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Chapter 23
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Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 24
Tessa opened her eyes to see a blurry figure she couldn't quite make out. She started to say, "You…""Talk about bad luck. Of all people, I had to run into you here!" That icy voice left no doubt within her. She knew that it belonged to Derek.Memories of every insult he'd ever thrown at her sent a chill through her. With her vision still blurry, her first impulse was to bolt.But Derek clamped a firm hand on her shoulder and sneered. "Don't stop drinking because of me. Why run? It's not like I'll hurt you. What are you afraid of?"His hand clamped down on Tessa's shoulder with brutal force. The pain was sharp enough to make her wince, her slender frame on the verge of buckling."Compared to your father—that monster who got countless people killed—I'm practically a saint. Wouldn't you agree?"The words sent a surge of anger through her. She snatched the half-full glass from the table and hurled the remaining liquor at Derek.However, he didn't flinch as the alcohol hit him squar
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 25
A group of men closed in on Tessa. Unable to see, she couldn't tell what was happening; only the chaos around her registered. Fear twisted through her, and she folded in on herself.Just as they went to lift her, a figure cut between them and caught the nearest man's wrist.The man yelped in pain, then snarled, "Who the hell are you? Get off me!"Zachary sneered and slammed his foot into the man's chest, knocking him off his feet. The man crashed into a table, causing the bottles and glasses to explode on impact.The patrons in the booth recoiled, scrambling away as if afraid that the fight might reach them.Security at the bar hurried over as soon as they caught wind of it. But as soon as they recognized Derek and the group of wealthy young men, they held back, reluctant to intervene.Derek fixed Zachary with a glare. "Who the hell are you? This isn't your problem. Walk away now, or you'll regret it!"Zachary met his gaze with icy disdain but said nothing. Instead, he turned an
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 26
Tessa wasn't sure how much time had passed before the chaos finally died. Then, Zachary's voice cut through the quiet. He said, "It's over. Let's get out of here. I'll take you home.""Zac, what happened?" she asked, her voice uneasy.Zachary paused, then scooped her into his arms. Caught off guard, Tessa gasped and instinctively clung to his neck, her expression dazed. Without saying a single word, he carried her out.The bar manager, Ken Fielder, took in the scene around him. The group of wealthy young men was too badly hurt to get up, and the floor was littered with broken glass.A throbbing headache set in, and he immediately barked at his staff to clean up the mess.Derek was helped to his feet, his face bloodied as he spat out curses. "Damn it! Who the hell was that guy?"Ken hesitated. "We don't know. We've never seen him around before.""Why didn't you do a damn thing? You just stood there, watching it all happen, didn't you?" Derek snarled, grabbing Ken by the collar.
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 27
"What are you wearing? And why did you shower?" Ethan demanded, grabbing Tessa by the collar and pulling her close.Startled, she stumbled, nearly losing her balance.Furious at the sight, Zachary pushed himself up from the ground. He roared, "Ethan!"Ethan stared at Tessa and realized that her eyes were unfocused. He froze. "What's wrong with your eyes?"Tessa replied calmly, "I can't see. Will you let me go?""You—"Zachary lunged forward, shoving Ethan away and pulling Tessa behind him. "Haven't you hurt her enough, Ethan? You took her corneas to fix another woman's eyes, and now she's blind! What else do you want from her?"Ethan stood frozen, his gaze locked on Tessa in disbelief. "She's blind? That can't be. She's pretending, isn't she? What's wrong with her eyes?"Zachary sneered. "Pretending? What a devoted husband you've been. Her vision's been failing for a long time, and you never even noticed! Worse, you stole the corneas she'd been waiting for."Who in this world
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 28
Ethan struggled for air as he stared into Tessa's unfocused, tear-filled eyes. A crushing weight pressed against his chest, leaving him breathless."Can't you see that you're only making things worse for her?" Zachary yelled.Ethan whipped around to face him, his voice quiet but steely. "We're still married. Touch her, and you'll regret it."Without saying another word, he turned and left.Zachary stepped closer and slipped an arm around Tessa's shoulders. "It's okay. He's gone. You're safe now."She wiped her tears away but said nothing.Ethan stormed out of the elevator and rushed across the hotel lobby, already dialing a number. "Find out what's going on with Tessa's eyes. The hospital claimed that they didn't have her records, didn't they? Look into it again!"After steadying herself, Tessa turned toward Zachary with concern. "You're hurt, aren't you? I'm sorry, Zac. This is my fault.""Don't say that. That makes it sound like we're strangers."Blood streaked his face, but
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 29
