Chapter 557

Grace felt something hard and cold against her waist and suspected it was a gun. Her expression instantly changed. "No. Do whatever you want, but don't implicate me," she said, waving her hand.

She walked to Zoe, barefoot, and said, "Zoe, what a fool you are! Your husband cracked many criminal cases, so what? The higher-ups feel threatened. He's capable, but you and your child are in their hands now, aren't you? He'll hurry back when he learns about this. My husband will take all the credit after he diesand get a promotion!" Her laughter was hysterical.

Hearing Grace, Zoe calmed down.

Annoyed by Zoe's stare, Grace asked, "Why are you staring at me? Blame your husband. It's all his fault."

Finnian smoked silently, feeling increasingly tense. His eyelid twitched, and a sense of foreboding washed over him. "My plan is flawless, and I have a partner in the police force. I won't fail this time," he thought. However, he panicked for an unknown reason.

His phone vibrated. He glanced at the new message and slowly closed his eyes. "Time's up. Kill them. Chop them into pieces and stuff them into the suitcases."

"Is the bin wagon ready?" Finnian asked Grace.

Grace smiled faintly, proudly lifting her chin. "Of course. It'll pass by in half an hour. It will drive to the landfill, and we can dump the suitcases in the river on the way. No one will ever know," she explained.

Fretful, Finnian took out his lighter, his hand trembling violently, preventing him from lighting his cigarette. He walked to the doorway, opened it to catch some fresh air, and his expression turned grim at the sight of the figure before him.

"Orson? Why are you here?" Finnian asked, startled. He retreated, slamming the door shut, but Orson kicked it open without hesitation.

Orson strode into the living room. The men in black stared in shock, then drew their guns, aiming at Orson. Before they could fire, Orson threw something, white powder billowing into the air. He charged forward, grabbing Zoe with one hand and Norali with the other. In a split second, he retreated to the doorway with them, kicking Finnian back into the living room. He pulled out a lighter. Finnian was terrified.

The men in black began shooting at Orson. He tossed the lighter into the living room. The flour ignited, causing an explosion, though a smaller one than intended. All the windows shattered, the building shook, and the people in the living room fell to the floor, suffering severe burns. Grace squealed in pain; her lipstick was stuck in her nostril, and blood streamed from her nose.

11:11 AM

Chapter 557 (continued)

Her face was badly burned. Finnian was dumbfounded. Orson seemed prepared, ensuring Zoe and Norali were safe before triggering the blast – an act of revenge.

"Oh, no!" Finnian was terrified. He tried to run, but his leg was trapped under a fallen cabinet. Enduring the pain, he pushed it away, only to find his leg broken. His face turned livid. He couldn't run and feared Orson would kill him. Despair consumed him; even if the police spared him, the Lark family wouldn't. He was beaten again by Orson. "No, wait!" Finnian panicked.

Odalys and Percival left, and Orson arrived. It was a trap; the Stewarts had urged Finnian to act during their absence. Hatred filled Finnian's eyes. He wished he could turn back time and shoot Percival.

"Everybody, hands on your heads!" a stern voice commanded.

A group of uniformed policemen burst into the living room, guns drawn. Catching the injured men was easy. One lightly injured man attempted to escape through a window, but an officer kicked him back inside.

"Take them away, now!" the lead officer shouted.

Grace rose, surprised to see military uniforms. "Help! They want to kidnap me," she lied. Conviction could mean death, and her husband's dismissal. Success meant a promotion for him. She was determined.

"Come on! Your husband was just arrested, and his assets frozen. You colluded with Finnian to murder the Hersey family," Odalys said coldly.

Finnian's heart sank when he saw Odalys. It was her trap. "I should have waited patiently," he thought regretfully.

"Finnian, you were so impatient. You acted right after we left. I underestimated you. After the operation, I said you'd recover if you stayed away from water for a month. But you chose the wrong path," Odalys sneered.

Finnian stared at Odalys, despair and regret in his eyes. He hated himself for choosing Sophia over Odalys.