Chapter 366

Chapter 366:

Rose’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t understand anything.”

“I do.” Stefan took a careful step forward. “I spent years pretending to be someone I wasn’t. The perfect husband. The perfect businessman. I know what it’s like to live a lie.”

Rose’s gun hand wavered slightly.

Behind her, a security guard Rose thought was unconscious stirred, reaching for his fallen weapon. Everything happened at once.

The guard fired wildly.

Alexander lunged forward.

Rose spun toward the new threat.

And Stefan threw himself at Camille, pushing her down as bullets tore through the air where she had stood.

Pain exploded in Stefan’s shoulder—hot, searing pain that stole his breath and sent him crashing to his knees. He heard shouting, gunfire, the splash of water. His vision blurred.

Through the haze of pain, he saw Alexander grappling with Rose. They struggled at the edge of the dock, Rose scratching and biting like a cornered animal. The gun flew from her hand, skittering across the wet wood and into the water.

“You ruined everything!” Rose screamed, slamming her fist into Alexander’s jaw. Alexander barely flinched. He locked his arms around Rose, pinning her own to her sides.

“It’s over,” he said, his voice cold as stone.

Rose went limp so suddenly that Alexander nearly lost his grip. Then, with a cry of pure rage, she twisted violently, breaking free. She stumbled backward, too.

For one suspended moment, Rose teetered at the edge of the dock, her eyes wide with surprise. Then she fell, hitting the water with a splash that was swallowed by the storm.

Alexander moved to dive after her, but his security team was faster. Two men jumped into the churning lake as Rose surfaced, gasping and fighting.

Stefan felt hands on his face—gentle but urgent. Camille knelt before him, her bound wrists extended awkwardly.

“Stefan? Look at me,” she commanded. Her voice seemed to come from far away. “Stay with me.”

Stefan tried to focus on her face, but darkness crept in at the edges of his vision. “You’re safe,” he mumbled. “That’s what matters.”

“Don’t you dare,” Camille said fiercely. “Don’t you dare check out now.”

Alexander appeared behind her, cutting through her restraints with a pocket knife. The moment her hands were free, Camille pressed them against Stefan’s wound.

The pain flared, shocking him back to full awareness. He groaned.

“Good,” Camille said. “Feel that. Stay angry. Stay here.”

Alexander knelt beside them, shrugging off his jacket and pressing it against the wound. “Medic’s on the way,” he told Camille. “Two minutes out.”

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