Chapter 581
581:
“No, it’s too dangerous! We’ll go with you,” Brenna insisted.
A gentle warmth bloomed in Ethan’s chest at her words. She cared about him—her feelings simmered just beneath the surface. Though it brought him joy, he knew the danger they faced was far too great. He needed Brenna to get out now.
He gestured urgently toward a glass door embedded in the nearby wall.
“It’s just over there. It was designed for quick access—housing the main controls for the alarm and fire system. Don’t worry about me. Just go.”
Ducking low to stay beneath the creeping smoke, Ethan navigated swiftly to the fire control panel. His fingers flew over the controls, flipping all the necessary switches.
Within seconds, water began to pour from the ceiling sprinklers, soaking the corridor. The system inside the rooms activated too, drenching everything in its path.
Ethan then yanked open the glass panel beside him that housed the manual alarm system. With one decisive press of a red button, the entire hotel was filled with the blaring wail of emergency alarms, urging everyone to evacuate.
He assumed Brenna had already left. But when he turned around, his heart lurched—Brenna was still there, her expression etched with worry. Thiago, along with Joe and Tommy, had managed to pry open the fire exit.
“Let’s go!”
The Empire Hotel, a towering giant with thirty-three floors, buzzed with the frantic energy of high-profile guests, drawn by a recent economic and trade forum reminiscent of a major international business summit. Every room was occupied by the wealthy or influential.
Ethan, well-acquainted with the hotel’s complex layout, led the group carefully down each floor. As they descended, they encountered startled guests roused from their sleep—some hastily dressed, others scrambling out in nothing but their underwear, a mix of absurdity and tension in the air.
With each level they passed, more people joined their descent.
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As Ethan observed the growing crowd of lives saved, a wave of relief washed over him. Had these powerful and affluent guests perished in the blaze, he would have faced a merciless media storm, his name dragged through scandal and outrage.
He felt a pang of guilt for initially thinking only of escaping with Brenna. If not for her fearless determination, countless lives might have been lost in the fire. Her hair was singed by the flames, yet she paid it no mind, driven solely by the mission to rescue her friends. Watching her, Ethan was struck by her courage and compassion.
By the time they reached the ground floor, the lobby fire had mostly been extinguished by the sprinkler system. A wave of collective relief swept through the crowd. The charred walls and smoky air told a grim tale, but it seemed, miraculously, that no lives had been lost. Ethan exhaled deeply, thankful for the decisions he had made.
Yet once outside, neither Ethan nor Brenna could celebrate.
Their thoughts immediately turned to Neville, who had been with them but was now missing—along with the bodyguards. Whether Neville had perished in the fire or had turned against them remained unknown.
Ethan’s heart was heavy with worry. He couldn’t believe Neville or the guards would betray him; more likely, he feared, they had fallen victim to the inferno. Knowing Neville’s loyal nature, Ethan couldn’t accept the idea that he would abandon them in such a perilous moment.
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