"Hannah!" Melvin lunged toward her, intending to stop her.

Unexpectedly, Hannah instantly turned the gun on Melvin when Manuel and Jimmy remained unresponsive. She hadn't decided to do this until Melvin arrived. She had been anticipating her death. Her heart pounded violently. To her surprise, she succeeded in turning the tables. At that moment, she expected to be shot for turning the gun on Melvin.

However, she wasn't. The guards merely pointed their weapons at her, hesitant to act rashly.

"What a gift you give, Hannah!" Melvin's voice was icy.

Hannah looked at Melvin; his eyes blazed with fury, as if he would tear her apart.

"I just want to survive," Hannah said.

"So you don't even give a bad man a chance to become good?" Melvin asked, his tone sepulchral.

Hannah bit her lip.

"How amusing that I even considered keeping you alive," Melvin sneered. His smile was so malevolent that Hannah felt she would be strangled. She felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't anticipated Melvin intervening. She knew he sensed danger, yet he clearly didn't want her to die then. She had exploited his pity.

Hannah swallowed. "Let them go, Melvin."

Melvin stared. "Are you threatening me?"

"Let them go, or I'll kill you!" Hannah repeated.

She would not be swayed by Melvin. Even if he tried to stop her, he would ultimately kill her; therefore, his pity was irrelevant.

"You take yourself very seriously!" Melvin glared.

"I will shoot you!" Hannah cried, though her hands trembled. She would act if pushed far enough.

"Do it!" Melvin's face hardened, ignoring her threat.

Hannah stared, unbelieving. What had he just said? She hadn't expected this to work. She only wanted him to release Manuel and Jimmy; she wanted to prevent further bloodshed. Surprisingly, Melvin wasn't threatened.

She looked at him mercilessly. "Melvin, I give you one last chance…"

"Come on!" Melvin interrupted. "Do it! Shoot me in the head!"

"You're crazy!" She hadn't intended to kill him; she only wanted to protect Manuel and Jimmy.

"Fire!" Melvin urged, almost forcing her.

Hannah's body and hands shook.

"I'm sorry," she said through gritted teeth. She felt sorry for Manuel and Jimmy. She'd done her best, but failed to intimidate Melvin. She couldn't control him, so killing him seemed the only way out, though it meant they would all be shot.

When Hannah pulled the trigger, the gun clicked empty. Melvin lived, and no one else moved.

Hannah met Melvin's furious gaze. Instantly, he seized her neck. The grip was so violent that she couldn't scream. Her face turned red, suffocating. She wondered why the gun hadn't fired; Manuel couldn't have given her an unloaded weapon.

"How dare you, Hannah!" Melvin raged.

Hannah couldn't breathe or speak. She struggled against his grip, but failed, her strength waning. Just as she thought she would die, he released her.

Hannah hit the ground hard. Regaining consciousness, she saw Manuel, face contorted with rage, violently beating Melvin. How Manuel freed himself was unclear. It was the first time Hannah had witnessed Manuel's violence. Jimmy joined the fray; the fight was fierce.

Soon, guards shielded Melvin, and Manuel and Jimmy were subdued.

"No!" Hannah rushed to them, shielding them with her body. She saw Melvin signaling his men to kill them. Hannah shouted, "Don't kill them!"

Melvin hesitated. The guards, though aimed at Manuel and Jimmy, wouldn't act without Melvin's order.

Melvin, the leader, said, "Hannah, who do you think you can protect now?"

She couldn't protect anyone; she was in danger too.

"No one. But I don't want to see any of them die before me! Kill me too, if you must kill them!"

"Do you think you can threaten me again?" Melvin knelt, seizing her chin so roughly it made her want to cry.

"My pity for you died with that shot," he said coldly.

Hannah glared.

"I actually cared for you. I even considered letting you stay after Oscar died. I could have given you a life. But now, it's just a shame! I want to tear you apart!" Melvin raged.

"Then kill me, just do it!" Hannah cried, accepting her fate.

"As you wish!" Melvin agreed, taking the gun from her. He pointed it at her, just as she had done to him.

"Do you know why your shot was blank?" Melvin sneered cruelly.

Hannah bit her lip. She wanted to die with this man; such evil shouldn't exist.

"It's because," Melvin released her face, his finger on the trigger, "you forgot to load it!"