Chapter 178: Is the auntie dead?

BANG!

When shots were fired in this quiet neighborhood, everyone snapped awake at the sharp and alarming sound. Even the officers sleeping in the car jolt into consciousness.

"Papa!" Penny yelled as her breath hitched, watching her father jump away from the door and roll on the ground. "Papa!"

Penny called and ran as fast as she could to her father. She saw the spark but was not sure if Charles was hit or if he was able to dodge it. Either way, shots were fired.

"Papa!" Penny’s breath hitched when she saw Charles get up from the ground. Yet, she still didn’t feel relieved when she saw the door fly open from the inside.

Penny and Charles turned to the door, and despite the lack of light in the street, they could see the speck of blood all across the man. The man was still wearing the same clothes as the one he had this morning. However, he was drenched with sweat and blood — blood that didn’t seem from him.

"No," Penny breathed out when the man pointed the improvised gun at Charles.

"Hey!"

Just then, the officers in the area shouted. Upon seeing them, the man retrieved the gun and hissed through his gritted teeth.

"Fuck!" the man shouted and fled, running away from them as fast as he could.

The officer immediately called for backup again, informing the other officers about the development after the shots were fired. Penny, on the other hand, rushed to her father’s side.

"Papa!" Penny sat beside Charles, helping him sit up. "Papa, are you okay?"

Charles winced a bit and peeked at her. "Penny, I told you to get back in the car."

She pressed her lips and yelled, "How can I not come back when I heard the gunfire?!"

For a second, Charles flinched because she reminded him of Allison so suddenly. However, seeing the conflict and many unspoken words swirling in her eyes, he sighed.

"I’m okay," he said with a subtle smile. "Good thing I was able to break the door and saw him. Papa is fine, Penny. See? I’m okay!"

Charles raised his arms to show her he was perfectly fine. However, he winced a little as his shoulder ached a bit.

"Well, maybe I’m only ninety perfectly fine," he laughed awkwardly.

At this time, one of the officers reached them. "Sir, are you okay?"

"Uh, yes." Charles nodded and then he was reminded of what he had seen inside. "Check the house! His wife is still there. Check if she’s still aliv —"

He bit his tongue, realizing Penny was there to hear him. Slowly, he turned his head to Penny, wide-eyed.

Despite stopping abruptly, the officer nodded in understanding. He turned to the other incoming officers, pointing at the father and daughter. When the other officers reached them, the first officer went inside the house to check the situation.

Much to his horror, the first thing he saw was a pair of feet peeking out from the kitchen counter.

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When the officer got into the house, Penny had a glimpse of what was inside the house. She didn’t see the person in the kitchen, but she saw how the place was turned upside down. She also saw blood all over the place and a butler knife just lying around.

It was horrifying.

However, the officers ushered her and Charles away from the scene. More police, medics, and even detectives arrived at the scene shortly after.

Sitting at the back of the ambulance, one of the medics tended to Charles’ scars. He wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t shot — not even a graze.

"He’s a terrible shooter," Charles joked, only to stop when Penny glared at him. He laughed awkwardly as he faced his daughter. "He he. Penny."

"Papa, why would go there on your own?!" Penny harrumphed, knowing she would never forgive herself if something terrible happened to him.

Charles chuckled and coaxed her. "Don’t worry, Penny. Dad knows what he’s doing. You might not know this, but your dad was really good when I was young. Hugo will be shocked."

Even so, she wasn’t appeased, looking at him with conflict in her eyes. She was both frustrated and scared, knowing if things ended differently, Charles wouldn’t even have the time to joke like this. Instead... Penny couldn’t even imagine.

"Ah, thank goodness." Suddenly, a person turned up in front of Penny and Charles. The father and daughter faced the person.

Penny furrowed her brows, feeling like she had seen him before. However, she couldn’t tell where and when exactly. The man gazed at Penny and furrowed his brows.

"Hey."

When Charles called, the man snapped his eyes at him. He quickly cleared his throat and straightened his back, surprising Penny when he suddenly saluted Charles.

"Major, I’m glad you’re okay," said the man, earning an irritated look from Charles.

"You don’t have to do that, Angelo. You’re shocking my daughter." Charles waved irritably. "Did you find him?"

"Ahem." The man, Angelo, cleared his throat and his eyes fell on the adorable girl. "Major, this is your daughter? The missing one?"

Charles rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything, he sensed Penny’s gaze on him.

"Papa, why is he calling you major?" she asked out of plain curiosity. ’I never knew my father served in the military. Not now, not in my previous life.’

"Ah... haha." Charles laughed helplessly and simply said as if he was avoiding the subject, "I once served the Marines, but that’s a very long time ago. That’s even before I met your mother."

Charles patted her head and faced the man standing before them. "Did you find him?"

"Yes, Major — I mean, Charles. The detectives had to chase after him and he was caught. He’s being taken to the station right now," Angelo reported firmly, making Charles nod in understanding.

Before Charles could even ask about the mother, he caught the medics wheeling the woman on the stretcher. He quickly turned away, facing Penny, and smiling at her.

"Penny, let’s go first, okay? We’ll have to go to the police station, but this uncle here will accompany us."

"Okay."

Just as Penny nodded, she heard Grace’s voice from somewhere.

"Mom? Mom!"

Penny intuitively turned her head, catching Grace rushing to the entrance of the narrow street. As she did so, she caught the medics wheeling the stretcher. Grace was stopped by a few officers while the medics were taking the woman in the other ambulance.

"Papa?" Penny’s lips quivered as she looked up at Charles. "Is the auntie dead?"