The live broadcast of the dismemberment would start at 12. At 11:50, the police were still clueless.

At 11:53, the number of fans following the murderer's account was close to ten million. He updated it with another message, "It seems that the police have no way to save their medical examiners. Well, I shall bring forward my performance as a sign of gratitude to you all."

At 11:54, Brian arrived below the 16th block. The chief showed him the latest news uploaded by the murderer. Brian's eyes narrowed and he called Wesley.

He could not wait any longer, no matter whether this was the last moment or not.

There was someone else who could wait no longer. It was the murderer who was at the end of his rope.

He held his knife and walked toward Joanne slowly. "We are about to start. Don't be afraid. There are many people online watching us."

He cut off the rope that tied Joanne, leaving behind the ones that circled her hands and legs. Then, he carried her off the chair and laid her flat on the ground. He took out his phone and took a photo of her. "This is the last photo of your complete body. I have to take it well."

Joanne looked at Shawn. It was also at this moment that Shawn successfully untied the rope around his hands. He stood up suddenly and charged at the window-

There was definitely a sniper waiting for the right moment. As long as he could pull open the curtains, the sniper would be able to take aim at the murderer.

The murderer's expression changed drastically when he discovered Shawn's movements. He threw down the mobile phone and grabbed his gun.

He aimed the black gun at Shawn. Joanne screamed hoarsely, "Shawn!"

"Clack-"

The heavy curtains were pulled open forcefully.

The mid-afternoon sun was extraordinarily strong as it surged into the room. Joanne was blinded by the sunlight and closed her eyes. Then, she heard the sounds of two gunshots.

"Bang-"

"Bang-"

The second gunshot was followed by the sound of glass shattering. It was shot by the police sniper from outside. The first shot... came from the room.

Joanne ignored the pain from the blinding sun and opened her eyes. She saw the man and Shawn both lying on the floor.

The sniper shot again and the man's hands and feet were shot and he could no longer move. Meanwhile, Shawn's abdomen had been shot. Blood stained his white shirt and the color on his face slowly faded.

"Shawn!"

Joanne could not untie the ropes on her hand and feet no matter what, and she could only struggle where she was.

Just then, there was a loud bang. It seemed that the main door outside had been forced open. Then, Joanne heard many footsteps of people running in. She did not care and only looked at Shawn and called out his name.

Someone helped to untie the ropes around her hands and feet and she seemed to have smelled a familiar scent. But she did not care to investigate further. She crawled towards Shawn and helped to cover his wound with her trembling hands. Blood stained her hands and flowed from the gaps between her fingers.

Her eyes slowly grew red.

"Don't cry." Shawn tried to smile. "I still have things to tell you. Joanne, if I die so uselessly by this bullet, help me tell my parents that I've just gone to visit my grandmother. Tell them not to be sad..."

"Don't speak." Joanne's tears still flowed down the corners of her eyes. "Shawn, you won't die!"

The doctors and nurses carried a stretcher in. Joanne helped them to move Shawn onto it. She seemed to have heard someone calling her name. And just as she wanted to turn around, Shawn suddenly closed his eyes. Her mind suddenly went blank and she held Shawn's hand tightly subconsciously and kept calling his name. She followed the doctors and sent him downstairs hurriedly.

Brian looked at Joanne's back with a self-mocking smile on his lips. He called Wesley and told him, "Everything's fine now. Have them all retreat."

"Oh?" Wesley laughed. "Joanne really saved herself? I already said that the girl is actually very smart. She..."

Brian hung up and glanced at the murderer who was lying on the ground. His eyes flashed, and he turned to leave a second later.

He walked downstairs and saw Joanne boarding the ambulance hurriedly, holding Shawn's hand and muttering to him. Her expression was full of worry and anxiety, and there was a hint of tears at the corners of her eyes.

Then, the ambulance doors closed and sped out of the estate.

He had been behind her and helped to untie her. He had thought that she would be very afraid and he wanted to hug her and tell her that everything was alright now. But her eyes had been affixed on another man, and the distance between the two of them was but just a centimeter.

He would not know that he had been there.

Brian got on the car. Clark was smoking. Brian glanced at him.

Clark knew that Brian did not like others smoking. Brian used to smoke, but he suddenly quit a few years ago. He snuffed the cigarette and said, "I won't smoke anymore."

Brian took Clark's cigarette box and took out a cigarette. He asked, "Where's the fire?"

Clark almost started to doubt his ears. He passed the lighter dazedly to Brian after a while and said, "I don't use matches." He heard that Brian used to like lighting his cigarettes with matches. His matchbox was exquisitely made and the matches were thin and white. There was a clicking sound and the red and blue flame started to burn.

"It doesn't matter."

Brian lit the cigarette casually. Clark felt that his gaze was slightly odd as he looked at him through the rising smoke. However, he only dared to ask what his job entailed. "Where are we going?"

"The hospital."

Reporters who followed the ambulance crowded outside the surgical department of Brightway Health Hospital. Shawn was given emergency surgery in the operating theatre.

