ions finally found release. "Grandpa, I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking with sorrow. "I couldn't make the marriage work. I tried, but it seems like Lucas wasn't the right p

to deliver the fatal blow. "Stop! I'll shoot you if you don't," Piper shouted, her voice firm and commanding. The man quickly grabbed his victim and held the knife to his neck, taunting Piper. "Who are you?" he sneered. "I'm Piper Witchwood. Drop your gun," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "Help me, save me from this man, I am Caleb Mar..." The man being held hostage, tried to cry out for help, but his words were cut short by his captor's brutal hand. The standoff continued, with neither side willing to back down. Piper demanded that the man throw away his knife, and to her surprise, he complied. But just as she thought the situation was under control, the man pulled out another knife and slit Caleb's back and leg. Piper's eyes widened in horror as the man charged towards her. In a split second, Piper's instincts took over, and she grasped the gun, her finger involuntarily squeezing the trigger. The deafening sound of the shot echoed through the night air as she screamed, horrified by her actions. The gun slipped from her trembling hands, and she watched in shock as the man crumpled to the ground. Piper's focus shifted to Caleb, who lay wounded and helpless. She rushed to his side, her hands moving swiftly to apply pressure to his wounds. As she helped him to the river's edge, Caleb's weak voice barely pierced the air. "Piper... right?" he whispered, his eyes searching for reassurance. Piper nodded, trying to offer a comforting smile despite her own turmoil. "You're going to be okay," she whispered, her voice trembling. But before she could utter another word, a gunshot shattered the night's silence. A searing pain ripped through Piper's stomach, and she felt her world spinning out of control. She gazed down to see her clothes stained with blood, her vision blurring at the edges. Her gaze snapped back to the man she had thought lay lifeless on the ground. Instead, he stood, a wicked grin twisting his face. With his final breath, he had managed to shoot her. Piper's legs gave way beneath her, and she felt herself tumbling into the river's dark waters. As the current enveloped her, she closed her eyes, her thoughts racing with desperation. She prayed for a second chance, for a reprieve from the darkness closing in around her. The river's chill enveloped her, and Piper's consciousness began to fad