What Separates Me and You

"Damn it, Phineas. Don't die here!" Conrad's voice trembled as he struggled to stem the bleeding, his desperation evident. Meanwhile, Seth had set up the sniper rifle above. Conrad's entire figure was in his crosshairs.

Looking down at the gruesome scene below, Josephine was filled with regret. She regretted following Seth and getting in his car. She had wanted freedom, but not at the cost of all this.

Josephine stiffly turned to Seth and noticed he had aimed the rifle at Conrad below.

After adjusting his position and calculating the distance, Seth gradually moved the crosshair to the center of Lewis' forehead. Lewis didn't seem to be afraid of death. He continued walking toward them, exposing himself to danger.

The only one left from the Alvarez family was Lewis.

By killing Lewis, he could avenge the Vance family.

Seth's finger rested on the trigger, and he began to count softly.

"Three, two, one."

He pulled the trigger, and the bullet flew out.

Lewis' steps faltered. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He stood in the wind with the grass around him rustling wildly.

The bullet tore through the air and sped toward its target.

In the next moment, Seth's face fell. He grabbed his chest. Unable to bear the pain, he sank to his knees.

At the same time, Seth looked up and turned to Josephine.

Josephine's eyes were red, and she trembled as she tightly held onto his hand.

Seth shifted his gaze downward and stared at Josephine's trembling hands on his own. "Why?"

Josephine's breath was ragged, and she was too overwhelmed to speak. Tears streamed down her face, tracing a path along her cheeks.

Anger flickered in Seth's eyes. The bullet was supposed to hit the center of Lewis' forehead. But it had missed its mark because Josephine had pulled him.

"I, I..." Josephine's tears flowed more intensely, and she struggled to find her words. She didn't know what to say. Nor did she understand why her hands had betrayed her. Just as Josephine was choking on her words, a warm liquid splashed onto her face. Her whole body stiffened.

She widened her eyes and lowered her gaze to Seth's chest.

Sometime during the chaos, a bullet hole appeared on Seth's chest. Blood was oozing out, slowly staining his deep-red tuxedo into a dark shade of black. Seth let out a bitter, disappointed laugh. "You've been fooled, you idiot."

Josephine stood frozen in place, her mind blank. Tears continued to flow uncontrollably from her eyes, and her gaze remained fixated on the bloody scene before her. She was at a loss. She wanted to reach out and press her hand against Seth's chest wound, but Seth coldly brushed her aside.

"He brought snipers too. They're searching for my location. That was my only chance."

"Josephine." Seth's gaze turned icy, just like when he first met her two years ago. "I was wrong to trust you again."

Josephine desperately shook her head, wanting to help staunch the bleeding. But Seth wouldn't let her touch him.

"Traitor

Josephine, remember this. You are a traitor to the Vance family," he labored to speak. He swayed as he got to his feet, and a faint, low laugh escaped his lips. Down below, Lewis looked up and caught sight of Seth on the higher ground.

He raised his hand and signaled the sniper to stop attacking.

Seth took a step back, his gaze fixed on Josephine. He lowered his eyes, and his expression carried a heavy sense of mockery.

The wind on the mountain tossed his hair, disarraying his appearance. His handsome face seemed more pathetic than ever.

"Carry the sin with you and live well with Lewis."

Realizing what he intended to do, Josephine knelt on the ground. Her growing panic made her limbs feel weak. She tried to stand up but found herself devoid of strength. She reached out, struggling to crawl toward Seth. "No... please ..."

Seth stared at her disheveled appearance, his laughter growing more unrestrained. Yet, his laugh was tinged with sorrow.

"All these years, what a joke I've been."

"Twenty years... I've spent two decades searching for our enemy and gave up everything to infiltrate the Alvarez family, all for the sake of a debt of gratitude for a single meal ..." "Josephine, you are the real member of the Vance family."

Josephine gazed at him, her tears blurring her vision. The sky was getting darker, and she couldn't see Seth's face clearly. But she could sense the extreme disappointment and sadness in his voice. "Since you love him so much, I should let go of this vendetta."

Seth was standing at the edge of the cliff.

Josephine shook her head frantically. "No, Alex, I was wrong. I beg you, please don't ..."

"Please..."

She used all her strength to crawl toward him. She was about to grab him. Just a little more ...

Seth watched her. Just as she was about to touch him, he leaned backward and plummeted down the cliff.

Josephine grasped nothing but air.

Her heart sank as Seth fell.

"Alex!"

Her voice echoed through the valley, her frantic cry reverberating. Lewis looked up from below.

Dazed, Josephine lay sprawled at the edge of the cliff. Her cries echoed across the woods, but nobody responded to her.

The sky turned dark. Josephine couldn't see anything below the cliff.

How disappointed must he have been to take that leap from here? He sacrificed his own life to sow guilt and remorse within her heart. She really turned into a criminal.

From now on, she would live every day in self-reproach and regret, with no respite.

This was the punishment that Seth had bestowed upon her.

Josephine's gaze gradually lost focus, her expression turning numb with defeat. She struggled and rose slowly from the ground.

Now, she had nothing left to cling to in this world.

A memory from her childhood flashed through her mind. It was an afternoon, and she was drifting on a small boat in the lotus pond behind their courtyard. Overhead were the lotus leaves that shielded the sky. Dragonflies perched on the budding lotus flowers, and the cacophony of cicadas filled her ears.

Beside her sat a young boy, gently fanning her. She said she wanted some lotus seeds. He stood up to pluck them for her, then peeled them one by one and removed the bitter cores before placing the lotus seeds into her mouth.

Her older brothers used to call her lazy. They said she would starve to death if it weren't for Alex.

She retorted, saying her parents told her Seth would always be by her side.

She turned to the boy next to her to seek his confirmation. The boy smiled gently and placed the lotus seeds in her mouth. Then, he gently acknowledged her words.

Josephine clutched her chest as an indescribable agony pierced her heart and penetrated her body.

Her breathing grew labored, and she gasped for air. She then stepped forward into the void.

Eyes closed, she embraced the biting mountain wind, preparing to fall forward.

However, she felt a strong force around her waist the next second. Someone yanked her back, and she fell heavily to the ground.

She abruptly opened her eyes and saw a dark shadow hovering above her head.

She was momentarily stunned. Still, she lifted her hand to push the person away. Her palm pressed against his chest. But as soon as she applied pressure, a warm liquid trickled down her fingertips, down to her hand's back, and into her sleeve.

It was as if a bug were crawling along her skin, making its way into her sleeve. Soon, the scent of blood assaulted her nose.

She didn't hesitate. Even though she knew it was his wound, she used all her strength to push him away.

However, the hand pressing down on Josephine's shoulder showed no signs of loosening, although blood had already stained her entire hand scarlet.