Chapter 256
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Chapter 256.
In this lifetime, Alex felt utterly defeated. He had let down his grandfather, his parents, and even Orion. Above all, he owed a tremendous debt to Ellie and the entire Thompson family.
Because of him, Ellie had gone through so much hardship and suffering. To restore her peaceful life, he believed that Ethan must die.
With a fiery anger in his eyes, Alex scanned the crowd around him. Whispers of concern surrounded him–his mother’s desperate pleas and the anxious murmurs of friends filled the air.
With immense effort, Alex turned again to look at Ellie, who was crying and looking his way. His eyes shimmered with tears as an unexpected smile broke across his face, even though he knew her tears were not for him.
He realized that her concern wasn’t about him. Still, in that moment, he let himself believe there was still a place for him in Ellie’s heart–no matter in what form that might be.
The onlookers held their breath; only Ethan’s reckless taunts cut through the heavy tension.
Justas Alex prepared to pull the trigger, Nancy collapsed to her knees. She grasped Alex’s leg, weeping. “Alex, your brother is gone. If anything happens to you, how could your father and I possibly go on living?”
“You must put down that gun immediately.” Nancy frantically struck her son’s leg.
Others rushed in, trying to intervene. “Ellie, you must persuade Alex. If he fires that shot, it could be murder. What will happen to his parents and the Warren Group?”
Dressed in his wedding attire, Layton stepped toward Ellie. She glanced at Alex and her family, then sat firm, unmoved.
“Alex is clearly in a crazy state, but Ellie, you are just as crazy!” Layton exclaimed in frustration, stamping his foot before rushing to plead with Alex.
Ellie lowered her gaze, acutely aware of all the eyes on her. She could hear the murmurs and discussions swirling around, leaving her in a whirlwind of emotions, unable to think clearly.
“Alex, there are countless ways to resolve this. Please don’t act on impulse.” Layton gestured in a way only Alex might understand.
Seizing the moment, Nancy cried out. “If you dare pull that trigger, I will kill myself right here.”
With red–rimmed eyes, Alex stood frozen. The gun pressed firmly against Ethan’s heart, stuck in that position for what felt like an eternity. Alex’s chest heaved heavily as he wrestled with a huge decision.
Finally, Alex lowered the weapon, prompting a collective sigh of relief from everyone present. Taking advantage of Alex’s moment of distraction while he bent down to help Nancy, Ethan pushed past a woman and dashed toward the cake tower.
“You can’t escape.” Aaron, Layton, and Barry surrounded Ethan, trapping him. Desperate, Ethan grabbed a long knife meant for cutting the cake.
Suddenly, Quinlee emerged from the crowd, her expression steady. “Since you’ve been diagnosed with a mental illness, it’s important to focus on your treatment. Put the knife down, or your parents and sister will never find peace.”
At the sound of Quinlee’s voice, Ethan regained his composure and slowly lowered the knife. Just then, a bead struck the back of Ethan’s hand, making him wince and reflexively raise the knife.
“Bang.” A gunshot echoed through the chaos, the bullet striking Ethan’s heart.
As Ethan collapsed with a thud, chaos erupted once again, screams filling the air. Nearby, Jason, who had remained seated, discreetly withdrew the beads from his hand.
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18:47 Fri, 21 Feb 0
Chapter 256
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Just then, police cars sped to the entrance. Alex raised his hands without a word, allowing the officers to place handcuffs on him. In that moment, an unexpected peace washed over him.
He glanced back at his parents and then toward Ellie. Then he was escorted away by the police in plain sight of the crowd. After Alex was taken away, Layton and Nalani’s wedding quickly came to an end.
Barry took Alex’s parents back to the Warren Manor. Aaron was rushed to the hospital, where Ellie stayed by his side.
When Patrick and Winnie emerged from Aaron’s hospital room, Winnie couldn’t suppress her curiosity. “Darling, I clearly saw Alex lower his gun. Why did he pull that trigger?”
Patrick embraced his wife and skillfully maneuvered around a nurse’s cart. “Quinlee tried advising Ethan to gather himself, but Jason’s bead struck Ethan’s hand, causing him to raise the knife. That caused Alex to pull the trigger.”
Winnie tightened her grip around Patrick’s arm. “Jason seems charmingly pleasant, yet he has deep plans hidden beneath the surface.”
“Without a good deal of insights and guts, how could he hold a position of power?”
Patrick opened the car door for his wife. “In a scene with so many witnesses, over a hundred reporters, and members of the royal family present, if Alex fired directly, it would have been seen as murder, with no way to escape consequences.
“But since Alex let Ethan go once, his action fell under self–defense. Even if he faced judgment, the consequences could be less severe. I hope you get that, my dear.”
Patrick stood patiently at the car door, looking affectionately at his wife until she nodded in understanding, and then he finally got in the car.
Meanwhile, back at the Thompson residence, Whitney handed Jason a robe and asked, “Darling, how did you know that Alex
would shoot?”
Jason removed his bathrobe to reveal his strong physique and replied, “Even though I haven’t noticed any outstanding skills in him, he’s good at seizing opportunities when they arise.”
Whitney sat beside him, sighing repeatedly. “Orion died at the border trying to save you, and Carlos is also gone. If Alex goes to jail, not only will the position of the Warren family be at risk, but the Warren Group might be destroyed.”
“He owes Ellie a debt that must be repaid.” Jason’s tone was firm. “As for the Warren family’s standing in Jaslands, I can’t control that, but I will look after the Warren parents.”
Whitney tossed a pillow at Jason. “Ellie’s icy demeanor is clearly an inheritance from the family. While Ellie may seem soft and delicate, her feelings run deep. She pined for Alex for seven years.
“She stayed true to her feelings, but after going through heartbreak, she declared she would never turn back. Even if this shot lands Alex in prison, it won’t revive Ellie’s feelings for him.”
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