The principal's brows shot up in shock as he saw Freddie standing a few steps away, a gun raised and pointed directly at Liam. The sight stopped him cold.
"What are you doing?" the principal asked.
Freddie didn't flinch. His eyes stayed locked on Liam's back.
"We need to talk to him. Please move aside."
Liam slowly turned to face Freddie. A sharp tension filled the air as their eyes met, each man sizing up the other in silence.
"What is it, sir?" Liam asked coolly.
"Who is he? Is this not a bit harassing?"
He tilted his head slightly, raising his brows as if offended. His voice was calm but laced with subtle challenge... he knew how to push buttons.
"I came here to donate, but I didn't know it would turn out like this."
The principal stepped forward quickly, shaking his head.
"No, Mr. Liam, you misunderstand me. It's nothing like that."
There was panic in his eyes as he looked at Freddie, silently begging him to lower the weapon.
"Mr. Freddie, you must misunderstand something. He is not the person you are thinking."
But Freddie stood firm, his grip steady, expression hard.
"We're not thinking anything. We just want to talk to him, and then he can go," he said, trying to ease the moment without letting down his guard.
Liam held Freddie's stare, his face cold and unreadable.
Then, in one swift, calculated motion, Liam pulled a gun and pressed it against the principal's back. His voice dropped low, sharp with menace.
"You should not have done it."
Freddie's eyes widened. He'd been too focused on Liam, not the people around him.
"Let him go," Freddie barked, raising his gun a little higher, his finger tightening near the trigger.
But Liam didn't flinch. He smirked, the edges of his mouth curling into a taunting grin.
"It seems you are still having some lacking. If, in this way, you want to try to catch the criminal, you will never be successful."
Freddie clenched his jaw. The principal stood frozen, fear clouding his eyes, unsure whether to move or speak.
Every second ticked like a warning.
"Leave him, Liam!" Freddie shouted again.
Liam's gaze darted around. He could feel the perimeter tightening... police eyes on him from every direction. His jaw clenched.
In one bold, defiant move, he fired a shot into the sky.
The sound cracked through the campus like thunder.
Students screamed.
Windows flew open.
Faces crowded behind glass, watching in wide-eyed confusion.
Officers moved fast, reacting to the shot like clockwork, their training taking over. But Liam stood his ground. His gun still up, daring them to make the next move.
"If you don't let me go, then this campus will turn into a graveyard," Liam declared.
And then... chaos erupted.
A sudden flash.
A burst of flames shot through the air and struck one of the police officers squarely on the head.
Screams followed.
Officers scrambled, trying to smother the fire, panic breaking their formation.
The flames cast flickering shadows, turning the school grounds into something unrecognizable... dangerous, volatile, on the edge of collapse.
Freddie stared in shock, momentarily frozen as the fire lit up the scene. He snapped back to action, instincts taking over.
The threat had escalated. What started as a tense standoff had spiraled into something much worse.
Gunfire cracked through the air.
Bullets tore through the quiet that once belonged to school bells and student chatter. Freddie dove behind a tree for cover.
Across the yard, Liam dragged the principal behind a building, using him as a shield. The firefight raged, echoing off walls and windows.
Officers shouted.
Students screamed.
Blood mixed with dust on the ground.
In the middle of the madness, the principal's voice broke through.
"Please leave me."
Liam looked him dead in the eye. "I won't hurt you if you let me go from here, principal. And don't forget, we donated a huge sum of money to this school."
His words weren't just a threat... they were a twisted reminder.
A mind game.
The principal finally caved under the pressure of the chaos raging outside. His voice trembled with desperation.
"There is a door from my room."
Liam cracked a cold smile.
He followed the principal through the school's backyard, the distant shots growing fainter as they moved. Stepping into the principal's office, the noise outside faded, replaced by a tense, eerie silence.
Inside, the principal moved quickly, eyes darting with fear.
He opened a hidden door and motioned for Liam to go. Liam stepped forward, smirk tugging at his lips as his hand reached for the doorknob.
But in that split second, everything changed.
Liam felt a sudden touch on the back of his head. Reacting without thinking, he spun around and fired.
The shot hit Lane in the chest.
Lane pushed forward by Adam just moments before, collapsed instantly.
Adam didn't hesitate. With precise aim, he fired twice... one bullet tore through Liam's hand, the other slammed into his left side.
Liam cried out and stumbled backward, his gun falling from his injured hand. He collapsed onto the floor, clutching his wounds.
Adam stepped closer, eyes locked on him.
"You will be the evidence of Francisco now," Adam said, his voice low and steady.
Liam stared back for a long moment.
Then his eyes closed, his body finally giving in.
The confrontation was over... but its consequences had just begun.