Chapter 91

Jasper found himself trapped in an agonizing choice.

His soul was tethered to Evelina, and instinctively, he wished for her survival.

But making that call would mean condemning Aurora to certain doom.

Once the Marsh family uncovered the truth, they would undoubtedly retaliate against the Russells-and Evelina would bear the brunt of their wrath.

"Mmph! Mmph!" Aurora's mouth was bound, rendering her voiceless. Tears streamed down her face as she fixed pleading eyes on Jasper, silently urging him to choose her.

Meanwhile, Evelina remained unsettlingly serene.

Her composure irked Mara, making everyone else appear feeble and scared.

Grabbing Evelina by the hair, Mara jerked her head backward. "Aren't you terrified of dying?"

Evelina didn't spare her a glance. Her eyes stayed locked on Jasper. "If this is where I fall, will you remember me for the rest of your life?"

"Evelina!" Jasper's usual poise had vanished; worry distorted his otherwise attractive face. "I won't let you get hurt."

"But Jasper," she said, arching a brow, her gaze drifting back to Aurora. "If I perish today,you'll carry that guilt forever. No matter who stands beside you in the future, my place will never be replaced."

The deceased are often immortalized, their absence casting long shadows over the living.

Especially when their end is tied to someone else's survival.

Jasper would never forgive Aurora-not in this lifetime. The thought of marrying her would become a distant fantasy.He'd make her life unbearable.

Sensing this, Aurora frantically tried to spit the cloth from her mouth, desperate to reveal Evelina's ploy.

But Evelina gave her no room to speak, her lips curled in triumph."Jasper, does this mean we're bound together forever?"

With those words, she lunged toward a kidnapper's weapon.

The man,who had been targeting Cary, panicked and fired instinctively as Evelina crashed into him.

The blast echoed through the space, freezing everything in time.

Startled, the gunman stumbled backward.

Evelina staggered before collapsing, crimson pooling around her lifeless form.

"She's dead! Evelina's gone!" Cary was the first to cry out.

After threeyears of companionship, watching her fall like that was too much for him to process.

Following his outburst, Cary lost consciousness.

Aurora trembled with rage, but the gag silenced her. Her eyes burned with fury as they met Mara's.

Furious, Mara turned on the shooter. "You idiot! Who gave the order to fire?"

To her shock, he dodged her furious kick.

Something felt off. "Who the hell are you?" she shouted.

Right then, the lights above flickered, then snapped off completely, shrouding the lobby in darkness.

Another gunshot cracked through the silence, followed by Mara's scream as she hit the floor.

Panic broke out among the wealthy hostages. "Don't shoot! I swear I'm innocent!"

Even the criminals were gripped by fear.

A second, then a third shot rang out-each bullet finding its mark. Chaos and confusion mounted.

How were Jasper's allies able to hit targets with such precision in total darkness?

One of the criminals was the first to react, shouting,"We've got fluorescent powder on us! Take off your jackets!"

Fluorescent powder?

The others checked their clothes and saw the faint glow of particles across their gear.

They realized they had been marked as targets.

In a frenzy, they dropped their weapons, shrugged off their jackets, and searched for hiding spots.

But it was too late for many of them.

When the shooting finally ceased, a ghostly stillness settled over the room.

Some hostages had fainted, others crouched against the walls, terrified into silence.

Only four of the kidnappers remained.

They tried to slip away unnoticed, hoping the silence would fool Jasper into thinking every last kidnapper had been eliminated.

But just as they inched toward the lobby doors, the overhead lights burst on with a blinding glare.

The four men froze-completely exposed under the harsh illumination.

"Well,look who itcame a calm voice. Evelina stood tall, a sniper rifle steady in her grip, aimed directly at them.

Their eyes widened in disbelief. "You-you're still breathing? That's impossible!"

Yet there she was-not just surviving, but radiant. Aside from the streaks of blood on her clothing, not a single wound marked her body.