Regret Came Too Late

Grace saw Liam's consciousness fading fast, and his eyes were losing focus. Without hesitation, she shoved the wrecked car door open.

"Enough," she said sharply. "You're not dying. If you have something to say, say it yourself."

Liam was too weak to respond and passed out moments later. The cemetery was rarely empty-someone would find him soon. But first, she had to draw those men away.

She sprinted down the slope, only relaxing when she saw them chasing after her. With any luck, someone would notice Liam soon and get him to a hospital. His shoulder wound wasn't fatal, so he should be fine.

A dense forest lay at the bottom of the slope. As she rushed downhill, branches scraped her face, drawing thin lines of blood. But she didn't have time to care- she just kept running.

The rush of adrenaline gave her a terrifying resilience. Her hands were cut and bleeding, but she kept running, never daring to slow down.

these men, but their intent was clear. They were here to

soon as she reached the stream, she jumped in without hesitation. The icy current seized her, dragging her downstream. At first, she fought to stay conscious,

her found no trace of her. Assuming the current had swept her away, they searched

them spat into the dirt. "Call it—she's dead. No sense

anyway. The water's just finishing her off. This river runs

Alice. She could hardly believe how

the rest of the money right now.

satisfied glances. Once they received the payment, they left without bothering to

flood her body, her stomach churning as if surrounded by a raging fire. She struggled to open her eyes, but they remained shut no matter how