Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 536

Chapter 536 A Score Settled

Jasper lunged toward the generator, ripping away a cluster of exposed copper wires and shoving then an open fuel drum.

Sparks chased the oily residue straight toward a crate of explosives.

An earth–shattering blast followed, sending a massive wall of water surging through the waterfall. Mai dove behind a stone pillar just in time to avoid the brunt of it. His men weren’t so lucky. The shockwa slammed into them, burying them under a rain of debris and jagged rock.

Marcus crawled out from the wreckage, coughing through a cloud of dust. He looked up, only to find dark hollow of a gun barrel pressed against his forehead.

The girl holding the weapon was covered in mud and soot, but her hands were steady.

“Drop your gun,” Ann said. She repeated the exact words her father had taught her. “Or I’ll put a bullet right through your nose.”

Marcus let out a ragged laugh. “You little brat, you think you’re playing…”

A slender, elegant hand moved to cover Ann’s, steadying the girl’s aim and tightening the grip on the trigger.

“What exactly did you just call my daughter?”

Marcus froze. He looked up past the small hand and met Tatiana’s glacial stare. He remembered how th woman had single–handedly disabled an entire truck of his men. The laughter died in his throat, and a cold sweat broke across his brow.

A heavy boot slammed into his back, grinding him into the dirt.

“What do you want to do with him?”

It was Jasper.

Hubert scrambled out from behind a crate, clutching a makeshift electrical probe he’d rigged from the wreckage. He jabbed it into Marcus’s side. “I’ll zap you!”

The jolt sent Marcus into a violent convulsion before he slumped over, completely unconscious.

The roar of helicopters drowned out the sound of the falls as special forces teams rappelled down, instantly securing the perimeter. When they stormed into the cavern, they found a family of four huddle together near the entrance. They were battered and bruised, but they were smiling.

Behind them lay the ruins of a smuggling empire.

On the flight back, Tatiana was too exhausted to move a single muscle. She sat with Ann tucked into her side while Hubert curled up next to her. After finishing the debrief with the recovery team, Jasper returned to find them all drifting off. He gently picked up Hubert to give Tatiana more room.

2:04 pm

M

Chapter 536 A Score Settled

Fin

“How is it looking?” she asked.

“We have most of them in custody.”

“So someone got away?”

“Yeah,” Jasper admitted. “The leader of the cell. Icarus.”

She frowned. “That man is pure malice. He’s the type to hold a grudge until it kills him.”

“We’re tracking him. I’ve already doubled the security detail.”

She gave a tired nod.

“We’ll be back at the hotel soon,” he added.

She took a deep breath, offering a faint, ironic smile. “It seems like whenever I’m with you, things get a little too exciting.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” She threw his own words back at him.

They shared a look, and a quiet laugh passed between them. Something had shifted in the air between them, a barrier finally giving way.

Once they reached the hotel, a medical team was already waiting. Every member of the family underwe a full physical. Jasper had the worst of it. A deep gash on his back from the explosion had been ignored f hours; the blood had dried and fused his shirt to the wound.

When the doctors finally peeled the fabric away, it took a layer of skin with it.

Tatiana watched the procedure, her heart aching even as her temper flared. “You’re so good at hiding it. Why didn’t you just let the pain kill you?”

Despite her sharp words, the worry in her eyes was impossible to miss.

The checkups confirmed that most of their injuries were superficial, but the psychological toll on the children was another story. That night, both Ann and Hubert were plagued by nightmares. Tatiana stayed with them, patting their backs and whispering comfort until their breathing finally leveled out.

Seeing his children like this only fueled Jasper’s cold fury. He issued a standing order: find Icarus at any

cost.

Meanwhile, the local authorities and wildlife associations were busy processing the warehouse. Based on the inventory they found, over six hundred animals had been slaughtered for their parts. The evidence led the police to a massive, hidden smuggling network, resulting in dozens of high–profile arrests.

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