?Chapter 297:


    Katelyn’s shot was swift and precise, executed withplete confidence.


    It happened so fast that no one had a chance to react.


    Her gaze fell on Neil, who was now drenched in sweat, and her expression was as icy as if she were looking at aplete stranger.


    No.


    Katelyn realized she would have shown morepassion even to a stranger.


    “If youe after me again, the next bullet won’t just graze your leg,” she warned.


    Lise finally snapped out of her shock a momentter. She immediately shouted, “Katelyn, have you lost your mind? How could you shoot Neil?”


    Lise hurried over to Neil, her eyes filled with tears as she shot a look of pure loathing at Katelyn.


    Neil pressed both hands against his injured knee, his breathsing in ragged gasps. His expression showed a mix of pain and anger as he tried to confront Katelyn with his words. “You hate me so much that you’d wish me dead?”


    “Absolutely. The thought of my life being tangled with someone as corrupt as you for three whole years makes my skin crawl. If I could, I would erase that entire chapter from my memory.”


    Katelyn then shifted her aim directly toward Lise. The barrel was still hot from the earlier shot, releasing the sharp scent of gunpowder into the air.


    Realizing the gun was now pointed at her, Lise felt a tight grip of fear around her chest. Her legs turned to jelly, and she almost stumbled where she stood.


    She swallowed hard, clenching her teeth in a desperate attempt to stayposed.


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    “Katelyn, what you’re doing is a crime. Are you aware of that? If you actually pull that trigger, the Bailey family will make sure you face the consequences.”


    Katelyn’s eyes grew colder with disgust, and she chose not to respond. Instead, she adjusted her aim with deliberate calmness, directing the barrel of the gun straight at Lise’s chest. Her finger rested on the trigger, and only a small amount of pressure would send a bullet tearing through, ending everything in an instant.


    Lise’s panic set in the moment she realized that Katelyn wasn’t bluffing. She closed her mouth, paralyzed with fear.


    The sensation of having a gun pointed at her was as terrifying as a de pressed to her throat.


    Her entire existence now hung in the bnce, entirely controlled by Katelyn’s decisions.


    Vincent kept his eyes fixed on Katelyn. His gaze was serious, and he subtly shook his head at her.


    He knew how much she despised the two standing before her, but he also recognized that now was not the time for impulsive actions. If a life was taken, Katelyn would end up in jail, and for these two, it simply wasn’t worth the cost.


    Vincent knew the gun was loaded with nks, but even a nk round could be deadly if aimed directly at the heart.


    Katelyn nced at him with a faint smile and nodded slightly. She was fully aware of what she was doing and had no intention of making a reckless mistake.


    She took a certain satisfaction in watching Lise’sposure disintegrate.


    In a low voice, Katelyn said, “There’s still one bullet left. You tell me—should I save it for you or Neil?”


    As she spoke, she moved the barrel of the gun back and forth, pointing it alternately between them.


    Furious, Neil tried to push himself up, using his uninjured leg for support. He had never experienced such humiliation, not even at the hands of Vincent.


    His voice came out strained with rage as he growled, “Katelyn, how dare you?”


    “It seems the first shot didn’t teach you enough,” she replied, her gaze sharp and filled with contempt. Katelyn’s eyes were icy, filled with disdain.


    Lise forced herself upright, taking an unsteady step forward. She spread her arms wide and positioned herself in front of Neil, cing herself between him and Katelyn’s aim.


    “If someone has to die here today, let it be me. Let all your anger and hatred toward me end with this bullet. Leave Neil out of this. You were married to him for three years, but you never truly understood who he was.”


    Tears flowed down Lise’s face as she turned to Neil.


    “Neil, if there is a next life, I only hope that we find each other sooner—much sooner than we did in this one. If the timing had been right, we could have been the couple everyone admired and blessed.”


    Neil stared at her, stunned into silence. He couldn’t believe that Lise would actually use herself as a shield for him.


    “Lise…”


    She forced a teary smile, as if making a final, unwavering choice. Turning back to Katelyn, her expression remained resolute.


    “Go ahead, shoot me, but keep your word and leave the Bailey family and Neil alone.”


    Watching Lise’s grand disy of devotion, Katelyn saw an opportunity to let the drama unfold.


    Without a moment of hesitation, she pulled the trigger.<fn98aa> Checktest chapters at f?ndnovel</fn98aa>


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