Chapter 12: A Heartbreaking Sacrifice

Lin Feng moved through the villa's dark hallways like a shadow, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. His body screamed in protest after the brutal fights with the mercenaries, and the overuse of the A.I. had left his vision swimming and his muscles weak. But none of that mattered now. Not the pain, not the exhaustion—only one thing mattered.

Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue.

He had seen the security footage through the A.I. before it went dark—his two closest allies, the women who had stood by him, had been captured, humiliated, and hurt by Li Wei's men. His blood boiled at the thought of it, at the sight of their tears, their cries for help. The images seared into his mind, pushing him forward.

The large wooden doors loomed before him, the final barrier between him and Li Wei. Lin stood still for a moment, his heart pounding, knowing that beyond those doors was a nightmare he wasn't prepared for. But he had no choice.

He pushed the doors open.

The room was dark, lit only by dim overhead lights casting long shadows across the lavish furniture. At the far end of the room, Li Wei sat casually on a sleek leather sofa, his legs crossed, a glass of red wine in his hand. His cold, predatory eyes gleamed as they locked onto Lin.

But Lin's gaze wasn't on Li Wei.

His breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell on Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue. Both women were kneeling on the cold marble floor, their clothes torn and tattered, barely hanging onto their bruised bodies. They were sobbing uncontrollably, their heads hung low in shame and fear. Their faces were streaked with tears, and Lin's heart shattered at the sight of them.

He felt his rage surge, threatening to consume him, but before he could move, he noticed the eight men surrounding the women—Li Wei's bodyguards, each one holding a gun pointed directly at Xinyue and Zhao Yue. Their fingers hovered over the triggers, ready to fire at the slightest provocation.

"Welcome, Feng," Li Wei said, his voice smooth and mocking. He leaned back on the sofa, swirling his glass of wine. "I've been waiting for you."

Lin's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He wanted nothing more than to tear Li Wei apart, to destroy him for what he had done. But the guns aimed at the women held him in place. One wrong move, and they would be dead.

"Let them go," Lin growled, his voice low and filled with barely contained fury.

Li Wei chuckled, taking a slow sip of his wine before setting the glass down on the table beside him. "Why would I do that? You've been a thorn in my side for too long, Lin. A threat I can't ignore. I've seen the things you've done, the power you wield. I can't let someone like you walk away."

Lin's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. He couldn't risk making a move—not with the lives of Xinyue and Zhao Yue hanging in the balance.

Li Wei gestured to the bodyguards, and they raised their guns, pressing them against the women's heads. Xinyue and Zhao Yue sobbed harder, their bodies shaking with fear and helplessness.

"You're a smart man, Feng," Li Wei continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You know what you've become—a danger to people like me. You've become too powerful, too unpredictable. And I can't have that. So, I'm giving you a choice."

Lin's jaw tightened, his mind racing. He couldn't see a way out of this. The A.I. was too strained to guide him now, and every second that passed felt like another second closer to the women's deaths.

Li Wei's smile widened, enjoying the torment in Lin's eyes. "If you want to save them, it's simple. Take that gun—" he gestured toward a sleek black pistol lying on the table in front of Lin, "—and shoot yourself. Twice in the legs, and once in the abdomen. Do that, and I'll let them live."

The room fell into a suffocating silence. Lin stared at the gun, his mind a whirlwind of rage, pain, and desperation. He could feel Liu Xinyue's and Zhao Yue's eyes on him, even though they didn't dare lift their heads. He could hear their sobs, their gasps for breath between the tears.

"Lin... no," Xinyue whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "Please... don't..."

Zhao Yue's sobs became more frantic, her body trembling uncontrollably. "Lin, don't listen to him! He's going to kill us anyway! You don't—"

"Enough!" Li Wei snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. He motioned to one of his guards, who pressed the barrel of his gun harder against Zhao Yue's temple.

"Do it," Li Wei said softly, his smile returning. "Or they die."

Lin's breath hitched. His mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but no plan—no brilliant strategy—could save them now. He was out of options.

Slowly, Lin reached for the gun. His hand trembled, but he forced himself to stay calm. The weight of the pistol felt heavier than anything he had ever held before. He could feel Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue watching him, their tears falling harder as they realized what he was about to do.

"No... please... Lin, don't," Xinyue sobbed, her voice breaking. "You can't..."

Lin's heart ached. He wanted to tell them everything would be okay, that he had a plan, that somehow they would all get out of this alive. But he couldn't lie to them.

He raised the gun.

Zhao Yue shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face. "Lin, no! You don't have to do this! Please!"

Lin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He could feel the cold barrel of the gun pressed against his leg. He could feel the weight of the decision he was making, the sacrifice he was about to give.

But he had no choice.

With a sharp inhale, Lin pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out, echoing through the room like a thunderclap. Pain exploded in his leg, a white-hot burning sensation that made him gasp for breath. His leg buckled, and he fell to one knee, but he didn't stop.

He raised the gun again.

Xinyue screamed, her voice raw with anguish. "Stop! Lin, stop! Please!"

Lin's hand shook, but he forced himself to stay steady. He pulled the trigger again. Another shot, another explosion of pain, this time in his other leg. He collapsed to the floor, his vision blurring from the agony.

But he wasn't done.

The final shot came next. Lin pressed the gun against his abdomen, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His vision darkened at the edges, and he could feel the blood pooling beneath him, warm and sticky.

He pulled the trigger.

The pain was overwhelming, a searing fire that spread through his entire body. Lin gasped, his fingers going limp as the gun slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor. He collapsed fully onto the ground, his body trembling as the blood poured from his wounds.

Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue screamed, their cries piercing the air. They scrambled toward him, their tears falling harder than ever as they reached for him, but the bodyguards held them back.

Li Wei stood from his seat, slowly walking toward Lin's crumpled body. He crouched down beside him, his cold smile widening. "I didn't think you'd actually do it," Li Wei murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. "But I guess I underestimated your love for these women."

Lin's vision was fading fast, the edges of the room darkening as his body screamed in agony. But he forced himself to look up, to meet Li Wei's gaze.

"You... won't... win," Lin rasped, his voice barely a whisper.

Li Wei chuckled, standing to his full height. "Oh, but I already have, Feng."

To be continued…

End of Chapter 12