The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1310

*Bang!*

Joshua twisted, and the bullet tore through his leg instead of his chest.

Foreman's eyes darkened. Holding Keen made it difficult to aim properly. He was about to fire again when he saw Keen's eyelashes flutter. The boy was stirring.

"Mr. Joshua…" Keen mumbled.

Foreman's expression changed. He couldn't risk firing again. He looked back at the inferno consuming the room and a cold, cruel smile touched his lips. Killing Joshua himself was too risky. If Keen was even partially aware, his story would fall apart. Besides, if Gibson was caught and confessed that he hadn't killed Joshua, Foreman would have no explanation.

Better to let the fire do the work.

With that thought, Foreman quickly pulled the heavy door shut. It wasn't locked, but in Joshua's current state, opening it would be nearly impossible.

The thought of Joshua dying while he emerged as Keen's savior filled Foreman with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

***

Stella's search of her designated warehouse row had yielded nothing. The fires there were clearly just a diversion. Finished, she debated whether to support Foreman or Haynes. Foreman's location was closer, so she decided to head there first.

After ending the call, he turned to Harold and Jake, who were frowning as they tried to call Joshua. "Star said they have Keen. Joshua might not be reachable; he could have lost his comms."

Hearing that Keen was safe, Harold and Jake relaxed slightly. They knew Joshua's location was the most dangerous, as Gibson would have laid countless traps. In a crisis like this, there was no time to interrogate Gibson for details. They followed Haynes to regroup.

***

Back with Foreman, Stella noticed the bloodstains and soot on his white shirt. "Foreman, are you hurt?"

"It's nothing," he said, though he was lying. "One of Gibson's men shot me from the shadows." He hadn't been entirely untruthful—he had been shot shortly after exiting the building, but it was a non-fatal wound. The shooter had likely realized he wasn't the primary target and had ceased firing. The injury, however, suited his purpose perfectly. It made his rescue of Keen seem all the more heroic.