She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 786

Salvar's smile froze, quickly morphing into a look of deep amusement.

Karina stared at Hank in disbelief, her shock instantly melting into wild ecstasy.

At the sound of that name, Giselle went entirely still. She stared blankly at Hank, who hadn't even spared her a sideways glance. To say her heart didn't shatter would be a lie.

No matter how decisive she had tried to be, watching the man she loved choose someone else without a second of hesitation made even breathing feel like agony.

"Are you sure?" Salvar asked deliberately. "Don't want to think it over? The beauty here looks absolutely devastated."

"I said, I choose Karina." Hank took a step forward. The gunmen instantly raised their weapons higher. "Release her, and the Costa family will hand over three city blocks in the north. That's more than a fair trade."

Salvar chuckled. "No rush."

He shoved Giselle closer to the absolute edge. "Did you hear that? Your lover picked our beauty queen. Are you going to jump, or do you need a push?"

The mountain wind whipped across her face. Giselle stared into the abyss for a long moment before turning back to Hank. Her voice was terrifyingly calm. "Our entanglement ends here. Let me go, and I let you go. We owe each other nothing."

With that, she took a deliberate step backward into the void, letting gravity take her.

Even knowing there was a team waiting to catch her, seeing the absolute finality on her face as she willingly plummeted made Hank's heart stop. An overwhelming, suffocating terror clawed at his throat. He didn't know where the panic came from, but in that split second, he felt like he had truly lost her forever.

Hank lunged forward, only to be yanked back by his own men shouting, "She's dead! Hand over the hostage!"

Hank snapped out of his daze, forcing himself to stay rational. He had spent months orchestrating this plan. He couldn't ruin it now.

Satisfied, Salvar signaled his men to shove Karina forward. "We are deeply moved by your pure, beautiful love. Congratulations."

Karina threw herself into Hank's arms, her heart soaring. Logic told her this was just part of the mission, but surely she had a real chance with this man now, didn't she?

The Colombo family was already celebrating. Not only had they secured three massive territories from the Costas, but they had also confirmed that Hank was just a foolish, lust-blinded idiot.

"Laurence really lost his touch picking this guy. The Costas are bleeding out of a severed artery today."

One of the members asked Salvar, "Will Karina double-cross us now? Will she really get the password?"

Loyce pressed a set of forged ID documents into Giselle's hands. She had arranged everything perfectly. "I'll personally visit your mother and explain the situation. You don't need to worry about her. I've also spoken with Dennis, and your university status is secured. You can go back to the life you originally wanted, just not as Giselle Turner. You'll be using a new identity. That is the only way he will never find you."

After holding it together for so long, Giselle finally broke. Tears spilled over as she buried her face in Loyce's shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably.

Loyce understood her pain, gently rubbing her back in silent comfort.

It took a while before Giselle managed to pull her shattered emotions back together.

"Thank you, Loyce," she said earnestly. "I'll keep managing the designs for Bloomberry. I promise I won't let you down."

Loyce nodded. "Keep in touch."

Shortly after Giselle was smuggled away, Laurence fed Hank the pre-planned lie: the rescue team had failed to catch her.

Back at the safe house, Loyce sat on the sofa with Lucian beside her. Laurence couldn't help but ask, "Do you think he'll turn on you for this?"

Loyce's response was purely rational. "Whether he does or doesn't, whether he screams or demands answers, I will accept it. He's my brother. When he's too blinded by obsession to make the right choice, I have to make it for him. I need to make sure he gets his happily ever after."