Chapter 253: ~ 253
Chapter 253
~Octavia~
The sound of gunshot rang out loud in the room. As a result, it caused panic and terror as people were trying to shield themselves from the chaos.
I didn’t even have time to blink before Franklin’s massive, imposing frame crashed over me. His heavy arms wrapped around my head and waist like a shield.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs, a frantic, agonizing rhythm that drowned out the entire world.
"Franklin!" I choked out, my voice laced with a raw terror I had never felt in my entire life. My hands shook uncontrollably as I frantically began clawing at his black dress shirt, my fingers running wildly over his broad chest, his shoulders, his neck.
I was searching for blood. I was terrified, absolutely, completely consumed by the agonizing thought that he had taken a bullet meant for me and our unborn child. "Franklin, look at me! Where are you hit? Oh my God, please tell me you’re not hit!"
Franklin let out a sharp, ragged gasp, his chest heaving violently against mine. His dark eyes were wide, completely unfocused as his survival instincts fought to register what had just happened. Then, his grip around my waist tightened so fiercely it almost hurt, pulling me flush against his racing heart.
"I’m fine," he breathed, his rough baritone shaking with a raw, intense emotion as he buried his face into the crook of my neck for a brief, desperate second. "I’m not hit, sweetheart. I’m fine. Are you okay? The baby?"
"We’re okay," I sobbed, a long, trembling wave of pure relief crashing through my entire body. "We’re okay."
The scene unfolding on the steps below us was an absolute nightmare.
Bella’s body was already collapsing. She fell in a slow, unnatural motion, tumbling backward hitting her head on the floor.
Standing just five feet away from her was Miranda.
Miranda didn’t look panicked. She didn’t look like a woman who had just committed a crime in front of a thousand international witnesses.
She was just looking there, staring down at Bella’s lifeless form with a cold, terrifyingly empty expression. Looking at her face, it was completely clear that she knew it was over for her.
She had decided that she wanted to be the absolute one to end Bella with her own hands. She had refused to let her trashy, reckless younger stepsister outlive her.
She had shot her directly in the head.
Before she could even drop the weapon, the silence was violently shattered.
"Drop the weapon! Down on the ground now!"
A swarm of heavily armed tactical security guards and undercover officers burst through the side exits. Before Miranda could even blink, three massive guards tackled her straight to the ground, slamming her face-first into the floor.
Right behind the tactical team, William was swept up into handcuffs as well, his pale face completely draining of any remaining color as he was dragged away alongside Miranda, his corporate treason finally catching up to him.
Within seconds, the emergency medical alarms blared through the grand entrance, and an ambulance crew rushed onto the floor with a heavy black gurney, swiftly lifting Bella’s dead body away from the steps, leaving nothing behind but a horrific, crimson stain on the floor.
The ballroom was cleared, the guests escorted out through secure exits. Once the chaos finally settled and the room was entirely empty of the press and the noise, the heavy weight of the night finally crashed over me.
I turned back to Franklin, my vision blurring with fresh tears as I looked at his handsome, uninjured face. I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him so tightly my knuckles turned white against his tuxedo jacket.
"Never do that again," I whispered fiercely into his ear, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and deep, agonizing love. "Do you hear me, Franklin? You cannot just throw your life away like that. You could have died."
Franklin didn’t pull away. He kept his large hands anchored securely on my hips, his breath warm against my hair. "No promises, Octavia," he murmured, his voice returning to that solid, unyielding tone that made him the man he was. "If anyone raises a weapon against you or our child, I will tear the world down to stop them. My life means nothing without you."
"You’re a stubborn, terrifying man," I breathed, kissing his jawline as I finally let go.
We both turned to see Clinton walking up the terrace steps, his tuxedo slightly rumpled but his expression completely relaxed. He stopped a few feet away, running a hand through his hair before looking out over the empty, locked-down ballroom.
"Finally," Clinton said, a genuine, relieved sigh escaping his chest as he looked back at me. "The snake has been completely wiped off, Octavia. Bella is gone. There is absolutely no need for you to worry anymore. The war is officially over."
"Thank you, Clinton," I said, giving him a small smile. "For everything."
As we walked down toward the secure private exit, Victoria, Ava, and Sarah hurried down the corridor toward us. Victoria rushed forward and threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly, followed quickly by Ava and Sarah.
"Thank God you’re safe," Victoria whispered, her voice shaking slightly as she pulled back to look at my belly. "When we saw that girl pull the weapon... I thought my heart was going to stop."
"We’re safe, Victoria," I assured her, squeezing her hands. "The family is safe."
After a flurry of whispered goodbyes, everyone finally left.
The drive back to the house was completely silent. When the elevator doors finally slid open, the familiar, comforting warmth of our home wrapped around me. I felt completely, utterly exhausted, the adrenaline finally draining from my system and leaving my limbs feeling incredibly heavy.
Franklin closed the heavy front doors behind us, shutting out the rest of Manhattan entirely. He simply walked over to me, smoothly scooping me up into his arms, completely ignoring my faint protest as he carried me down the long, dimly lit hallway toward our master bedroom.
He laid me down gently onto the bed, immediately reaching down to unlace my heels and toss them aside. He pulled the thick, ultra-soft silk duvet over my frame, tucking me in with tenderness.
Franklin leaned down, resting his forearms on either side of my pillow as he looked down at me, his dark eyes radiating a deep, possessive, and utterly relaxed affection.
"Now everything is completely over, sweetheart," Franklin whispered, his thumb gently tracing the smooth line of my cheekbone, his voice rough with a deep promise. "Starting tomorrow, I am going to spoil you absolutely silly. You won’t have to think about a single thing for the rest of this pregnancy."
He leaned closer, pressing a long, warm, and deeply comforting kiss to my forehead, his hand sliding down to rest gently over the soft curve of my stomach, where our baby was now completely resting.
"But for tonight," Franklin murmured, his lips brushing against mine in a soft, lingering promise, "just rest, Mrs. Flemington."
I let out a long, peaceful sigh, my eyes drifting shut as the overwhelming warmth of his embrace pulled me down into a deep, dreamless sleep. For the first time in months, the storm was completely gone.
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