At that moment, Deana and Zara heard gunshots, instantly recognizing that something serious had urred. Deana urgently grabbed Zara and eximed, “Zara, let’s go!”


    Zara understood the gravity of the situation. Without a moment’s hesitation, she dashed outside alongside her mother. However, as soon as they emerged, they were met with a chaotic scene. Many people in the corridor were already fleeing in a state of panic. Suddenly, Tate Landry appeared at the corridor entrance, brandishing a gun. He aimed it directly at a man who was trying to escape in a hurry. With a deafening bang, he shot the man in the back of the head! The man copsed to the ground with a thud, and the panicked crowd erupted into terrified screams.


    Tate Landry shouted coldly, “Listen up! Everyone needs to gather in the hall—no one is allowed to run! If you do, you’ll end up like this guy!”


    The chaos intensified. Witnessing a murder unfold before them sent shockwaves through the crowd. Each person began to calcte their options. If they continued to flee, they risked being shot. Conversely, if theyplied, there were at least a hundred people present, including auctioneers and staff. It seemed unlikely that Tate would kill so many at once. Thus, cooperating appeared to be the safest option.


    Consequently, no one dared to attempt an escape. One by one, they raised their hands and walked into the hall, resigned to their fate. The hall’s entrance had been locked, with the key snatched away by Tate Landry, leaving the group with no chance of escape.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Seeing everyone heading to the hall, Tate Landry barked into the hallway, “Anyone still in the offices or bathrooms, listen up! You have one minute toe to the hall. I’ll be checking all the rooms. If I find anyone hiding, they’re dead!”


    He added menacingly, “I’m not targeting any of you. I was forced into this desperate situation by the police and had nowhere else to go. If you cooperate, I promise to negotiate your release with the police. But if anyone tries to y games with me, I won’t hesitate to kill. I’m already on the most wanted list with multiple bodies behind me. I’m not afraid to add to that count!”


    His words prompted many people in the offices along the corridor to open their doors and step out,plying with his demand.


    Charles, the owner of Treasure Pavilion, abandoned his n to hide and emerged from his office with his hands raised. Meanwhile, the two staff members who had helped Deana exchanged nces and decided to join him.


    Zara turned to Deana and whispered, “Mom, what should we do?”


    Deana replied without hesitation, “We should go out too. It’s crucial to cooperate right now to ensure our safety!”<fn88d1> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? FιndＮovel</fn88d1>


    Zara nodded gently in agreement. Soon after, the mother and daughter raised their hands, followed closely by the two staff members as they made their way out.


    Tate Landry kept his gun ready, watching everyone as they exited the rooms. When he spotted Deana and Zara, a sense of relief washed over him. He recognized Deana as his only hope for securing a ransom!<h3 ss="has-text-align-center" id="chapter-list"><strong></strong>