Chapter 4

Three hours remained until my death.

The port banquet went ahead as scheduled.

Aside from members of the Vison Family, many businessmen and representatives from other Families who had worked with Charles for years had also arrived.

No one knew that at exactly nine o’clock tonight, a planned explosion would take place here.

I stood in front of the mirror as Ivy zipped up my dress.

Her hands were trembling uncontrollably.

“Easy,” I said. “People will notice.”

She glared at me with red eyes.

“You’re really not afraid at all.”

I smiled and shrugged.

“I’m just going to live somewhere else.”

The door opened, and Charles walked in.

He had already changed into a black suit, with a gun hidden at his waist.

His eyes fell on me, and he frowned.

“Where’s your coat?”

“It’s warm inside.”

“It gets windy at the harbor at night.”

He picked up the coat himself and draped it over my shoulders.

Just like before, the slightest frown was enough for him to know what was bothering me.

Charles fastened the top button of my coat.

“Helen.”

“Hmm?”

“The west passage.”

“I remember.”

“Leave two minutes before nine.”

“I remember.”

“Once you’re outside, don’t stop. The car will take you directly to the dock.”

I smiled at him.

“Charles, you’ve told me so many times.”

His hand rested on my shoulder for a moment before he lowered his head and kissed my forehead.

“Wait for me.”

I didn’t answer.

At 8:40 p.m., the banquet was already more than halfway over.

Sandra wasn’t there. She had been left in the safest underground room at the estate.

My parents had also arrived, and my mother kept holding my hand.

“Helen, remember to eat regularly when you get there. You have a sensitive stomach.”

I looked at her.

“Didn’t you say we couldn’t contact each other?”

Her eyes immediately turned red.

“I just…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

My father glanced at his watch.

“Let’s not talk about this now. It’s almost time.”

My mother glared at him, but she still released my hand.

At 8:55 p.m., Charles’s underboss approached him and whispered something in his ear.

Charles’s expression changed immediately.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He looked at me.

“Someone is trying to breach the perimeter where Sandra is staying.”

I already knew what he was going to say next.

Sure enough.

“I have to go over there.”

I calmly nodded.

“Go.”

But Charles did not leave immediately.

“Helen, listen. Two minutes before nine, Mark will take you out. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”

I looked at his face and gave him one final chance.

“Charles, you can still change your mind.”

He didn’t understand.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

I reached out and adjusted his tie.

“Go.”

He finally turned around. After walking a few steps, he looked back at me once more before disappearing into the crowd.

At 8:58 p.m., Mark came to my side.

“Madam, it’s time to leave.”

I followed him toward the back of the venue. By the time we reached the corridor leading to the west exit, it was almost nine.

I could already see the security door at the far end.

According to Charles’s plan, all I needed to do was keep walking, open the door, get into the car, and become Ellen Rossi.

But I stopped.

“Madam?”

I pointed in the other direction.

“Did someone just go that way?”

Mark instinctively turned his head.

A few seconds were enough.

I turned and pushed open the door to the emergency staircase. Mark’s voice came from behind me.

“Madam!”

I didn’t look back.

The first explosion went off at that moment.

The entire building shook violently.

Glass shattered everywhere. Alarms rang out across the harbor, and a second explosion followed from the direction of the banquet hall.

Flames rose into the night sky as people screamed and rushed toward the exits.

I kicked off my heels, lifted the hem of my dress, and ran down the stairs.

The car waiting in the back alley already had its engine running. When the man in the driver’s seat saw me, he immediately pushed open the door.

“Helen?”

“Go.”

Before getting into the car, I looked back at the burning harbor.

Then I took my wedding ring from my pocket and placed it beside the torn coat that had been left by the wall in advance.

The car door closed, and the vehicle quickly disappeared into the chaos of the night.

Meanwhile, Charles was escorted to a safe area by his bodyguards.

He checked the time.

It was already 9:03 p.m.

“Is Helen out?”

His underboss immediately radioed the extraction team, but no one answered.

A dozen seconds later, the radio crackled.

“We haven’t seen Madam at the west exit.”

Charles’s fingers trembled.

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve been here the whole time. Madam never came out.”

His expression darkened instantly.

“Go in and find her.”

“Boss, it’s still burning inside—”

“I said, go in and find her.”

No one dared to speak again. His men rushed into the burning building one after another.

Charles remained where he was. He checked his watch again and again, but there was still no news of me. Finally, he started toward the security line himself.

His underboss grabbed his arm.

“Boss!”

“Let go.”

“It’s too dangerous! The building could collapse!”

Charles shook off his hand.

“Helen knows the route. She couldn’t have gone the wrong way.”

Just then, several men emerged from the ruins. One of them looked ashen.

“Boss… we found Madam.”

Charles’s eyes lit up.

“Where is she?”

The man stepped aside, revealing the charred body of a woman.