Chapter 606: One wrong step...and it would all be over

The moment Collin stepped out of the venue, the noise behind him dimmed into a distant roar—but the chaos was far from over.

Anna didn’t wait.

The instant they crossed the threshold, she twisted her body sharply, her heel slamming down on his foot.

"Let go of me!" she snapped, her voice laced with fury.

Collin hissed in pain, his grip faltering for a fraction of a second—but it was enough for Anna to try breaking free. She shoved against his chest, attempting to push him off balance.

But Collin was faster.

"Enough!" he growled, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back so hard that she stumbled forward.

Before she could regain her footing, he dragged her toward a black car parked nearby.

"No—!" Anna struggled, digging her heels into the ground. "You’re not getting away with this!"

"Oh, I already am," Collin sneered.

With brute force, he shoved her against the car door, wrenching it open before throwing her inside. Anna hit the seat harshly, the impact knocking the breath out of her.

She barely had time to react before he slammed the door shut.

Lock.

The sharp click echoed like a sentence being sealed.

Collin rushed around to the driver’s side, jumping in and starting the engine in one swift motion. The car roared to life.

Anna lunged forward immediately, reaching for the door handle—but it wouldn’t budge.

Child lock.

"Damn you!" she snapped, turning toward him.

Collin didn’t respond.

His face was dark, twisted with rage as he slammed his foot on the accelerator.

The car shot forward.

For a few seconds, only the sound of the engine filled the silence.

Then—

A sharp, stinging slap.

Anna’s head snapped to the side as Collin’s hand struck her across the face.

"You ungrateful brat," he spat.

Anna’s cheek burned, but she slowly turned back to face him, her eyes blazing.

"Is that what you call yourself now?" she shot back coldly. "A father?"

The words hit their mark.

Collin’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles turning white.

"I gave you everything," he growled.

Anna laughed—a bitter, mocking sound.

"Everything?" she echoed. "You mean lies? Manipulation? Blood?"

Collin’s jaw clenched.

"You were never supposed to turn out like this," he said, his voice dropping into something darker. "You were supposed to be useful."

Anna’s gaze sharpened.

"Useful?" she repeated.

"Yes," he snapped. "A daughter who listens. Who obeys. Not someone who turns against her own blood."

Anna leaned slightly toward him despite the danger, her voice low and cutting.

"You’re not my blood."

The car swerved slightly as his control faltered.

For a moment, silence stretched between them—thick, suffocating.

Then Collin let out a dark chuckle.

"You really don’t remember, do you?"

Anna frowned.

"Remember what?"

His eyes flicked toward her briefly, something unsettling gleaming within them.

"Your past life."

Her breath hitched.

"What are you talking about?"

Collin’s smile widened, cruel and unhinged.

"You think this is the first time our paths have crossed?" he said. "No, Anna... we’ve done this before."

A strange chill crept down her spine.

"You’re insane," she said, though her voice lacked its earlier certainty.

"Am I?" he countered. "Or are you just too blind to see the truth?"

He leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping into a whisper that felt like poison.

"You died once before."

Anna’s heart skipped.

"And do you know how?" he continued, his eyes gleaming with twisted satisfaction.

She didn’t answer.

Couldn’t.

"Because I pushed you," he said.

The words slammed into her like a physical blow.

"...What?"

"You heard me," Collin said, almost gleeful now. "I pushed you off that balcony. Watched you fall."

Anna stared at him, shock flashing across her face—but it didn’t last.

It turned into something else.

Anger.

"You expect me to believe that?" she scoffed.

Collin’s expression darkened.

"You should," he said. "Because it’s the truth."

"Or maybe," Anna shot back, her voice sharp, "you’re just a coward who needs to invent stories to feel powerful."

That did it.

"Shut up!" Collin roared.

His hand left the steering wheel for a split second, and the butt of the gun came crashing down against Anna’s head.

Pain exploded through her skull as a sharp cry escaped her lips as her vision blurred, dizziness overwhelming her instantly. She slumped against the seat, her hand instinctively reaching for the spot where he struck her.

Warm blood.

Her breathing grew uneven.

"You talk too much," Collin muttered, gripping the wheel again.

Anna’s vision swam, but her consciousness clung stubbornly. She wouldn’t pass out. Not now. Not when he was spiraling.

But then, faint but unmistakable, sirens’ sounds reached his ears.

