Realizing this wasn’t the place to linger, Katelyn nodded.

“Okay.” Together, they made their way back to the car.

Once they were inside, Vincent took the driver’s seat.

As Katelyn buckled her seatbelt, she turned to him with a worried expression.

“Did you see who it was? What happened?”

Vincent started the car and replied calmly, “The shooter was gone by the time I got there, but I’m certain it was a woman.”

Katelyn’s eyes widened in surprise. A woman? Her mind immediately landed on one possibility — Sophia. The only woman who might have a reason to target her now was Sophia.

Vincent glanced at her briefly, as if reading her thoughts.

“I suspect it’s Sophia,” he confirmed. His tone darkened, and his eyes gleamed coldly.

“Since she dared to assassinate you so openly, she must pay the corresponding price.” Without another word, Vincent took out his phone and made a call.

The line connected quickly, and a respectful voice answered, “Mr. Adams.”

“Check the surveillance cameras near the wetland park on the west side of the city. Track down Sophia,” Vincent ordered, his voice sharp and decisive.

If Sophia had shown up, they couldn’t let her escape so easily.

“Yes, sir!” came the immediate response.

After hanging up, Vincent remained focused on the road while Katelyn sat in silence, her mind racing with questions. Breaking the quiet, she asked, “What do you think is the reason Sophia made her move now? And in such a public place?”

Her confusion was understandable. The location made no sense for an attack. Even if the T Organization wouldn’t care about the civilians’ lives, this level of recklessness didn’t align with their usual methods. Drawing attention to themselves by causing a public disturbance would only invite the authorities’ involvement—a risk the T Organization couldn’t afford to take lightly. If they did, they wouldn’t come out unscathed. So, what could Sophia’s motive be? Katelyn’s thoughts spiraled as she tried to make sense of it.

Then, something ahead on the road caught her eye. Faintly, she noticed a series of black s lined up in a row. They weren’t clear at first, but as the car drew closer, Katelyn’s heart dropped. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she screamed, “Hit the brakes!”

Vincent’s eyes locked onto the black dots. Without thinking, he slammed the brakes. The tires screamed against the road, the sound cutting through the air.

Katelyn clutched the handle above the door, her body recoiling as she strained to keep herself from slamming into the windshield.

Before they could even take a breath, deafening bangs echoed as the tires blew out, sending the car jolting violently.

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In a blur, the airbags exploded in front of them, pinning both Katelyn and Vincent back into their seats.

Katelyn fought the rising dizziness, her stomach churning. The impact had left her feeling a wave of nausea crashing over her.

If she wasn’t imagining things, those black dots had been a row of nearly invisible spikes. At that speed, the blowout had been inevitable. Vincent, battling his own discomfort, quickly turned to Katelyn.

“Katelyn, you okay? Did you get hurt?”

The crash had been hard, but his main focus was her safety.

Katelyn shook her head.

“I’m fine. But something doesn’t feel right.” Before she could finish her thought, two more shots rang out in rapid succession. They tore through the air, slamming into the car window with a sharp crack.

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