Chapter 80: Hold Me Tight, Don’t Let Go!

William Foster frowned and asked, "What’s going on? What just happened?" As soon as they exited the restaurant, alarms throughout the entire building began blaring. The piercing sound made everyone even more tense. Clara Bennett forcefully pushed William, saying, "There’s a fire. Don’t worry; I’ll get you out of here. We have to find an exit quickly." Suddenly, another massive explosion sounded from inside the restaurant. Flames shot up to the sky, and the entire floor shook. A person, covered in blood, crawled out from the wreckage, using his last strength to scream, "Go quickly, there’s a toxic gas leak. In three minutes, it will affect both the floors above and below. You must escape immediately!" William’s face immediately darkened. He pushed Clara hard and, with an unusually determined look, said, "Take the safe passage and don’t worry about me! It’s impossible for you to carry me three floors up in three minutes. Your escape is the most important!" William pushed Clara, the force not too strong but enough to make the already uneasy Clara stagger slightly. She staggered back a few steps, almost losing her balance and falling to the ground. However, even so, she clenched her teeth, leaned forward, and grabbed his wheelchair tightly, her knuckles whitening from the strength. Her gaze was unwaveringly firm as she looked at him, her voice clear but carrying an undeniable determination: "Don’t say something stupid. How could I possibly leave you? We are husband and wife! Let’s go!" The determination in her voice made the words he wanted to reject catch in his throat. Black smoke billowed out, thick enough to almost obscure vision. The air was filled with a choking burnt smell, making it difficult to breathe. Despite the urgent situation, Clara remained calm. She quickly scanned the surroundings, and when she saw the fire hose in the corridor, a light flashed in her eyes. A survival instinct prompted her to quickly make a judgment, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief—having this thing might just give them a chance! Although it was now completely impossible to extinguish the fire, it could at least be used as a temporary life-saving method to buy them more time. The fire hoses in these corridors were generally 20 to 25 meters long, which was completely enough for the height of the floors! Moreover, after a simple assessment, she confirmed that this fire hose could cover the height of three floors. This distance could ensure that they reduced the danger during their escape. While quickly thinking of a strategy, each second was compressed to the extreme. Clara understood that the time available for her actions was actually very limited, so she had to act quickly! Without any further thought, Clara rushed over without hesitation. With swift movements, she opened the glass door of the fire hydrant and pulled out the red fire hose, its heavy texture indicating it was quality professional equipment. This undoubtedly further boosted her confidence and also reminded herself that the next step must be handled carefully; one wrong move could lead to total failure. Meanwhile, behind her, William kept frowning, staring at her every move. His expression was extremely complex, filled with worry, anger, mixed with some helplessness and frustration. Seeing her insistence on using the fire hose, he knew the situation was beyond his control. As the fire grew more intense, he could no longer suppress his inner emotions and shouted, "Clara! What are you doing? Listen to me, run now! Stop wasting time on me! We’re only nominally married, there’s no real bond tying you down. Why risk your life to save me? You’ll die here!" Faced with his warnings and pleas, Clara remained unmoved. On the contrary, her attitude grew even more calm and decisive. Without even turning her head, she continued with her work, her mouth slightly open as she decisively replied, "Stop nagging! Didn’t we agree just now? I said I would protect you, and I won’t go back on my word no matter what happens! So, trust me, no matter the outcome, we will be fine!" Her words carried a reassuring power, as if all crises could be easily resolved. Accompanied by her strong and powerful words, Clara firmly tied one end of the fire hose around her waist. Moreover, to ensure no accidental loosening occurred, she specifically checked the firmness of the node again, her actions skilled and meticulous. Meanwhile, her voice rang out again, "William, give me some trust, okay? I’m serious! No matter what, I won’t let anything happen to you, even if I have to risk my life!" Every word she spoke demonstrated her resolute commitment to protecting life. Then she took confident steps, walking resolutely to the safety passage door. After taking a deep breath, she fiercely kicked it open. The wooden safety passage door opened with a bang, revealing the entrance to the escape route downstairs. Then, she quickly and skillfully tied the other end of the fire hose onto the stair railing, her technique professional and fast. All of this happened in a brief amount of time, every step carefully chosen as the best option, leaving no room for error. William, seated in his wheelchair unable to move freely, could only watch the situation change through his field of vision. Although he couldn’t fully see the specifics of what she was doing, the development of the situation inferred from the scene accelerated his heartbeat. He vaguely realized that she actually intended to use her own body to guide the two of them to slide down from a height along the water flow; this was gambling with life! Fear and anxiety welled up in his heart, prompting him to involuntarily raise his voice and shout once more, "Clara, are you crazy? Stop it! There’s no time left; leaving immediately is the most important thing! You’re still so young; why must you risk yourself with me?" In response to his shouting, Clara seemed not to hear at all, as her hands continued working without pause. To prevent any issues, she took extra measures to secure the wheelchair tightly into the gap of the stair rail. Then she used all her strength to adjust the position, securely tying the metal connector of the fire hose onto the wheelchair. This way, even in the event of external impacts during rapid descent, it wouldn’t easily fall apart, ensuring their safety. After completing the last step, she wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, finally showing a victorious smile. "Ready. We can go now." Having done all this, Clara turned around, seriously staring into William’s eyes. She took a deep breath, her tone carrying an unyielding determination, and then slowly said, "William, hold onto me, and don’t let go!" When William heard this, his body stiffened slightly, clearly not expecting Clara to say such a thing so suddenly.