Chapter 23

The sound of the gunshot ripped deafeningly through the enclosed office, loud enough to make Cecelia's eardrums ache. She watched in shock as the bullet entered Shaun's chest. Blood bloomed across his white shirt instantly. Stiff with terror, she let the gun in her hand clatter to the floor. Shaun swayed slightly, but he did not fall. He kept staring at her, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. "I betrayed you, so I'll pay for that with my life. I hope that's enough." With that, he finally collapsed. "Shaun!" Cecelia snapped out of her daze and immediately called an ambulance. Then, she knelt down beside Shaun and tried to stem the bleeding. Warm blood soaked her hands, the texture making her stomach churn violently. The wail of an ambulance siren approached from afar. After Shaun was rushed out of the building, the ambulance left again, its sirens echoing in its wake. Cecelia stood alone in her empty office, trembling uncontrollably as she stared at the glaring p