Chapter 205

After Hannah escaped, Hoffman dispatched more of his subordinates and instructed them to intensify their assault, rendering Vincent and his men overwhelmed.

Splashes of blood painted Vincent's face and shirt. By then, only five bodyguards managed to still stand by his side, while the rest either lay seriously wounded or dead.

Hoffman's men outnumbered Vincent's several times. He had been planning forthis moment for a long time. Only a small slip-up had allowed Vincent to strike back moments earlier.

Encircled by foes, Vincent and his battered crew saw there was nowhere left to run.

Only at this point did Hoffman dare to appear, his boots grinding into the dirt as he sneered,"You almost took down half my men. That's quite a feat, Vincent."

Wiping blood dripping from his mouth, Vincent shot Hoffman a freezing glare. "Too bad I haven't finished you just yet."

An icy chuckle escaped Hoffman. "Take a look around. You're trapped, and you know it. Here's my offer-get the Jones Group to open up all its ports for my shipments. I'll give you a thirty percent cut."

Without hesitation, Vincent retorted, "Forget about it. That's never going to happen."

Hoffman's tone turned lethal. "Then there's no need for talk. Folks,finish him off."

Securing the port transfer contract had always been Hoffman's main objective. Everything else was a bonus. Vincent's refusal left only one option-he couldn't walk away alive.

Guns were raised as Hoffman's subordinates prepared to shoot Vincent and his men.

"Fire," Hoffman commanded, his gaze fixed and emotionless as he looked on.

A single gunshot shattered the tension. One of Hoffman's subordinates crumpled, a bullet through his head. Confusion twisted Hoffman's face. He snapped his head toward the source, his face clouded over. There stood Hannah, who had slipped away-she had not come back alone.

After escaping from this place, Hannah had wasted no time meeting up with Miles and Felix. She put them in charge of getting reinforcement, but insisted on going back alone first. Luck seemed to be on her side-she made it back just in time.

As soon as Hannah burst through the doors, Vincent's attention locked on her. Gunfire crackled, but she weaved through it, sprinting straight for him, the tactical squad trailing her.

Watching the new arrivals, Hoffman's expression soured. Those officers came prepared for war, and his own crew looked hopelessly outgunned.

A quick scan of the chaos told Hoffman all he needed. He barked at Mason to stay with a few men, ordering them to cover the escape. With a tight circle of bodyguards, he raced up the stairs.

Vincent caught sight of Hoffman vanishing and gave a low order for his wounded guards to fall back and recover.

Hannah skidded to Vincent's side. Before she could say anything, he motioned to have a unit of the tactical.team follow him. He then glanced at her. "I'll be right back," he said before disappearing into the fray.

It was obvious to Hannah Vincent was hunting Hoffman. The tactical unit shadowed himn, and she trusted they could handle whatever lay ahead.

The remaining officers wasted no time. Within moments, Hoffman's men were subdued, while Hannah moved quietly to administer first aid to Vincent's wounded bodyguards one by one, patching them up in the lobby.

Meanwhile, Vincent led the chase. He and the tactical unit burst onto the second floor, where a giant helipad loomed just beyond the exit. Hoffman was trying to flee.

Without hesitation, Vincent lifted his weapon and squeezed off a shot in Hoffman's direction.

Narrowly avoiding the shot, Hoffman ducked behind his line of bodyguards, glaring over his shoulder. "ls this really all you brought? You think this handful of men can kill me?" Vincent did not even blink. "I don't need anyone else to do it."

At Vincent's signal, a wave of tactical officers stepped out from the dim corners, moving fast to confront Hoffman's bodyguards. The bodyguards, already battered and struggling, stood little chance against the highly trained squad now closing in on them.

A flicker of panic crossed Hoffman's face. He fumbled for his pistol, fired a wild shot at Vincent's chest,and staggered backward on his cane, desperation written all over him.

Moving fast, Vincent twisted aside, dodging the shot with barely a breath to spare.He squeezed the trigger,sending his bullet straight for Hoffman.

Nothing could have púshed Vincent further-this time, Hoffman had gone too far. Mercy was out of the question.

A storm of bullets rained from Vincent's side. Hoffman barely managed to lift his weapon. He scrambled for cover, desperation fueling every move, while his eyes darted toward the sky, searching for the telltale whir of his rescue chopper.

Suddenly,pain exploded through Hoffman's left leg as a bullet ripped into him. He crashed down hard,trying to claw his way forward. Shot after shot followed, tearing through his body-first his gut, then his shoulder, and finally his chest.

Blood pooling beneath him, Hoffman could do nothing but lie there, frozen and fading, the last spark of life slipping away. All of his remaining bodyguards had been taken down by the relentless tactical unit.

Meanwhile, things had quieted downstairs. With the gunfire dying down, Hannah's concern pulled her up the stairs to investigate.

Vincent heard Hannah approach, turned, and let his gun fall. He hobbled in her direction, pain etched in every step.

At that moment, everyone assumed the fight was over. Hoffman was subdued.

Only Hannah caught the faint movement-Hoffman, still breathing, reaching inside his coat with trembling hands. With a crooked grin stretched across his face, Hoffman fixed his eyes on her. Though no sound left his mouth, his lips murmured the threat with eerie precision, "If I die, none of you live."

Shock flooded Hannah's face as she realized what he meant. She screamed, "Get back! He's strapped with explosives!"

Chaos erupted as the tactical unit scattered for cover.

Reacting instantly, Hannah grabbed Vincent, dragging him away from the blast radius. His wounds slowed him,forcing her to shield him with her own body at the last possible second.

An eruption shattered the air. When silence returned, Vincent blinked against the dust and pain. He reached for Hannah, shaking her gently. His fingers came away wet, stained with blood.

Where white silk had once shimmered, a crimson patch spread across Hannah's wedding gown.

Watching his trembling hands, Vincent felt the world tilt, grief swallowing him whole.