Chapter 229: Cedric is dead.

Two men rushed toward the tunnel. They fired several shots into the darkness before entering after him.

The leader raised his radio. "He escaped through a hidden tunnel. Surround the entire area. Find him."

Meanwhile, Cedric crawled desperately through the narrow passage. A sharp pain suddenly tore through his leg as the bullet hit him. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his cry.

But stopping meant being captured. He kept moving.

Behind him, the men entered the tunnel.

"We have a blood trail," one of them shouted. "He is injured. He can’t have gone far. Keep moving."

They followed the trail. Eventually, they emerged from the tunnel.

There was no sign of Cedric.

Then one man spotted the blood drops leading away from the exit.

"There." He pointed ahead. "Follow the trail."

They moved quickly.

A short distance away, they finally spotted a figure stumbling through the darkness.

"There he is."

Cedric looked over his shoulder.

The men were gaining on him.

He tried to run faster, but his injured leg refused to cooperate. He stumbled.

Desperation took over. He turned and fired.

One of the men was struck in the shoulder and fell back, clutching the wound.

His companion immediately raised his weapon.

Cedric barely had time to react. A shot rang out. The bullet struck his chest.

Cedric staggered backward. His gun remained in his hand, but his fingers had begun to tremble. He tried to raise it. His vision blurred. His strength was fading rapidly.

The man in black saw the movement and assumed Cedric was about to fire. Before Cedric could pull the trigger, another shot rang out.

Cedric collapsed. His gun slipped from his hand. Then everything went dark.

"Cedric is down."

The other team members rushed over.

Their leader crouched beside Cedric and checked his pulse. He frowned.

"He is dead." He stood and immediately called Elias.

The phone rang loudly on the bedside table. The sound broke through Elias’s sleep.

He opened his eyes, still groggy, and reached for the phone. But the moment he saw the caller ID, his sleepiness disappeared.

"Hello?"

"Sir, Cedric is dead."

Elias sat upright.

The man quickly briefed him on everything that had happened.

"He tried to escape through a hidden tunnel. During the chase, he fired at one of our men and injured him. We had no choice but to stop him."

Elias was silent for a moment. Then he exhaled slowly.

"This Chapter is finally closed." His voice was rough from sleep.

"Tessa is still missing. She wasn’t at the warehouse."

Elias’s expression remained calm. "Don’t waste time looking for her. Without Cedric, she is nothing. She has lost the protection she was relying on. She won’t dare come after my family now. And if she does, we’ll deal with her."

Beside him, Elena stirred. "Who are you talking to so early in the morning?"

Elias immediately put the phone aside. "Did I wake you?"

Elena slowly opened her eyes. "What happened?" She looked concerned. "Is there trouble at the company?"

Elias lay back down beside her and pulled her gently into his arms.

"Cedric is dead."

Elena’s eyes widened. "Dead?"

"Yes." Elias kissed her forehead. "I just received the update." He held her closer. "Don’t think about it anymore. Go back to sleep."

Elena released a long breath. Relief washed over her.

Cedric was finally gone. The man who had caused so much pain to this family could no longer hurt them. She wrapped her arms around Elias and rested her head against his chest.

For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to believe that the danger was finally over, that they could raise their children in peace.

She closed her eyes.

Elias tightened his arms around her. Slowly, they drifted back to sleep together.

~~~~~~~~~

At the washing area of a hotel...

Tessa’s hands had turned red from washing piles of dishes. Her fingers ached, and every muscle in her arms felt strained. Sweat trickled down her forehead despite the cool air around her.

She wiped it away with the back of her wrist and continued scrubbing.

Just then, another cart filled with dirty dishes was pushed toward her.

Tessa stared at it in disbelief.

"What is this?" she exclaimed. "I haven’t even finished washing the dishes I already have, and now there is another pile."

She threw her hands up in frustration. "I’m human, not a machine. I can’t do all of this."

The middle-aged supervisor glared at her. "You were hired for the cleaning job. If you don’t want to do it, then get out."

Tessa immediately pressed her lips into a tight line.

She hated this job. She hated the smell of dirty dishes. Most of all, she hated the fact that she had fallen this far. But she had no choice.

Noah had blacklisted her from the corporate world.

Elias had also made sure she could not find work in any of the major hotels or restaurants in the city.

With no money and nowhere to turn, Tessa had been forced to change her appearance, hide her identity, and take whatever work she could find. If she lost this job, she wouldn’t have enough money to eat.

Tessa lowered her gaze. "I’m doing it," she muttered bitterly.

"Then finish quickly. There is a big wedding tonight. Once you are finished here, go there and clean the tables."

He turned and walked away.

Tessa stared after him with clenched fists. Then she tossed the scrubber into the sink.

"This is too much." Her voice trembled with frustration. "I feel like I’m living in hell. I can’t take this anymore."

She leaned forward, gripping the edge of the sink tightly. Her shoulders shook. Slowly, she lifted her head.

Resentment and hatred burned in her eyes.

"Elena...Noah... Elias..." Her fingers tightened around the edge of the sink. "You ruined my life. If I ever get the chance, I’ll destroy all of you."

A cruel determination flickered across her face.

At the Banquet Hall...

On the stage stood Evelyn and Ian, holding hands.

Evelyn looked breathtaking in her wedding gown. Her face glowed with happiness, and she couldn’t stop smiling.

After everything they had endured, she was finally marrying Ian again.

Ian stood beside her, looking impeccably handsome in his suit. But beneath his composed expression was a storm of emotion.

He had once believed he had lost Evelyn forever. Now, she was standing beside him again.

The priest smiled at them. "Ian Whitmore, do you take Evelyn Rowan as your lawfully wedded wife?"

Ian took a deep breath. His fingers tightened around Evelyn’s hand.

He looked into her eyes. "I do."

Evelyn’s heart seemed to leap with joy. She giggled softly, unable to contain her happiness.

The priest turned toward her.

"Evelyn Rowan, do you take Ian Whitmore as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Her answer came instantly.

"You may kiss the bride."

Ian gently cupped Evelyn’s face and leaned toward her. Their lips met in a tender kiss.

Evelyn smiled against his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer, deepening the kiss.

Ian’s eyes widened in surprise.

"I love you, Ian," she whispered against his mouth.

His heart melted. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her more passionately.

"I love you too."

The guests erupted into applause and cheers.

Evelyn laughed happily against his shoulder as Ian held her close.