Chapter 687 A Narrow Escape
As Gabrielle mentioned the smell of something burning, Christina also caught a whiff of it. “Smells like something’s burning.”
However, before she could process it further, Gabrielle suddenly pointed at the door with a panicked expression. “Christina, fire! There’s a fire!”
Christina whipped around and watched as the flames rapidly spread into the room, quickly engulfing the entire storeroom.
“Quick, let’s get out of here!” Christina exclaimed, grabbing the stunned Gabrielle and pulling her toward the nearest exit, desperate to escape the growing inferno.
Bang!
The iron grill nearby slammed shut, sealing off their only escape route.
The storeroom was filled with highly flammable materials, and the fire rapidly spread, engulfing the entire space. Smoke quickly filled the room, making it difficult to breathe.
Christina pulled Gabrielle toward a rack, seeking shelter from the encroaching flames. However, she accidentally inhaled the smoke in the chaos, causing a burning sensation in her throat.
Gabrielle, panicking, exclaimed, “Christina, what do we do? My phone has no signal!” Her heart sank as she realized her phone had no signal bars.
Christina swiftly checked her phone as well, hoping for a signal, but to her dismay, she had no signal either. Coughing, she replied, “I don’t have a signal either.”
Consumed by fear, Gabrielle cried out, “What are we going to do? Are we going to die here?”
She had recently regained her self–confidence and planned to confess her feelings to Julian soon.
But now, in the face of this tragedy, she couldn’t help but wonder if their love was not meant to be in this lifetime.
In contrast, Christina remained calm and composed, her mind racing to find a solution.
She quickly surveyed the storeroom and noticed a window that had yet to be engulfed in flames. It was a small, round window that could barely accommodate one person at a time.
Determined, Christina seized a crowbar and broke the window with all her might. As the gla*s shattered, she sustained cuts on her face and arms, causing blood to trickle out of her wounds.
“Bailey, quick! Climb out through that window,” Christina shouted urgently. “Hurry!”
However, Gabrielle shook her head. “No, I can’t leave you here.”
“Listen to me, Bailey. I’m pregnant, and I won’t be able to fit through that window. You’re the only one who can escape and get help. I’m counting on you to find someone to rescue me.” Christina pushed her toward the window. “We don’t have much time.”
Gabrielle held back her tears and climbed toward the window with the aid of a pail. The remaining shards of gla*s cut her skin, but she disregarded the pain, determined to wriggle out through the narrow opening.
Once out of the storeroom, Gabrielle sprinted toward the hall without glancing back.
“Nathaniel, save Christina!” In her panicked state, Gabrielle scrambled and fell at the man’s feet. Blood from her cuts left streaks on the white tiles. “The storeroom! It’s on fire! Christina is still inside!”
Overwhelmed with fear, she burst into tears as Julian wrapped her in his embrace
Nathaniel’s face turned pale with worry. He hastily grabbed a nearby staff member and asked in a raised voice, “Where is the storeroom?”
The staff member trembled in fear and pointed toward the end of the hallway. “It’s at the end of the foyer.”
Without wasting a moment, Nathaniel swiftly turned around and rushed out.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle’s breath hitched, and she collapsed unconscious. Julian, in a state of panic, shouted, “Doctor! We need a doctor!”
The once bustling foyer descended into chaos as people scrambled to a*sist.
Meanwhile, Christina stumbled upon a few expired bottles of water in a corner as the fire continued to rage. Reacting swiftly, Christina drenched herself with the water and hastily fashioned a makeshift mask using a wet handkerchief.
She then sought refuge in a corner, seeking protection from the scorching heat that seared her skin. Her vision grew increasingly hazy as the oxygen quickly depleted.
In a moment of desperate hope, a resounding clang reverberated through the room as the metal grille was forcefully kicked open. D
“Christina!” Nathaniel rushed forward and immediately spotted her amidst the chaos.
Without hesitation, he hurried to her side, gently cradling her unconscious body in his arms. With unwavering determination, he carried her out of the engulfing flames.
Sebastian and Victoria, who had hurried over upon hearing the news, approached to offer their a*sistance.
“How is Christina?” Victoria’s anxiety grew as she observed Christina’s pale complexion. She turned to the crowd and called out, “Doctor! Where is the doctor?”
At that moment, the captain arrived with a group of his subordinates and paramedics.
Christina was immediately transported to the medical unit for further treatment.
However, due to the limited medical supplies on board, Nathaniel instructed Sebastian to arrange for a helicopter to transport Christina to the nearest hospital on land for her to receive the necessary care. Fortunately, Christina had managed to save herself, and neither her life nor the life of her unborn baby was in immediate danger.
As relief washed over them, Victoria couldn’t contain her tears of happiness, while Nathaniel’s previously tense expression softened. Sebastian, too, let out a sigh of relief, glad that Christina was safe. D
“I’ll go and look after Christina,” Victoria offered, sensing Nathaniel’s need for privacy to discuss matters that weren’t meant for her ears. Using it as an excuse, she gave herself a way out.
With a low voice, Nathaniel asked, “Have you found the reason behind the fire in the storeroom?”
“According to our investigation and the surveillance cameras near the storeroom, we can confirm that this was not an accident but arson,” Sebastian explained. “The fire alarm and surveillance cameras were deliberately destroyed when the fire broke out. Moreover, it appears that somebody spread fake news about someone falling into the water at the stern of the ship, diverting the attention of the officers on patrol. As a result, nobody noticed the fire even though it had been burning for ten minutes. Additionally, we found traces of petroleum outside the storeroom door, suggesting that someone intended to cause harm.”
Nathaniel’s heart ached at the thought of Christina being trapped helplessly inside the raging fire.
“Who did it?”
“Winston’s girlfriend, Xylie,” Sebastian replied grimly. “Mr. Hadley, the way the arson was carried out bears a striking resemblance to the incident that claimed Mrs. Hadley’s stepmother’s life. Based on my investigation, it’s evident that Xylie was acting under someone else’s orders.”
It had been years since the conflict between Christina and Xylie had taken place, and he found it hard to believe that Xylie would go to such lengths for petty reasons.
Knowing Winston’s tendency to change girlfriends frequently, it seemed unlikely that he would willingly keep someone who posed such a threat. If Xylie had targeted Christina, it was akin to crossing Nathaniel himself.
As he contemplated Xylie’s motive, it became apparent that her desire for revenge, fueled by the loss of her financial support, was a compelling factor.
However, it did not seem plausible that Xylie acted alone in such a calculated attack. She was known to be! short–sighted and timid, unlikely to take such a ma*sive risk to kill Christina, no matter how much she despised the woman.
When his train of thought ended there, another person came to Nathaniel’s mind–Anya.
“Where is Anya?” Nathaniel’s voice carried a chilling undertone.
“She attempted to blend into the crowd when the ship docked, but the men we had stationed managed to capture her. She is currently held captive in an abandoned warehouse, awaiting your orders,” Sebastian replied.
“Take her to the interrogation room and extract every secret she holds,” Nathaniel commanded in a hushed tone. “If she refuses to talk, eliminate her and bring in Yerek as a replacement.” D
Nathaniel had initially intended to keep Anya as bait to lure in bigger players, but her constant interference had become too much to bear. Besides, her presence or lack thereof would not impact his plans at all.
“Sebastian, you know how to handle Mrs. Hadley’s inquiries. I don’t want her to become involved in any of
this.”
