Outside, Sophia stared at her phone, her eyes narrowing as the screen suddenly went black. A snarl twisted her lips, and she slammed her fist against the wall.

“Damn it!” she hissed, her voice dripping with fury. “She figured it out already.”

Frustrated, Sophia leaned forward, trying to peer through the thinning dust inside, searching for any sign of Katelyn.

Inside, the dust was slowly beginning to settle, revealing the horrifying aftermath of the explosions. The room was a wasteland of destruction; bodies lay strewn across the floor, some barely recognizable, others torn apart by the sheer force of the blasts. Blood pooled on the ground, the metallic scent heavy in the air.

Yet, amidst the chaos and carnage, Katelyn and Vincent were nowhere to be found.

Sophia’s frown deepened, her sharp eyes scanning the room impatiently.

“Where did they go?” she muttered, her voice low and dangerous.

They had been there just moments ago. How could they have disappeared so quickly, especially after surviving the explosions? It didn’t make sense.

Sophia’s instincts screamed that something was wrong. Katelyn was no ordinary opponent; she was cunning, resourceful, and always one step ahead. If she had vanished, it wasn’t out of fear or defeat. She was planning something.

As Sophia began to turn away, Katelyn appeared behind her, moving with quiet, calculated precision. Without a moment’s hesitation, Katelyn fired. The bullet struck Sophia’s wrist.

Pain shot through Sophia, but she gritted her teeth and, in the blink of an eye, raised her gun to return fire.

But Katelyn was already one step ahead. With steely determination, she raised her gun, the barrel aimed squarely at Sophia’s forehead. Her voice, cold and unyielding, cut through the tense air.

“Let’s see who’s faster now,” she said, her words dripping with menace.

Sophia froze, her eyes locking onto Katelyn’s. The two women stood mere feet apart, the tension between them palpable.

After so many clashes and near misses, Katelyn finally had Sophia in her sights. There was no way she was letting her escape now. Sophia’s wrist throbbed, the pain radiating up her arm. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but her expression remained stoic. She was a predator, and predators didn’t show weakness. Even now, with a gun pointed at her head, she refused to back down.

? ? ν﹒

But just as the tension peaked, the screeching sound of several cars speeding toward them pierced the stillness. Tires burned against the pavement as the vehicles abruptly stopped by the roadside.

“Miss Bailey, are you okay?” Samuel asked, arriving out of breath, clearly having run as quickly as he could.

Katelyn’s gaze remained locked on Sophia, and she gave Samuel a firm command.

“Take her away.”

Sophia smirked, eyeing Katelyn as though she were the victor rather than the captive. There was a hint of mockery in her expression.

“Katelyn, if you don’t end me now, you’ll regret it.”

She had managed to escape once and could do so again—especially in Yata.

Katelyn stayed quiet, her face cold as she continued to watch Sophia.

Samuel approached and clamped handcuffs on Sophia. As the cuffs clicked shut, blood began to seep from the wound on her wrist. Still, she showed no reaction, maintaining her unsettling smile at Katelyn as Samuel escorted her away.

Katelyn frowned, disturbed by Sophia’s confidence. She shouted to Samuel, who was heading toward the car,

.

.

.