Chapter 458
Evangeline’s face was ashen. She looked so thin and frail, as if a strong gust of wind could blow her over.
Glenn, of course, wouldn’t allow it.
But before he could speak, Finn cut in. “Victor, I gave her the gun. She shot you because of me. If you want to do something, do it to me.”
He struggled to move forward, but Arabella angrily held him in place.
Finn’s actions were a clear betrayal of Victor. On any other matter, it might have been forgivable, but this involved Theresa. No matter how much Victor had doted on him in the past, he wouldn’t be merciful now. Finn was already beaten badly. Another gunshot, and it was questionable if he would even survive.
However, she also knew it was impossible for Finn to stand by and watch Evangeline get hurt.
“Victor, I have an idea,” Arabella said, stepping forward after a moment of thought.
Victor turned his gaze to her.
“What idea?” he asked.
Arabella offered a faint smile.
“You know what Theresa is like. If she found out you deliberately hurt Evangeline after she told you not to, she’d probably hold it against you.”
“So why not leave it to fate?”
With that, Arabella pulled a small revolver from her pocket. She opened the cylinder, inserted a single bullet, and handed it to Victor.
“There’s one bullet in this gun. Let Evangeline point it at herself and pull the trigger. If it fires, that’s just her bad luck.”
“If it doesn’t, then her luck is good, and we can consider this matter closed.”
After speaking, Arabella looked at Evangeline with a helpless expression. This was the best she could do for her.
Victor was a man of obsessive personality. All these years, he’d remained fixated on Evangeline’s role in Theresa’s disappearance, dead set on revenge. No one could talk him out of it.
Her words seemed to have an effect; Victor didn’t argue.
He held the revolver, mulling it over for half a minute before raising an eyebrow.
Then, he ejected the remaining bullets from the gun Evangeline had used.
That pistol could hold five rounds. One had hit him, leaving four.
Victor’s lips curved into a slight smile as he slowly loaded the four bullets into the revolver’s cylinder. The revolver Arabella had provided had a six-chamber cylinder. With the one she’d put in and the fourche just added, there were now five bullets inside.
Only one empty chamber remained.
The odds had just shifted from a one-in-six chance of being shot to five-in-six.
It was a near-certainty of injury.
Arabella’s face fell.
A chill ran down Evangeline’s spine. But she knew this was the best option she had
to minimize the damage.
She closed her eyes.
“If you don’t have the nerve, you can always find someone to take your place,” Victor said, glancing at Finn
with a smirk. But if you get help, the
gun will have to be aimed at the
heart.”
If she did it herself, she would only be wounded. If someone else did it, they would
be dying for her.
Evangeline bit her lip.
It was just like Victor. He presented her with a choice that was, in reality, no choice
at all.
“I…”
“I’ll do it for her.” Before she could finish, Glenn spoke up without a moment’s hesitation.
Everyone present was stunned.
Not giving Victor a chance to react Glenn took the gun from his hand, aimed it squarely at his own heart, and pulled the trigger without flinching.
Evangeline’s pupils contracted in horror. “No!”