Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! - Chapter 19: Chapter 19
You are reading Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival!, Chapter 19: Chapter 19. Read more chapters of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival!.
The abandoned chemical plant reeked of harsh industrial chemicals.
Stella was tied to a rusted iron chair, her wrists already rubbed raw and bloody.
She stared at the crazed Sophia before her, voice eerily calm: "You won't get away with this."
"SHUT UP!" Sophia backhanded her, nails leaving three bloody scratches on Stella's cheek. "When Ryder gets here, I want you both dead!"
Behind her, five thugs were setting up explosives. One asked nervously: "Miss Montgomery, I thought this was just kidnapping?"
Sophia pulled out a stack of cash and threw it on the ground: "It's your lives or the money. Choose."
Stella's pupils dilated—the C4 explosives at Sophia's feet could level the entire factory.
Just then, engine roars grew closer as a black SUV crashed through the iron gates.
The moment the car door kicked open, gunshots rang out.
Ryder rolled to avoid bullets, returning fire and hitting a gunman's kneecap. Blood still streaked his face from fighting his way in.
"Ryder!" Sophia screamed, yanking Stella up with a knife at her throat. "Move another inch and I'll slice up her pretty face!"
Ryder immediately dropped his gun.
Stella thrashed violently: "Are you crazy? Get out! She has explo…"
Sophia clamped her mouth shut, the blade drawing a thin line of blood across Stella's cheek: "How touching, Mr. Blackthorne." She kicked the detonator at her feet. "Kneel and beg me. I might let her go."
Ryder's eyes turned murderous, but he actually dropped to one knee.
"Not enough," Sophia laughed maniacally. "I want you to bow!"
Tears streamed down Stella's face as she shook her head desperately, choking on sobs.
Ryder slowly bent forward.
Just as his forehead was about to touch ground, a gunshot exploded!
Sophia's knife hand erupted in blood. Ryder instantly surged up, pulling Stella into his arms.
"Watch out!" Stella suddenly screamed.
Ryder spun as a long blade thrust from behind, piercing deep into his chest!
Blood splattered across Stella's face, warm and sticky.
She watched Ryder stagger but still shield her with his body, firing three shots to kill the attacker.
"Ryder!" Stella collapsed, catching his sliding body. "Why did you come?!"
Ryder leaned against the wall, blood foaming at his lips. His trembling hand touched her face with a weak smile: "Because... you're my fiancée."
Sirens wailed in the distance. Sophia shrieked, lunging for the detonator. Ryder raised his gun with the last of his strength.
"BANG!"
The bullet hit Sophia's shoulder precisely as she screamed and crumpled.
Ryder's hand fell limp.
In the hospital corridor, Stella sat like a statue outside the ICU.
She still wore blood-stained clothes, hands shaking uncontrollably.
"Will he die?" she suddenly asked.
Nathan's eyes were red as he shook his head: "Trust Mr. Blackthorne. You're still here..."
Stella stared at the dried blood in her palms.
When she died in her past life, had he been this panicked, this desperate...
On the seventh morning, the monitors suddenly beeped urgently.
Stella woke from dozing to see Ryder's fingers moving.
"Doc..." Her voice was too hoarse to continue, so she frantically pressed the call button.
Ryder slowly opened his eyes, pupils unfocused for a moment before settling on her haggard face.
Stella's tears splashed onto his hand.
He struggled to lift his hand, fingertips brushing her red-rimmed eyes: "Ugly as hell..."
Stella laughed through her tears, pressing his hand to her cheek: "You're the ugly one! Getting stabbed and still trying to look cool!"
Ryder's breathing mask fogged with vapor. He moved his fingers slightly, and Stella leaned close to hear his threadlike whisper: "If... this lifetime I still lose to them... would you regret choosing me?"
Stella shook her head, tears soaking the white sheets: "In my past life you collected my body. This lifetime, I'll only live for you."
The heart monitor suddenly spiked wildly.
Doctors rushed in but froze at the scene—
The Blackthorne heir, who never showed his emotions, was gripping the Whitmore heiress's hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.
A month later, Ryder stood by the hospital window removing bandages.
Stella hugged him from behind, cheek against the scar on his back: "Doctor says you can go home today."
"Mm."
"Chase got fifteen years for attempted murder."
"Mm."
"Sophia had a mental breakdown and got sent to a psychiatric hospital."
"Mm."
Stella pinched his waist in annoyance: "Does Mr. Blackthorne only know one word?"
Ryder suddenly turned, pressing her against the window. Sunlight filtered through his broad shoulders, casting dappled light and shadow on her.
