Chapter 302
Chapter 302:
From the wings, a figure vaulted over the equipment barrier.
Liam.
He landed on the stage with a heavy thud, stumbling but recovering instantly. He held his hands up, palms open. His face was pale, his eyes locked on the blood trickling down Skye’s neck.
“Let her go,” Liam said. His voice cracked. “Crystal, look at me. Let her go. Take me. I’m the one with the money. I’m a sponsor p>
“You’re trash too!” Crystal spat, swinging the knife slightly toward him before snapping it back to Skye’s throat. “You all just use people p>
Dominic stood in the shadows of the wing, watching. He didn’t move to help. He was calculating. If Skye died here, on live TV, the scandal would be immense. But Oracle Holdings would lose its figurehead. It might be… convenient.
Skye felt Crystal’s grip shift. The girl was unraveling.
During the struggle, Crystal’s phone—which she had been clutching in her left hand along with Skye’s hair—was now being waved erratically in front of Skye’s face.
Crystal was hysterical, desperate to justify her actions. She shoved the phone screen inches from Skye’s eyes, her thumb mashing the screen to wake it up.
“Look at it! Look what she gave me!” Crystal screamed, the phone practically hitting Skye’s nose. “She promised p>
Skye’s eyes focused on the bright screen in the chaos. It was a direct message notification from a secure messaging app, still visible on the lock screen. The sender was “V. Hayes p>
The preview message was short and brutal:
Payment of $50k sent. Finish the job and the rest is yours.
Skye’s breath hitched.
“Victoria Hayes,” Skye whispered.
Crystal froze. “What p>
“She paid you, didn’t she?” Skye said, loud enough for the microphone clipped to her shirt to pick up. The name boomed through the studio speakers. “I saw the message, Crystal. Fifty grand. Is that what my life is worth to her p>
Liam’s eyes widened. “Victoria p>
“She promised you money,” Skye continued, her voice gaining strength. “She promised you revenge. But think, Crystal. Look at the phone p>
O𝘧fic𝗂a𝗹 so𝗎𝗿𝗰𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝘁𝘩𝗂𝗌 𝗻𝘰𝗏𝖾𝗹 𝘰𝗇 𝘣𝘦.𝘤о𝗆
“Shut up!” Crystal screamed, but her eyes flicked down to the device in her hand.
“The transfer is a digital trail,” Skye said smoothly, her mind racing. “She can cancel it the moment you are arrested. She’s using you as a disposable weapon. If you kill me, you go to prison for life. Victoria keeps her money. She used you, just like everyone else p>
Crystal’s breath hitched. Doubt—heavy and paralyzing—flooded her eyes. She looked at the phone, then at Skye.
“She… she said…” Crystal stammered.
The pressure on the knife eased by a fraction of a millimeter.
That was all Skye needed.
She didn’t wait for Liam. She didn’t wait for security.
Skye stomped her heel down onto Crystal’s instep with all her force.
Crystal shrieked in pain, her grip loosening. Skye threw her head back, slamming her skull into Crystal’s nose. There was a sickening crunch.
Crystal stumbled back, blindly dropping the knife.
Skye spun around, kicking the knife away across the stage.
“Now!” Skye yelled.
Liam lunged. He tackled Crystal just as she tried to dive for the weapon. They hit the floor hard, Liam pinning her down with his body weight.