Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours! - Chapter 193

Chapter 193: Attacked!
“Can I leave now, since I have been acquitted, or do I have to wait back and sign some papers?” Athena asked the male officer a few minutes after he uncuffed her hands.

The male officer exchanged glances with Leah, seeking validation or guidance before responding. Leah said nothing, but she nodded at Athena, her eyes reflecting reassurance.

“You can leave. I am sure that the chief would understand this case, since everything is out in the open. But don’t you want to wait for your friends to pick you up?”

Athena’s brow furrowed as she considered this suggestion. She shook her head after some mental deductions weighed heavily on her thoughts. “No, I think I can handle going back to the hospital.”

From the video coverage aired by the 8 PM news crew, the background used for the little conference and interrogation was the hospital’s garden. She could recognize that scenery anywhere, even in her sleep. If she hurried up now, she would be able to catch up with Aiden.

“But what if the gang has eyes on you? What then? You should stay here; we can protect you…” Leah insisted, her voice rising slightly as concern etched across her features.

Athena’s gaze roamed the entirety of the police station, taking in the sight of officers chatting animatedly about the news coverage that had just aired—a few were even casting glances in her direction. She shook her head, feeling a mixture of frustration and determination. If Morgan came for her here, she didn’t think they would stand a chance against him and his gang.

If anything, it was more reason for her to leave, ensuring that innocent lives wouldn’t be at risk; because if she was to take a guess, Morgan would be furious at the turn of events. As much as she loved stepping on his toes, she loved keeping people alive more.

“Don’t worry, Leah. I will be fine. Thanks so much for your concern. I really appreciate it.” She finally said, her voice steady as she gave a curt nod to the male police officer and strode confidently out of the police station.

Outside the station, the evening air was cool and refreshing. Athena inhaled deeply, savoring the freeness that accompanied her newfound freedom. It was exhilarating.

She lifted her phone to check for missed calls and notifications. The screen lit up with the startling number—107 missed calls. She raised an eyebrow at the sheer volume. Among them were calls from Chelsea and Areso.

Did Gianna inform them of the situation? She wondered as she paused to hail a cab. Or had the news coverage spread past the confines of the country, affecting others abroad?

Well, should she be surprised? This was a scandal that involved the disease ravaging many nations at the moment!

“Ma’am, where are you heading to?” A voice interrupted her thoughts.

Athena focused her attention on the cab driver. He was a middle-aged man, perhaps in his forties, with a bright smile that did little to hide his mismatched clothing, a missing tooth, and unkempt fingernails.

She cocked her head to the left, accessing the harmless man. Surely, this person couldn’t be part of the gang.

“Whitman’s Hospital,” She called out, showing her phone to the man, who had leaned over slightly to peer at her. “I can pay through a transfer; I’m not carrying cash or my card.”

The man nodded amiably and waved her in. “Not a problem, ma’am. Let’s go.”

Athena hesitated for just a moment, her instincts flaring. She studied the man once more. He had turned his attention back to the road, nodding along to the jazz music playing on the radio.

She sighed, mentally pleading with fate. Please, don’t be a gang member. She mused as she settled into the car, which smelled faintly of peppermint, citrus, and something slightly sweet, like cigar smoke. She couldn’t afford any more drama for the night, not after everything she had been through.

Several minutes into the drive, Athena began to admit that the ride was going smoother than she had imagined. The driver didn’t talk much; he simply minded his business and moved at a reasonable pace, which was a blessed relief.

This sense of comfort was short-lived, though.

Athena would never be able to tell how the next sequence of events unfolded when they stopped at a junction where the traffic light stubbornly stayed red. It all happened so fast it felt surreal.

One moment, she was nodding along to the music, and the next, a violent force struck the car, sending it tumbling into the adjacent lane. In a dizzying whirl, the vehicle was hit again by a speeding car. The world around her flipped upside down as the car somersaulted, rolling over more than once before landing upside down on the pavement.

“Hey…” She tried to call out to the driver, who had not thought to wear a seatbelt. His head was twisted at an unnatural angle against the car’s interior, a grotesque sight that sent chills racing down her spine. But he didn’t respond.

“Hey…” She tried again, forcing her voice above the rising panic, but there was only silence in return.

