Chapter 436

"Bang!"

The gunshot shattered the island's tranquility.

Evelyn Laurent felt a violent impact slam into her back.

She staggered and turned, instinctively catching Ethan Sullivan as he collapsed.

Warm, sticky blood coated her palms.

The metallic scent of iron flooded her nostrils.

Her vision blurred with crimson.

"Who fired that shot?"

"Commander Sullivan!"

"Hold him down!"

Amid the chaos, the assailant was pinned to the ground by soldiers, howling like a slaughtered pig.

Evelyn stood frozen, as if trapped in a vacuum.

The weight in her arms grew heavier.

Ethan's eyelids fluttered open briefly, confirming her safety before closing again.

"Medics! Where the hell are the medics?"

Julian Langley's voice trembled with barely contained panic.

Two medical personnel rushed forward, transferring Ethan onto a stretcher.

Blood gushed from his back, soaking the fabric.

"Move! Clear the way!"

The stretcher team sprinted toward the ship like arrows loosed from a bow.

They collided with Julian, who was running in the opposite direction.

His legs gave out.

He dropped to his knees, crawling toward his sister. "Evelyn! Are you hurt?"

Her arms remained outstretched, frozen in position.

The blood on her hands had darkened to rust.

"Julian..." Her voice was feather-light. "Where's Ethan?"

His Adam's apple bobbed. "The medics took him aboard."

He gripped her icy fingers, unable to voice the terrifying question.

The final moments before the live feed cut out replayed in his mind.

In the blink of an eye, their world had turned upside down.