Mark endured the pain, his thoughts consumed by Claudia in such a critical moment. Josie felt both frustrated and heartbroken. “Let’s discuss all of this later. Just hold on and stay alive!”
However, she didn’t know how much longer he could endure. The henchmen had long since fled, leaving Johnny standing in disbelief, unable to comprehend that he had actually taken action.
Through her tears, she pleaded, “Call an ambulance! Hurry! As long as he doesn’t die, there’s still hope for you! I beg you! He’s not me. If he dies, your entire family will be implicated!”
Johnny, as if awakened from a deep sleep, frantically searched for his phone but couldn’t find it. Clumsily rushing around, he hurried back to his previous spot where he had been playing cards to resume his search.
Josie lowered her head to observe Mark’s increasingly pale complexion. He no longer possessed the radiance he once had.
Mark tightly held Josie’s hand, his gaze fixed on her. “Do you know… why there is an abandoned construction site behind Olsen Residence?”
Josie was speechless. She could only shake her head.
“It’s because I wanted to build a castle here for you, but before it could be completed, you were gone…”
Since then, whenever Mark saw this place, he felt heartbroken. He had halted the construction, leaving it abandoned to this day.
Josie was momentarily taken aback. She looked around. The structures here indeed resembled the construction of a castle.
“I know that no matter what I say now, you won’t believe me… I… I’m so sorry…” Mark’s lips trembled as he spoke. “Once, I believed that no matter when, as long as you could return to my side, regardless of how you may have changed, I would still recognize you. But now it seems… I don’t love you enough…”
He regretted not recognizing his own daughter immediately.
Tears uncontrollably streamed down Josie’s face as various memories from the past resurfaced in her mind. She cried out, “Have you found it yet?”
Meanwhile, Johnny had already swiftly grabbed his phone. “Is this the dispatch center? I’m at…”
Not hearing the next sentence, the dispatcher asked, “Sir, what’s wrong? Are you all right? Can you respond to me? Sir? Sir?”
The live broadcast on the television continued. By this time, all the guests had dispersed, yet Rachel remained sprawled on the stage, her presence as bleak as a wilted flower.
Quickly, a bodyguard stepped forward to restrain her, dragging her away.
It was at this moment that she suddenly glanced at the location of the camera, locking eyes with Johnny across the distance.
He tightly gripped his phone, looking towards Josie. Since it’s already been done, why not go all the way… Rachel has no chance to turn things around…
The dispatcher continued calling out for him. Johnny said, “It’s all right now.” After saying this, he hung up. Mark held on to his last breath, looking at Josie tenderly.
“I have no regrets about dying here. Don’t feel guilty.”
Josie closed her eyes.
Johnny returned, and the first thing she asked was, “Did you make the call?”
His face pale, he gave a slight nod, then picked up the blood-stained knife from the ground. Using his clothing, he wiped the blade clean. Josie watched his actions with an inexplicable sense of dread. “What are you doing…”
“I just feel that, given the deep bond between you two as father and daughter, you might as well die together.”
Josie’s body shuddered, and at the same time, Mark’s pupils dilated.
“You’ve gone mad…”
Murderous intent filled Johnny’s eyes. He raised his knife high, then plunged it down fiercely. Josie closed her eyes once again, only to hear a loud bang.
