What Separates Me and You

Josephine stared at him in disbelief. Her mind went blank for a moment. She struggled to speak as she asked, "Are you planning to kill him?"

"There's no point continuing this game. If my plan works, I'll take you away from Elysium. No one will ever threaten you again. You'll be free, and you can go wherever you want."

"What if it fails?"

Seth smiled and remained silent. He didn't answer her question.

Josephine waited for a while, but Seth didn't respond. She didn't know what Seth had in mind. Did he have a backup plan? Was he prepared for failure or ready to go all in? He didn't share any of his thoughts with her.

Glancing at the rearview mirror, Josephine couldn't see the pursuing cars due to the road conditions. However, she knew Lewis was behind them.

She clenched her fingers tightly, her palms turning sweaty.

She attempted to persuade Seth to give up, but he had already made up his mind. No matter what she said, he remained unmoved.

Sitting, Conrad observed the increasingly remote road with growing unease. He gripped the seatbelt and nervously looked at the man behind the steering wheel.

"Chairman Alvarez, something feels off. Be careful. There might be a trap."

Conrad was driving at first, but Lewis grew impatient with his slow speed. He pulled him out of the driver's seat and took over the wheel himself.

Now Conrad felt like the car was about to take off.

The man beside him remained calm and focused on the road ahead. He paid no attention to Conrad's remarks.

Conrad wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and continued to grip the seatbelt tightly. He couldn't help but think that this was a reckless situation.

They had been driving for God knew how long, and by now, the sun was setting. The winding and steep mountain road was becoming dimmer as the mountains blocked the evening sun. The sky was adorned with a reddish hue.

Conrad recognized the road. He reminded Lewis, "Chairman Alvarez, it seems like we've been here before."

Seth kidnapped Josephine for the second time at this location. During that incident, Josephine and Lewis had even jumped off the cliff. They barely survived due to the water below.

This road wasn't leading them out of Elysium. It was leading them further into it.

"Chairman Alvarez, Seth must be scheming against us. Shouldn't we be more careful?"

"Shut up!" Lewis interrupted Conrad's ramblings.

Conrad shrunk back and fell silent, not daring to speak further.

Half an hour later, they were halfway up the mountain. Suddenly, Lewis slammed on the brakes, nearly throwing Conrad out of his seat.

Conrad saw a black car parked not far ahead, blocking the road. It was the same car Seth had been driving earlier.

"They're nearby..." Conrad began. But before he could finish his sentence, Lewis had already opened the car door and stepped out.

The wind on the mountain was strong, causing the dry grass to rustle. Conrad stared at the knee-high grass. His worries deepened as he watched Lewis stride forward.

"Chairman Alvarez, are you sure you want to go in?"

Lewis gazed at the thicket ahead, his gaze flickering.

Phineas and his men caught up from behind. As they disembarked, they gathered behind Lewis.

Without waiting for them to speak, Lewis ventured forth into the underbrush.

Conrad glanced at Phineas and signaled them to follow and protect Lewis.

Since Seth parked his car here, it meant there was an ambush within. Despite this, Lewis entered the thicket.

Meanwhile, Josephine could see Lewis' group approaching from a higher vantage point.

She turned her attention to the man beside her. He was assembling a sniper rifle on the ground. Torn between decisions, she gripped the tree trunk. Sweat poured down her forehead. "Are you really going to do this?"

Seth didn't even look up. He attached the rifle's buttstock, producing a distinctive click. The sound made Josephine's heart race.

She crouched down and grasped Seth's arm. "Alex, he brought so many people with him. Even if you do manage to kill him, we won't be able to escape. Please don't act impulsively." Seth glanced at her and extended a finger to caress her cheek. He smiled. "Don't be afraid."

Josephine furrowed her brows.

How could she not be afraid? She was about to kill someone.

Not to mention, his target was Lewis. Even if he succeeded, they wouldn't be able to escape.

Seth tilted his chin slightly, indicating, "Look."

Josephine looked in the direction he pointed. She saw several figures standing up from the grass behind Lewis. Clad in green suits, they were practically invisible when crouched down. While standing up, they raised the firearms in their hands and started firing shots.

Gunshots rang out, and the rearmost bodyguards were riddled with bullets.

"Watch out, Chairman Alvarez!"

Phineas reacted swiftly. At the sound of gunfire, he immediately tackled Lewis to the ground.

Others reacted just as quickly. They dropped to the ground and turned to fire back.

Their rapid response caught the attackers off guard. Several of them were hit, and they quickly retreated. They took cover in the grass and maneuvered around the area.

"You see. Do you think Lewis would come unprepared?" Seth remarked calmly. "His people are armed, too."

Josephine saw the scene early clearly. She stared in disbelief at the unfolding drama below. She never imagined that scenes she had only seen on television would now be happening right before her eyes. Seth's men crouched down to dodge the bullets, enabling Seth's group to react. As a result, the two sides were locked in a standoff.

Phineas glanced at the sky. It wasn't the right time to reveal themselves yet. Their enemy had the upper hand with their clothing. If they exposed themselves, they would be spotted instantly.

They had to wait until nightfall. When the enemy lost their advantage, they would have a chance.

"Move aside!" Lewis tried to push Phineas away, but Phineas held him down with all his might.

"Don't act impulsively, Chairman Alvarez! These people came prepared. If you go out now, you'll get killed."

Phineas knew that Lewis was infuriated at the moment. He was even acting on impulse, so he didn't dare release his grip on him.

Lewis let out a cold laugh. "She wants revenge, right? I'm giving her this opportunity."

With that said, he forcefully pushed Phineas away, causing Phineas to fall to the ground. Phineas quickly got back on his feet and stood between Dr. Halliday and the attackers.

The next moment, gunshots rang out, and one hit Phineas squarely in the chest.

Lewis paused mid-step and turned around to glance at Phineas. The other bodyguards also got up and engaged in a fierce gunfight with the attackers.

Phineas clutched his chest, blood oozing from between his fingers. Suffering, he cast a gaze toward Lewis.

"Chairman Alvarez, be careful ..."

After uttering those words, he could no longer hold on and collapsed.

Lewis caught him. "Phineas?"

However, Phineas' hand dropped weakly, revealing the bloody wound on his chest. He couldn't respond anymore.

Conrad crawled out from the bushes, too. His face turned pale upon seeing Phineas getting shot.

"Chairman Alvarez, Phineas ..."

Lewis' expression darkened gradually, and an unsettling presence seemed to enshroud him. He took the gun from Phineas' hand and tossed Phineas to Conrad. Then, he walked deeper into the woods. Conrad glanced at the injured Phineas in his arms and then at Lewis' retreating figure. He gritted his teeth and pressed his hand against Phineas' chest wound.