Chapter 148: The plan failed
The gunfire continued.
One kidnapper collapsed. Seconds later, another fell with a cry.
The last remaining man turned and tried to flee.
A bullet struck his leg.
"Argh..." He crashed to the ground.
Before he could crawl away, several men in black rushed over. They kicked away his weapon, pinned him to the ground, and restrained him.
"Please," he cried, panic replacing arrogance. "Spare me. I swear I’ll never do this again. Please... let me go."
Elena finally released a long breath.
It was over.
She hugged Leo tightly and kissed the top of his head.
"We are safe now," she whispered.
"Elena." A familiar voice echoed through the trees.
She looked up.
Elias came running through the forest, his eyes frantically searching every direction.
"Elena, Leo... Where are you?"
"Elias," she waved weakly. "We are here."
The moment Elias saw them, relief flooded his face. He sprinted toward them.
"Uncle..." Leo broke free from Elena and ran into his arms.
Elias scooped him up immediately, holding him tightly against his chest. He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"Thank God."
If anything had happened to Leo, he would never have been able to face Evelyn, nor forgive himself.
"You are safe," he whispered hoarsely.
His gaze then shifted to Elena. "Elena..."
His expression softened. He opened his free arm toward her.
The moment she reached him, the fear she had been suppressing shattered. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she threw herself into his embrace.
Elias held them both tightly. One arm cradled Leo. The other wrapped protectively around Elena.
"You came..." Her voice trembled.
"I had to." He rested his forehead against hers.
"I was so scared," she whispered. "I thought... I might never see you again."
His embrace tightened. "That will never happen. As long as I’m alive, no one will ever hurt my family."
As he unconsciously tightened his hold, Elena suddenly winced.
A soft cry escaped her lips.
Elias immediately froze. Something warm coated his hand. He slowly looked down.
Fresh blood stained his fingers. His heart lurched. His eyes snapped to her injured arm.
The sleeve was soaked crimson.
"Elena..." Panic flooded his face. "You are hurt."
His fingers trembled. "You are bleeding. We are going to the hospital."
"It’s... just a scratch..." Elena tried to reassure him. But the words faded from her lips.
The world tilted. Darkness swallowed her vision. Her body went limp.
"Elena..." Elias’s face drained of all color. "Elena. Wake up."
Leo burst into tears. "What happened to Aunt? Is she... is she dead?"
Elias gently set Leo back on his feet. "No. She’ll be okay."
Two members of the rescue team hurried over.
"Mr. Rowan."
"Take Leo home," Elias ordered.
"Yes, sir."
Without wasting another second, Elias tightened his hold on Elena and strode away.
On the other end...
Vivian hurled her wineglass across the room.
Crash
The crystal shattered against the wall, red wine splattering across the floor like blood.
The man standing before her flinched and instinctively took a step back, lowering his head. He didn’t dare meet her eyes.
Vivian shot him a venomous glare.
"You assured me this plan would drive a wedge between Elias and Elena," she said through gritted teeth. "You promised he’d begin to hate her."
She took another step toward him. "But what happened?" Her voice rose sharply. "It failed."
The room fell into suffocating silence.
The man kept his head lowered, unable to offer a single excuse.
"You hired a bunch of useless thugs." Her eyes filled with contempt. "They couldn’t even handle one woman and a child."
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her entire body trembled with rage.
"You said this would destroy their relationship. Instead, Elias rushed in like some hero. Elena became the victim. And now..." Her expression darkened. "Elias won’t stop investigating until he uncovers the truth."
In two swift strides, she closed the distance between them and grabbed his collar. Her perfectly manicured fingers tightened against the fabric.
"If he traces this back to me, I’ll make sure your entire family disappears." Her voice dropped into a chilling whisper.
The man’s face turned pale. "Miss... please calm down." He forced himself to speak despite the fear gripping him. "I covered every trail. I made sure there isn’t a single link connecting us. Even if Mr. Rowan interrogates those men, they won’t know anything about our involvement."
Vivian studied him for a long moment. Only then did she slowly release his collar. She casually smoothed the wrinkles on his suit as though nothing had happened.
"You are the person I trust most." Her voice softened.
The sudden gentleness caught him off guard.
"The only one who truly understands me." She looked into his eyes. "If anything happens to you, who else can I rely on?"
His heartbeat instantly accelerated. He swallowed hard, struggling to hide his emotions.
"You need to be more careful," she continued quietly.
It was not that she cared about him. Vivian felt nothing for him. To her, he was merely a useful pawn, a loyal dog who carried out her orders without question.
As long as he remained useful, she had no intention of discarding him.
But the man mistook her gentleness for her care. He grew emotional.
"Be more vigilant," she said. "Don’t let Elias get his hands on you."
The man stared at her, unable to look away. Standing so close, she seemed almost unreal.
He could see every delicate detail of her face, every flutter of her eyelashes, every subtle expression in her eyes.
His heart pounded uncontrollably. His palms dampened with sweat.
"I... I’ll be more careful," he said, his voice betraying his nervousness.
"Good." A satisfied smile curved Vivian’s lips.
She lightly tapped his cheek with the tips of her fingers.
The simple touch sent a jolt through him. The spot where her fingers had brushed felt strangely warm. His fingers curled tightly at his sides as he struggled to suppress the emotions surging inside him.
"Miss..."
Before he could say anything else, Vivian had already turned away.
"Keep watching Elena." Her tone returned to its usual cold indifference. "I want to know everything she does."
She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "You may leave."
The man stood there for a brief moment, gazing at her back. Countless words rose to his lips, yet none of them were spoken.
Silently swallowing his feelings, he turned around and walked out of the room.