Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

"Damien!" Cyrus cried out, unable to contain his tears as they streamed down his face.
The tip of the blade had pierced his coat, sending a jolt of sharp, cold pain through him.
Everything screeched to a halt, as if someone had hit a pause button.
Cyrus' sorrowful visage held Remy's gaze captive. A detachment crept in, a chilling sensation like his spirit was untethering itself. Then, a wave of dizziness washed over him, unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
As Remy lost his focus, Cyrus pulled the trigger.
He shot Remy's hand, the one holding the knife. Pain lanced through Remy, yet he didn't make a sound. A deep frown creased his face as he let the weapon clatter to the ground.
Cyrus wanted to apprehend Remy, but the beating had left him battered. He struggled to rise, clutching the gun tightly, prepared to defend himself if Remy attacked again.
However, Remy made no move toward him. Instead, he walked over to his accomplice lying on the ground, and together, they disappeared quickly into the woods.
An eerie silence settled over the scene, as if nothing had ever happened.
"Damien... is it you? Is it really you?" Cyrus murmured. He pushed through the intense pain, forcing himself upright, and called out to his police team. "We have a kidnapping situation at the Solana City amusement park. Requesting immediate backup."
Remy and Amber, both severely injured, sat in the car in a tense silence that stretched for the entire journey.
Remy drove with one hand, completely ignoring the bullet in his right hand. He lightly said to Amber, "You need to go to the hospital."
"The Millennium has a specialized doctor who could handle it." Amber, weak from blood loss, was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Remy glared at her. "You let them off easy."
"What." Amber's eyelashes fluttered. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
"You know what I'm saying."
"I've told you before. I'm no match for them. I'm already severely injured. Do I need to deal with your suspicions on top of everything else?"
Indignation colored her tone as she added, "If he doesn't trust me, then he shouldn't use me. I've had enough..."
"The more he doubts you, the more he'll exploit you. And the more he exploits you, the more exposed you become. Mr. Jameson is a vicious man," Remy said, perhaps attempting to distract himself from the pain of the gunshot wound.
Suddenly panicked, Amber tried to deflect the blame. "Don't lecture me! You didn't exactly finish the job either. You had the chance to take out Cyrus, so why didn't you?"
"He'd fired the first shot. There's no guarantee he wouldn't keep shooting. Jameson expects me to fight for him, but he doesn't deserve my loyalty. The only person who can dictate whether I live or die is Mr. Justin," Remy responded lightly, though he couldn't shake the voice that had called out "Damien" earlier. It filled him with a deep sadness.
"True, you work for Mr. Justin. You don't need to bend over backward for Mr. Jameson..." Amber smiled wryly, closing her eyes from fatigue.
After a long while, Amber heard Remy murmur, "I'm only concerned with completing my mission. I don't care about anything else as long as it gets done."
Amber finally let her guard down and said softly, "Thank you."
Landon tasked Jordan to keep an eye on Sylvia, a key witness, after leaving the amusement park.
Then, he called Harper Manor and received news that his grandfather and his secretary had been out of contact since last night. The situation was serious. They couldn't report him missing for another 48 hours, leaving everything in chaos, awaiting his instructions.
Landon squeezed his eyes shut, clinging to a sliver of hope that was swiftly extinguished by harsh reality. The possibility of his grandfather being dead slammed into him.
Consumed by vengeful rage, Landon's sole focus became capturing the deranged murderer, Preston.
He yearned to avenge both his father and grandfather.
Landon, despite the potential consequences, had chosen to break his pact with Sylvia. Even if it meant facing her wrath and losing her testimony regarding his father's murder, securing Sylvia as the key witness to Preston's crime—his grandfather's murder-was above anything else.
As Landon reached for the phone to call the police, Jasper's urgent call came through. "Landon, Lauren has been kidnapped!"
The news struck Landon like a physical blow. His heart, already shattered, plummeted further into the depths of despair.
"Angie and Cyrus have tracked the kidnappers down to an abandoned factory in the western suburbs. Lyse and I are already on our way!"