This time, Katelyn’s bullet found Tiana’s chest. Tiana’s eyes widened in disbelief as she fell, her hands clutching at her chest.

Vincent capitalized on the ensuing chaos, quickly dispatching the remaining attackers.

The two’s coordination was smooth. In no time at all, they had eliminated all of Sophia’s men.

Vincent cast a worried glance at Katelyn. “Are you hurt?”

Katelyn shook her head. “I’m okay.”

She approached Tiana, pressing her gun firmly against the woman’s forehead, her tone indifferent. “Where’s Sophia?”

Tiana was sprawled on the floor, struggling for breath. Despite her condition, she mustered a taunting smile. “This is not over.” Her laugh was abruptly interrupted by a gasp of pain, yet the crazed look in her eyes persisted.

Katelyn’s face remained impassive, her voice even colder. “Is that so? Well, let’s see.” She shifted her aim to Tiana’s ankle and fired.

Tiana’s scream filled the hall. The pain was unexpected; she hadn’t anticipated Katelyn would fire again without a second thought. Tiana writhed on the floor, clutching her injured leg. Each movement intensified the agony, nearly causing her to faint.

Katelyn regarded her with a detached stare. “Still won’t talk?” She positioned her gun at Tiana’s other leg, poised to shoot. The shot wouldn’t kill, but it would certainly make a point.

Just as Katelyn was about to squeeze the trigger—Bang! The door burst open with a forceful kick.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sophia appeared. In her hands, she held a deadly bomb, her lips curling into a mocking smirk as she locked eyes with Katelyn. Without hesitation, she tossed it into the room, her laughter cold and cruel.

Katelyn and Vincent froze in shock as the bomb tumbled through the air. For a split second, time seemed to stretch, and then Vincent’s voice sliced through the tense silence.

“Get down!”

Without a second thought, he lunged at Katelyn, throwing himself over her to shield her from the imminent blast.

?ν﹒

The bomb detonated instantly, the force of the explosion ripping through the room like a tidal wave. Dust and debris filled the air, plunging everything into darkness. Sparks flew in every direction, and fragments of the room rained down like shards of a shattered world.

The blast was deafening, a roar that drowned out all other sounds. Tiana, caught in the heart of the explosion, was thrown violently into the air. The sheer force tore her body apart, her lifeless form collapsing in a heap.

Blood splattered across the walls and floor, painting the scene in gruesome shades of red. The room, once orderly, was now a nightmarish landscape of destruction and death.

Katelyn’s head spun, her ears ringing from the blast. She struggled to push through the dizziness, her vision blurry and her thoughts scrambled.

It took her a moment to realize that Vincent was still on top of her, his body heavy and unmoving. Panic surged through her as she tried to shift beneath him, her voice trembling as she called his name.

“Vincent? Vincent!”

But Vincent lay motionless, his body heavy and limp against hers.

Katelyn’s heart plummeted, a cold wave of panic washing over her as she shook him gently.

.

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