Protect Our Emma!

"No!" Louis yelled. "She's mine to kill, son!"

The man turned toward his dad. He knew how much his dad hated Ava for all the pain she had caused him in the past. Without much thought, he handed him the gun and turned his back to Ava. He couldn't bear to witness it. "The final shot is yours to take!"

Before Louis could react, the sound of engines filled the air. Several cars were approaching.

All the men in the room went on high alert. They were vigilant, unsure of the identity of the man rushing to the woman in the room.

"Dad, are they already here?" the son asked, confused.

"Damn it! That bastard!" Louis exclaimed, suddenly alert. Without wasting a second, he shot Ava straight in the heart.

The force of the bullet caused Ava to lose her balance and fall to the ground. She clung tightly to her daughter, too overwhelmed to react to the pain. She was prepared for it, but her consciousness was slipping away.

Louis wasted no time in giving orders to his men. "Get Emma away from her!"

But before anyone could move, his son intervened. "We don't have time, Dad. We need to leave now."

"No!" Louis refused. "Ava wasn't our main target! Emma is!"

His son pressed his shoulder firmly. "We have our whole lives to deal with her. But if Ottis Torres catches us now, it's over for us, Dad. Please, let's go."

"...."

"Dad!!"

"Hmm, let's go." Realizing the danger Ottis posed, Louis conceded to his son's concern. He couldn't risk falling into Ottis's hands. They still had their revenge to exact.

Louis cast one last glance around the room, then threw his gun at Ava's face and spat on her angrily. Taking his son by the shoulder, he leaned on him for support as they made their way out of the room.

Within minutes, the abandoned bungalow was swarmed by over a hundred men in black.

"Find them!!!" Ottis shouted.

Before they could reach the scene, two gunshots rang out. Ottis's heart clenched in fear for his wife and daughter. He knew why they were after his wife and daughter and not his son.

The metallic scent of blood filled the building. It resembled a haunted house more than a home, but Ottis remained unfazed.

"Boss, we found Mr. Dylan!" a guard reported.

Ottis rushed to the corner room on the ground floor, where his guard was supporting Dylan, his son, who had also been injured.

Ottis reached them, cupping Dylan's face as he anxiously asked, "How badly is he hurt? Why is he unconscious?"

"It's his injuries, sir. He has a few broken bones and knife wounds. But he'll survive," the guard reassured him.

"Get him to the hospital immediately. Hurry!" Ottis ordered before heading to find his wife and daughter.

Within minutes, they found Ava and Emma upstairs. Ottis rushed to their side, calling out their names frantically.

Ava was taking her last breaths. She was on the verge of death, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe, let alone speak. But when Ottis arrived, she saw hope in his eyes. Tears welled up in her own.

Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, Ava knew that nothing could harm their daughter now. Though she understood she wouldn't survive, she felt no regret.

As Ottis saw his wife in that condition, he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Never had he imagined he would see this day. The woman he promised the world was now fighting for her life.

Crawling to her side, he held Ava in his arms, apologizing endlessly. His beloved wife, covered in blood, lay in his arms. He couldn't believe he had let this happen to her.

As Ottis wept, Ava smiled weakly. She knew what he was feeling and didn't blame him for not being there sooner. She was just grateful to see him unharmed and to know their daughter was safe.

Ava was too weak to say much, but she had to. Doing her best, she passed Emma to Ottis. He froze, looking down at his daughter, hidden by his wife all this time. Hugging them tightly, Ottis looked down at his lifelines, wanting to say something, but Ava spoke first.

Giving Emma one last kiss, Ava tried to convey what was most important. "Protect our Emma."

Hearing those words, Ottis looked up to see Ava closing her eyes.

"No, no, no! Ava! Wake up, my love! Look, I'm here. Talk to me. Baby? Ava!!! AVA!!!!"