Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 92: Run For Her Pride (2)

She tried to climb again, forcing her trembling arms to pull her body upward, but—

BANG!

Another shot rang through the tunnel, deafening against the cold steel walls. This time the silver bullet pierced her shoulder. A sharp pain tore through her, stealing the breath from her lungs and causing her to loosen her grip.

Then, she fell.

Her body hit the ground with a heavy thud. The impact sent shockwaves of pain through her, rattling her bones.

She lay there, her eyes half-open, her vision blurred with pain.

Everything hurts.

She tasted blood on her tongue, thick and metallic. Her back throbbed from the force of the fall, and a sharp, pulsing pain settled at the base of her skull where her head had struck the cold concrete.

She tried to move, but her limbs wouldn’t listen.

If her ability to heal hadn’t been blocked, she might have been able to pull herself up, but her body felt broken.

Julian approached her. "This is exactly why I told you to listen." His voice was calm, too calm. He reached down, grabbing a fistful of her hair.

Charlotte barely had time to react before he dragged her across the freezing concrete.

Her body scraped against the rough floor, fresh pain blooming across her back, but she didn’t have the strength to fight him off.

"If you end up hurt, Charlotte," Julian murmured, his voice eerily gentle, "don’t blame me."

Charlotte’s eyes fluttered, her gaze locking onto the open hatch above them.

Her exit.

Her freedom.

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she reached out weakly, her fingers stretching toward the only chance she had left.

But the exit felt like it was slipping further and further away.

Like happiness was never meant for her.

She had just begun to feel warmth again. Just started to understand what unconditional love was.

And now, she was being dragged back into hell.

If she had known it would end like this ... She never would have let Damon wait for her answer.

Her fingers curled against the floor, her voice barely a whisper. "I’m sorry."

If she had just one more chance to see Damon, she would never make him wait for her love again.

Because the truth was, if Charlotte didn’t carry so many wounds in her heart, she could have proudly said it out loud that she loved Damon with her whole heart. freewebnøvel.com

She wanted to be with him for the rest of her life.

She wanted to build a small, warm family with him and their child.

But ... was that dream too beautiful to come true?

Was happiness simply something she wasn’t meant to have?

Maybe.

After all, she had spent years carrying the weight of her own sins, wanting to die a hundred times over.

For the past five years, all she had wished for was death.

But now that she finally wanted to live, death was waiting for her.

It was alright.

At least, she had felt warmth.

At least, she had known happiness, even if it was only for a few months.

It was alright.

Charlotte closed her eyes and took a slow, trembling breath.

If she stayed alive, all that awaited her was suffering and she wasn’t sure her child would even survive if she endured too much pain.

Her lips parted slightly as she shifted her tongue, pressing it firmly beneath her teeth. If she bit down hard enough, deep enough, then maybe she would die instantly.

It was alright.

If she died now, at least she could keep her pride.

She was ready to bite herself to death, But just as she was about to do it—

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion tore through the underground bunker. The ground shook beneath her, a violent tremor rattling through the entire structure. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling as a deafening crack echoed through the tunnels.

Julian released his grip on Charlotte’s hair, his head snapping toward the sound of the explosion. His entire body tensed as he grabbed his gun, ready to fire at any moment.

BOOM!

Another explosion, but this time was closer.

Julian cursed under his breath before shouting into his radio communicator. "What the hell is happening?!"

A garbled voice crackled back through the static. "Bombs! Someone’s blown up the entrances to the tunnels!"

Not long after that, Charlotte could hear growls and snarls from afar, followed by the sounds of men screaming. Gunshots rang out everywhere, giving her goosebumps.

Had the Crimson Moon Pack found the underground tunnels?

Had Damon found her?

Her pulse raced with hope and desperation.

While chaos erupted around them, Charlotte took her chance.

Move. Move. Move.

Ignoring the pain ripping through her body, she crawled toward the exit. Every movement sent fire through her wounded leg and shoulder, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to stop.

Just a little more.

Just a little—

"Where do you think you’re going?!" Julian shouted at her. "Did you really think you could escape from me?!"

"If I can’t have you, then no one will," he snarled, shoving the nearest steel door open with a loud clang.

When Julian tried to pull his leg, Charlotte used her other leg to kick him in the face with all her might. "Get off me, you bastard!"

"The only man who can have me is my fate mate!" Charlotte screamed.

Julian’s face darkened. He went to grab her, but the nearby hatch suddenly exploded.

BOOM!

A deafening roar filled the tunnel as metal shards rained down, smoke and dust billowing into the air. Charlotte instinctively shielded her face with her arms, coughing as debris clattered around her.

After that, she heard another thing fall to the ground, this time lighter and sounding like a human.

Charlotte lifted her head and squinted through the dust. She held her breath as she saw that the figure before her was exactly who she had prayed for.

"Da-Damon!" Charlotte screamed his name as loud as she could.

Through the swirling smoke, Damon’s piercing gray eyes burned with fury. He lowered his head and his entire body stiffened at the sight of her—

Her bruised skin. Her gunshot wounds. The blood stained her clothes.

His mate had suffered so much in such a little time.

Julian had dared to lay his filthy hands on her. The fury in Damon’s eyes burned like wildfire.

In a flash, he lunged forward, grabbing Julian by the throat.

Julian barely had time to gasp before Damon slammed him into the nearest steel wall with a sickening crack.