Rising from the Ashes The Heiress They Tried to Erase Novel

Chapter 878: For everyone there, the words landed like a death sentence. Panic erupted instantly. People screamed and bolted in every direction, some sobbing as they searched desperately for their loved ones, others frantically dialing emergency numbers on their phones. Before anyone could process the chaos, a deafening explosion tore through the mall. A blast thundered from the escalator leading to the top floor. Smoke and flames erupted, swallowing everyone caught in that section. Screams pierced the air.

Another explosion followed near the elevator, ripping apart steel beams and spraying fire in every direction. Half the overhead lights flickered and died, plunging the floor into shadow while thick, choking smoke rolled across the chaos. Vince's manic laughter rang out over the devastation. "Go ahead - try running! Every inch of this mall is wired to blow. None of you are getting out alive!" The entire top floor collapsed into pandemonium. Screams, cries, and the thud of bodies colliding blended into one nightmarish sound. Some stumbled and fell, only to be trampled beneath the stampede.

Others, desperate beyond reason, tried to force their way through windows, only to be dragged back by those clinging to them in terror. Amid the smoke and fire, phone screens still blinked, capturing every moment as some continued streaming live. Videos shook and blurred, but comment sections exploded: "Explosion at Harmony Plaza - top floor!" "Vince Ward is holding Maia Watson hostage! He says if she won't marry him, he'll kill everyone with the bombs. This is insane..." "What kind of psycho does this? If he can't have her, no one gets out alive?" : ꞏ "Is this real?

Was that really an explosion? Where even IS this - what about Maia?" "Harmony Plaza's top floor just blew up! Vince really planted bombs. This is unreal!" "He's threatening to kill everyone unless Maia agrees to marry him. This is like a nightmare." "Police, ambulance, fire trucks - get to Harmony Plaza now!" Amid the chaos, Maia moved against the tide, stepping toward Vince while everyone else fought to escape. A flicker of fear crossed Vince's face. He raised his right hand, the remote clenched tightly, his thumb inching toward the button. "Maia, is this really your answer?

Do you even care about your own life?" he shouted. The explosion's echo still reverberated through the air. Thick, beast-like smoke billowed around them, blurring the surroundings and choking everyone within reach. Flames burst from the shattered elevator doors, casting the sky in a fiery crimson glow while the acrid stench of smoke and burning metal spread through the air. Panic gripped the crowd as people scattered in every direction, their cries and screams merging into a chaotic symphony. Amid the collapse, Maia kept walking toward Vince, unfazed by his repeated threats.

Seeing this, Chris darted forward and gripped her wrist firmly. . . .