Blood And Promises Novel by Sabrina Hart Chapter 23

Blood And Promises Novel by Sabrina Hart Chapter 23

Richard stood beneath the old locust tree in front of the building, its leaves nearly all fallen. His uniform was immaculate, and even a thin layer of white frost had formed on his shoulders. There was little color in his face, dark circles heavy beneath his eyes, but his back remained perfectly straight. When he saw her come out, his usually silent gaze brightened for a moment, only to be extinguished again by deeper exhaustion.

Samantha stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowing out of habit. Her voice carried the slight hoarseness of early morning and a trace of barely perceptible helplessness: “Why are you here again?”

Richard did not speak. He simply took a few steps forward, stopping in front of her. He took two items from inside his coat and held them out to her.

One was a golden first-class military medal, reflecting a cold, sharp light in the morning sun. The other was a sealed document envelope.

“Sammy,” he began, his voice unusually hoarse from a night of cold wind and thirst, “this is my military medal. And this,” he shook the envelope, “is all my assets, the Cantrell family shares, real estate, bank deposits… All the legal documents and transfer agreements have already been notarized.”

Samantha’s brows furrowed even more. She did not take them, only looked at him with confusion and detachment in her eyes.

Richard took a deep breath, the icy air of the northern morning stabbing painfully into his lungs. He looked into her eyes—those beautiful eyes that once brimmed with starlight and affection, now left only with calm and indifference—and spoke, word by word, clearly and slowly: “If I don’t come back, these things are enough for you to live the rest of your life without worry, with comfort and freedom.”

Samantha’s heart felt as if something had gently struck it, sending out faint, sour ripples. But she quickly suppressed that strange feeling, shook her head, and replied in a cold and resolute tone: “Richard, I don’t need them.”

“Take them.” Richard, however, would not take no for an answer. He stubbornly pulled her hand over and pressed the cold medal and the rather thick envelope into her slightly chilled palm.

“Sammy,” he squeezed her hand for a moment before letting go quickly, as if afraid to be abrupt, yet reluctant to part with that bit of warmth. He looked at her, his eyes deep, filled with emotions so complex Samantha could not decipher them—there was resolve, reluctance, guilt, and a hint of desperate hope.

“Wait for me to come back.”

“This time, let me be the one to chase you.”

After saying this, he gave her no chance to refuse, nor did he look at her stunned face again. He turned decisively and strode into the dim morning mist. His figure was upright, yet inexplicably carried a loneliness as bleak as the wind over the Yi River.

Samantha stood where she was, holding the heavy medal still warm from his touch and the equally weighty envelope, watching his silhouette disappear into the fog, unmoving for a long time.

The wind at the border was as sharp as a knife.

The rescue operation was even more difficult than expected. The enemy had large numbers, excellent equipment, and occupied advantageous terrain. The firefight was extremely fierce. Bullets whistled past their ears, and the light of explosions illuminated half the sky.

Richard led his squad, relying on their outstanding skills and seamless cooperation, advancing all the way until they finally found the kidnapped scientific team members. Covering and retreating alternated in succession.

Just as the last team member was safely escorted past the rendezvous point and Richard was preparing to cover the retreat, a sudden change occurred!

An enemy hidden behind the rocks, taking advantage of the firelight and smoke, quietly raised his gun and aimed at Richard, who was commanding his teammates with his back turned.

“Watch out!” A sharp-eyed team member shouted hoarsely and lunged forward, trying to push Richard out of the way.

The moment he heard the shout, Richard had already reacted, but the enemy was clearly a veteran and anticipated his evasive move.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Three gunshots rang out, almost in a single line.

The first bullet grazed his arm, drawing a trail of blood. The second bullet struck his right chest, the tremendous impact sending him staggering backward. The third bullet headed straight for his heart on the left side of his chest!

At the critical moment, Richard used the last of his strength and instinctively twisted his body slightly aside.

“Thud-“

The muffled sound of a bullet entering flesh. A searing pain shot through his left chest, his vision darkened, and his breathing suddenly became difficult. Richard could clearly feel the warm blood gushing from his wound, quickly draining away his body heat and strength.

“Captain!!!”

The team members’ eyes were bloodshot as they unleashed a furious barrage of fire, riddling the ambusher with bullets.

Richard collapsed heavily to the ground, the snow beneath him quickly stained red. His vision began to blur, and the sounds of gunfire and shouting seemed distant, as if separated by a layer. The cold snow pressed against his burning cheek, bringing a kind of deathly tranquility.

Was he going to die? Perhaps that was for the best.