Chapter 216: The table had turned.

Something shifted in Cedric’s expression. The offer was alluring.

His company could be saved. The losses could be recovered. If Elias resumed their partnership, investors might start pouring money back into Sterling Group.

This was exactly what Cedric wanted—to resolve the company’s crisis and restore what he had lost.

Part of him wanted to accept. But then he thought of his daughter.

’What about Vivian? I can’t let her suffer in jail.’

He tossed the cigar aside.

"Vivian is my only daughter. I can’t let her suffer. I won’t let her spend another day in jail. You have to withdraw the case against her."

"She is a criminal. If you try to help her, the cops will become suspicious of you. They will investigate you. And if they start investigating you, who knows what they might dig up."

"Shut up..." Cedric roared. He pointed a trembling finger at Elias. "Shut the fuck up. Or I’ll kill you."

One of the men suddenly drove his fist into Elias’s stomach.

The impact was brutal.

Elias doubled over as the air was knocked from his lungs. Pain ripped through his abdomen. But the rage in him only intensified.

’Just a few more minutes.’

He forced himself to straighten. As he looked back at Cedric, a taunting smile slowly curled across his lips.

"What is it, Cedric? Scared? What crimes are you hiding?"

Cedric’s face paled.

He remembered conspiring to kill Elias’s parents, murdering Thomas, and silencing people who had gone against him or threatened to expose him.

For years, he had buried his crimes beneath money, influence, and fear. If the authorities truly investigated him, they could uncover everything he had hidden for decades.

He couldn’t let that happen. But he also couldn’t abandon Vivian.

"Instead of worrying about me, you should think about how you are going to compensate me," Cedric growled.

He leaned forward.

"I want one billion dollars. And transfer the ownership of the port you own to me."

Elias fell silent for a moment, stunned by his demand. Then he laughed.

"One billion and the port? Are you insane? You haven’t lost that much in a few days. This isn’t compensation. It’s robbery."

"You are not in a position to negotiate." Cedric pulled a thick bundle of documents from inside his coat and tossed them in front of Elias.

"Sign the documents," he ordered. "Transfer the port to me."

Elias stared at the documents. He didn’t move.

The two men holding him forced a pen into his hand.

Elias’s muscles tightened. With a sudden jerk, he shoved them away.

"I won’t sign anything."

Cedric’s expression turned cold. He pulled out a gun. Then he pointed it directly at Evelyn.

"You can’t say no to me. Sign it. Or she dies."

Evelyn went completely still. Her pupils dilated as she stared at the gun pointed at her. She barely dared to breathe.

One wrong movement could cost her life.

Ian immediately tried to move toward her.

"Don’t move," Cedric warned.

Ian didn’t dare move another inch.

Elias’s face turned pale. For the first time since entering the building, genuine fear tightened his chest.

"No... Don’t hurt her," he yelled in a frenzy. He stared at the gun. "I-I’ll sign."

Evelyn violently shook her head. Helpless tears slid down her cheeks. ’No, don’t sign, Elias,’ she screamed the words inside her mind.

But Elias couldn’t hear her. He reached for the documents.

The masked man thrust the pen toward him.

Elias took it. But before lowering his head, he secretly glanced toward the door.

’Where are they? Why aren’t they here yet?’

His heart pounded. He couldn’t keep Cedric distracted forever.

Elias tightened his fingers around the pen and looked up.

"Put the gun down first. I’ll sign."

"Still trying to negotiate." Cedric unlocked the gun. His eyes remained fixed on Evelyn. "Sign it. Or I am pulling the trigger."

Elias tightened his hold around the pen. He lowered his gaze to the documents in his hand. His hand slowly moved toward the signature line.

Just as he was about to sign, the door crashed open.

A figure was thrown through the doorway and slammed onto the floor.

Everyone turned.

The two men beside Elias immediately raised their guns. Before they could fire, several shots rang out. The bullets struck them in the chest.

Their bodies jerked backward before crashing heavily onto the floor. Blood quickly spread across their clothes.

Elias immediately dropped to the floor and rolled away from them, keeping his head down.

At the same time, three more men in black rushed through the doorway.

One moved along the left wall. Another took position beside the right side of the entrance. The third stayed near the doorway, covering the corridor outside.

They didn’t rush blindly into the room.

Cedric panicked. He spun toward the doorway and fired repeatedly.

The bullets struck the doorframe and concrete walls. But there was no clear target.

Cedric couldn’t see how many men had entered. His breathing became ragged.

He looked toward the windows. An armed man in black was visible outside, positioned behind a broken section of the wall.

The building was surrounded. He finally realized.

Cedric’s face lost some of its color.

"You brought back up team," he snapped. "You lied to me."

Cedric’s eyes darted around the room. All his men were dead. His carefully prepared trap was collapsing around him.

He swung the weapon back toward Evelyn. His expression twisted with fury.

"Since you broke the promise, I will kill you all."

Cedric pulled the trigger.

"No," Elias yelled. He lunged forward, stretching out his hand.

Ian moved faster. Despite his injuries and bound hands, he threw his entire body toward Evelyn.

He jerked violently. The bullet struck him in the back.

A muffled cry escaped Evelyn’s throat. Her mind went blank for a second. She stared at Ian in disbelief as he collapsed onto the floor.

Blood began spreading across the back of his shirt.

’Ian, no... Get up. Please get up." Her whole body shook violently.

But Ian didn’t move.

Elias froze for a fraction of a second. Then his expression changed completely. His gaze turned toward Cedric. The restraint he had maintained for so long finally began to disappear.

Evelyn went completely still. Tears fell drop by drop. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The man she loved had taken the bullet meant for her.

Cedric grew desperate. His plan failed. He was trapped. He knew he couldn’t walk away. But he wouldn’t give up easily.

"Elias, don’t think you’ve won." He pulled out a remote control from his pocket. "Tonight, no one is walking out of here. We’ll all die here."

He raised the remote. His finger hovered over the red button.

"As soon as I press the button, the entire building will blow up."

But before Cedric could press it, a bullet tore through his hand.

"Ah..." he cried out. The remote slipped from his grip. He dropped to his knees, clutching his injured hand. "My hand..."

Pain shot through his arm. Before he could reach for the remote, several men in black rushed forward.

Two of them grabbed his arms and forced him face-down onto the floor while another kicked the remote out of reach.