The police and ambulance arrived quickly. The two attackers were then taken away by the authorities.

Outside the hospital emergency room, Wynn and Jasmine waited anxiously.

Jasmine paced back and forth in the corridor, mumbling to herself, “Ms. Yates will be fine. She has to be fine. She will be fine…”

Wynn stood silently, her expression grim. Her back was against the wall, eyes cast downward, and lips pressed into a tight line.

Soon, Samuel and Marianne arrived in a panic.

“How is Tess?” Samuel asked Wynn anxiously.

Wynn lowered her eyes, guilt written all over her face. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “Ms. Yates was shot in the chest. I don’t know if the bullet hit her heart.”

Samuel swayed at the news, nearly losing his balance.

“How could this happen?” His eyes widened in disbelief, and pain filled his gaze. “It’s my fault…” Jasmine’s eyes were red. Her voice trembled with tears.

“The angle was all wrong. The shooter wasn’t aiming at her. It should have been me. Ms. Yates pushed me out of the way. She took the bullet for me… I’m so sorry. This is all my fault…”

“Mr. Yates, those men weren’t ordinary criminals,” Wynn said solemnly.

“I fought both of them. They were professionally trained mercenaries. I saw a tattoo on the back of one of their necks. It’s the mark used by mercenaries under the largest gang in Arcton.”

Wynn pulled up a photo on her phone and showed it to Samuel. She had taken it just before the police arrived.

In the photo, the man who had passed out after being drugged and stabbed in the leg had a black gun-shaped tattoo on the back of his neck.

Samuel stared at the image. “The biggest gang in Arcton? That’s-”

“They work for James.” Another voice, cold and sharp, cut him off.

Samuel turned his head.

Stephen was walking quickly toward them, his expression grim.

“This was my mistake. James isn’t dead. The body in the ruins of his base was a decoy, someone he had planted in advance,” Stephen said, brow furrowed.

“James again f he has a grudge with your family, he should take it up with you. Why involve my daughter Tess broke up with you long ago.. She has nothing to do with this anymore. Why did he come after her again?” Samuel’s chest heaved with rage.

Stephen’s eyes darkened, grief rising in his gaze. “It’s because of me.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yates.” His voice was low and rough.

“Before the election in Arcton, I had already planned everything. I flew there myself to take care of James. The plan had been airtight, but someone in my team betrayed us.

“They tipped him off in advance. James left a double behind as a decoy and used an underground tunnel to escape after changing his appearance.

“Our people worked with the government in Arcton to wipe out all of James’ forces. We believed he

was dead. I thought Tess would no I longer be in danger, so I started

going to her again.

“James has lost everything, his private army included. The ones who didn’t die surrendered. He has no way to rise again. But he returned to Orkford to take me down with Kim, wanting revenge. The two who tried to kill Tess were his last loyal followers. He sent them after her, while he sent others to target me.”

As Stephen finished, Samuel noticed something. Stephen was injured too.

Stephen was wearing a black shirt, so the blood wasn’t obvious at first. But it had soaked through and was dripping down to his hand. The bright red on his pale skin stood out starkly.

Jasmine noticed it as well.