A Vengeful Ex-Wife
Chapter 457 Like Strangers

Norman swirled the red wine in his glass and said, "It's a bit difficult." After all, in order to prevent her from taking the child away, James had kept a close watch on Bob. Maria knew that, and that was why she turned to Norman for help this time. "I beg you, please think of a way to help me. This will be the last time I'll ask you for help.

"It won't be impossible to take Bob away from him, but I have one condition. If you can promise me that you'll follow my condition, I'll help you get Bob back, even at the cost of Shen Group." "What is it?" As long as she could get Bob back, she was willing to do whatever it took.

A murderous intent shone on Norman's eyes as a devilish grin made its way to his lips. "Kill James," he said.

This night was darker than most nights, and the wind blew strong. Several cars besieged James' car at a place less than a kilometer away from his private manor.

Before the car crashed into another car, Summer stepped on the brakes and looked around vigilantly. "Mr. Xi, we're surrounded!"

The man in the back seat also looked around and saw dozens of people getting out of the other cars and approaching his. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The tires of his car had been blown out.

Summer was scared. In a soft voice, she asked, "Mr. Xi, what are we going to do? Should we call our people over?" But James remained silent.

Before long, there were sounds outside. Someone knocked at his car window while holding a gun. "Open the door!"

They kept on shouting for a few minutes, but the people in the car remained motionless.

Moments later, a woman stepped out of one of the cars and strutted her way towards James' car.

James finally reacted.

"It's Maria!" Summer was surprised to see Maria here.

Maria wore a thin, black windbreaker and a pair of high heels. Her long hair was loose behind her back. And while she was walking, she locked her eyes on the car.

The moment she got close to the back seat, the window of the car rolled down. And when that happened, several guns were aimed at James.

In the dim light, James and Maria looked at each other.

'She lost weight,' he thought. There was alienation in her eyes in the way she was looking at him.

Maria looked inside the car, but only James was in the back seat, and there was no sign of Bob.

Realizing that put a frown on her face. She had received word that James would pass by here with Bob today. "Where's Bob?" she asked. James stepped out of the car, and Summer followed suit.

The ex-couple stood toe to toe and faced each other. "Bob is in the manor. Are you planning to go back and pay him a visit?" asked James. Maria bit her lip and replied, "James, just give me back my son! I don't want anything else!"

Norman had ordered his men to look everywhere that Bob might be, but they couldn't replace him anywhere.

Ignoring her request, James reached out his hand to her. "Mia, just come home with me." The tone of his voice was just as gentle as it was before.

As long as she went back with him now, he could pretend like nothing bad ever happened.

Maria staggered back. "I just want Bob!"

James' hand froze in midair. It was as if he didn't hear anything she said. "You've gotten thinner. Are you not eating well?"

At this point, Maria didn't know what to say anymore. 'What is he trying to say?'

"Just be a good girl, okay?"

His words insulted her to the point that she pulled out a gun from her waist and raised her voice at him. "I'm not messing around with you, James! Give me back my son!" Instead of moving away from the direction of the gun, James stepped forward. "If shooting me will calm you down, do it." He then took the weapon and guided it towards his chest, pressing it against his heart. There was a look of panic in her eyes. 'Does he think I won't have the guts to shoot him?' Pretending to be calm, Maria said, "James, do you truly believe that I still love you and that I'll come back to you just because you ask me to? Or perhaps you think I can't live without you? Well, then you're wrong! Yes, I admit that I once loved you wholeheartedly, but now, there's no room for you in my heart."

"I know. I know it all too well." He could tell that she no longer loved him. "But I still love you. So, please... give me another chance."

Once again, Maria was at a loss for words.

"Norman is just using you to get rid of me. From the moment he got you out of prison, he has been manipulating you to one day get rid of me," James stated.

Maria's eyes turned red. "So what? Back then, you didn't even want to use me. You all abandoned me and treated me like garbage!" Every time she was reminded of the past, sadness enveloped her heart. And seeing her so heartbroken like this hurt James as well. In an affectionate voice, he said, "Mia..."

"Stop calling me that name!" She clenched the gun in her hand, her eyes looked fiercer now. "If you don't give me back my child, I will fucking kill you, James!"

Hearing that made him silent.

Maria was about to pull the trigger. Summer was startled. "Maria, no!"

It seemed as though Maria didn't hear her. The man behind Summer came over to stop her from attacking Maria.

With a cold smile, Maria said to James, "From now on, you and I are strangers to each other!"

After saying that, she moved the gun a little and pulled the trigger. The bullet quickly entered his body.

James looked at her in disbelief. He never imagined that Maria would hate him to the point that she would actually shoot him.

Blood dripped from the corner of his lips. Despite his wound, he was still standing straight and noble.

Summer's legs grew weak. The moment she regained her composure, she quickly took out her cellphone and called an ambulance. Afterwards, she called several people at the same time.

Maria put away her weapon and walked away. Without looking back, she went back to the car and drove towards James' manor.

Later on, she led the search in the manor. However, after searching every nook and cranny of the place, they still didn't replace bob.

Maria broke down with the realization that her son wasn't here. She then decided to go back for James, but the only thing she saw was his pool of blood. James had been sent to the hospital. Cooper was the first one to arrive. He immediately ordered a media blackout regarding James' critical condition. As they stared at the light of the operating room, Cooper asked, "Was it really Maria who shot him?"

"Yes," Summer answered with a nod. She thought that it was just an ordinary squabble between the couple and that they would soon make peace. She never imagined that Maria would actually shoot James.

Cooper was too stunned to say a word. He also shared the same sentiment as Summer.

Maria's rapid change caught them off-guard.

When Ethan arrived, Cooper was ordering his men to search for Maria.

There was confusion in Ethan's eyes when he asked Summer the same question that Cooper asked moments ago.

All of them thought of the same thing. They all thought that James and Maria were still a couple and that this whole thing was just an argument that they would soon mend.

James' operation had been going on for the whole night, and the people waiting at the door hadn't slept at all. They didn't tell anyone about what happened to James, not even his family.

Fortunately, the next morning, James was saved and had been transferred to the ICU.

The doctor said to Cooper, "We're lucky that the trajectory of the bullet was changed slightly, so Mr. Xi's life was spared. If the bullet had gone inside a few centimeters to the side, he would've died right away." Cooper was rendered speechless. 'Did Maria show him mercy, or was she actually determined to kill James?'

About a week later, Cooper finally found Maria's whereabouts.