⚠️ Chapter Warning:
This chapter contains gun violence, injury, and intense emotional moments. Reader discretion is advised.
When Kayla and Rose arrived after handling the guards, their hearts sank.
There—lying on the floor, blood pooling beneath her—was Annie.
She'd been shot in the leg after narrowly dodging a bullet meant for her heart.
"Annie!" Rose cried, rushing forward.
Kayla shoved her back just in time. "Get away!" she shouted as Lilith aimed her weapon again.
"But—Annie—"
"Believe in her!" Kayla's voice cracked. "We can't do anything reckless now!"
Annie gritted her teeth, eyes never leaving Lilith. "Don't worry about me. Just go—I'll catch up."
Kayla and Rose hesitated but nodded.
"We'll wait for you downstairs," Kayla said quietly.
Lilith smirked. "Are you sure? You're injured. They could help you. You might need them."
Annie scoffed, blood dripping down her leg. "That doesn't mean anything."
She raised her gun.
"All I need is one shot."
Lilith laughed darkly. "You think you can finish me in your state?" She raised her pistol. "You can't."
A shot rang out.
Annie missed.
Lilith tilted her head. "Where were you aiming?"
But then Annie smirked and pointed behind her.
"I was never aiming for you."
Lilith turned.
Above her—teetering on rusted steel—was an old industrial water tank.
Annie whispered coldly, "You won't die today. But you will rot behind bars."
The tank collapsed.
Lilith screamed as it crashed onto her legs, trapping her in place with crushing force. The impact echoed through the warehouse.
Annie limped over, looming over the defeated woman.
"I'm not going to kill you. That would be too merciful."
"You'll regret this…" Lilith hissed through the pain. "If you don't kill me, I'll come back—"
"I'm not afraid of you," Annie said. "Your reign is over."
Minutes later, Kayla and Rose returned. Annie collapsed into their arms, exhausted and in pain, but alive.
Soon after, Lilith was taken into custody.
The police interrogated her, but she refused to speak Annie's name. Her pride wouldn't allow her to admit she'd lost to someone she underestimated.
Still, the world found out.
The media soon labeled her as the leader of the criminal organization "Rose Shadow Garden," and she was sent to the most secure prison in the country.
Annie, Kayla, and Rose finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the hospital, Annie—her leg wrapped in gauze—snapped a photo of the three of them together.
A moment of peace after a war.
"Let's never forget this," Annie said, smiling softly. "Let's stay friends forever."
Kayla nodded. "Of course."
Rose hesitated. "Am I… included in that?"
They both grinned.
"Of course you are," they said together.
"You're our precious Rose."
🌹 The End