Chapter 257
When Henry left William’s hospital room, he had already made arrangements he had both alerted the police and brought Harding family security personnel with him. He knew exactly what He would
be facing.
The crowd of onlookers provided perfect cover for the plainclothes officers, allowing them to enter the scene undetected.
Henry deliberately stalled, prolonging the negotiation until all civiliaris could be safely replaced with undercover police.
No one wanted innocent bystanders caught in potential crossfire.
Only when Henry received a nod from one of the officers did he make his move.
The moment I felt David loosening his grip in preparation for the hostage exchange, I seized my opportunity.
I kicked backward with all my strength, my heel connecting solidly with David’s stomach. The impact knocked the wind out of him, creating the perfect opening for Henry’s attack.
Henry lunged forward quickly. His fist connected with David’s face with a sickening crack. The blow was so powerful that David’s head snapped backward, his eyes momentarily rolling back before refocusing with murderous intent.
The moment I broke free from David’s grasp, I twisted away and ran in the opposite direction.
My only thought was to put as much distance between us as possible.
But we had all underestimated David’s evil nature!
Despite Henry’s devastating punch that left his face swollen and one eye nearly closed, David
refused to surrender.
Like a cornered hyena, he became even more dangerous. He waved his knife wildly in the air,
staggered to his feet, and charged after me with surprising speed.
“You little bitch!” he screamed, his voice filled with hatred. “Go join your father in hell!”
Then he directed his rage toward Henry: “No money? Then die!”
Everyone watched in horror as David closed the distance between us.
It all happened so quickly–the police were too far away, and security personnel couldn’t reach him,
in time. All anyone could do was watch and pray for my safety.
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Some onlookers couldn’t bear to watch, turning away or covering their eyes with their hands
I heard rapid footsteps behind me and Henry’s frantic voice calling my name, but I didn’t understand what was happening.
My brain focused on only one thing: run!
“Sophia, get down!” Henry’s voice cut through the chaos, filled with fear.
Something in his tone made me react instantly. Without questioning, I dropped to the ground, covering my head with my arms.
A gunshot cracked through the air, followed immediately by the heavy thud of something–or someone–hitting the floor. Then came David’s agonized scream: “Ahhh!”
In the span of twenty seconds, four things happened nearly simultaneously: I crouched down, Henry’s arm was injured, David was shot, and Daniel was pinned to the ground by Harding security.
Everything happened so rapidly and chaotically that it seemed impossible to fully comprehend.
I remained crouched on the ground, still processing what had just happened, when a flood of people surged past me.
They weren’t coming for me–they were rushing toward David. At least fifteen officers converged on the scene, moving with practiced efficiency.
By the time I regained my composure and stood up, I saw David on the ground with a gunshot wound to his shoulder. His down jacket was torn open, feathers floating everywhere, mixing with the blood seeping through his clothing.
The plainclothes officers had brought medical personnel with them. They moved quickly to stop David’s bleeding, providing emergency treatment before handcuffing him and loading him into a
police car. Scarlett and Daniel were also arrested and taken away.
–Finally, I could breathe again.
But my relief was short–lived as I suddenly remembered Henry.
When I turned to look for him, I found him surrounded by medical staff, completely blocked from my view. Moments later, they brought a stretcher and carefully helped him onto it. As they carried him away, I felt my eyes burning with unshed tears, a lump forming in my throat.
Henry, lying on the stretcher,/managed to give me a gentle smile before they rushed him to the operating room. I tried to return his smile, but he was already gone, wheeled into surgery before he could see it.
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The chaotic scene slowly fell into an eerie allence.
The cold winter wind cut through me, finally clearing my head enough to plece together what had happened. Henry was injured! The realization hit me like a physical blow.
As I stood there, my phone rang. It was Betty.
“Honey, are you okay?” Her voice was tight with anxiety. “Is it over? Did they arrest Scarlett’s whole family? I have to say, I’m seriously impressed with Henry right now. When there’s trouble, that man really steps up!”
“When David was going after you with that knife, Henry risked his life to save you, she continued. “That proves he truly cares about you. Maybe you should reconsider the divorce?”
The incident had been captured on video–someone had recorded David holding a knife to my throat. Because Henry appeared in the footage, it spread like wildfire across social media, garnering millions of views within minutes.
Betty had seen the viral video and witnessed David cutting my neck with his knife. Terrified, she’d immediately called to make sure I was safe. Hearing my voice answer was clearly a relief to her.
Having fully regained my composure, I felt nothing but lingering fear as I briefly explained what had happened. “Don’t worry, I just have a small cut on my neck. It’s already healing–nothing to be concerned about.”
The minor wound on my neck was the least of my worries. My thoughts were consumed with concern for Henry.
Since I hadn’t witnessed how he’d been injured, my mind kept conjuring increasingly worse scenarios. How badly was he hurt? Was it serious?
A hospital staff member approached me. “Ma’am, we need to check your vitals.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted. “I don’t need medical attention.”
The staff member nodded but added, “That’s fine if you’re physically feeling okay, but you’ll still need to visit the psychology department. I can escort you there after you finish your call.” –
After considering for a moment, I agreed.
“Betty, I need to go for an examination now. We’ll talk later.”
Betty, ever understanding, replied, “Of course, go ahead. Call me if you need anything–I’m here anytime. And seriously, girl, Henry was truly brave today!”
