Chapter 436
“Calm down, we can talk this out! Mrs. Morgan is young and doesn’t know better. She’s just spouting nonsense!” Cole’s heart dropped. “Let’s discuss this. Mr. Morgan will agree to whatever you want.”
He forgot his place, caring only about keeping Lila safe.
“James, turn yourself in. Release the hostage, and we’ll consider lightening your sentence!” the officer urged again.
“What do you want?” Kieran finally spoke.
Lila frowned. “Don’t let him go! He’s the one who killed my parents!”
She would rather die than let James live another day. But she knew James might survive if Kieran agreed to his terms.
“Send me abroad, and I promise you’ll never see me again,” James said in a low, chilling voice.
“No!” Lila protested. “Kieran, you promised me!”
“Lila.” Kieran looked at her.
Though his demeanor was cold, his voice was gentle. Yet the contrast didn’t feel jarring.
Lila saw the grief in his eyes and knew he wanted to ask if she would give him up and abandon the Morgans.
But he said, “You have so many friends waiting for you to return. Nova is still at Amelia’s, and they’re all waiting for you.”
Lila clenched her fists and met his gaze.
Kieran stepped aside. “My car is outside, and the keys are in it.”
James, still holding Lila hostage, began moving toward the car. “See? This man loves you. I was right.”
Lila frowned at Kieran, unable to decipher the emotions in his eyes.
She lowered her gaze, catching sight of James’ hand gripping the knife. Seizing the moment, she tripped him. In the split second he was distracted, she ducked and bit his wrist.
James screamed, “You bitch! Let go!”
Kieran was the first to leap forward, disarming James and tossing the knife aside. He immediately pulled Lila to safety.
No one expected James to pull out a second knife.
“Then we’ll die together!” he yelled, swinging the blade at the nearest target, Lila.
The pain Lila anticipated didn’t come. Instead, a few drops splattered onto her face.
“Kieran!” Lila cried out in panic, rushing to cover Kieran’s wound with her hands.
A deep gash ran from his shoulder down to his arm, staining his black suit with an even darker shade of black.
Cole hurried over. “Mr. Morgan! We need to get you to a hospital immediately!”
With Lila’s help, they supported
Kieran and headed for the exit, not sparing a glance at James, who was pinned to the ground by the officers, defeated.
Kieran’s eyelids began to droop from blood loss.
Tears welled in Lila’s eyes. “Kieran, don’t scare me!”
He weakly raised his uninjured arm. “Don’t cry. I’m fine.”
But the wound was so deep the flesh was visible. It was far from fine.
“It doesn’t matter as long as you’re
safe. I’ll even
agree to the divor
okay? Lila’s voice trembled
held his hand. Content et
“Can we not divorce?” Kieran’s voice was faint.
Lila panicked. “Okay, we won’t divorce, just don’t close your eyes. Kieran, stay awake. You promised we’d go to the mountains to watch the stars once the weather gets warmer. Spring is almost here.
“You’ve always been a man of your word. You can’t go back on your promise, okay?”
But Kieran had already closed his eyes, leaving her plea unanswered.