Another wave of people surged through the doors.
“Hands in the air! Nobody move!”
Plainclothes officers who had been staking out the event finally made.
their move.
Xavier’s expression shifted instantly. He rushed forward, trying to
help Rowan escape.
But one officer moved quicker–firing a shot straight into Xavier’s leg.
The bullet tore through flesh, and Xavier collapsed to the ground with a cry. He was immediately restrained by the officers who followed.
The lead officer stepped forward to calm the growing panic in the
crowd.
“These individuals are key suspects in an international criminal
network. They’ve been under surveillance for a long time and have spent years evading justice by hiding overseas, beyond our
jurisdiction. Our law enforcement had no way of getting to them. Until
now, our hands were tied.
“Thankfully, with the cooperation of Mr. Schuman and Mrs. Schuman, we obtained crucial intelligence that led to this takedown. There’s no need for concern. We will ensure everyone’s safety from this point.
forward.”
The tension began to ease. Whispers of resentment faded into
murmurs of respect.
Rowan stared at Joanna in disbelief. His eyes reddened. “Anna… I
know I hurt you. Whatever punishment you think I deserve, I’ll take it.
But are you really not going to give me even one more chance?”
Joanna looked back at him, steady and calm.
But the warmth she once held for him was long gone from her gaze.
She said, “Rowan, what makes you think you deserve one?”
Her words pierced Rowan like a blade to the gut. The pain hit so hard,
he instinctively hunched forward.
One by one, his men were dragged off by police, faces twisted with
unwillingness and rage.
The wedding venue had descended into chaos. What was meant to be a perfect wedding had unraveled into utter disorder.
And the woman he loved most was now standing beside another
man. “Anna, I-‘
Suddenly, Xavier broke free from the officer escorting him, his body
surging with fury. He grabbed a woman standing near him–it was
Cynthia.
He knew she was the mother of Rowan’s late older brother, Fabian
Swanson.
Smashing a wine bottle against a table, he pressed the jagged glass
to her throat.
Blood trickled down her neck as she whimpered in fear.
Screams broke out across the room.
In the chaos, someone slipped through the back door and hurled a
smoke grenade toward Joanna’s direction. Thick fog burst into the air.
Under its cover, Rowan was dragged away by someone moving fast,
disappearing before the officers could reach him.
George reacted instantly. He pulled Joanna behind him and shielded
her with his body.
Officers split into groups–some chased after the escape, others stayed behind to secure the scene.
Joanna turned to the man standing protectively in front of her and
said slowly, “Did you replace my people and bring in the officers?”
George glanced around, then nodded. “Anna, I couldn’t let anything happen to you. You’re my wife now. Let me be the one who carries
the danger from here on out.”
George knew exactly what Joanna had planned. He also knew she had planted people around Rowan long ago, quietly keeping watch.
She had deliberately leaked her whereabouts, baiting Rowan into coming after her. Meanwhile, her people were already working behind. the scenes, dismantling everything he had built from the ground up.
Now, there was no place left for Rowan to return to–neither in Eldorra nor in Andarre.
She had mapped out every move with precision, but when it came to revenge, she insisted on doing it her own way.
George couldn’t stand to watch her destroy herself over a man like. Rowan, someone who was never worth it in the first place.
So he stepped in and helped her in his own way.
The wedding had to be postponed after the chaos.
Andrea stood there, both annoyed and vaguely amused, looking at her daughter with arms crossed. “Do you have some kind of curse with weddings? Every time you try to get married, something blows up!”
Joanna was too exhausted to respond. Her silence only fueled
Andrea’s frustration.
“Stop right there! I’m still talking to you. Do I even matter to you as
your mother anymore?”
Joanna suddenly stopped in her tracks. “Mother‘? You really think. you’re still worthy of that title?”
Not long after her father passed, Andrea started sleeping with some
guy she had been sneaking around with.
By the second week, she had already moved him into their home.
He was lazy, lived off her, and after swindling a hefty sum of money
from her, he disappeared without a word.
From that day on, Andrea stopped chasing younger men. Instead, she
went after older, wealthier ones.
She didn’t care how old or gross they were, as long as they paid for her handbags, designer clothes, and jewelry. She had let them treat her any way they wanted in return.
Joanna had watched her mother drift from one man to the next, always chasing money and attention.
Meanwhile, she was burning up with a 104–degree Fahrenheit fever,
completely alone. No one even cared enough to check on her.
From that moment on, the word “mother” stopped meaning anything.
to her.
Andrea’s face darkened. She looked ready to explode.
But her phone rang before she could speak again.
She glanced at the caller ID. Her entire demeanor changed. Without
another word, she turned away with a smile and answered the call in
a sweet voice.
Joanna didn’t flinch. She had seen that switch too many times.
For years, she had believed Rowan was her escape, her redemption.
But in the end, he was just another trap, one that almost cost her
everything.
There was no one left she could rely on, no one she could trust.
The only person she could truly rely on… was herself.