Joanne and Shawn's mother sat quietly on the seats outside the operating room. After a while, urgent footsteps could be heard. Joanne was very familiar with them and she looked up, her eyes turning red immediately, "Chris..."

Joanne would only dare to say how afraid and how aggrieved she had felt before Chris.

"Everything's alright now. The murderer has been apprehended by the police." Chris hugged his younger sister tightly. "Everything's fine now. Don't be afraid."

Joanne nodded. Chris patted her shoulders and released her. Then, he walked up to Shawn's mother and said, "Mrs. Jameson."

Mrs. Jameson tried to smile. Chris thanked her sincerely, "We really have to thank Shawn this time. If he had not taken the risk, my sister would probably be..."

"He always said that he was a policeman. I think that he felt he had to do this." Mrs. Jameson held Joanne's hand. "Joanne, you must be tired. Go back with Chris. It'll be fine with me here. Shawn's father is already rushing back from abroad."

Joanne shook her head. "Auntie, I want to wait for his surgery to end."

"Alright."

Mrs. Jameson did not say anything else bu returned to her seat and watched the room of the operating theater anxiously. Chris pulled Joanne to one side and asked, "Did you see Brian?"

"Him?" Joanne was confused. "Isn't he in the United States?"

"He's back. He went to Cypress Apartments immediately after landing. Chief Taylor and I saw him go up downstairs. How can you not see him?"

Joanne suddenly thought of the familiar scent she smelt when her hands and legs were being untied. And... There seemed to have been someone calling her after that.

Was it Brian?

She was even more confused and she shook her head. "Shawn was bleeding profusely then, and I couldn't be bothered... Furthermore, he said he would be gone for seven days. Why is he back so soon?"

And he had come back at such a coincidental timing...

Chris smiled and said, "This... you have to ask him."

If it was like what he had thought, the person who had been overlooked should be feeling so upset his insides hurt. He was excited to hear Brian's reply to Joanne.

Joanne felt that Chris's smile was a little odd but did not say anything in the end. She returned to her seat and kept Mrs. Jameson company.

After a short while, Shawn was pushed out from the operating theatre. The chief surgeon told Mrs. Jameson, "Don't worry. The bullet has been removed and no vital organs were damaged so his life is not in danger. He's just lost too much blood and would need to recuperate for some time."

Mrs. Jameson heaved a long sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, doctor."

Joanne's worried heart finally relaxed. She followed as Shawn was sent to his ward. Mrs. Jameson did not allow her to stay and said, "Joanne, go home and eat something and rest for a while. I'll ask Shawn to call you once he regains consciousness."

Joanne had not eaten or drunk anything since last night. She suddenly felt hungry when she heard what Mrs. Jameson said. She nodded and left with Chris.

However, she did not expect to see Brian's car outside the surgical building.

"It seems that I don't have you send you back anymore."

Chris smiled and left in his own car.

Joanne hesitated for a moment, but then still walked up to Brian's car. He opened the door and looked at her. "Chief Taylor asked you to rest for a week."

"Alright, I got it."

Joanne felt afraid and exhausted after this ordeal. She did need to rest for a few days.

"Get in, I'll send you back. Brian frowned slightly, not allowing her to object.

Joanne was too tired to get a taxi. She got on the car and Brian got on as well. She looked at his side profile and asked softly, "Didn't you say you had to work abroad for seven days? Why are you back?"

Could she really not guess, or was she unable to?

Brian glanced at her and said, "I was done with work and came back early."

Indeed, she had thought too much. It was really a coincidence.

"Oh." Joanne hid the disappointment in her voice. "Wake me up when we get home."

She closed her eyes and fell deeply asleep shortly.

When the car turned, her body fell towards Brian. Brian saw her toppling left and right and in the end, he moved over and let her lean on his shoulders.

She shifted comfortably and hugged Brian's arm. There was a satisfied look on her face like a child who had gotten candy.

Brian's terrible mood took a slight turn of the better. He told the driver to switch off the music and pulled down the curtains so that the light will not shine at Joanne's eyes.

He took care of her throughout the journey, so Joanne naturally slept well.

An hour later, the car stopped outside their door. Joanne was still deeply asleep. Brian wanted to carry her off the car but she suddenly opened her eyes.

She found that she was still leaning on Brian and was hugging his arm. Joanne wanted to bite herself. She immediately shrank backward and apologized. "Sorry, I, I fell asleep. I didn't mean to..."

Her politeness and distance made Brian's gaze cool. He said with a voice almost completely devoid of emotions and said, "It's alright."

He was so cold, it felt as if she had been drenched by icy water. Joanne did not say anything else and got off the car as if she was on the run.

The two suddenly returned to how they were when they first met. They were distant and polite, as if those days of hugging and kissing had never happened.

Joanne had once wanted to find out, even in her dreams, what surprise Brian would bring her when he returned. But now that he was finally back, she did not even ask about it.

She thought Brian must have forgotten, right?

They were only acting, there was no need to be so close.