Chapter 416
+25 BONUS
“If Mommy doesn’t rush into the fire to protect me, I won’t let Daddy blame you either because you helped me see how heartless Mommy really is toward me!” Beau declared.
Ralph still hesitated, so Beau delivered his ultimatum, “If you don’t do as I say, I’ll fire you on the spot!”
Hearing Beau’s final warning, Ralph’s legs instantly turned to jelly. He couldn’t afford to lose such a lucrative position in this tough job market.
Besides, he actually did know how to start fires safely. During his previous job at a fire station, he’d been the one responsible for controlled burns during building fire drills.
Meanwhile, Finnegan pulled out his phone and called Theodore. The gala performance had ended, and they were all preparing to leave.
Theodore sat in his sports car, watching as Finnegan’s off–road vehicle came to an abrupt stop nearby, and Elara suddenly came sprinting out. He was just about to exit his vehicle when his phone rang.
Theodore answered the call, and Finnegan’s voice came through. “Watch Merida for me. There’s a fire in the auditorium with people still trapped inside.
“I need to grab the firefighting equipment.”
Theodore turned to look toward the auditorium. Flames from the top floor already illuminated the night sky.
As a military veteran, disaster response was Finnegan’s specialty. The moment he heard about the fire, his mind automatically mapped the nearest fire hydrant locations between his position and the auditorium. Having visited the school multiple times, he’d mentally noted all emergency equipment placements.
“Where’s Elara?” Theodore asked.
“She’s already heading to the auditorium!” Finnegan ended the call without further explanation and sprinted off. Theodore exited his vehicle and guided Merida to his side.
“Where did Mommy and Uncle Finn go?” Merida asked in confusion.
“They’ll be back soon. We’ll wait here for them.”
Theodore settled into the driver’s seat while speaking, simultaneously retrieving his laptop. He mounted his phone on its stand, tapped the screen, and called Elara.
The call connected instantly.
“Who’s in the auditorium that made you rush in like this?” Theodore asked.
Elara’s panting breaths came through the line. “Beau’s still inside, but I haven’t located him yet.”
Elara heard rapid keyboard clattering through the phone, like the sound of fingers flying across keys at breakneck speed.
A deep, reassuring male voice filled her ears. “Stay on the line.”
Theodore informed her, “Give me 30 seconds. I’m hacking into the auditorium’s surveillance system. Haven’t done this in a while, so I might be a bit rusty.”
“How do you even-
Elara began.
1/2
Chapter 416
+25 BONUS
“Got stuck in a… let’s call it a ‘heavily sanctioned regime‘ once. When your financial systems are locked down, you learn to get creative with international banking networks. Picked up some useful skills along the way.
“And… we’re in.”
Theodore’s voice returned. “I’ve got your position.”
On his computer screen, surveillance footage appeared showing Elara’s figure moving through the auditorium. “Can you locate Beau?” Elara asked.
Theodore responded, “Checking earlier footage first. Let me brief you on the fire’s progression: it started on the top floor and is spreading downward. You’re on ground level, so you’re safe for now.
“That’s strange…” Theodore suddenly murmured.
“What is?”
“The second–floor footage from ten minutes ago. It’s been wiped.”
