Chapter 3

"Colin, send the rescue team now! We don't have a second to lose!" I kept it brief.

Colin went silent for a few seconds before finally responding, "Ashton, hang in there. I'm mobilizing a team to your location right now!"

His words took a bit of the edge off the tension.

But then, Enzo's thoughts echoed in my mind again.

"Dad, Mr. Palmer didn't take you seriously at all. He's just blowing you off. The underground gas lines are leaking. There's about to be a chain reaction of explosions. Tell everyone to run!"

His thoughts broke me into a cold sweat. I immediately yelled at everyone to run for their lives.

At first, people looked confused, but then the pungent, biting smell of gas hit the air.

On the other end of the line, Colin actually let out a scoff. "Ashton, how much are you paying these extras a day? They're really committing to the bit. Great acting."

I didn't have time to argue. I scooped up Enzo and bolted forward.

The survivors helped one another up, fleeing for their lives.

We had barely made it 40 feet when a deafening roar erupted behind us. A massive pillar of fire shot straight out of the pit.

Staring back at the living hell behind us, everyone broke into a cold sweat.

If we had been just one step slower, there wouldn't even be ashes left of us.

At the sound of the explosion, Colin fell silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was trembling. "Ashton? What the hell is going on over there? Where did those explosions come from?"

Before he could get an answer, hurried footsteps echoed on his end.

A second later, the duty room door was kicked open. "Colin Palmer! A major collapse just happened on the city highway! Why haven't you dispatched a rescue team yet?"

Seeing his supervisor storm in, Colin finally realized the gravity of the situation.

He shuddered with terror, then screamed into the phone, "Ashton, hang on… I-I'm sending the team right now!"

20 minutes later, sirens wailed in the distance. Colin arrived at the scene with the rescue squad.

Taking in the gruesome destruction and the traumatized survivors, he slapped himself hard across the face and dropped straight to his knees in front of me.

"Ashton, I am so sorry! It's all my fault for not believing you. I screwed up big time…"

Seeing how genuinely remorseful he was, I didn't hold it against him.

Colin also realized that now was not the time for self-blame. He immediately ordered the paramedics to treat the injured and directed the firefighters to contain the blaze.

When he caught sight of me covered in blood and grime, the guilt in his eyes deepened. "Ashton, don't move. I'll get someone to check your wounds right now."

I cut him off, urging him to take me straight to the hospital where Olivia was.

My injuries could wait, but her life couldn't.

We rushed to the hospital, where I tracked down the lead surgeon and signed the consent forms.

I thought we had made it just in time, but the doctor's expression remained grim. "Mr. Burke, the patient suffered 99 stab wounds, leading to multiple organ failure from internal bleeding. With our hospital's current resources, the best we can offer is a highly conservative surgery.

"To increase her chances, we need to bring in a top-tier medical team from out of town immediately. Otherwise, she won't survive the night."

Beside me, Colin suddenly snapped to attention. "Ashton, I'll call Elaine right now. I'll have her request a green channel and arrange a helicopter transfer immediately!"

Once the call connected, Colin frantically explained the situation.

I thought the problem was solved, but all we got was Elaine's ice-cold response over the speaker. "Colin, what did Ashton give you to make you lose your mind and lie for him?"