Collin stiffened.

"What the hell—" he muttered, glancing at the rearview mirror.

Flashing red and blue lights cut through the distance.

Police.

His expression twisted with fury.

"They really don’t know when to listen," he snarled.

Anna forced her heavy eyelids open, her lips curving into a weak, defiant smile.

"Told you..." she murmured, her voice faint. "You’re not getting away."

"Shut up!" he snapped again, pressing harder on the accelerator.

The car sped up, weaving through the streets recklessly.

Behind them, the sirens grew louder.

Closer.

Collin’s mind raced.

He couldn’t lead them anywhere obvious.

He needed to lose them.

Now.

Without hesitation, he jerked the steering wheel, taking a sharp turn into a narrow road.

The surroundings changed quickly.

The crowded streets gave way to emptiness.

Abandoned structures.

Dim lighting.

Silence.

Perfect.

"Let’s see you follow me here," Collin muttered under his breath.

The car sped deeper into the secluded area, tires screeching slightly against the uneven road.

Anna’s head lolled slightly as she struggled to stay conscious, her vision fading in and out. But she could still feel it—

The tension.

The danger.

And something else.

A growing sense that this wasn’t going to end the way Collin expected.

"Running out of places to hide?" she whispered weakly.

Collin ignored her.

His focus remained on the road ahead.

Twists.

Turns.

Dead silence.

For a moment, he thought he had succeeded.

The sirens seemed distant now. Almost gone.

A smirk began to form on his lips. But then, the road narrowed further and his eyes sharpened.

Something wasn’t right. And then he saw it.

A trunk blocking the path ahead.

Collin’s expression froze.

"No..."

He slammed the brakes.

The car screeched to a halt, the tires protesting loudly as the vehicle jerked forward slightly before stopping completely.

A dead end.

Silence fell. Heavy. Oppressive.

Anna let out a weak, breathless laugh despite her condition.

"Looks like..." she murmured, her voice barely audible, "...you’re out of luck."

Collin didn’t respond.

For the first time uncertainty flickered across his face. And in the distance, the faint wail of sirens began to rise again.

The silence after the car screeched to a halt lasted only a heartbeat.

Then Collin moved.

"No... no, this isn’t over," he muttered under his breath, his voice unsteady but laced with stubborn defiance.

Anna, slumped against the seat, forced her heavy eyes open. Her head throbbed violently, every pulse sending sharp waves of pain through her skull. The metallic scent of blood lingered faintly.

Collin turned toward her, his expression no longer just anger—

It was desperation.

Wild. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Unpredictable.

"You think this ends here?" he snapped suddenly, his voice rising. "You think I’m going to let them take me?"

Anna swallowed, steadying herself despite the dizziness.

"You don’t have a choice," she said weakly, though her gaze remained unyielding.

Collin laughed.

A broken, hollow sound.

"I always have a choice."

Before she could react, he grabbed her arm—hard.

Anna gasped as he yanked her out of the car, her body stumbling forward. Her legs nearly gave out beneath her, but his grip kept her upright—barely.

"Let go—!" she tried to pull away, but her strength was failing her.

"Move!" Collin barked, dragging her along.

The sound of sirens cut sharply through the air now.

Closer.

Louder.

Relentless.

"Collin, stop!" Anna protested, struggling to match his pace as he forced her forward.

But he didn’t stop.

Didn’t even hesitate.

The path ahead grew uneven, the ground rough beneath their feet. Gravel crunched, dry grass brushed against their legs, and the air—cold and open—shifted around them.

And then Anna saw it.

Her breath caught.

The cliff.

It stood ahead like an unforgiving edge of the world—vast, silent, and waiting.

"No..." she whispered.

Collin tightened his grip.

"Yes," he said, his voice eerily calm now. "If I go down... I’m not going alone."

Anna’s heart pounded violently against her chest.

Behind them, the sirens grew deafening.

"Stop right there!"

Voices echoed faintly in the distance.

Police.

They were close.

Too close.

"Collin, listen to me," Anna said, forcing strength into her voice despite the weakness creeping in. "This doesn’t have to end like this."

"Doesn’t it?" he shot back, dragging her closer to the edge.

The wind howled faintly around them, tugging at their clothes, carrying the distant echoes of approaching footsteps.

Anna’s pulse quickened.

One wrong step...and it would all be over.