The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes-Chapter 202- Why are you crying?

Once her eyes were free, Janice stared at the space around them, her body trembling involuntarily. Charles gently placed her in the soft seat of the helicopter, but he didn’t sit beside her. Instead, his gaze fixed on her with a sincerity and focus that made her heart ache.

"Charles... you..." Janice looked around the vast cabin. Only they, Manfred, and two accompanying staff were there—clearly a temporary arrangement, a bit hasty.

"At a time like this, I couldn’t let Shaun and the others risk themselves alone. We’ve always faced danger together. You understand me, right?" Charles brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, his lips brushing her cheek as he spoke.

Only once he was certain she was safe could he truly let his mind focus on the task at hand.

Janice inhaled sharply. Listening to Charles’ words that left no room for argument, she simply gazed at him with wide, unblinking eyes—neither nodding nor shaking her head.

She should have understood the moment she saw the look exchanged between Charles and Shaun. Leaving safely wasn’t going to be simple.

"And me? You’re not staying with me?" Janice’s selfish desire to keep him close flared up, but she lacked the courage to hold him back. Instead, she watched as his warm gaze slowly turned icy, his eyes looking down on her from above. In that moment, he reminded her of the proud, untouchable man she had first met.

"The target is them, not us. You’ll be fine. We’ll meet at home." Charles didn’t look at her eyes again. Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her deeply. Just as Janice instinctively reached to wrap her arms around him, he let go and strode toward the deck—once again choosing to return to danger.

"Meet me at home... I’ll be waiting!" Janice wiped her tears. She wanted to chase after him, but the helicopter was already lifting off. Pressing her face to the window, she watched the tiny black dot on the huge plane behind them gradually vanish. Her eyes stung as the outside world blurred into white fog, leaving nothing in sight.

"Manfred!" Janice suddenly remembered the figure she had seen earlier—injured Manfred. Charles and Shaun had let them leave first to ensure their safety.

She rushed to his side. His wounds had been treated, at least temporarily. Hearing her call, Manfred weakly opened his eyes, meeting her tear-filled gaze. He offered a faint smile, grasping the hand she extended.

"Why are you crying? Where’s Charles?"

Seeing the man wasn’t there, Manfred immediately understood. He suddenly felt a pang of envy for the bond Charles and Shaun shared—not brothers by blood, yet closer than brothers.

"It’s alright now... he’ll be fine. Don’t forget—he’s Charles." Manfred struggled to sit upright. Seeing the reliance and longing in Janice’s eyes, a warm sensation welled up inside him.

It felt good. She still needed him in this moment. Even if she belonged to someone else, he still wanted to do something for her.

"Manfred... we’ll be fine. Everything will be fine!" Janice’s heart pounded uncontrollably. Was it a premonition of what was to come? Or had life’s trials yet again pushed her to her limits, leaving her utterly exhausted in both body and spirit?

"Why are you back here again?" On the other side, Charles had just boarded the helicopter, while Shaun already donned his protective gear. The massive aircraft hovered near the horizon, ready to face the next obstacle in their path.

Black Hawk’s men had arrived. Fortunately, thanks to their foresight, without Janice and Manfred as leverage, they were free to strike back with full force.

"At a time like this... how could you possibly leave me out?" Charles caught the pistol Brian tossed him with steady hands. Since Reyn’s main forces remained with the Silver Emperor, the two men assigned to escort them were staying close to Janice. That left only the four of them here—Steven at the controls, while Charles, Shaun, and Brian covered the rear.

The metallic scrape of gunfire against frosted glass filled the cabin. Another high-altitude helicopter shadowed them. Steven carefully scanned the terrain, steering toward a different vector, daringly using their aircraft to ram the approaching chopper. The bold move seemed to terrify the pursuers. Once they changed course, bullets tore through the air as their plane, like a soaring eagle, arced beautifully across the sky before descending to a steady glide.

"We’ve got Reyn on the line. His men are already en route. Stay on the normal trajectory!" Brian lowered his binoculars after watching the helicopter crash behind them. He relayed instructions to Steven, who skillfully maneuvered to avoid a sudden updraft. Soon, the plane reached open airspace, and the land below blurred into nothingness.

"This... I guess counts as a close call," Shaun muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. During the fight, stray bullets had grazed his arm, leaving blood. Charles had used his tie to stem the bleeding. Now, they had to endure several more hours before reaching L.A.

The four of them exchanged glances, laughter creeping into the tension—a fleeting relief. The Las Vegas performance had ended.

Charles lifted the binoculars, straining to follow the black dot ahead, but beyond a white haze, nothing was visible. He tossed the binoculars aside, pacing anxiously.

"They didn’t catch up to us. We’ll be fine... and Reyn’s men are on their way, so nothing unexpected will happen..." Shaun’s words trailed off just as the cabin shuddered violently. The sudden impact threw him off balance, pitching him forward.

"Steven, what’s happening?" Charles’ balance held steady. He opened the cabin door swiftly, scanning for the source. Steven was bent over the tracking instruments, his expression grim. Brian, too, realized the severity of the situation.

One thing they had underestimated: a cunning Black Hawk would never ignore anyone opposing him, even if they had not betrayed him.

"Damn it... the fuel tank is leaking, the tailwheel’s cracked. Someone tampered with this plane!" Steven’s words confirmed their worst fears.

"What do we do now? Where exactly are we? Are we about to crash?!" Shaun staggered to stand, cursing under his breath.

"Janice..." Charles’ mind focused on only one thought. If this plane had been sabotaged by Black Hawk’s men... what about the one ahead?

Even Reyn, as powerful as he was, couldn’t reach them in time. And the lead helicopter had already pulled a significant distance ahead. There was no way Charles could see her...