She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 634

Loyce tracked the receding chopper with sharp, calculating eyes. "They're using aerial surveillance to locate the lion and signal the hunters on the ground. We need to find Ayla, now."

Moments later, Storm sent over the exact coordinates. He had hacked into the helicopter's tracking system and pinpointed Saba's location.

Armed with the GPS data, Loyce and Sagan pushed deeper into the reserve. Nearly an hour later, the dense, dying woods gave way to the sound of Saba's frantic, low growls. Intertwined with the animal's distress was Ayla's tearful, desperate shouting.

"Run, Saba! Run! They're bad men! Daddy gave you to bad men!"

Hearing his daughter's voice, Sagan lost his mind. "Ayla!" he roared.

Before his voice could fade into the trees, it was swallowed by the deafening crack of a gunshot.

Ayla's screams abruptly stopped.

Sagan charged forward like a maddened beast.

Knowing exactly how bad this was, Loyce sprinted after him. They burst out of the treeline into a field of tall, golden grass. There was no sign of the hunters or the lion—only a tiny, fragile figure collapsed in the brush. The wind rustled through the waist-high grass, carrying the heavy, metallic stench of fresh blood straight to Loyce's nose.

Blood was rapidly pooling around the little girl.

Seeing it from afar, Sagan's heart shattered. He rushed forward to scoop up his daughter, but Loyce grabbed him by the collar and dragged him down into cover. "Don't move," she warned sharply. "There are armed men on the other side. If you run out there, you won't save your daughter—you'll just die with her."

Sagan wept uncontrollably, consumed by an agonizing, soul-crushing regret.

Loyce gripped his shoulder. "I'm a doctor. Even if the Grim Reaper has his scythe around my patient's neck, I can drag them back."

Sagan swiped a shaking hand across his face. Suddenly, the tall grass shifted beside them. A massive, heavily muscled male lion stepped out, stalking forward in a predatory crouch.

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