw the look in his eyes—pure, deadly resolve. He was ready to die if it meant protecting the people she wanted to destroy.


    Her own eyes widened with madness as she gripped his shirt tightly. ’If I fall, you fall with me.’


    And they did.


    Duncan drove Annie back until her heels teetered over the edge of the balcony.


    One step.


    Two.


    Then—air.


    They plummeted.


    Two bodies.


    Tangled.


    Spiraling through the empty space.


    Then—


    *CRACK—*


    They hit the ground.


    "DUNCAN!" Greg’s scream ripped through the house as he rushed to the edge and looked down.


    Below—two bodiesy still. Motionless. A mangled heap of limbs and blood.


    Greg didn’t wait.


    He turned on his heel and sprinted out of the room, heart pounding against his chest like a war drum. As he reached the staircase, he nearly collided with Cammy and Dn.


    Cammy’s face was pale. "I heard a gunshot! Greg—what happened?! Are you okay?! Where’s Duncan?!" Her voice shook with terror.


    "I don’t know! They fell! Stay here—I’m going to check!" Greg didn’t wait for a reply. He dashed down the stairs and out through the back.


    Cammy clutched Dn tighter, her hands trembling. "Baby, listen to me." She led him out the front door, straight to their car. "You need to stay here. Lock the doors. Don’t open them for anyone except me or Uncle Greg. No one else. Do you understand?"


    Dn’s eyes were wide and wet with tears. "But—Mommy... where are you going? Don’t leave me."


    Cammy knelt in front of him and held his face. "I don’t want to leave you either. But I have to check on Daddy. I promise—I’lle right back. I just need to see if he’s okay. I want you to count, okay? Count from one to one hundred. If I’m not back by then... call 911."


    Dn nodded, sobbing softly. "I understand, Mommy... Please be quick."


    She kissed his forehead and tucked him into the car, and watched Dn lock the door from. Then, without another word, Cammy turned and sprinted back inside, her heart pounding with dread, praying that she wouldn’t be toote.