Chapter 188

The cold glint of the knife against Claire's slender neck instantly sent the entire set into chaos. While people around her either bolted away in fear or stood frozen, watching with panic in their eyes, some were actually moving toward her through the crowd. Leading the charge was Ethan, the leanest of them all, face cold but eyes burning with fury. He closed in step by step. "Let her go!" he barked. "Nobody move!" the man with the knife roared. Claire felt a slight sting at her neck, warm blood slowly trickling down into her shirt. Across from her, the three men froze, eyes locked on the blade. The first to snap out of it was Adrian. Pulling Ethan aside, he tried to keep calm, though his voice carried a chill. He started negotiating, voice low and steady with a hint of glowering threat. "Sir, whatever it is you want, we can talk it out. Money, favors—you can name it. There's no need to go this far. We'll even forget what you did earlier on set. Just let my sister go and all of this en