A dagger was buried deep in Hughes’ back, and blood began to pour out, creating a crimson pool on the floor of the bar.
Bryan let out a roar.
Everyone else in the bar was stunned.
The leader of the men in black hadn’t expected one of his own to take things this far. They were just supposed to rough up Hughes a bit, not turn it into a murder scene. Panicking, he gestured wildly, “Let’s go. Move it, now!”
The one who’d wielded the knife was rooted to the spot.
A heavy slap from the leader jolted him back to reality. “What are you waiting for? You want to get locked up? Move it. We’ve made a real mess here!”
The group immediately ran away in a panic.
Hughes felt an excruciating pain spread from his back. Reaching behind, his hand was soaked in his own blood. Bryan’s frantic voice was in his ears. Hughes managed a weak glance at Bryan before his eyes slid shut.
“Hughes!”
The other employees rushed over.
“Mr. Hughes!”
“Mr. Hughes!!”
...
Inside a battered silver van, several men in black suits clambered aboard in a frenzy. The man in the passenger seat barked, “Drive, come on, now!”
The driver turned the key, but in the panic, the engine wouldn’t start. The man beside him, fueled by adrenaline, kicked the driver in frustration.
Grabbing his phone, he dialed frantically, “Darian, we’re in deep trouble.”
“What’s got you all worked up?” Darian’s voice came through, irate and groggy. “If there is nothing serious, I swear I’ll make you regret waking me up.”
Despite knowing she shouldn’t pry into Allison’s personal life, Emma couldn’t help herself. “Why?”
There was a heavy silence on the other end. “Because, he decided it’s off.”
“He?”
It took Emma a moment to realize the “he” must be Mr. Lindberg.
But why?
Sensing Allison’s mood through the phone, Emma bit her lip. “So, we’re just going to let this go?”
Allison sounded exhausted, “Yeah, if he says no, then it’s a no. Ridiculous, isn’t it? I find it laughable too. He knows the girl in the video is Penelope, and he’s seen it, but he’s still protecting her.”
“Don’t worry, Allison,” Emma tried to reassure her. “This doesn’t matter to us. I forgot to mention. The team did some monitoring, and the online rumors towards you have already started to subside.”
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