Chapter 227

Serena's POV

I feel another violent jolt as our car lurches to the side.

None of us can speak anymore - we're all too focused on survival. Through the window, I can barely make out where we are. The Portland skyline has disappeared as we've been forced onto the mountain way. Everything beyond our headlights is pitch black.

Brooks has no choice but to keep pushing forward, not daring to slow down for even a second. The black SUV behind us is relentless - any decrease in speed would mean instant collision. And at these speeds, that would be fatal.

The silence in our car is suffocating. We can only pray that the Wilson's unit arrives in time. Otherwise...

Suddenly, my blood runs cold. I notice Atticus and Brooks's expressions mirror my horror.

A massive eighteen-wheeler appears out of nowhere, its high beams blazing directly into our eyes. Brooks is instantly blinded, his vision flooded with white light. He jerks the wheel, and our car slams into the concrete barrier. The truck roars past us, missing us by inches.

But we have no time for relief. The pursuing vehicles are closing in fast. Brooks barely starts to reverse when I hear it - the sickening crunch of metal on metal as the first SUV rams into us.

I grip the overhead handle, the seatbelt cutting into my chest as I struggle to breathe. The assault doesn't stop - three more vehicles take turns battering our car. The frame of our car is buckling around us. A few more hits like this and we'll be crushed.

"Take it down the embankment!" Atticus snarled.

Brooks's shock is evident in his voice: "Jesus Christ, sir - that drop by the Palisades - we don't know how steep it is or what's at the bottom..."

"Better odds than being crushed to death here!" Atticus snaps with grim certainty.

Brooks mutters "God help us" under his breath and complies. He floors the accelerator, and I watch the digital speedometer climb higher and higher...

Just before we crash through the barrier, I hear Atticus's voice close to my ear: "Serena, it's in God's hands now."

God's hands? The words echo in my mind. Yes, that's all we have left.

The Bentley bursts through the barrier and begins its deadly tumble down the rocky slope toward the bottom. My body feels like it's being torn apart by the violence of the roll. Safety glass explodes around us as we spin again and again, falling into the darkness with no end in sight...

Rachel's POV

I noticed my brother Garrett answer his phone. A subtle smile crossed his face as he bent down to whisper something to grandfather, who sat at our family's reserved table.

Grandfather maintained his cold expression, though I caught the slight glint in his eyes. His ring glinted as he gave a nearly imperceptible nod. Garrett responded with a curt "Done" into his phone before ending the call.

When he turned, our eyes met across the room. His expression confirmed what I already knew - our plan had worked. The black Bentley had gone off the mountain road, exactly as intended.

I scanned the crowded hall for Lucas. He'd excused himself right after we'd announced our engagement. Some socialites had swarmed us with congratulations then, preventing me from following. But he should have returned by now.

A wave of panic hit me. Forgetting my poise, I rushed toward the executive restroom. I had to find him. But the attendant confirmed he wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. The worst-case scenario crossed my mind.

I hurried back through the hall, my heels clicking against the marble floor. Garrett, noticing my uncharacteristic behavior, smoothly guided me into one of the private donor lounges.

"Pull yourself together," he warned in a low voice. "The media is still here."

"Garrett, Lucas is gone," I fought to keep my voice steady.

My brother straightened his tie. "Are you certain?"

"He's not in the executive washroom. He's not anywhere in the wing." My words rushed out.

"The place is enormous, perhaps-"

"Garrett." I cut him off, my voice rised.

"Take a breath," he advised, already texting our private security team and calling the surveillance room.

The report came back quickly - Lucas had slipped out through the staff entrance twenty minutes ago. My stomach dropped. Was he headed to the airport? No, he couldn't find them!

"Are you absolutely certain about Atticus and Serena?" I forced myself to sound controlled.

"The car went off that mountain road at high speed. With those cliffs..." Garrett let the implication hang.

"I need confirmation!" My voice rose despite the thick walls. "We need proof! What if the -"

"Atticus's security team will handle the scene," Garrett cut in smoothly. "We've orchestrated everything perfectly. Even if by some miracle they survived, they won't be able to come after us. If our people are spotted at the scene now, they could turn the tables and pin the blame on us. We can't risk that exposure."

"I can't risk Serena surviving this!" All my breeding had evaporated.

"Lucas won't change anything," Garrett reminded me. "Think about it - with his position now, his family's banking interests... He can't afford a scandal with the Thornes. Not now." He adjusted his cufflinks. "And don't forget our insurance policy."

His words finally began to pierce my panic. Yes, even if Lucas made it to the scene, all he'd find would be wreckage on the rocks. The thought calmed me, though I knew it probably shouldn't.