There was a moment of silence as the words sank in. Zoe, despite herself, began to see the logic in his argument. The officers around them exchanged glances, their skepticism slowly waning.However, the scene took an unexpected turn. The eyes of the manager, several sergeants, and other officers lingered on Zoe’s ample chest, which seemed more visible through her shirt than it should have been.Their gazes were filled with inappropriate fantasies and imaginations, their movements betraying their lack of professionalism.Gabriel noticed this and leaned closer to Zoe, who instinctively tensed, ready to react to what she thought was an advance. Instead, he whispered, "Be conscious of the wolves around."Zoe followed his gaze and noticed the lingering eyes. A flicker of realization crossed her face. She straightened, fixing her shirt, and glared at the ogling men. The manager, caught in the act, quickly averted his eyes, embarrassed.Gabriel stepped back and gave a subtle nod to the mana

Zoe’s emotions churned as she waited, her faith in Gabriel wavering amidst the uncertainty.The air inside the bank became thick with tension and frustration. The head robber paced back and forth, his irritation growing with each passing minute. Finally, unable to contain his anger any longer, he marched over to Zoe, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her to her feet."Where is he?" he snarled, his face inches from hers. "Why has your partner taken over an hour to come back?"Zoe, her eyes blazing with defiance, glared at him. "I don't know. Maybe he's negotiating for your lives right now. Maybe he's making sure you don't get yourselves killed."The head robber’s face contorted with rage. "Don’t play smart with me." He slapped her hard across the face, causing her to stumble but she quickly regained her footing and he grabbed her by the hair again. Around them, the hostages started to murmur anxiously. Fear and frustration bubbled to the surface as their hopes of rescue seemed to b

Inside one of the vehicles, the head robber, now driving, glanced back and barked, "Tie them up properly."The robber sitting beside Gabriel and Zoe obliged, tying Gabriel's hands tightly. When he moved on to Zoe, he took his time, looping the rope around her upper body in an effort to grope her. He ogled her ample chest, leaning closer to peer down her shirt. Zoe, seething with rage, gave him a hard headbutt, sending him sprawling back against the seat.Gabriel snarled at the groper but was helpless, his hands bound. The robber attempted to retaliate, raising his hand to strike Zoe, but the head robber roared, "Enough! One more stunt like that, and you're dead!"The car jerked to a stop at a dilapidated villa, the robbers' hideout. As they approached the entrance, they were greeted by the sight of two men arguing heatedly. Suddenly, one of them pulled a knife and stabbed the other, who fell lifelessly to the ground. The robbers were momentarily distracted, providing Gabriel, who ha

As she pulled him to the surface, Zoe’s mind raced with a single thought: saving Gabriel. She couldn’t lose him, not after everything they’d been through. The weight of the situation pressed down on her, but her determination was unwavering.Breaking through the surface, she gasped for air, her grip on Gabriel tight. With all her strength, she swam to the edge of the pool, dragging him out of the water and laying him on the ground. The sight of his pale face and the blood seeping from his chest filled her with dread, but she refused to give in to despair.“Stay with me, Gabriel,” she whispered fiercely, beginning CPR. “You can’t leave me now.”As she worked to revive him, the world around her faded into a blur. Her entire focus was on Gabriel, willing him to breathe, to fight, to survive.Zoe bent forward, her hands trembling as she covered Gabriel’s mouth with hers, trying to get him to breathe while performing CPR. She interlaced her fingers and pressed down on his chest rhythmica

Anna's eyes widened, and she let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God you’re okay, Gabriel. That sounds terrifying."Zoe took out Gabriel’s phone from her pocket. "I had your car found and I took your phone."Gabriel gasped. "Goodness, Camella must have called me." He glanced worriedly at Anna and took the phone from Zoe.Zoe started to talk, "Gabriel, you shouldn't stress yourself. Just—"He cut in, agitated, "She must be so worried about me."Zoe got curious. "She is… uh…?"He interjected, "My wife."A flicker of surprise crossed Zoe's eyes, mingled with a bit of disappointment that Anna noticed before it disappeared. Zoe then nodded, feeling a bit lost. She didn't know he was married.Gabriel started talking worriedly as he went through his call log with one hand. "Goodness. It's past 8 PM. She has called me over a hundred times."Anna assured him, "Don't worry, she will understand."He shook his head. "I don't want her to be deeply worried about me. I don’t want her to know what happe