"Why did you call me?" the butler’s voice cut through the stillness, sharp and laced with anger. His face twisted with disdain. "I told you not to contact me. You’ve got some nerve, threatening me like this. Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with? I could finish you right here and now."
"Hey, stop barking," the shooter retaliated. "I am not afraid of you. I need more money. Give me ten million and I’ll disappear from here."
"Ten million! Are you dreaming?" the butler scoffed with contempt. "I won’t give you a dime."
The shooter’s face remained impassive. "Think carefully...If I get caught, you will be in trouble too. Mr. Reid’s spies are on my tail. Give me the money, and I’ll disappear."
The butler’s sneer deepened. "Do you think you can exploit me like this? Dream on. I’ve already given you enough in the past two months. You can’t extort me more."
The shooter’s patience seemed to snap. "Okay...I’ll expose you and the heiress of the Hills."
But as he turned to leave, the butler’s voice, cold and lethal, stopped him in his tracks. "One move, and I’ll shoot you right here." The click of a gun echoed in the tense air as the butler aimed his weapon at the shooter’s back.
The shooter’s body stiffened, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his brow. His bravado melted away, replaced by sheer terror.
Theodore and his team, mere spectators to this explosive confrontation, were frozen in place. Hugo quickly assessed the situation. He alerted all the guards and then turned to Theodore.
"Stay back," he cautioned him, "and let us handle this matter."
Theodore’s gaze was steely. "I don’t want either of them dead. I need answers."
"Understood," Hugo replied, his focus shifting back to the confrontation. He leveled his gun at the butler, prepared for action.
"Don’t shoot," the shooter pleaded, his hands raised in surrender. "Let’s talk, okay?"
But the butler’s patience had snapped. His eyes narrowed, and his voice was a deadly hiss. "No more talks. You’ve become a liability. I should have dealt with you long ago."
The shooter’s fear intensified as he heard the ominous threat. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable. Then, the world seemed to explode as a deafening gunshot echoed through the area.
The shooter flinched instinctively, his hands flying to cover his ears. His legs trembled violently, and before he could process what had happened, his knees buckled, sending him crashing to the floor.
The fear of death gripped him, but as the seconds ticked by, he realized with a jolt that he felt no pain.
What happened? 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, scanning his body frantically. He wasn’t dead, nor was he injured. The bullet had missed! Turning his head, he saw the butler writhing on the ground, clutching his left leg in agony.
"Ah..." A pained cry tore from the butler’s lips, shattering the tense silence that had gripped the night.
The shooter remained frozen in shock, struggling to comprehend what had just transpired. Before he could gather his thoughts, guards rushed over, efficiently subduing the injured butler.
Theodore stepped forward, a cold and commanding aura radiating from him. Hugo followed closely, his gaze sharp and alert. Theodore’s piercing eyes swept over the two men, lingering on the butler, whose defiant expression was marred by pain.
"It’s him!" the shooter cried out as he pointed an accusing finger at the butler. "He is the one who paid me and ordered me to kill the gang leader. I’ve got no personal grudge against anyone in that gang. I swear it!"
Desperation overtook him as he kneeled in front of Theodore, pleading for mercy. "I’m telling the truth, Mr. Reid. Please, spare me!"
Theodore’s eyes, cold and unyielding, remained fixed on the butler, who lay groaning on the ground. "Why did you want the gang leader dead?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the night like a blade. "What enmity do you have with him? Are you involved in Bella’s kidnapping?"
Despite the searing pain in his leg, the butler sneered, his lips curling into a defiant grin. "Why are you so interested in this, Mr. Reid?" he retorted with scorn. "That man was a criminal, guilty of countless crimes. It’s a good thing one less scum is off the streets. Why are you so keen on digging into this? Are you sympathizing with him?"
Theodore’s gaze darkened, his patience thinning as he faced his defiance. His face twisted with rage, every fiber of his being resisting the urge to strike the butler down on the spot.
"This incident is connected to the kidnapping of a woman," he growled. "And on top of that, my assistant was injured because of it. The man you hired shot him!" His glare fell on the shooter, whose trembling intensified under the weight of Theodore’s fury.
"Now tell me," Theodore continued, his voice rising, "why shouldn’t I take an interest in this case? Whoever is involved will face justice. No one will escape—not you, not your master."
For a brief moment, fear flashed across the butler’s eyes, a telltale sign that he was cracking under the pressure. But just as quickly, he steeled himself, his face hardening with resolve. He would take the fall before he’d ever betray Ivy.
"I did it," he screamed, desperate and unhinged. "I wanted the gang leader dead! No one in the Hill family is involved!"
But his frantic denial only confirmed what Theodore had suspected. Theodore’s lips curled into a sneer. "I never mentioned the Hills were involved."
The butler’s face drained of color as the realization hit him—he had unintentionally implicated the Hills. Panic flared in his eyes, and he started to sweat, his gaze darting wildly around as if searching for a way out. That’s when he spotted his gun, lying just out of reach.
Desperation fueled his next move. Adrenaline surged through his body as he lunged for the weapon, his hand closing around it in a flash. With a wild, unhinged look in his eyes, he pointed the gun directly at Theodore. "Tonight, you die with me!" he shouted with manic resolve.
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