The Greatest Showman #744 – Fans' Surprise

Ren Li looked at the girl in disbelief, her face covered in sweat, pain clearly etched across her features. Yet, a smile lingered at the corner of her lips—bright, beautiful, and oddly serene.

Ren Li quickly averted his gaze, suddenly flustered by the warmth flooding his chest. His thoughts scattered as he struggled to focus. His muscles were straining, trying to hold his ground, but the weight pressing against him only grew heavier. He couldn't stop the inevitable crash. Still, he managed to muster a smile, though it was strained.

"Sorry, we seem to have picked the wrong time to meet. Nice to meet you, Renly Hall."

"I'm Lauren Messler," the girl replied, her voice full of excitement. But her cheeks were flushed, and a faint tremor in her voice hinted at the pain she was holding back.

Ren Li opened his mouth, but words failed him. The chaos around them roared louder, and he knew that nothing he said would make sense in this moment. Instead, his voice broke through the noise with urgency. "Back up! Everyone, get back! Don't move forward!"

His throat burned with the effort. "Back! Now!"

William stood next to Tessa, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. "Hope! Graham! Back! Now!" His voice was sharp, cutting through the noise. He found his friends quickly, and they turned, catching his distress.

"Back, everyone, back!" Hope shouted, signaling the others. The crowd didn't fully understand what was happening, but the panic in William and Tessa's voices was clear enough. Together, they rallied, urging the crowd to retreat.

The surge of 470 fans could have been overwhelming, but in that moment, they were united by the need for action. Slowly, the chaos began to subside, though the air was thick with anxiety. The panic didn't ease immediately, but it was contained.

Paul, Jennifer, and others rushed to the red carpet, joining the security team to help restore order. After what felt like an eternity, the chaos began to settle. But the damage was done. Groans of pain filled the air, and the once bright red carpet now looked stark and ironic against the suffering it witnessed.

"Renly? Renly?" Paul called, frantically scanning the area. His eyes locked onto Renly, and he froze in shock.

Renly was holding Lauren protectively, his body twisted in an awkward, strained posture. His shirt was torn, the fabric clinging to his sweaty skin. His face was pale, his lips a sickly shade of white, and his hair was a mess of curls plastered to his forehead.

"Renly!" Paul sprinted over, but his hands were shaking as he reached for him. This wasn't part of a movie scene—Renly wasn't acting. He looked like he had just been pulled from the edge of death.

"Jesus, Renly, what happened?" Paul asked in a panic.

"Call an ambulance—now!" Renly managed, his voice hoarse from the strain. He saw Paul's startled expression and added, "It's not me, it's her. Quick, Paul, the ambulance!"

Paul nodded and scrambled to his pockets, only to realize they were empty from the premiere. Jennifer's voice rang out, "Who has a phone? Call '9,' now! Someone's hurt!" Her voice was tinged with desperation, but in the chaos, no one seemed to react. "Jesus, someone call for help!"

"I did it. I already called," Ryan panted, running up, his face a mask of confusion. "What's going on here?"

Renly couldn't explain, the weight of the situation making words impossible. Instead, he focused on Lauren, his arm still wrapped around her. "Lauren, don't worry. You're going to be okay. Everything will be fine."

Lauren managed a weak laugh. "After this, I can brag to my friends that I was held by Renly Hall." Her attempt at humor was self-deprecating, but Renly's heart softened at her words.

Despite the situation, he tried to pull a smile from somewhere. "Not quite Superman, but I'll take it."

As the ambulance arrived, the chaos briefly gave way to order. Jennifer waved frantically to the medical staff, and they rushed to the scene, pushing through the crowd. Paul and Ryan helped Renly stand, but he quickly shrugged them off, standing on his own. His muscles were sore, but he wasn't injured.

The paramedics carefully moved Lauren onto a stretcher. Her shirt was soaked with blood, and the smell hit Renly like a wave. His chest tightened.

"Will she be okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm fine," Lauren said with a faint smile, though the pain was evident in her features. "It's just a scratch, nothing major. Don't worry."

One of the paramedics spoke up, reassuring Renly. "The railing only pierced her slightly—nothing major. She'll be fine after some treatment. No arteries or organs were damaged." They worked quickly, transferring her to the stretcher.

Renly was still uneasy. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," the paramedic replied, giving him a stern look. "Let us do our job."

Renly stepped back reluctantly as the stretcher was loaded into the ambulance. "I'll go with her," he said, his concern overriding his exhaustion.

Paul grabbed his arm before he could move. "Renly, you don't need to go. The hospital will notify her family. You can't be there—it might cause more attention, and that's not good for her."

Renly glanced at the ambulance, torn. He then nodded, defeated. "Nathan, please take care of her."

Nathan didn't hesitate. He nodded and sprinted towards the ambulance.

"Renly, are you okay?" Jennifer's voice trembled, looking at him in shock.

Everyone followed her gaze and noticed a bloodstain on Renly's jacket. He quickly removed it, revealing his white shirt underneath, free of blood. His demeanor was tense, his eyes sharp with frustration.

"Renly!" A voice called from the crowd, and Renly's anger flared as he turned, furious at the callousness in the question.

After everything that had just happened, someone still cared about the premiere?

Renly's gaze locked on Cornell McGregor, whose grin was unmistakable. It was obvious that Cornell was trying to provoke him, but Renly wasn't in the mood for games. With a growl, he stepped forward and launched a punch directly at Cornell's cheek.

The crowd gasped, but Renly didn't care. At that moment, the premiere didn't matter. Only the people in front of him did.