Chapter 11: A Bullet for His Wife
1122 Words
The world slowed to a crawl.
Isabella collapsed onto the cold concrete floor, one hand instinctively clutching her shoulder as warm blood seeped through her fingers. The sharp sting of the bullet was almost unbearable, but it wasn't the pain that frightened her.
It was the look on Alexander's face.
For the first time since she had met him, the billionaire who was known for his icy composure looked... terrified.
His gray eyes widened in horror as he watched her fall.
"ISABELLA!"
His voice thundered across the garage.
Every person present froze for the briefest moment.
Even Victor looked surprised.
"So..." Victor murmured with an amused smile. "You really do love her."
Alexander didn't answer.
He couldn't.
His entire focus was on the woman lying on the ground.
Blood stained her white wedding dress, turning the once-pristine fabric a deep crimson.
His breathing became uneven.
A memory flashed before his eyes.
Five years ago...
Another white dress.
Another pool of blood.
Another person he couldn't save.
"Lily..."
His voice barely escaped his lips.
The memory disappeared as Isabella cried out in pain.
Alexander's head snapped back toward reality.
"No."
His voice was firm now.
"Not again."
---
The police officers who had accompanied Alexander instinctively tried to restrain him.
"Mr. Knight!"
"You can't go in there!"
"The area isn't secure!"
Alexander slowly turned toward Detective Harris.
His expression was frighteningly calm.
"You promised me."
The detective frowned.
"What?"
"You said if new evidence appeared..."
"...you'd let me help."
"We're handling this."
"No."
Alexander looked directly into his eyes.
"You're containing the situation."
"I'm ending it."
Before anyone realized what he intended to do...
Alexander stepped forward.
The handcuffs still bound his wrists together.
Yet nothing about him looked restrained.
Detective Harris reached for him.
"Stop!"
Alexander twisted his shoulders just enough to slip past the detective without throwing a single punch.
He sprinted toward the battlefield.
---
Gunfire echoed throughout the underground garage.
Knight Global's security team exchanged fire with Victor's mercenaries from behind luxury vehicles.
Glass exploded.
Car alarms blared.
Concrete pillars cracked under the impact of dozens of bullets.
The emergency countdown continued relentlessly.
"THREE MINUTES... TWENTY-SEVEN SECONDS UNTIL DETONATION."
Smoke drifted through the garage, making it difficult to see.
Ethan crouched behind an overturned SUV while returning fire with one of the security officers.
"We have to reach Mrs. Knight!"
"We can't!"
"Victor's men have the center surrounded!"
Ethan slammed his fist against the floor in frustration.
Then...
He saw Alexander.
Running directly into the crossfire.
"What is he doing?"
One of the guards stared in disbelief.
"He doesn't even have a weapon!"
Alexander ignored the bullets flying around him.
One mercenary spotted him.
"There!"
"It's Knight!"
The man raised his rifle.
Before he could fire...
Alexander slid across the hood of a sports car.
The bullet shattered the windshield instead.
Without slowing down, Alexander slammed both handcuffed wrists into the mercenary's jaw.
The man collapsed instantly.
Alexander caught the rifle before it hit the ground.
Despite the handcuffs restricting his movement...
He handled the weapon with remarkable precision.
Three quick shots.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three mercenaries dropped their weapons immediately.
Alexander wasn't shooting to kill.
Every bullet struck a shoulder...
A thigh...
A hand.
Just enough to stop them.
Detective Harris watched in disbelief.
"He fired three perfect disabling shots..."
"...while handcuffed."
One of the officers whispered,
"Who exactly is this man?"
---
Victor dragged Lucy behind another armored vehicle.
His confident smile had finally disappeared.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
One of his men shouted,
"We're losing ground!"
Victor looked toward Alexander.
His brother was advancing through the garage with terrifying determination.
Every obstacle seemed meaningless.
Every bullet seemed too slow.
Victor clenched his teeth.
"You always ruin everything."
He grabbed a remote control from inside his jacket.
Small.
Black.
With a single red button.
Ethan's eyes widened.
"The detonator!"
Victor laughed.
"That's right."
"I don't need to wait three minutes."
He lifted his thumb over the button.
"I can destroy everything..."
"...right now."
---
Alexander saw it.
His heart skipped a beat.
The remote.
Without thinking...
He threw the rifle aside.
He ran faster than humanly possible.
Victor smiled.
"Too late."
His thumb pressed downward.
Click.
Nothing happened.
Victor frowned.
"What?"
He pressed again.
Still nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Confusion spread across his face.
Ethan suddenly stood.
"It won't work."
Victor looked toward him.
"What did you do?"
Ethan smiled for the first time that night.
"When you were busy threatening Isabella..."
"I hacked your signal."
"You..."
"The remote's disconnected."
Victor roared in rage and threw it across the garage.
Alexander finally reached him.
The two brothers collided with such force that both crashed through the windshield of a luxury sedan.
Glass exploded around them.
They rolled across the concrete floor.
Punch.
Punch.
Elbow.
Knee.
Years of hatred erupted in a single brutal fight.
Neither man held back.
Victor struck Alexander across the face.
Blood appeared at the corner of Alexander's mouth.
Alexander answered with a crushing body blow that forced Victor to gasp for air.
"You framed me."
Punch.
"You took Lily."
Punch.
"You tried to kill my wife."
Alexander's voice became colder with every word.
Victor laughed through bloodied lips.
"And I'd do it again."
That single sentence changed everything.
Alexander stopped fighting like a businessman defending himself.
He fought like a father.
Like a husband.
Like a man who had lost too much.
Victor suddenly reached inside his jacket.
A hidden knife flashed beneath the emergency lights.
He lunged.
Alexander caught his wrist.
The blade stopped barely an inch from his chest.
The two brothers struggled desperately.
Muscles strained.
Blood dripped onto the concrete.
Victor smiled.
"You've always been stronger."
He leaned closer.
"But you've never been willing to make the final move."
Alexander stared into his brother's eyes.
"I won't become you."
Victor laughed.
"Then you'll lose."
Suddenly...
Victor twisted the knife.
Not toward Alexander...
Toward Isabella.
She was only a few feet away, trying to push herself upright despite her wounded shoulder.
Victor threw the knife with all his strength.
It spun through the air.
Straight toward Isabella's heart.
Alexander didn't think.
He moved.
In a single desperate leap...
He threw himself between them.
The knife buried itself deep into his side.
Alexander staggered.
His knees buckled.
Blood spread rapidly across his black suit.
Isabella screamed.
"Alexander!"
He looked at her weakly.
For a brief moment...
He smiled.
A genuine smile.
The first she had ever seen.
"I'm..."
He struggled to breathe.
"...glad..."
"...you're safe."
Then his eyes slowly closed.
He collapsed into her arms.
The alarms echoed one final warning through the garage.
"TWO MINUTES UNTIL DETONATION."
And somewhere beyond the smoke...
Victor quietly disappeared into the darkness.
To Be Continued...
- Writer
