Chapter 32 (We won)

"Welcome!" Ryan greeted Ivan with a smirk. "Where would you like to sit?"

Ivan ignored the pleasantries. "Where is Callistus?" he demanded. "You already know the terms of the exchange."

Ryan's smile widened, enjoying the tension. He waved them all inside, but Ivan noticed the third and fourth cars-containing the authorities hadn't arrived yet.

As they stepped in, Ivan's eyes immediately found Callistus. He was on the ground, bruised and being taunted by Ryan's men. A few feet away, Mia was held at gunpoint by the captain.

Ryan spread his arms, as if offering a gift. "I'll give them both back to you, but at double the price," he proposed, his voice dripping with mockery. "Or... one of them lives."

Ivan didn't hesitate. "Double the price," he agreed calmly, his expression unreadable. "But you know I'm merging Chase Auctions with CloudWave."

The room fell silent, everyone stunned by Ivan's unexpected move. Even his own people looked confused. Valentina's eyes widened in surprise. She handed him a contract to sign, but just as Ivan was about to put pen to paper, a gunshot rang out, shattering the tension.

"The Chase started it!" Valentina yelled, trying to regain control of the situation. She had no idea who fired, but it didn't matter. She lied to fuel the chaos.

Ryan's men raised their guns, closing in on Ivan's group, forming a tight circle. Shantel and the others lifted their weapons, ready to fire back.

Then, a few more gunshots erupted from the back. The crowd turned to see Mia holding a pistol, the captain lying on the ground.

"You bitch!" Valentina screamed, her face twisting with fury. "Ryan should have killed you when he had the chance!"

Mia smirked, her stance steady. "Too bad," she shot back. "Now, it's my turn."

All hell broke loose. CloudWave's men opened fire, bullets flying in every direction. Callistus, still weak, scrambled for cover behind some crates. Mia tossed him a weapon, which he caught with a shaky hand.

Gunshots echoed through the warehouse as people ducked for cover, some running, others determined to fight. Ivan's team retaliated with everything they had. The air was filled with the crack of gunfire and the smell of smoke.

Callistus finally managed to stand, grabbing a nearby pistol. The captain got to his feet and joined the fight, shooting down several of CloudWave's men.

Chaos reigned. The sound of glass shattering, metal clanging, and frantic shouts filled the space. People screamed and dove for cover. Ryan's men pushed forward, desperate and enraged. Ivan's team moved strategically, but they were outnumbered.

"I'm out!" Callistus shouted, ducking behind a crate.

"Grab something!" the captain yelled back, reloading his gun.

Callistus reached for a nearby rifle, only to find it empty. Panic surged through him, and he glanced around for anything he could use.

"Callistus!" Ivan's voice rang out above the chaos. He tossed a loaded pistol through the air, and Callistus caught it just in time.

Ryan, now in a frenzy, swung his gun wildly, searching for a target. His eyes locked on Callistus, a look of madness crossing his face.

"You should've died a long time ago," he snarled, raising his gun.

The world seemed to slow as Ryan squeezed the trigger. The bullet fired, hitting someone that was not Callistus. Ryan, realizing he was out of ammo, cursed under his breath. Chaos erupted as CloudWave's men realized they were losing. The Chases' team quickly took control of the warehouse.

Ryan and Valentina stared in disbelief as their own security captain turned against them. They had been betrayed by one of their own.

Callistus rushed back to Ivan, and the two embraced tightly, holding each other as if afraid to let go. The authorities still hadn't arrived, and confusion spread through the Chase team.

Callistus moved cautiously around the warehouse, checking the people who lay on the floor. Suddenly, one of the men jumped up, grabbing a nearby rifle and swinging it at Callistus's head. The blow landed hard, and Callistus collapsed.

The captain quickly intervened, dragging the attacker away. Ivan rushed to Callistus, kneeling beside him and shaking him.

"Cal, wake up!" he shouted, panic rising in his voice. 

There was no response. Ivan frantically searched for a pulse, but felt nothing.

His heart sank. "No… no, no, no," Ivan muttered, his voice breaking. "Please, not like this… please, Cal… wake up."

But Callistus remained still, his eyes closed. Tears streamed down Ivan's face —the first he'd shed since leaving Callistus all those years ago.

At last, the authorities arrived, and an ambulance was called. The police began rounding up CloudWave's men while Callistus was rushed to the hospital.

"It's over now," Star said softly, but there was an uneasy feeling in the air. She looked around, realising someone was missing. "Where's Mia?"

"Hey, Mia!" the captain called out, spotting her leaning against a wall, her hands pressed tightly to her chest. "We can go now, let's go-"

Mia whispered, barely audible, "Wait… I've been shot."

She moved her hand slightly, revealing a bullet wound on her side.

"Oh shit!" Star shouted. "Get an ambulance, now!"

Mia sank down slowly, a small smile on her face despite the pain. Her breathing grew shallow as the captain knelt beside her, gently turning her over. He noticed the bullet had gone straight through.

"Hold on," the captain urged, suddenly remembering something. He pulled out her gun and held it out to her. 

Mia managed a faint laugh. "You kept it?" she asked.

He nodded, his expression tense.

"Keep it," she murmured, her eyes growing heavy. Her body began to relax. "Tell them…"

"Hey, hey!" the captain shouted, gripping her shoulders. "Stay awake! Don't fall asleep!"

The ambulance finally arrived, and the paramedics rushed to Mia's side. They lifted her carefully onto a stretcher and carried her into the vehicle. But as they checked her pulse and vitals, their expressions grew grim.

"She's already gone," one of them whispered.