The burly thugs lay sprawled all over the ground, every bone in their bodies seeming in pain. “Where the hell did these monsters come from?” one wondered. "Damn! Our intel never mentioned Aubree had backup like this!"
“Go in and find her. Ensure Miss Miller is unharmed,” Ethan ordered.
The bodyguards fanned out in different directions. Fortunately, the pursuing thugs' relentless shouting gave them crucial clues to Aubree and Isla’s whereabouts.
Unfamiliar with the mall, Aubree and Isla panicked and ran toward random directions, turning down any passage they saw, until their luck ran out, and they found themselves cornered in a dead end.
The four thugs closed in, panting heavily. “Run? Try running now!” one of them snarled.
Aubree clenched her fists nervously as she faced the four men. “Who hired you to do this? The Wilsons!"
One of the thugs sneered, “Wilson family? Never heard of ‘em. Quit playing games. You’ve only got yourself to blame for pissing off the wrong people.”
Not the Wilson family? Aubree’s expression darkened. Even with the self-defense moves she knew, four trained thugs seriously outmatched them.
Aubree pushed Isla behind her, whipped out a foldable pocket knife she always carried, and held it out in front of her with a trembling hand. “Stay back!”
Aubree was gasping for breath, her knife-wielding hand trembling. She was already a mess from their frantic dash, let alone Isla, who had even kicked off her high heels in desperation.
One of the thugs sneered, “Hey there, sweetheart, think you can handle that little knife? Don’t get yourself hurt.” The four of them showed not a hint of fear. They even broke into mocking laughter.
The folding knife was compact in Aubree’s hand, yet its blade gleamed razor-sharp.
Just as Aubree got caught in a desperate struggle, Ethan arrived in the nick of time.
Unlike the guards at the entrance, these four were genuine desperadoes, some even on the wanted list.
The four thugs exchanged glances. Three of them charged straight at Ethan, while the last one lunged fiercely at Aubree, intent on subduing her. Aubree reacted swiftly, throwing up her hands in defense.
Isla didn’t just watch. She rushed forward to help Aubree.
Outside the mall, Alvin and his team met Bowen. Without a word, they locked eyes and rushed together toward the underground parking garage.
They sprinted over, only to watch helplessly as the accident unfolded before their eyes.
In the chaos, Aubree’s hand slipped, and the knife plunged deep into the man’s abdomen. A torrent of crimson blood gushed out, coating her trembling hand.
The burly man howled in pain and, with a desperate surge of strength, flung both women off, sending them crashing to the ground. Clutching his bleeding abdomen, his face twisted in utter disbelief, he glared at Aubree with murderous eyes, like a vengeful demon.
“Clang!” The knife hit the floor.
Aubree’s entire body trembled uncontrollably, a bone-chilling dread stinging her. “…I killed someone,” she choked out.
Isla immediately wrapped her arms around Aubree in a tight embrace. “Don’t be afraid,” she soothed. “Bowen’s here now. Everything will be alright.”
Chapter 193
The other three, realizing the tide had turned, tried to flee. But Ethan moved like lightning, ordering his team to intercept them.
“Mr. Turner!” Ethan stepped aside and called out.
One thug lay sprawled on the ground, his fate unknown, while the other three stared up in terror as Bowen advanced toward them.
Turner? Bowen Turner? One of the thugs panicked, thinking, Damn! That guy never said that girl had someone like Bowen backing her!
Bowen had just rushed over from a meeting, clad in an impeccably tailored suit. His features were a mesmerizing blend of ethereal and devilish charm. With a slight tilt of his head, he gazed down at them as if they were nothing more than insects beneath his notice.
His features were almost sculptural, his posture tall and straight, but his expression was far from pleasant now. With lowered brows and a piercing gaze, he radiated suffocating intensity.
A bone-chilling aura sliced through the air.
At that moment, Bowen was beyond reason. The sight of Aubree desperately defending herself with a knife ignited a murderous rage in him. He wanted nothing more than to slaughter every last one of these men.
Still, fearing that the man on the ground might die and leave Aubree facing murder charges, Alvin immediately ordered his men to stop the bleeding and rush him to the hospital.
“As for the other three? Well, they’ll naturally be ‘persuaded’ to reveal who was pulling the strings,” Alvin thought.
Like uncle, like nephew. Alvin and Bowen had that same chilling and terrifying gaze.