Chapter 8 - The Sacrifice
The deafening crack of a gunshot echoed through the cavernous warehouse.
A bright flash of muzzle fire illuminated the dark room for a split second.
Noah squeezed his eyes shut, fully expecting the pain of a bullet tearing through him.
But the pain never came.
Instead, a heavy weight crashed into his side, knocking both him and Victor to the concrete floor.
Noah opened his eyes and gasped in absolute horror.
Ethan was lying on the ground, clutching a massive, bleeding wound in his chest.
He had thrown himself in front of the gun to shield his future stepson.
"Ethan!" Margaret screamed, losing her billionaire composure for the first time in decades.
The distraction allowed the tactical team to swarm Victor completely.
Five men pinned the struggling crime boss to the floor and crushed his wrists in heavy steel handcuffs.
Noah scrambled over to Ethan, pressing his trembling hands desperately against the bleeding wound.
"Stay with me, Ethan, please stay with me," Noah sobbed loudly.
Ethan coughed, a thin line of blood trickling from the corner of his pale mouth.
He reached up with a shaking hand and gently squeezed Noah's shoulder.
"You are my son now," Ethan whispered weakly.
His eyes rolled back, and his entire body went completely limp on the cold floor.
Margaret dropped to her knees beside her son, her hands instantly covered in his warm blood.
"Call a medevac helicopter right now!" Margaret roared at her security chief.
The sound of approaching sirens finally began to wail in the distance.
Noah sat in a pool of blood, completely paralyzed by guilt and terror.
He realized this wealthy man had just traded his life for a teenager he barely knew.
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Margaret looked at Noah, her eyes filled with tears instead of anger.
But as the medical team rushed into the building, Ethan's chest completely stopped moving.
