Ethan climbed out of the window with Joanna on his back.
Due to the weight he was carrying, every step he took was careful and laborious. His arms needed a lot of strength just to hold on…
Smoke billowed and flames raged, "pursuing" them like the Grim Reaper.
Ethan moved down one step at a time. Sweat dripped down his face like rain, wetting his clothes. Bulging veins could be seen on his handsome face that was flushed red from using too much force. He was obviously having a really difficult time and was rapidly running out of stamina.
They were now between the first floor and the second floor. The blazing fire was above them and the hard ground was below them.
Ethan could have just jumped down if it wasn't for Joanna. However, with Joanna on his back, he could only descend step by step, which meant that they were escaping rather slowly.
They were stuck in the middle at the moment, unable to move up or down. They did not know what to do.
Joanna was touched and felt bad for Ethan, so she said while choking back tears, " Ethan, if you can't hang on anymore, just jump down. That way… at least one of us will survive! "
"Nonsense!"
Ethan's voice was hoarse. He said with much difficulty, "If you know I'm having a hard time, stop being annoying. It'll be over soon!"
He looked around and finally found a foothold, but he no longer had any strength left. He told Joanna through gritted teeth, "Listen, I'll put you on the air-con box. You should be able to climb down from there…"
"But what about you? The air-con box can only fit one person. If you put me over there, would you have any foothold?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll be right behind you!"
"But…"
"No buts. You're too heavy, I can't hang on any longer. Go!"
Ethan shouted impatiently.
Then, using his body like a bridge, he transferred Joanna to the nearby air-con box.
Joanna stopped hesitating. She grabbed the box and carefully climbed down from it.
At a crucial moment like this, every second was valuable. The earlier she reached the ground, the higher their chances of living…
Normally, climbing down from this height was a trifle for a healthy and agile woman like her.
But now, she had to be mindful of the children in her belly, so she had to move carefully. She did not dare to perform any big movement.
"I did it! I did it!"
After some struggle, Joanna finally succeeded in reaching the ground.
Although some parts of the ground were also burning, it was an open space, so it was much less dangerous here than it was indoors.
"Great, I'll be right there!"
Ethan also heaved a sigh of relief. He adjusted his position, preparing to jump down.
Unfortunately, the fire was so strong that it destroyed the air-con box.
Before Ethan could jump off, his body was already burned by the fire. He fell to the ground together with the box.
"Shit!"
Ethan's foot was broken, smashed by the air-con box. He could not move it at all.
Joanna quickly went over to support him, "It's okay, let's get out of here!"
"Don't worry about me. The fire is spreading too quickly. You have to run away by yourself!"
"Shut up!"
Joanna lifted him up with much difficulty and novelxo they staggered through the flames.
"You stupid woman, let me go! I don't need a woman to save me! It's… embarrassing!"
The thicker the smoke, the weaker Ethan became.
In his blurry vision, Joanna's thin and petite body seemed so determined and strong. It made his heart flutter.
"Give it up, Ethan! I won't leave you behind, just like you wouldn't leave me behind earlier! I'll definitely save you!"
With Joanna's fierce voice still ringing in his ears, Ethan passed out…
Joanna dragged the unconscious Ethan through the raging fire and managed to escape with much difficulty.
She was completely exhausted. She lay on the ground with Ethan, panting heavily.
She looked up at the blue sky with the cool wind brushing against her skin. Life had never felt so valuable to Joanna!
A fire engine approached the scene. A team of firemen got out and prepared the equipment to put out the fire.
"How are you doing?"
Paramedics dressed in white carried a stretcher towards Joanna and Ethan.
Joanna quickly got up and said, distressed, "I'm fine. Please help him. His leg is broken and he needs immediate treatment!"
"He got injured trying to save me. You have to save him no matter what. Please…"
Joanna grabbed the paramedic's arm and cried.
She had just examined Ethan a bit and could tell how severely hurt he was. She could clearly feel the dislocation of his right calf bone.
If he became a cripple, she would never be able to forgive herself.
"Don't worry, we'll do our best to save him."
The paramedic comforted Joanna and carried Ethan, who had passed out, onto the ambulance.
At first, Joanna wanted to hop on too, but when she looked back, she saw her home that had been burned to pieces, and it pained her immensely.
She suddenly recalled something, and her small face went taut. Without saying a word, she tried to rush into the sea of fire.
"What are you doing, ma'am? It's too dangerous. Please stay away from the fire!"
A firefighter stepped forward to stop her.
Joanna ignored his warning and screamed, "My stuff! Things that are very important to me are still in there! I have to go get them!"
"The fire is too strong. If you go in there now, you'll get killed. No matter how important those things are, they're not as important as your life. Please don't put yourself in danger…"
"Let me go! I need to get in there! Let go!"
The firefighter tried his best to persuade Joanna but could not stop her from trying to "kill herself". The situation was getting out of control.
At that moment, a screech could be heard, the sound of a sports car's tires rubbing strongly against the ground.
Ace opened the door and walked out of the car coldly.
"Stop making a scene!"
His cold voice, like an imperial edict, instantly calmed the chaotic situation.
The moment Joanna saw Ace, tears burst out of her uncontrollably. She was like a bullied child who saw her father. He gave her a strong sense of security.
"Why are you yelling at me? My things are still in there, and they won't let me in. I need to go get them!"
Joanna broke down, pounding on the man's chest without holding back to vent her emotions.
Even though she was a very strong woman, she was still a woman. After going through such a dangerous and terrible experience, she would feel vulnerable too.
She didn't know why, but he was the only one she would show her vulnerable side to…
"It's okay. It's okay."
Ace, as if he was coaxing a child, took Joanna into his arms, stroked her messy hair, wiped her dirty face, and said calmly, " Wait for me in the car. What do you want to get? I'll get them for you."
Joanna obediently did as he asked. She said, "Dad's painting and the map Mom left me… in my bedroom on the second floor!"
"Got it."
Ace asked the paramedics nearby to take care of Joanna.
Then, he covered his mouth and nose with a wet towel, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and rushed straight into the fire…
Everybody there was shocked. A firefighter shouted, "Mr. Moran, stop! It's too dangerous! Come back!"
Joanna was originally panicking and was hell-bent on retrieving her parents' belongings, but she did not expect Ace to actually risk his life going into the fire to retrieve them.
The shouts instantly jolted her awake, as if from a dream. She suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation. She shouted into the fire, "Are you crazy? Come back here! I don't want those things anymore! Come back!"
Ace, of course, could not hear her. Braving the thick smoke, he pushed through all obstacles and looked everywhere for the things Joanna mentioned.