The Billionaire’s Wedding Trap - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

My scream tore through the air as the gunshot reverberated off the warehouse walls, deafening and final.
Aliya had pulled the trigger.
The sound was like a crack of thunder, shaking the building. My breath caught in my throat, my body locking up in shock as I stared at Aliya stumbling back from the recoil. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the searing pain—but it never came.
When I opened them, Cain was standing in front of me.
For a heartbeat, he was perfectly still. Then, slowly, he swayed—before collapsing to the ground with a sickening thud.
I lunged forward, my hands already reaching for him. A dark stain bloomed across his shirt, spreading fast.
"Cain!" I choked out, dropping to my knees and catching him.
Aliya stood frozen, the gun trembling in her grip. "Oh my God," she whispered, then screamed, "I didn't mean to shoot him!"
Cain exhaled sharply, his fingers pressing against the wound as blood pooled beneath him. His face twisted in pain, but his grip on my hand was iron-tight. "Elle," he gritted out, "you need to run. Get out of here."
My eyes darted to Aliya—still armed, still dangerous—then back to him. Every instinct screamed at me to flee, but I couldn't. Not while he was bleeding out in front of me.
I pressed down hard on the wound, my hands slick with blood. "You're going to be okay," I said, voice shaking. "Just hold on, Cain!"
He managed a weak smile, his voice eerily calm. "Leave me. I'll be fine."
"Shut up," I snapped. "You're not dying, and I'm not leaving you here."
Aliya staggered back, her eyes wild. "No—this wasn't supposed to happen!" she shrieked. "You were supposed to suffer, Elle! I was supposed to kill you and take back what's mine!"
Rage burned through me. Enough.
I stood, my hands dripping with Cain's blood. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" My voice was low, venomous. "Destroy me. Kill my father. Push me down the stairs. Murder my baby. Steal my company. And now you want to kill me for it?"
Her fingers tightened around the gun as she raised it again. "I wanted everything you had," she hissed. "And I'm going to take it."
I held my breath—
Then, chaos erupted.
A dozen armed men stormed into the warehouse, weapons drawn. "Drop the gun!" one shouted.
James led the charge, his gaze locking onto me. "Elle!"
Relief flooded me. "James!"
Aliya's head whipped between the men and me, her face contorted with fury. With a scream, she swung the gun back toward me—
"NO!"
James moved faster. He lunged, slamming into her and knocking the weapon from her hands. It skidded across the floor, useless.
The team swarmed her, pinning her down as she thrashed and screamed like a rabid animal. "You can't do this! She deserves to die!"
James barely spared her a glance before rushing to my side. His hands cradled my face, eyes scanning me frantically. "Are you hurt? Did she hurt you?"
I shook my head. "I'm fine—but Cain's been shot. He's losing too much blood."
James barked orders. "Medic! Now!"
Within seconds, emergency responders flooded in, lifting Cain onto a stretcher. His gaze never left mine, dark and unreadable, even as they wheeled him away.
James pulled me into his arms, his lips pressing against my forehead. "I was terrified," he murmured. "Thank God you're safe."
"How did you find me?" I whispered.
"Security footage. Tracked the license plate from the car they took you in." His voice cracked. "I thought—I thought she'd already killed you."
I leaned into him, tears streaking down my face as Aliya was dragged away in cuffs.
For the first time in months, I breathed.
She was gone.