Chloe Reed froze.

Just then, the roar of a motorcycle grew from a distant rumble to an ear-splitting scream. The bike came barreling in, then skidded into a sideways slide, its immense momentum shoving the steel plate out of the way!

"BANG!"

A moment later, as Miles Hawthorne turned to run, a gunshot rang out and he was hit in the thigh. He collapsed, incapacitated.

Before Chloe Reed could react, Walker Grant yanked her into his arms. An instant later, bullet holes riddled the spot where she had been standing!

Miles Hawthorne, pistol in hand, immediately whipped the gun around and aimed at her again!

"BANG!"

A sniper’s shot struck Miles Hawthorne’s hand. The pistol flew from his grasp, and he clutched his wrist, his face contorted in pain.

More than a dozen bodyguards rushed in, quickly bringing the situation under control.

Walker Grant felt Chloe Reed trembling. He cupped the back of her head, his voice a low murmur by her ear, filled with a reassuring strength. "It’s okay. You’re safe now. It’s all over."

"Noah..."

Sunny Reed’s cry rang out. Noah Grant had been untied and lowered to the ground. Sunny tried to rush over and hug him but was restrained by the bodyguards.

"Noah, don’t be scared. We got rid of all the bad guys." Nathaniel Monroe took off his helmet and scooped up the child, asking with a grin, "Wasn’t Uncle Monroe cool?"

Noah’s face was pale with fright, and he was too scared to even cry. He was struggling to process what he had just witnessed.

Being hung up, seeing guns fired, seeing bullets, seeing blood—the little boy was in shock.

Nathaniel Monroe held him. "Noah? Can you hear me?"

Seeing the boy remained dazed and unresponsive, Nathaniel Monroe looked over at Walker Grant. "Walker, you don’t think he’s been scared into shock, do you?"

Walker Grant had already released Chloe Reed. He looked over at Nathaniel’s words and said, "Take him to the hospital for a check-up."

"You got it."

Nathaniel Monroe left immediately with Noah in his arms.

"Noah! My son! My son, give him back to me!" Sunny Reed was still struggling and crying.

But the bodyguards held her fast, and she couldn’t move at all.

Miles Hawthorne was tied up. With a look of dejected defeat on his face, he had stopped struggling.

Chloe Reed closed her eyes, then turned and walked up to Miles Hawthorne, slapping him hard across the face.

The force of the slap knocked Miles Hawthorne’s head to the side. He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek but said nothing, keeping his eyes downcast.

The slap seemed to drain the last of her strength. Chloe Reed’s face was pale, and she swayed slightly.

An instant later, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a warm, firm embrace.

"Let’s go home. Grandma’s waiting for us," Walker Grant said, his deep voice tinged with reassurance.

"Mm."

Chloe Reed tore her gaze away and left the abandoned chemical factory with Walker Grant.

Sitting in the car, Chloe Reed stared blankly out the window, a wrenching pain twisting in her gut. She thought back on everything that had happened, and it all felt like a sick joke.

"I don’t understand."

Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. "I let my guard down completely around him. He could have killed me before this."

Suddenly, he took her hand, and a gentle warmth spread from his.

Walker Grant said, "He wasn’t sure of your identity before. It was only after you asked him to arrange the paternity test that someone decided they wanted you dead."

Chloe Reed closed her eyes. ’So, had she sealed her own fate?’