Chapter 4

Chad's POV

My heart stopped when I heard that. Without a second thought, I rushed to the award ceremony as fast as I could.

When I arrived, Shelly was about to present the award to Anthony, who was dressed in a bespoke suit. They looked like a perfect couple. Meanwhile, I showed up disheveled, a stark contrast to the elegance of the ceremony.

Shelly stood on stage with a smile, evidently believing that I had regretted my decision and come to her publicly to reconcile. She was sorely mistaken.

With everyone looking at me with disdain, I staggered toward Anthony, my eyes burning red.

"What did you do to my mom? Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" I yelled. My voice was trembling, and I must have looked deranged.

As the crowd's mocking remarks and jeers continued, Shelly finally lost her temper. She shoved me hard enough to send me stumbling backward. "Chad, you're scaring Anthony!"

I tumbled off the stage, the impact rattling my insides violently.

Shelly instinctively stepped forward, and Anthony quickly stepped off the stage to help me up. "Chad, I don't know what you're talking about. Don't embarrass Shelly anymore."

After saying that, he pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, "Damn, you're really clever. You're right, I was the one who took her. Take another guess. What do you think I did to her?"

He smiled brightly, but only I could see the vicious glint in his eyes.

My heart was pounding. I couldn't take his behavior anymore. I swung my fist and punched him. "Anthony, give me back my mom!"

The next second, I felt someone pull me away and slap me across the face.

Shelly held up a trembling hand, her expression dark and frightening. "Chad, I've shown you more than enough mercy. And you're willing to throw away your dignity over a mere award? You're so vain!"

She merely saw me as a pathetic madman. However, all I could think about was Mom's current predicament.

The next second, I snatched the award from Shelly's hands and charged toward Anthony.

"Ah!"

However, my attack landed squarely on Shelly's back. She shoved me hard, and the trophy's sharp wing instantly sliced into my face. Blood stained the carpet red as the trophy clattered to the floor.

"Chad, are you crazy?" she yelled.

However, where Shelly couldn't see, Anthony waved the remote control in his hand at me. It was a bomb detonator, with three minutes left on the countdown. He pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from my face, wearing a smug, provocative smile.

"She's in the car outside. You know, the car that ran her over and left her crippled. I even went out of my way to buy it."

Suddenly, my world spun around me. I staggered toward the exit, only for Shelly's bodyguards to stop me.

Behind me came Shelly's vicious voice. "You think you can just run away after hitting someone? Get back here and apologize!"

Meanwhile, it felt as if I could feel every second ticking away from Mom's life. I couldn't afford to waste any more time. I dropped to my knees and slammed my forehead against the floor, each thud loud and deliberate. I looked at them resentfully.

Shelly stared at me in shock, reaching out to grab me.

However, I didn't spare her a glance as I turned and bolted for the car outside.

Third-Person POV

Strangely, Shelly felt her heart sink as she watched Chad leave.

Anthony drew her attention back. "The ceremony is about to begin."

"Okay."

She hesitated before turning around. Then…

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion erupted, and in the next instant, she felt a wave of scorching heat.