Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 256: Chapter 256

Zoe dreamed of giving people who struggled in the slums a place to call home. That desire to preserve the lives of the weak was what had driven her, a teenager, to take up arms and step onto the battlefield.
And now, she had become a battle-hardened queen. Over the years, she had accomplished many of the things she had set out to do.
Zoe fought for her mission—for what she believed in. She didn't fear death. And she certainly didn't fear the terrorists in front of her.
She was Firefox, a queen born for the battlefield. She might die here today, but she would never abandon innocent lives just to save her own.
Zoe stepped forward. To the workers watching her, it was as if a beam of light had enveloped her. She gave them hope—a new chance to survive.
"This is incredible!"
"She's still willing to protect us. We might make it out alive!"
"My daughter was just born. My wife is still in the hospital waiting for me—I can't die here!"
"I have to go back. My fiancée's waiting for me to come home and marry her."
Unlike Zoe, who stood alone, most of these workers had families waiting for them back home.
Their frightened shouting soon caught the attention of the Team Quiver operatives.
"Hey, look who it is," sneered the man leading the group, a machine gun slung over his shoulder. "Isn't that our target?"
"Huh, turns out it's just some chick. Can't believe the boss went to all this trouble just to kill her."
"No kidding. I said from the beginning—why mobilize so many people for one woman? A few of us could've taken her out easily."
"Don't take it lightly. First, we kill her. Then we take out Shawn Ludwig. And after that, we raze Clusia to the ground. That'll show the world what we're made of. Nobody will be able to stand in our way!"
Zoe frowned. She hadn't expected Team Quiver's ambitions to be this outrageous—they actually planned to destroy all of Clusia.
But judging by their words, it seemed they still didn't know she was Firefox. Zoe began to suspect their real target might be Shawn, or even the Clusia government.
When Zoe glared coldly at them, the mercenaries grew more agitated.
"Look, she's giving me attitude!"
"Bold one. If the boss hadn't ordered her death, I might've gone easy on her."
"Don't be soft. How about we capture her alive, let you have your fun before we finish her off?"
"Yeah! If you're into her, we'll help you out. You can brag that you slept with Shawn Ludwig's woman!"
"Exactly! That'd be a hell of a story for the boys back home!"
Their vulgar jokes and crude laughter filled the air, and some of them genuinely started thinking about capturing Zoe alive.
But the more they talked, the colder Zoe's expression became.
She wasn't afraid to die. Even if today was her end, she would drag every last one of these bastards down to hell with her.
Still, a small pang of regret lingered in her heart—if she really did die here today, she wouldn't get the chance to kill Shawn herself.
That thought brought a flicker of disappointment—but only just.
Zoe was ready to ignite the final blaze of her life. She was Firefox, the fiercest mercenary of them all. Even in death, she would go out in flames—never bowing her head to scum like these.
She smirked, a fearless and icy grin spreading across her face. The men stared at her, but Zoe was already preparing to fight.
She knew the worst that could happen was death. But she had always fought alone. She had nothing to fear. No one would mourn her.
Just as Zoe braced herself for the incoming hail of bullets, something unexpected happened.
A deafening explosion rang out behind her. A mushroom cloud erupted into the sky.
Startled, both Zoe and the Team Quiver members turned toward the blast.
From the fire and smoke emerged a figure—Shawn. Zoe's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to come back.
He walked through the flames, a submachine gun in hand, his silhouette sharp and imposing, more striking than any model on a high-rise billboard.
He had delivered Sean and Charlie to safety—and now, without hesitation, he had returned.