Chapter 479: I have a husband now
Ashley panted heavily as she stared at the blood and what remained of Baldy’s head.
There wasn’t much left.
Only shattered pieces of skull and mangled flesh.
"Haha..." A hollow chuckle escaped her as she ran her blood-soaked hands through her hair.
"That..." She paused, searching for the right words. "...is what I call blowing off some steam."
Cruel as it was... that had felt good.
Ashley had been on countless missions and had long since lost count of how many lives these sinful hands had taken. But she couldn’t remember another time when violence had brought her such overwhelming relief.
She had always fought to survive, and never for pleasure.
Ashley let out one last deep breath before a sudden thought crossed her mind.
"Ophelia!" She scrambled back to her feet and rushed over, dropping to her knees beside the woman. "Ophelia?"
"Ugh..." Ophelia groaned, her face twisting in pain.
The moment she moved, relief washed over Ashley.
Ophelia instinctively touched her chest while her body ached from head to toe. One of her legs twitched uncontrollably from the lingering surge of adrenaline.
"I’m sorry about that," Ashley murmured as she helped her sit up.
"Miss..." Ophelia gazed down at her clothes. There was a hole in it, but no blood.
Then everything Ashley had told her earlier came flooding back.
On their way to rescue the children, Ashley had insisted Ophelia wear protective gear. At first, Ophelia argued it would be impossible to find one that fit. Fortunately, she later ran into Vodka, who managed to get her a bulletproof vest.
In fact, Vodka had insisted she wear it, knowing Ophelia kept returning to rescue more children.
Unfortunately, on her final trip, she had run into Baldy.
Looking back at Ashley, Ophelia asked quietly,
"Did you know this would happen?"
"No," Ashley shook her head with a faint smile. "I just knew that bastard would figure it out eventually."
The moment Baldy called for reinforcements and Scott deliberately delayed them, Baldy was bound to connect the dots.
"He wasn’t stupid," she explained. "At least, not completely."
Ashley had confirmed that herself by smashing his skull in.
Ophelia let out a slow breath.
Even with the vest absorbing the bullet, the impact still hurt enough to tighten her chest. But after years of abuse and pain, her body no longer reacted the way an ordinary person’s would.
"Come on," Ashley whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Let’s get out of here."
Ophelia leaned against Ashley without caring about the blood soaking her clothes.
Once they were back on their feet, Ophelia suddenly stopped. Her eyes had landed on Baldy’s body, and her breath caught in her throat.
Even beneath the dim lighting, she could tell there was barely anything left of his head.
It had been smashed beyond recognition. If there was anything left at all, it was probably the back of his skull.
Neither woman said a word.
They simply stared at the corpse.
There was no pity in their eyes, only coldness.
This was the man who had tormented Ophelia nearly every day of her life for years. The same man who had left scars on Ashley that no amount of time could erase.
The difference was that Ashley had witnessed so much horror throughout her life that her mind had long learned how to separate the memories she wanted from the ones she didn’t.
"Let’s go," Ashley said quietly.
Ophelia didn’t answer immediately.
She looked at Baldy, really looked at him.
Then she turned to Ashley. "Yes."
Together, they began walking.
Ophelia limped badly, her leg still trembling from the aftereffects of the gunshot. After only a few steps, she suddenly stopped again.
Standing beside Baldy’s corpse, she looked down one last time.
Then, without saying a word, she spat on him.
"Serves you right," she whispered, every word carrying years of hatred. "I hope you rot in hell."
She let out a long, shaky breath. A few moments later, she turned toward Ashley.
Ashley smiled back. "He will rot in hell," she said, watching Ophelia nod.
Together, they continued down the corridor.
"Miss... I’m sorry I got caught," Ophelia said quietly. "I only came back because I was looking for another child."
"Did you find her?"
"I was caught before I could."
Ashley nodded. "It’s alright. We’ll look for her after this... assuming she’s still alive."
Ophelia pressed her lips together, but she understood.
Ashley wasn’t trying to be cruel. She was preparing her for the worst.
With how chaotic the battle had become, it wouldn’t be surprising if innocent people had been caught in the crossfire.
They continued down the blood-soaked hallway, stepping over bodies that littered the floor.
As they reached a shattered corridor window, another explosion erupted somewhere outside.
Both women stopped and turned toward the window. .
Ophelia’s mouth slowly fell open at the sight of what had become of this place. Without realizing it, she tightened her grip around Ashley’s arm.
As the inferno reflected in her trembling eyes, a tear slid down her cheek.
Not because she was afraid.
But because...
"I never thought a day like this would ever come," she whispered. "And... I’m glad I lived long enough to witness it."
Watching the fortress she once believed could never fall crumble before her eyes felt as though the chains around her own body were finally breaking apart.
She couldn’t describe what she felt.
It wasn’t simply happiness nor was it pure relief. It was disbelief... relief... fear... hope...
Every emotion she had buried over the years crashing together into one.
"It’s almost over," Ashley whispered.
She looked out at the battlefield before lifting her eyes toward the smoke rising into the night sky like dark clouds.
A gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"I’ll make it right," she murmured beneath her breath, never taking her eyes off the battlefield.
Ophelia looked at her. "Miss?"
"Everything that made Marshal... Marshal Di Carpio..." Ashley continued, her voice carrying the weight of a vow. "I’ll make it right."
"He’s never going to hurt anyone again." She drew in a deep breath before turning to Ophelia with a smile. "Come on, Ophelia. My men should be finished soon."
"Yes, Miss."
Supporting one another, the two women slowly walked away. They paid no attention to the bodies surrounding them or to the distant gunfire.
They simply held onto each other as though they had all the time in the world.
Strange, Ophelia thought.
Despite the explosions outside—despite the bullets still flying—she still felt... safe.
Safer than she had ever felt since becoming entangled with the Di Carpios and ending up in this living nightmare.
As they continued walking, Ashley suddenly tilted her head and said in an unexpectedly light tone,
"By the way, Ophelia..." A small smile spread across her face.
"I have a husband now." She paused. "And... I’m a mom. You should meet them sometime."