Rosalie's voice trembled, thick with tears, as she said, "B-But this is too sudden. How are we supposed to find corneas in time? What do we do, Tess? What's going to happen to your eyes?"Tessa felt her nose sting when she heard Rosalie's choked words. She reached for Rosalie's hand.Zachary's voice was firm as he said, "I'll get you new corneas, Tess. You're not going blind, not while I'm here.""Thanks," Tessa replied, her smile sorrowful.After all she'd been through lately, she finally understood what it meant to accept fate. Sometimes, life had a strange way of working out.It seemed that certain things were never meant to be hers. She thought that perhaps blindness was just what she had to live with.…Ethan hadn't left. His car was still parked along the street outside Tessa's apartment. The window was rolled down, and a cigarette dangled between his fingers. The inside of the car was thick with smoke.The memory of Tessa's dull, sightless eyes kept replaying in his mind
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 30
Ethan needed to know the precise state of Tessa's eyes.At the hospital, Rosalie helped Tessa complete the required tests. Once finished, they waited for the results in silence. Rosalie turned to Tessa and said, "Stay here for a minute. I'll grab you some water.""Okay," Tessa answered, nodding.Since Tessa couldn't see, Rosalie worried about her safety and got a white cane from the hospital. Gripping the cane, Tessa remained quietly seated on the hallway bench.Sunlight spilled over her, and though her gaze was unfocused, her eyes remained bright and beautiful.Suddenly, a child sprinted past, catching his foot on her cane. He stumbled, causing the cane to clatter to the floor. He then quickly regained his balance and rushed off without saying a single word.Tessa was startled. She didn't know what had happened, only that her cane had been knocked away. Clutching the chair for support, she crouched and swept her hand across the floor, searching.The cane lay nearby, but she cou
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 1
"Tess, the donor changed his mind. Talk to Ethan and have him figure out another way to help you before your eyes deteriorate even more!"Tessa Langford was packing a suitcase for her upcoming hospitalization when her best friend, Rosalie Gray, called her. Tessa's heart leaped to her throat when she heard the bad news, and her mind went blank.When she came to her senses, she gripped her phone tightly and asked anxiously, "Why did the donor change his mind? Maybe we could try to talk some sense into him. I… I…"Tessa struggled to form a coherent sentence. She rubbed the hem of her shirt between her fingers, and her heart sank as Ethan Ziegler's indifferent expression flashed in her mind.Ethan wouldn't help her. He loathed her after the incident from years ago. In the five years they had been married, he treated her as though she were invisible. She would be remiss to think that he would help her."Tess, I can't reach the donor," Rosalie said sorrowfully. "The donor wants his cont
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Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 30
Ethan needed to know the precise state of Tessa's eyes.At the hospital, Rosalie helped Tessa complete the required tests. Once finished, they waited for the results in silence. Rosalie turned to Tessa and said, "Stay here for a minute. I'll grab you some water.""Okay," Tessa answered, nodding.Since Tessa couldn't see, Rosalie worried about her safety and got a white cane from the hospital. Gripping the cane, Tessa remained quietly seated on the hallway bench.Sunlight spilled over her, and though her gaze was unfocused, her eyes remained bright and beautiful.Suddenly, a child sprinted past, catching his foot on her cane. He stumbled, causing the cane to clatter to the floor. He then quickly regained his balance and rushed off without saying a single word.Tessa was startled. She didn't know what had happened, only that her cane had been knocked away. Clutching the chair for support, she crouched and swept her hand across the floor, searching.The cane lay nearby, but she cou
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 29
Rosalie's voice trembled, thick with tears, as she said, "B-But this is too sudden. How are we supposed to find corneas in time? What do we do, Tess? What's going to happen to your eyes?"Tessa felt her nose sting when she heard Rosalie's choked words. She reached for Rosalie's hand.Zachary's voice was firm as he said, "I'll get you new corneas, Tess. You're not going blind, not while I'm here.""Thanks," Tessa replied, her smile sorrowful.After all she'd been through lately, she finally understood what it meant to accept fate. Sometimes, life had a strange way of working out.It seemed that certain things were never meant to be hers. She thought that perhaps blindness was just what she had to live with.…Ethan hadn't left. His car was still parked along the street outside Tessa's apartment. The window was rolled down, and a cigarette dangled between his fingers. The inside of the car was thick with smoke.The memory of Tessa's dull, sightless eyes kept replaying in his mind
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 28
Ethan struggled for air as he stared into Tessa's unfocused, tear-filled eyes. A crushing weight pressed against his chest, leaving him breathless."Can't you see that you're only making things worse for her?" Zachary yelled.Ethan whipped around to face him, his voice quiet but steely. "We're still married. Touch her, and you'll regret it."Without saying another word, he turned and left.Zachary stepped closer and slipped an arm around Tessa's shoulders. "It's okay. He's gone. You're safe now."She wiped her tears away but said nothing.Ethan stormed out of the elevator and rushed across the hotel lobby, already dialing a number. "Find out what's going on with Tessa's eyes. The hospital claimed that they didn't have her records, didn't they? Look into it again!"After steadying herself, Tessa turned toward Zachary with concern. "You're hurt, aren't you? I'm sorry, Zac. This is my fault.""Don't say that. That makes it sound like we're strangers."Blood streaked his face, but
