chapter378
Nathan couldn’t bear to witness the depth of Mila’s anguish. He enveloped her in a protective embrace, his voice a low, grounding anchor in the storm of her grief. “Chubs, gather your strength. We are almost at the end.”
Mila clung to him, the weight of years of loss finally pouring out. “Nate, they took everything from me. My parents... they never had a chance.”
Nathan leaned in, his whisper for her ears alone. “Stay strong. Justice is within your reach now. You are the one they never saw coming.”
Mila took a shuddering breath and nodded, her grief sharpening into a cold, hard determination. “I’m ready.”
Nathan cradled the back of her head, shielding her as he reached for the unassuming hairpin tucked into her hair. To any onlooker, it was a simple accessory; in reality, it was a masterpiece of compact engineering. With a swift, silent motion, he aimed the device at Silas, who lay on the bed, still believing he held all the cards.
The muffled discharge was nearly silent. Before the guards in the room could even register a threat, the architect of Mila’s suffering was gone, his eyes wide with a shock he would never process.
As Murray realized the gravity of the situation, he moved to draw his weapon, but he found himself staring down the barrel of that same lethal hairpin. Nathan’s aim was unwavering, his expression a mask of cold efficiency. Around them, the remaining gunmen raised their weapons, their faces pale with confusion and fear.
“Don't!” Murray gasped, his hands flying up. “Please, put it down.”
Nathan swiftly disarmed Murray, passing the captured sidearm to Mila. She wiped away her final tears, her hand steady as she trained the weapon on Murray. The transition was absolute; the hunted had officially become the hunters.
“Release the perimeter,” Mila commanded, her voice calm and chillingly professional. She reached out and retrieved the box containing the Azurium, tucking it into her pocket. “If anyone fires a shot, your new leader becomes my shield.”
Murray stared at the small device in Nathan’s hand, a bitter, trembling smirk on his lips. He had spent years investigating Mila, yet he had completely underestimated the scope of her brilliance. “How did you get that past security?” he asked, his voice shaking.
“You spent so long investigating Mila the chemist,” Mila said softly, stepping closer to him. “Did you forget her other identity?”
Murray’s face turned ashen as the realization hit him. “The systems engineer.”
Mila offered a faint, humorless hum. She glanced at the subordinates blocking the exit. “Arrange a speedboat. Now. If you want him to live long enough to take his seat at the head of this table.”
“Do it!” Murray barked at his men. “Move!”
As the subordinates scrambled to comply, Murray glanced at Silas’s body. He was still bewildered by their tactics. “Why kill him? Why not hold the man in charge hostage?”
“Because Silas would have ordered his men to kill us all, including himself, just to ensure the Azurium didn't leave this room,” Mila explained with a clinical coldness. “But you... you want to live to enjoy the power he left behind. Holding the person who actually cares about their own survival is the only logical choice.”
Mila examined the weapon in her hand, a flicker of pride in her eyes for the technology she had created. “By the way,” she added, her voice dropping to a whisper, “let me show you exactly what this 'hairpin' is capable of.”