?Chapter 519:


    The small ck object seemed harmless, but the moment it activated, thick white smoke billowed out, quickly engulfing the area in a hazy cloud.


    Vincent and Samuel didn’t hesitate. They hit the ground fast, scrambling for cover.


    Up on the rooftop, Katelyn observed through her scope, her hands clenched so tightly that they shook.


    Ray, the traitor they were after, seemed no different from the desperate fugitives by the river that day—except he might have been even more fearless. Katelyn bit down on her lip, trying to keep her emotions in check.


    From her vantage point on the rooftop, there wasn’t much she could do to help Vincent and Samuel below. She could only wait, stay sharp, and wait for Ray to show himself so she could take her shot.


    The smoke thickened, swirling like fog, but the explosion she had been bracing for never came.


    Then, Vincent’s face shifted. “It’s poison!” he shouted, quickly pulling his sleeve over his mouth and nose. Samuel followed suit, but the damage had already been done.


    The canisternded with a dull thud, and within a minute, thick gas started filling the air. The concentration was so high that a single breath could kill hundreds instantly.


    It was a weapon too deadly for war, banned by every international treaty. Yet, Ray had somehow gotten his hands on it and wasn’t backing down. He was ready to take Vincent and the others down with him.


    The gas worked quickly. Breathing it in cut off oxygen to the brain, causing dizziness and confusion. In five minutes, the victim would be shaking uncontrobly, suffering until they copsed and died from suffocation.


    Vincent’s chest tightened, every breath like knives digging into his lungs. The pressure was unbearable, as if something was tearing him apart from the inside. Death by toxic gas was inhuman—one of the most excruciating ways to die.<fn95f8> This update is avable on f?ndnovel</fn95f8>


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    Samuel’s face flushed red as he grabbed at his throat, struggling to breathe. “Mr. Adams, I don’t think I’m going to make it,” he whispered, his voice thin and shaky.


    Vincent clenched his jaw. “Stay with me.” He quickly ripped off his jacket and pressed it over Samuel’s mouth and nose, trying to shield him from the toxic air.


    Vincent felt the burning pain surge through him as the gas hit hard. His pupils constricted, his eyes bloodshot, and veins popped from his neck as he fought to stay focused.


    The canister continued to leak thick clouds of white smoke, engulfing the room and making it nearly impossible for Katelyn to see anything. She squinted into the fog, desperately searching for Ray, but the smoke was so dense it felt like she was staring through a wall of white.


    Suddenly, the hideout door mmed open with a powerful kick. Ray stepped through, wearing a gas mask and holding a gun. He moved confidently, as if he already knew victory was his.


    In the haze, he looked like something out of a nightmare, his outline barely visible through the swirling smoke.


    “Vincent,” Ray called, his voice muffled by the mask. “I gave you a chance, but you chose this. After all those years of loyalty, you throw me away over one mistake? I regret ever working for you.” His words dripped with anger, but there was also a twisted satisfaction in his tone.


    Ray looked down at Vincent, who was struggling and gasping for breath. The sight of Vincent in pain seemed to fuel Ray’s sense of aplishment.


    “What a pathetic excuse for a CEO,” Ray sneered. “Now, you’re going to die by my hand. Who cares if you’re running one of the top three internationalpanies? Today, it’s all over for you.”


    Vincent, despite the crippling pain, pushed himself to his feet. One hand clutched his throat as he swayed unsteadily, his face contorted in agony. The gas had taken its toll, leaving him weak and disoriented, barely able to stand as his legs trembled beneath him.


    Before they arrived, they had anticipated Ray might have explosives, but no one had expected gas canisters filled with toxic fumes. That one misstep had sealed their fate.


    “You’re nothing but an ungrateful coward!” Vincent spat, his voice trembling with fury. “I gave you the branch, trusted you—and this is how you repay me?”


    Every breath Vincent took felt like fire. The poisonous gas burned his lungs, spreading pain through his chest with every inhale. It was as if every nerve in his body was aze, the agony intensifying with each passing second.


    He gripped his head, squeezing his temples in an attempt to fight through the pain, his veins bulging as he struggled to maintain control, pushing back against the suffocating fog clouding his mind.


    Beside him, Samuely motionless, too weak to even sit up. He could do nothing but watch as the tension between Vincent and Ray grew.


    Shaking, Samuel reached out a hand, but a violent cough racked his body, causing him to spit up white foam. “Mr. Adams…” he murmured weakly.


    Ray’s eyes glinted with disdain. “So loyal, aren’t you, Samuel? Well, if that’s the case, I’ll end both of you right here.” Without hesitation, Ray raised his gun, aiming it directly at them.


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