Joe saw that Whitney was ignoring him and felt hurt. He shuffled over to Lisa's side, pouting without saying a word. Lisa pointed a steady finger and gestured toward the severed head, without any hesitation or concern for the frightened child. "You were there during the day. You know what happened, right?" Joe nodded hesitantly, then tried to defend Whitney. "She definitely didn't mean to trick us. Maybe she didn't even know there were guns in Villa 1." With her life on the line, Whitney couldn't worry about honesty or dignity anymore. She lied without hesitation. "I really didn't know! Please let us go!" Joe was thrilled to hear this. He said to Lisa, "See! I told you! Whitney didn't mean it. Mom, please let them go!" Lisa was seething with anger. She spoke each word deliberately. "Joe, if Godfrey hadn't rushed to Greenhaven Mountain first, I would be dead right now!" She stared at Joe without blinking. "Even knowing that, you still think she shouldn't die?" Joe froze for a moment, then mumbled weakly, "But we're okay now ... And Whitney didn't mean it ... " Lisa's chest heaved with rage. Part of her determination to kill Whitney came from how much her son cared about the woman. She couldn't let Joe have such an obvious weakness that could be exploited. She said firmly, refusing to budge. "Today, someone has to pay the price for this." Done with the whole "choose one" charade, she ordered her subordinate to kill Whitney. But Joe reacted fast, running to Whitney's side and spreading his arms wide to shield her with his body. "Don't you dare hurt Whitney!"The guard stopped immediately, looking conflicted. Lisa was furious. "Joe! Get back here!" Joe's expression hardened with determination. "No! I want to stay with Whitney!" Whitney had a soft heart. Seeing the little boy desperately protecting her, she felt something tug at her heart. "Joe ... " She took a deep breath and looked at Lisa earnestly. "Lisa, you should know that I took you in out of kindness. How could I have wanted to harm you?" As she spoke, she glanced at Joe. "Joe is a good kid who knows how to be grateful. He has a pure heart. Don't put him in this position. I know it's not easy leading a group while raising a child on your own. Let's just let the past be the past. "We have history. We can talk this out. Think of some other way to vent your anger, and I'll cooperate. Just please be merciful and let Bruno and me go once you've vented your anger." Lisa narrowed her eyes. She stared at the righteous Whitney and the determined Joe. She knew she probably couldn't kill this woman today. Few mothers in this world could stand firm against their own child. No matter what, she wouldn't let her son hate her over someone like Whitney. So after staring at her for a moment, she relented. "Fine. I won't kill you. Not yet." Even though she couldn't get rid of her today, Lisa's underlying decision hadn't changed. She just needed to wait for a different time and opportunity to finish what she started. But before that ... Lisa shifted her gaze to Bruno standing nearby. She had to get rid of that troublesome bodyguard first, or he'd be a problem later. Joe was overjoyed to hear that his mom was finally willing to spare Whitney.Whitney also breathed a sigh of relief. She thought she and Bruno had finally escaped disaster. Lisa shot a look at Philbert behind her. He immediately understood what she meant. First, he ordered the guards standing behind Whitney and Bruno, "Untie them." Then he glanced at Bruno and gave Lisa a questioning look. Lisa nodded firmly. Philbert knew what to do. As they were being untied and everyone was letting their guard down, he quietly raised his gun. Whitney had just been freed and was feeling relieved. But when she looked up, she saw Philbert with his gun aimed at Bruno. Bruno's attention was entirely on her at that moment. He was worried that being tied up for so long might have injured her. He had no idea danger was coming. Whitney's eyes went wide, and she shouted, "Look out!" Without thinking, she lunged toward Bruno and threw herself in front of him. Bang! After the gunshot, Whitney was hit in the abdomen and collapsed. "Whitney!" Bruno's heart stopped for a moment, then he quickly caught her. "Whitney! Whitney, are you okay?" He dropped to his knees. He pressed his hand against her wound, but blood kept pouring out. Bruno's hands were trembling. "Whitney, are you alright?" Whitney seemed to be having trouble breathing. Her words came out in fragments. "I'm ... sorry ... This is all ... my fault ... for dragging you ... into danger ... " Bruno shook his head frantically. "Stop talking!"Then, desperate and at a loss, he turned his head around and shouted, "Doctor! I need a doctor!"