His presence was commanding, his sharp gaze locked onto Zack with a murderous intensity, assessing the dire situation in an instant.

His jaw clenched as he took in Bella’s terrified face, the way Zack’s arm coiled around her, pressing her dangerously close to the parapet wall.

Zack’s hand trembled slightly, but the gun he held against Bella’s head was steady, his grip unyielding. His breathing was ragged, erratic. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Stay back!" Zack barked. "I swear, if you take another step, I’ll blow her brains out."

Theodore’s hands curled into fists, his entire body coiled. But he didn’t move—not yet.

The guards behind him stood ready, their hands hovering over their weapons, waiting for Theodore’s command.

"Let her go," Theodore said, his tone calm, but the undercurrent of storm was evident. "The police have surrounded the whole building. The exit points are locked down. You have nowhere to run."

Zack let out a humorless laugh, tightening his hold on Bella. "You think you’ve won, don’t you? You think you’ve trapped me?" His eyes gleamed with insanity as he pressed his cheek against Bella’s hair.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her body stiff with terror.

"No, Theodore," Zack sneered. "You haven’t won. I still have the upper hand."

His grip shifted slightly, dragging Bella even closer to the edge. The wind howled around them, whipping through her dress, her hair. Theodore’s heart pounded as he realized just how precarious her position was. One wrong move, and she could slip—she could fall.

"I want a helicopter," Zack demanded. "Now. I’ll take Bella with me, and you’ll let me go. If you don’t, I’ll just let her die with me..." His finger twitched dangerously on the trigger.

Theodore’s expression remained calm, but inside, his fury burned like wildfire. His wife—his Bella—was in the hands of a madman, and he wouldn’t stand for it.

"You know that’s not happening, Zack," Theodore said. "No matter what you do, there is no escape for you."

Zack let out a bitter chuckle. "Then I guess this is it. You won’t take me alive." His eyes flickered with something dark, something final. "I won’t let them lock me up. I won’t. If I’m going down, I’m not going alone."

Bella’s breath hitched as she felt Zack shift behind her, his body leaning slightly over the parapet wall.

’He is going to jump,’ her mind screamed.

Terror seized her, but she forced herself to stay still, not wanting to provoke him further.

Theodore’s eyes darkened, his body tense with restrained violence. He couldn’t let this go on any longer.

"Zack, calm down," he said cautiously, trying to negotiate with him. "You don’t want to do this. I know things haven’t gone your way, but this isn’t the solution. You still have a future."

Zack let out a short, bitter laugh. "A future?" he spat. "What future, Theodore? You made sure I lost everything! My company, my reputation—my love."

Theodore swallowed the urge to snap at him. "I won’t deny that we’ve been at odds," he said, keeping his tone steady. "But I don’t want this to end like this. You want a second chance? I can give it to you. I won’t press charges. I’ll even help you rebuild your business."

Zack, however, wasn’t convinced. His face twisted with anger. "You think I’m a fool?" he barked. "You think I don’t see through your lies? You’re just trying to stall until the cops take me down."

Theodore took another careful step forward, ignoring the tension in the guards behind him, ready to pounce at his command. "I mean it, Zack. I won’t let them hurt you. But you have to let Bella go first. You don’t want her to get hurt, do you?"

Zack’s face flickered with something unreadable—hesitation, doubt—but then it was gone, replaced by unhinged determination. He pressed the gun harder against Bella’s temple.

She flinched, her body going stiff.

"If I don’t get a helicopter in an hour," Zack snarled, "I’ll kill her first. And then I’ll jump. You think I care about dying? I don’t. But I won’t go alone. If I can’t have her, no one can."

Theodore’s sharp eyes flickered with rage and restraint, his fists clenched at his sides, but he kept his expression calm—he had to, for Bella’s sake.

Then, a new voice cut through the standoff.

"Zack!"

Zack’s body tensed at the familiar sound. His stomach knotted as he turned slightly, his grip on Bella loosening just a fraction. He saw Skyler hauling his parents onto the terrace.

His mother’s frail figure trembled, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. His father stood beside her, with a helpless look on his face.

Zack’s fingers twitched around the gun. He hadn’t expected this. Seeing his parents here, vulnerable and distressed, struck a nerve.

Theodore seized the moment. "If you do anything reckless, I swear I won’t spare them. You know me. You know I don’t make empty threats."

Zack’s mind raced. ’As long as I have Bella, he won’t harm them.’

His fingers dug into Bella’s arm as he sneered, "If you lay a single hand on my parents, I’ll make sure she pays the price." He jerked Bella closer, making her gasp. "You think you can break me. You think bringing them here will change anything? It won’t."

A sob broke through the air.

"Zack, please." Hazel stepped forward, wringing her hands. "Let her go, my son. This—this isn’t you." Her voice cracked with emotion. "What you feel for Bella... it’s not love. It’s obsession. A sickness eating away at you. She was never yours to begin with."

Zack’s entire body stiffened.

"No," he murmured, shaking his head violently. "No!" he yelled. "You don’t understand. I love her." His voice rose in desperation. "She was supposed to be mine! But he..." He shot Theodore a venomous glare. "He stole her from me. He ruined everything."

His father, Cole, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, "No, Zack. It’s not his fault. We raised you to be better than this. Look at yourself—holding a woman hostage, threatening to kill her. Is this the man you’ve become?"

Zack’s lips parted, but no words came. Hazel took a step forward. "Son, surrender. Please. Don’t let this madness consume you. Let Bella go, and come back to us."

Zack’s grip on Bella loosened slightly.

For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty passed through his wild eyes. His breathing became uneven, his resolve wavering under the weight of his parents’ words.

But then, his desperation surged again. His grip tightened once more, and he took a step closer to the edge, dragging Bella with him.

"NO!" His voice trembled with emotion. "If I let her go... I’ll have nothing left."

Hazel let out a strangled sob, "You still have us. You still have a chance to make things right."

Theodore remained deadly still, his mind racing. He had to find a way to get Bella out of Zack’s grip. Just as he was wondering, a movement caught his attention.

Bella, sensing Zack’s grip loosened around her, drove her elbow hard into his stomach. A strangled grunt escaped his lips as he staggered back, momentarily winded.

Her pulse roared in her ears, and she ran toward Theodore.

Theodore rushed over, his arms outstretched. As soon as Bella reached him, he caught her in his arms, pulling her into the safety of his chest.