Raymond stepped out of the shadows, his gaze cold as ice, unwavering. Edward froze, his hand hovering over the valve of the oxygen tube on the bed. Cassandra stepped back, her eyes wide with panic, but she tried to maintain her composure.
“You… you can’t…” Edward stammered, his voice weaker than usual.
“Maybe I can,” Raymond said, each word as hard as steel. “But I will not let this go. Never.”
Cassandra held her breath, and in that moment, the beeping machines still echoed, but the tension in the room seemed to drown out every other sound. Edward looked around, panicked. He had planned everything perfectly—but he had forgotten one thing: Raymond was a father who loved his daughter fiercely and had the instincts to see through any deception.
Raymond stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Edward. “I suspected you from the start. I just… didn’t have proof. But tonight, I have everything.”
Cassandra took a deep breath and suddenly pulled a small gun from her handbag. “No one has to die,” she said, though there was a chilling coldness in her tone.
Edward laughed, full of confidence. “You think we fear that little piece of metal? We have planned everything. No one will ever know what happened.”
But Raymond had prepared for every scenario. He calmly lifted his hand, pulling a small phone from his suit pocket. With a single press of a button, two hospital security guards—people Edward believed were harmless—appeared in the room, their eyes resolute.
Cassandra flinched, realizing her plot had been uncovered. Edward looked around frantically, every escape route cut off.
“You think you’re smart,” Raymond said, his voice low, “but you’ve forgotten one thing: I know everyone you’ve ever deceived. I know who you hired, and I know who your accomplice is.”
Edward began stammering, trying to justify himself, but Cassandra suddenly pulled the trigger. Everything seemed to slow down in that moment: the click of the gun, a flash of red from the barrel—and… nothing happened.
The scene froze. Raymond smirked, slowly approaching. “You know nothing about me, and even less about my daughter. No one harms my family.”
In the chaos, a warning alarm sounded. Edward jumped, glancing at the window. Outside, police cars had surrounded the building. Raymond had called ahead, and everything had been meticulously prepared.
Cassandra tried to run toward the door but was blocked by the two guards. Edward scrambled to the bed, but police pulled him back.
Raymond turned back to his daughter’s bed. Suddenly, he noticed an irregularity on the oxygen monitor. Isabella’s heartbeat began to falter.
“No… not now,” he muttered, his heart racing. He pressed the nurse call button. Within minutes of intense tension, doctors rushed in and stabilized Isabella.
The investigation revealed everything: Edward and Cassandra had planned to kill Isabella to seize the family fortune and “eliminate” the unborn child. But thanks to Raymond’s vigilance and determination, the plot failed completely.
The next day, Isabella woke up, her gaze hazy but filled with relief when she saw her father. “Dad…” she whispered. Raymond hugged her tightly.
Weeks later, Isabella gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Edward and Cassandra were sentenced to life in prison, with no chance for revenge.
Raymond stood in the hospital, looking down at his newborn granddaughter, thinking, “Justice does not always come from the courtroom. Sometimes, justice must be carried out with the heart and unwavering courage.”
In that moment, he knew his family was safe, and the darkness of those with ill intentions could never overshadow the light of love and honesty.