Tears burned her eyes as reality sank in; the driver was still and lifeless. She was about to stretch her bloodied hand out to him—an injury somewhere, surely, but she felt too numb to locate it—when a series of gunshots rang out in the distance.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she jerked her head to the side, staring through the shattered window in horror. Her eyes widened as she saw figures clad in black, masked; some brandishing guns and shooting them into the air.

An unsettling sensation clawed at her gut as they scared bystanders away from coming to her aid. The gang!

Sirens wailed in the distance, and she knew the police were on their way too—perhaps Leah had put everyone on alert, anticipating trouble.

Athena felt a strange rush of hysteria bubble up inside her, and she attempted to laugh, but it turned into a choked gasp as pain tightened around her chest. She sighed again, shaking her head to focus.

As reality came crashing back, she hurriedly unlocked her seatbelt and fell to the bank of the car. After a moment of hesitation, she crawled out through the window, which had broken during the collision.

Once she was outside, the cool night air rushed against her skin, mingling with the various scents clouding her senses.

She realized then the injuries that marred her hand and face. She didn’t notice the jarring pain in her leg until she attempted to stand when she saw the approaching gang members.

She bit down the shriek that threatened to break free as pain shot across her body when she tried moving the slightly broken leg.

What to do? She wondered in panic, clutching her injured leg and scanning her surroundings. She was close to a small patch of vegetation, but it wouldn’t do much for hiding. She couldn’t risk running either; that would only raise a red flag, revealing her location to the gang. In her current state, escape felt impossible.

Fresh tears pooled in Athena’s eyes, and despair washed over her. She felt cornered; it was suffocating. She had nothing to defend herself with, merely her phone.

Frantically, she fumbled to tie her hair back in a bun, desperate to keep it from obscuring her vision. As she did so, something cold and heavy on her coat brushed against her side.

A flicker of hope ignited within her when she realized she still had the gun with her.

Exhaling harshly in a mix of pain and relief, she reached into her coat and pulled out the weapon. Thank God.

She dared another glance at the driver’s twisted form and, in that moment, shut her eyes tight, whispering a silent prayer for him. Then, recalling her immediate predicament, she darted into the small bush nearby.

Steadily, Athena navigated through the row of tall bushes, desperately hoping they would conceal her profile until she could figure out what to do next. But when she heard rustling in the bush behind her, muffled murmurs and flashing lights, she realized it was only a matter of time before they found her.

She quickened her pace, dragging her injured bleeding leg, gritting her teeth against the onslaught of pain that threatened to overwhelm her senses. This was a fight of life and death, and she couldn’t afford to lose.

Her twins were waiting for her!

When she finally spotted a tall tree a few paces ahead, she hesitated, biting her lip. Could she climb it? Maybe she could hide among the thick branches and perhaps take out some of the gang members—if it came to that.

But then she realized her precarious position; how many could she realistically kill before being overwhelmed? She had counted at least five gang members, but what was to say there weren’t more?

In her urgency, she also noted that she couldn’t hear the police sirens anymore, only the rustling of bushes as the gang members searched for her. What happened?

A shout from behind her pierced through her thoughts, and without deliberation, she started moving again, this time toward the tree. When she reached it, dizziness threatened to pull her under. She shook her head, feeling the world spin, and it hit her hard: she couldn’t climb in this condition.

Instead, she sank to the ground behind the tree, resting against its sturdy trunk. She sat still, and spread her legs before her.

Is today the day I die?

Resting her head on the tree, she started counting numbers, her heart pounding in her chest, while keeping the gun poised strategically in her hand. If she was going to die, she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

She felt her breath catch when the rustling ceased, replaced by an eerie silence that signaled the gang’s heightened alertness.

They were damn close now. She concluded, about to inch her head around to peer, curious to know what was happening, when a gunshot rang out nearby. Then another, and then a barrage of frantic gunfire erupted.

The police?

“Athena?”

The familiar voice shot through her like lightning, unsettling yet comforting all at once. She immediately pointed the gun in the direction where she heard the voice, disregarding how familiar it sounded despite the fog clouding her thoughts.

She exhaled painfully, tears spilling from her eyes when she finally saw who was standing just a few feet away from her.

“Zane?”