Chapter 346

Sienna lay on the ground, barely conscious. She gasped, "Help! Help! Is there… anyone?" Her voice was a whisper. She raised a hand, clenched it into a fist, and with all her strength, banged on the door—one strike after another. "Help me…"

Suddenly, Cedric paused, his ears pricking up. He held his breath and listened intently. A soft sound reached him. His throat tightened as he carefully slowed his steps, trying not to miss it. "Save me." The sound was coming from that direction; it couldn't be far. Cedric moved cautiously, following the sound step by step. But then, it disappeared. Confused, he looked around.

Just as he wondered if he had misheard, a loud crash rang out. A heavy object fell, shaking the ground. He looked up to see the wall collapsing, the iron door precariously leaning, almost crashing to the floor. At the entrance lay a fragile figure—a woman.

"Could it be Sienna?" The thought raced through Cedric's mind. He rushed to the doorway, stepped over the tilted door, and went to her side. One look confirmed it: it was Sienna.

Overjoyed, Cedric knelt and carefully lifted her into his arms. "Sienna!" Her eyes were closed; she had lost consciousness. He frowned, checking for her breath—too faint. She must have inhaled too much smoke. "Sienna, I will get you out of here!"

He covered her with a blanket, then, with firm determination, hoisted her onto his back. "Sienna, hold on!" An ambulance waited outside. Once they reached it, she would receive medical help. Cedric carried Sienna carefully, stepping over the tilted door. Suddenly, another loud crash echoed behind him. The ground shook again.

Turning, he saw the iron door crash completely to the floor—precisely where Sienna had been lying. Cedric gasped, cold sweat breaking out on him. They had been so close. Luckily, he had found her just in time. If he had been even a moment later, even the firefighters' arrival would have been pointless. "Sienna," he forced a wry smile, trying to lighten the dire situation, murmuring, "See? We are so lucky! After every disaster, good fortune comes!"

As he carefully retraced his steps, torrents of water flowed down, the flames gradually subsided, and the thick smoke began to clear. The cargo bay lay in chaos, debris scattered everywhere.

Cedric moved cautiously with Sienna on his back. Suddenly, a burning object hurtled toward them from the side—a flaming cargo box. Cedric shouted in alarm, instinctively raising his arm to shield her. The box crashed against his arm, flames rolling over him.

Cedric grimaced, biting back the pain. The commotion seemed to awaken Sienna. She struggled to open her eyes, dazed. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Who… who…"

"Sienna!" Cedric exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his pain. "You're awake! It's me, Cedric."

"Cedric…" Sienna, lying on his back, whimpered softly. Her awareness was fading; she murmured incoherently, "Help… help me…"

Hearing her whimper, Cedric felt a pang of sadness; she must be terrified. It was his fault. He should have taken her home when he first found her. Regret filled him, softening his voice. "Sienna, I'm sorry, I came too late, but I'm here now. I'm here to save you." But Sienna fell silent again.

Ahead, a voice called out, "Over here!" Cedric looked up and saw firefighters approaching. Among them stood Zach.

Zach stared at Cedric, surprised. "Mr. Brawne?" He wondered what Cedric was doing here. Zach's gaze fell on Cedric's back, his worry growing. Not only was Cedric here, but he had also found Sienna. Zach reached out. "Mr. Brawne, up here!"

Outside, a fancy Bentley screeched to a halt. Josiah jumped out before it fully stopped. "Mr. Flynn!" Chester hurried to him.

Jonah nodded, his forehead creased. "Where is Sienna?"

"She's been found," Chester replied, having just heard from Zach. "Zach is bringing her out!"

Joy flashed in Josiah's eyes. He had endured so much to get here. "Yes! They're over there!" Chester pointed toward the firefighters' lift, where, in the dim light, Josiah could see a group of figures. Sienna was up there? Luck was on his side—Sienna was safe! He felt a tightness in his chest as he stepped forward, ready to catch her as she came down.

However, as the lift slowly descended, his expression darkened with each inch. Why was Cedric there? And was it Sienna he was carrying?

Josiah glanced at Zach, who frowned. Sienna had been saved—thanks to Cedric. As the lift came to a stop, Josiah rushed forward and clearly saw Sienna sprawled across Cedric's back.

So slender, so fragile—her face flushed a light red, smudged with soot. Her eyes were closed, long lashes resting on her lower lids, looking lifeless. Josiah's heart twisted painfully; he had come too late. Even though he had rushed the moment he heard, too much time had been wasted on the way. Josiah reached out for Sienna, eager to check on her. "Sienna." Yet his outstretched hand grasped only air.

Cedric, carrying Sienna, stepped aside. Cedric met Josiah's gaze with cold, steady, resistant eyes. "We don't know where Sienna is injured, so it's best not to move her too much."