Chapter 626
No.1
The elevator doors slid open. Isabella stepped inside, pressing the button for the ninth floor. "Have them brought to me when they're ready," she commanded, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Adrian immediately turned to carry out her orders.
On the ninth-floor lobby, Julian Hawthorne had evacuated everyone, desperate not to further upset the fragile woman on the ledge. He was trying to reason with her, but his words seemed to bounce off her. Arabella Fontaine sat perched on the concrete edge, a solitary, broken figure against the vast sky.
Isabella approached, but Julian quickly grabbed her arm. "Don't. She's not in her right mind. One wrong move... she could slip."
Isabella halted by the doorway, a frown etching her features.
If Arabella was truly the villain they painted her to be, she wouldn't be up here consumed by this kind of agony. The truth was always more complicated than the story.
Adrian arrived moments later, carrying a coiled rope and a pair of thick work gloves. "Here. Now what?" he whispered.
"Both of you. With me." Isabella took the items and turned toward the stairwell.
Julian and Adrian exchanged confused frowns. Follow her? That would leave Arabella completely unattended...
"Will staring at her make her step down?" Isabella's voice echoed slightly in the concrete stairwell as she began to climb.
No.2
They had no choice but to follow. The three of them emerged on the eleventh floor, two stories above the desperate scene.
Julian and Adrian frowned again, their confusion deepening. The eleventh floor? How in the world was this supposed to help Arabella?
Isabella strode directly to the balcony’s edge.
She swiftly secured the rope around her waist.
Her gloves were pulled on with practiced efficiency.
“Both of you will anchor the rope,” she commanded. “Maintain a firm grip. Do not falter.”
Adrian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Isabella—I mean, Boss! You can’t be serious! You’re going over? This is the eleventh floor! If something goes wrong, how do I explain it to your grandfather?”
Julian’s brow furrowed deeply. He stepped forward. “I’ll do it. You take the rope.”
If any harm came to Isabella, he would be held responsible by countless people. He was the one who brought her back to Westchester.
“We are out of time for debate,” Isabella stated flatly. “Besides, are either of you more capable than I am in this?”
No.3
Her words left both men speechless. Julian, especially, knew her skills were unparalleled. His own abilities paled in comparison.
Even so…
A rope descent rescue was incredibly perilous. A single mistake would be unforgivable. He could never face his superiors.
Before he could protest further, Isabella thrust the rope and spare gloves into their hands. “Stay calm. Do not startle her.”
She then climbed onto the balcony railing, fifty meters above the ground.
She stood against the vast expanse of sky, her silhouette sharp and defined against the clouds.
Adrian’s heart hammered in his chest. “Boss, please! Get down! We can find another solution! You’re the only cousin I actually like. If you get hurt…”
“Enough! Hold the rope. Tightly,” Isabella cut him off.
Then, she pushed off the railing, turning to face them as she descended.
Julian instinctively braced, his grip tightening on the rough rope. Adrian squeezed his eyes shut, fear gripping him.
No.4
She actually jumped. From the eleventh floor. It was a fifty-meter drop.
On the opposite building, news crews had secured their positions. Their cameras were live-streaming Arabella’s suicide attempt.
The直播 platform’s viewer count skyrocketed. The comment section flooded with vitriol.
[Gigi never pulled a stunt like this. How dare she?]
[Just jump already! Stop faking! Disgusting!]
[The audacity of the homewrecker to play victim. Unbelievable.]
[Vile. Absolutely vile.]
Arabella stood on the ledge, her face a mask of anguish and despair. Silent tears traced paths down her cheeks.
She slowly closed her eyes. Her arms spread wide, as if ready to embrace the air.
She began to lean forward.
No.5
A dark figure suddenly shot down from above.
A sharp kick connected with Arabella’s side.
The force sent her tumbling backward onto the balcony floor. A loud crash echoed.
The black figure continued its rapid descent, movements sleek and precise, like a shadow agent.
Reporters and live-stream viewers gasped in unison. Shrieks of shock filled the air.
Julian and Adrian strained against the rope. The sudden weight and velocity were immense.
The rope seared through their gloved hands, generating tiny, fiery sparks.
In a heartbeat, Isabella plummeted past the seventh floor.
Both men hauled back on the rope with all their strength, muscles screaming. The descent halted abruptly.
Isabella now dangled precariously in mid-air.
No.6
Assessing the situation instantly, Adrian and Julian exchanged a determined glance.
They began pulling the rope upward together, heaving with concerted effort.
A faint, ominous snap sounded.
Their eyes shot downward.
The rope was fraying dangerously just outside the balcony’s edge.
It was on the verge of breaking.
The rope, once thick as a thumb, had frayed to the width of a pinky finger.
It strained, ready to snap at any second.
Their eyes widened in horror.
All movement ceased instantly.
No.7
Julian shouted, "Isabella, look out!"
She heard the warning and glanced upward.
The situation became immediately clear.
Isabella knew she had to remain perfectly still.