Chapter forty-seven:《The Alarming Revelation and lmminent Danger》

The Startling Discovery and Looming Peril

The figure sauntered into the light, and Ethan's jaw tightened.

"You!" He spat the word like venom.

"I should have known you were behind this mess."

Violet's eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, darling Violet," the villainess purred, her voice dripping with false sympathy.

"I'm just here to clean up a few loose ends. You know, prevent you two lovebirds from spilling the beans about our little project."

Ethan glanced at the data pad in Violet's hand, the information glowing ominously in the dim light.

The stakes were higher than they'd imagined.

This wasn't just some corporate espionage gone wrong; this was about destabilizing entire nations.

The kind of thing that made world leaders lose sleep and fueled conspiracy theorists for decades.

The weight of it settled on his shoulders, heavy and suffocating.

Violet's expression mirrored his own.

"You won't get away with this."

The villainess laughed, a shrill, grating sound.

"Oh, I already have. By the time the authorities arrive, this whole place will be nothing but dust. A little scorched earth to cover our tracks, you see."

As if on cue, a klaxon blared through the facility.

Red lights flashed, bathing the room in an apocalyptic glow.

"Oops," the villainess chirped, a manic glint in her eyes.

"Looks like the self-destruct sequence has been initiated. Toodles!"

She vanished back into the shadows, leaving Ethan and Violet alone with the ticking clock.

"Well, that's just great," Ethan muttered, adrenaline coursing through him.

"Talk about a hostile work environment."

"No time for jokes," Violet snapped, already scanning the room for an exit.

"This place is going to be a supernova in minutes."

The ground began to tremble.

The self-destruct wasn't just a threat; it was happening.

"Remember that underground parking level we passed on the way in?" Ethan yelled over the din.

"That's our best shot."

They sprinted down the corridor, the walls vibrating around them.

Suddenly, the floor beneath them shifted.

A section of the hallway dropped away, revealing a pit filled with razor-sharp spikes.

"Seriously?" Ethan exclaimed.

"Are we in a Bond movie now? Who comes up with this stuff?"

Violet didn't answer.

She simply grabbed a nearby pipe, swung across the chasm with the grace of an acrobat, and landed nimbly on the other side.

"Show off," Ethan grumbled, but he quickly followed suit, using his superior strength to pull himself across.

They continued their mad dash, dodging laser grids that sliced through the air and narrowly avoiding a hail of darts that shot from the walls.

Each trap was more ridiculous than the last, a testament to the paranoia and ruthlessness of their enemies.

"This is insane!" Ethan shouted, narrowly avoiding a swinging blade.

"Do they even have OSHA regulations in this place?"

Violet rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a grin.

"Just keep moving."

They reached the elevator shaft and Ethan slammed the button, the doors slowly opened with a groan.

As they stepped inside, the entire building shook violently, and the lights flickered and died, plunging them into darkness.

"I hate elevators," Ethan said into the darkness, stating the obvious.

The elevator lurched downwards at breakneck speed.

Sparks flew from the control panel, and the smell of burning metal filled the air.

It was clear the elevator was not going to make it to the bottom.

Violet acted quickly, using her skills to pry open the emergency hatch in the roof, they climbed onto the top of the elevator and waited.

With seconds to spare, Ethan and Violet leaped from the elevator as it crashed into the bottom of the shaft.

They landed hard on the concrete floor of the parking garage, the force of the impact knocking the wind out of them.

Above them, the building detonated in a series of earth-shattering explosions, sending shockwaves through the ground.

They scrambled to their feet, coughing in the thick smoke and dust.

The parking garage was a scene of chaos, cars crushed and alarms blaring.

"Let's get out of here!" Violet shouted, grabbing Ethan's hand.

They raced through the garage, dodging falling debris, until they reached Ethan's armored SUV.

He hit the unlock button, and they piled inside, and he revved the engine and peeled out of the garage, leaving the inferno behind them.

As they sped down the highway, leaving the burning remains of the facility behind them, Ethan glanced in the rearview mirror.

A pair of headlights was gaining on them, a sleek black sedan that seemed to materialize out of thin air.

"We've got company," Ethan said grimly.

Violet twisted in her seat, her eyes narrowed.

"Who are they?"

Ethan pressed his foot down on the accelerator, the SUV roaring as it picked up speed.

"Doesn't matter. They're not going to stop us."

"Hold on tight," Violet said, and grabbed the handle above the door.

Ethan risked a glance at Violet and his eyes flashed with determination.

"Where to now, my love?"