?Chapter 345:


    At that crucial moment, an unexpected loud bang echoed through the air.


    A second gunshot followed, plunging everything into silence.


    The crowd was frozen in shock.


    Samuel, wide-eyed, checked his gun, still on safety. He hadn’t fired.


    Turning, he saw Katelyn, with smoke rising from the gun she was holding.


    Vincent and the scarred man were dangerously close to one another. It was a risk to shoot. Yet, Katelyn had taken the shot.


    Was she not terrified of hitting Vincent by mistake?


    The proximity of the two men only intensified the tension.


    Katelyn was visibly shaken, her hand quivering as she gripped the gun. Time seemed to slow, her breathing nearly stopping. Then, in a moment that felt like forever, one of the men copsed.


    Vincent faced Katelyn with a smile—he was unharmed.


    Katelyn’s relief was palpable, a stark contrast to the fear she had felt as she pulled the trigger, terrified she might identally shoot Vincent.


    Thankfully, he was safe.


    With the scarred man incapacitated, Samuel moved quickly to restrain the rest of the gang.


    Vincent approached Katelyn, his eyes full of admiration.


    “You certainly have a talent for shooting,” hemended.


    Finally lowering her guard, Katelyn shared her fear with Vincent. “I was terrified. My hands were shaking the entire time, worried I might have hit you,” she confessed.


    This encounter marked Katelyn’s first real use of a gun outside of brief practice sessions at a shooting range. Tragically, it resulted in a fatality.


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    Despite knowing the man was pure evil, Katelyn couldn’t stop her hands from trembling.


    A deep sense of guilt and unease overwhelmed her.


    She looked down at her hands, which, though clean and slender, felt as if they were stained with blood.


    As she grappled with these negative emotions, a strong, reassuring hand gently patted her shoulder.


    Vincent looked at her with eyes softer than ever.


    He gestured toward the hostages being freed, and the little girl beingforted by her mother.


    “You did well. Without your shot, everyone here would have died, including me,” Vincent said, his voice warm and encouraging.


    He wasn’t exaggerating.<fnd41a> Official source is findnovel</fnd41a>


    Katelyn’s hesitation could have cost Vincent his life.


    Her gaze wasplex as she watched the hostages, her hands clenched tightly.


    She understood the gravity of Vincent’s words—she had eliminated a viin, giving everyone a chance to live.


    It was a decision even a child wouldn’t hesitate to make.


    Yet, despite reassuring herself that the scarred man deserved it, she felt torn apart by immense guilt.


    Her hands were meant to save lives, not take them, leaving her caught between these conflicting emotions.


    At that very moment, the woman holding the little girl approached them.


    Taking a deep breath, she bowed deeply to Katelyn and Vincent. “Thank you for saving my daughter’s life,” she said.


    Katelyn quickly replied, “Don’t mention it. She must be scared after everything that’s happened. Take her back and let her rest.”


    With tears in her eyes, the woman nodded vigorously. “Thank you. If there’s ever a chance to repay you, I certainly will.”


    Katelyn smiled reassuringly. “We don’t need repayment. I just hope you can be strong and move forward with your daughter.”


    The woman nodded firmly. “I will.”


    After the authorities dealt with the criminals, the remaining work was handed over to them.


    Katelyn and the others were brieflyforted before returning to the hotel.


    Standing under the shower for half an hour, Katelyn felt utterly drained.


    She believed that the harrowing experience had drained her enough to make her fall asleep quickly once back at the hotel, but she was wrong.


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