"Stella," he kissed her deeply. "Let's go home."
Stella was tied to a rusted iron chair, her wrists already rubbed raw and bloody.
She stared at the crazed Sophia before her, voice eerily calm: "You won't get away with this."
"SHUT UP!" Sophia backhanded her, nails leaving three bloody scratches on Stella's cheek. "When Ryder gets here, I want you both dead!"
Behind her, five thugs were setting up explosives. One asked nervously: "Miss Montgomery, I thought this was just kidnapping?"
Sophia pulled out a stack of cash and threw it on the ground: "It's your lives or the money. Choose."
Stella's pupils dilated—the C4 explosives at Sophia's feet could level the entire factory.
Just then, engine roars grew closer as a black SUV crashed through the iron gates.
The moment the car door kicked open, gunshots rang out.
Ryder rolled to avoid bullets, returning fire and hitting a gunman's kneecap. Blood still streaked his face from fighting his way in.
"Ryder!" Sophia screamed, yanking Stella up with a knife at her throat. "Move another inch and I'll slice up her pretty face!"
Ryder immediately dropped his gun.
Stella thrashed violently: "Are you crazy? Get out! She has explo…"
Sophia clamped her mouth shut, the blade drawing a thin line of blood across Stella's cheek: "How touching, Mr. Blackthorne." She kicked the detonator at her feet. "Kneel and beg me. I might let her go."
Ryder's eyes turned murderous, but he actually dropped to one knee.
"Not enough," Sophia laughed maniacally. "I want you to bow!"
Tears streamed down Stella's face as she shook her head desperately, choking on sobs.
Ryder slowly bent forward.
Just as his forehead was about to touch ground, a gunshot exploded!
Sophia's knife hand erupted in blood. Ryder instantly surged up, pulling Stella into his arms.
"Watch out!" Stella suddenly screamed.
Ryder spun as a long blade thrust from behind, piercing deep into his chest!
Blood splattered across Stella's face, warm and sticky.
She watched Ryder stagger but still shield her with his body, firing three shots to kill the attacker.
"Ryder!" Stella collapsed, catching his sliding body. "Why did you come?!"
Ryder leaned against the wall, blood foaming at his lips. His trembling hand touched her face with a weak smile: "Because... you're my fiancée."
Sirens wailed in the distance. Sophia shrieked, lunging for the detonator. Ryder raised his gun with the last of his strength.
"BANG!"
The bullet hit Sophia's shoulder precisely as she screamed and crumpled.
Ryder's hand fell limp.
In the hospital corridor, Stella sat like a statue outside the ICU.
She still wore blood-stained clothes, hands shaking uncontrollably.
"Will he die?" she suddenly asked.
Nathan's eyes were red as he shook his head: "Trust Mr. Blackthorne. You're still here..."
Stella stared at the dried blood in her palms.
When she died in her past life, had he been this panicked, this desperate...
On the seventh morning, the monitors suddenly beeped urgently.
Stella woke from dozing to see Ryder's fingers moving.
"Doc..." Her voice was too hoarse to continue, so she frantically pressed the call button.
Ryder slowly opened his eyes, pupils unfocused for a moment before settling on her haggard face.
Stella's tears splashed onto his hand.
He struggled to lift his hand, fingertips brushing her red-rimmed eyes: "Ugly as hell..."
Stella laughed through her tears, pressing his hand to her cheek: "You're the ugly one! Getting stabbed and still trying to look cool!"
Ryder's breathing mask fogged with vapor. He moved his fingers slightly, and Stella leaned close to hear his threadlike whisper: "If... this lifetime I still lose to them... would you regret choosing me?"
Stella shook her head, tears soaking the white sheets: "In my past life you collected my body. This lifetime, I'll only live for you."
The heart monitor suddenly spiked wildly.
Doctors rushed in but froze at the scene—
The Blackthorne heir, who never showed his emotions, was gripping the Whitmore heiress's hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.
A month later, Ryder stood by the hospital window removing bandages.
Stella hugged him from behind, cheek against the scar on his back: "Doctor says you can go home today."
"Mm."
"Chase got fifteen years for attempted murder."
"Mm."
"Sophia had a mental breakdown and got sent to a psychiatric hospital."
"Mm."
Stella pinched his waist in annoyance: "Does Mr. Blackthorne only know one word?"
Ryder suddenly turned, pressing her against the window. Sunlight filtered through his broad shoulders, casting dappled light and shadow on her.
"Stella," he kissed her deeply. "Let's go home."
End of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! Chapter 19. Continue reading Chapter 20 or return to Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! book page.