Chapter 224 Explosion
The car hurtled toward Swenia Mine. As they sped along the winding road, Renee grabbed William’s phone and called the mine’s supervisors. Her instructions were clear: stop all vehicles heading up and clear the road immediately.
The moment she hung up, thick smoke began curling from both the front and rear of the car. A violent jolt rocked the vehicle, followed by a rapid series of crackles and pops–explosions erupting around them.
Visibility vanished in the dense smoke, leaving William to navigate on instinct alone. Renee rolled down the window.
“No-” William’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp with alarm. He knew exactly what she was about to do.
She shot him a quick look. “I trust you. Now you need to trust me.”
His grip tightened on the wheel. A beat of hesitation–then a reluctant nod. “Be careful.”
Renee leaned out of the window, her vision sharpening through the thick smoke.
She called out directions, her voice steady.
“One hundred meters–left, thirty degrees! Turn left! Go straight–fifty
meters. Right, forty–five degrees. Do it!”
William obeyed without hesitation.
“Straight for another three hundred meters!”
They moved in perfect sync, the car surging uphill.
The smoke thickened, curling around them like a living thing. As Renee guided them forward, her eyes darted ahead, searching desperately for an opening—somewhere, anywhere, they could jump.
Up ahead, a series of small hills led to a long, sloping stretch. If the car could hold out just a little longer, that would be their best shot.
But the explosions were closing in, each blast more violent than the last.
Their eyes met.
“Brace yourself! We jump at the next turn!” William shouted.
Renee nodded.
Any more hesitation, and they’d go up in flames with the car.
“Got it!”
“Don’t be scared! We’ll be fine! Jump toward me–I’ll catch you!”
To Renee’s side, nothing but a sheer drop loomed.
William shot her a quick, reassuring smile, thin but steady.
The car jolted over the uneven mountain road, smoke swallowing the edges of their vision. Then–boom! A deafening blast erupted behind them. In the rearview mirror, flames surged, chasing them down.
“Now!” William shouted. He slammed the brakes, slowing the car as much as he could.
In the same breath, he yanked Renee toward him, holding her tight as they launched out of the vehicle.
They hit the ground hard, momentum sending them tumbling across the concrete until they finally skidded to a stop.
Tires screeched against the pavement, followed by a deafening roar as flames and explosions ripped through the air.
The crackling fire echoed through the silent mountains, sending birds into a panicked frenzy.
Renee shook her head, struggling to push past the dizzying shock.
Her legs wobbled beneath her, her mind thick with haze.
For a moment, everything blurred–she couldn’t quite piece together what had just happened.
Then the fire’s glow flickered across her face. The sight before her–twisted metal, bloodied pavement–hit like a slap. Her breath caught.
And in that instant, the memory came rushing back–William’s arms around her, holding tight as they leaped into the unknown.
Blood.
Not hers.
William’s.
Her breath hitched. “William!”
Her own voice shook, but she barely noticed.
Frantic, her eyes darted around until they found him–lying still on the ground, just a few meters away.
She tried to run, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. Every step felt like wading through quicksand. The short distance stretched endlessly, a cruel trick of time. Finally, her knees buckled. She collapsed but didn’t stop—she crawled toward him, her palms scraping against the rough pavement. The fire’s glow flickered in her tear–filled eyes.
“Wil… liam…”
