Chapter 5: "The Dead Billionaire Pulled the Trigger... But Not at His Son"
The warehouse fell into complete silence.
Every gun lowered.
Every breath stopped.
Margaret Blackwood stared at the man standing on the steel walkway as though she had seen a ghost.
"No..." she whispered.
"I watched you die."
The older man slowly stepped forward into the light.
His gray hair had grown long.
His face carried years of pain.
But there was no mistaking him.
William Blackwood.
Founder of the Blackwood Empire.
Officially declared dead twenty years ago.
Ethan couldn't move.
"Dad...?"
William's eyes filled with tears.
"My son..."
For twenty years, Ethan had dreamed of hearing that voice one more time.
But before he could take another step—
Bang!
A sniper's bullet shattered the railing beside William.
Chaos exploded.
Gunfire erupted across the warehouse.
Margaret screamed,
"KILL THEM ALL!"
Her mercenaries opened fire.
Bodyguards hidden outside the factory crashed through the doors.
Bullets flew in every direction.
Ethan shielded Emma with his own body while desperately crawling toward Lily's cage.
"Daddy!"
"I'm coming!"
A second sniper fired.
The cable holding Lily's metal cage snapped.
The enormous container plunged toward the concrete floor.
"NO!"
Ethan threw himself forward.
At the last second—
William leaped from the overhead platform onto the hanging cable.
Even at seventy years old...
He grabbed the swinging container with both hands.
His shoulders dislocated instantly.
Blood streamed down his arms.
But he refused to let go.
"GET HER OUT!" he screamed.
Ethan ripped open the twisted metal door.
Lily jumped into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Daddy..."
"I thought you'd never come."
Ethan held her tighter than he had ever held anything.
"I'll never let you go again."
Across the warehouse, Emma struggled to stand despite the gunshot wound in her shoulder.
Then she noticed something that froze her blood.
Margaret wasn't running.
She was smiling.
"Oh no..." Emma whispered.
"Ethan..."
"It's a bomb!"
Everyone looked toward the massive digital timer mounted high above the warehouse doors.
02:00
A deep mechanical voice echoed through the building.
Self-destruct sequence activated.
William's face turned pale.
"She planted explosives..."
Margaret laughed hysterically.
"If I can't have the Blackwood fortune..."
"...no one will."
The countdown dropped.
01:38
Bodyguards rushed toward the exits.
Nothing moved.
The steel doors had been welded shut.
William looked directly at Ethan.
"There is another way."
"What?"
William pointed toward an old freight tunnel beneath the warehouse floor.
"It leads outside..."
"...but only one person can fit through before the collapse."
Ethan looked at Emma.
Then Lily.
Then his father.
There was room for only three.
Four people stood in the warehouse.
The countdown continued.
01:12
Margaret smiled through the smoke.
"I've spent twenty years waiting for this moment."
"You still have one final choice, Ethan."
"Save your daughter..."
"Or save your parents."
The timer hit exactly...
01:00
And for the second time in his life...
Ethan Blackwood was forced to choose between the people he loved most.
May you like
Only this time...
Someone really was going to die.