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 27
"What are you wearing? And why did you shower?" Ethan demanded, grabbing Tessa by the collar and pulling her close.Startled, she stumbled, nearly losing her balance.Furious at the sight, Zachary pushed himself up from the ground. He roared, "Ethan!"Ethan stared at Tessa and realized that her eyes were unfocused. He froze. "What's wrong with your eyes?"Tessa replied calmly, "I can't see. Will you let me go?""You—"Zachary lunged forward, shoving Ethan away and pulling Tessa behind him. "Haven't you hurt her enough, Ethan? You took her corneas to fix another woman's eyes, and now she's blind! What else do you want from her?"Ethan stood frozen, his gaze locked on Tessa in disbelief. "She's blind? That can't be. She's pretending, isn't she? What's wrong with her eyes?"Zachary sneered. "Pretending? What a devoted husband you've been. Her vision's been failing for a long time, and you never even noticed! Worse, you stole the corneas she'd been waiting for."Who in this world
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 26
Tessa wasn't sure how much time had passed before the chaos finally died. Then, Zachary's voice cut through the quiet. He said, "It's over. Let's get out of here. I'll take you home.""Zac, what happened?" she asked, her voice uneasy.Zachary paused, then scooped her into his arms. Caught off guard, Tessa gasped and instinctively clung to his neck, her expression dazed. Without saying a single word, he carried her out.The bar manager, Ken Fielder, took in the scene around him. The group of wealthy young men was too badly hurt to get up, and the floor was littered with broken glass.A throbbing headache set in, and he immediately barked at his staff to clean up the mess.Derek was helped to his feet, his face bloodied as he spat out curses. "Damn it! Who the hell was that guy?"Ken hesitated. "We don't know. We've never seen him around before.""Why didn't you do a damn thing? You just stood there, watching it all happen, didn't you?" Derek snarled, grabbing Ken by the collar.
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 25
A group of men closed in on Tessa. Unable to see, she couldn't tell what was happening; only the chaos around her registered. Fear twisted through her, and she folded in on herself.Just as they went to lift her, a figure cut between them and caught the nearest man's wrist.The man yelped in pain, then snarled, "Who the hell are you? Get off me!"Zachary sneered and slammed his foot into the man's chest, knocking him off his feet. The man crashed into a table, causing the bottles and glasses to explode on impact.The patrons in the booth recoiled, scrambling away as if afraid that the fight might reach them.Security at the bar hurried over as soon as they caught wind of it. But as soon as they recognized Derek and the group of wealthy young men, they held back, reluctant to intervene.Derek fixed Zachary with a glare. "Who the hell are you? This isn't your problem. Walk away now, or you'll regret it!"Zachary met his gaze with icy disdain but said nothing. Instead, he turned an
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 24
Tessa opened her eyes to see a blurry figure she couldn't quite make out. She started to say, "You…""Talk about bad luck. Of all people, I had to run into you here!" That icy voice left no doubt within her. She knew that it belonged to Derek.Memories of every insult he'd ever thrown at her sent a chill through her. With her vision still blurry, her first impulse was to bolt.But Derek clamped a firm hand on her shoulder and sneered. "Don't stop drinking because of me. Why run? It's not like I'll hurt you. What are you afraid of?"His hand clamped down on Tessa's shoulder with brutal force. The pain was sharp enough to make her wince, her slender frame on the verge of buckling."Compared to your father—that monster who got countless people killed—I'm practically a saint. Wouldn't you agree?"The words sent a surge of anger through her. She snatched the half-full glass from the table and hurled the remaining liquor at Derek.However, he didn't flinch as the alcohol hit him squar
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 23
Ethan scoffed. "Wonderful.""There's more," Charlotte said. "Ms. Langford is pushing you to sign the divorce papers. She says she's done waiting."She hesitated, then continued, "I think she's got the wrong idea about us, Ethan. You should've seen the way she looked at me. It was terrifying. She kept staring into my eyes, hung up on my corneas. She still thinks I took hers. And then she said…"Ethan's voice dropped. "Said what?""That she wants to rip my eyes out because the sight of them makes her furious," Charlotte murmured. She quickly added, "But Ethan, Ms. Langley couldn't have meant it. There's no way that she's really that cruel—"Ethan's voice was icy. "She still hasn't shown any remorse! Does she really think I can't manage without her? Ridiculous! You're coming with me to this birthday party."Charlotte hesitated. "Ethan, this might be risky. If Mr. Ziegler Senior asks, you won't have a good answer.""How would he find out unless we told him?" Ethan's anger hadn't sub
Blinded for Your Sake: Stolen Matches and Hollow Tears Chapter 22
Tessa's expression hardened, and her jaw clenched. Ethan was the one who had stolen her corneas and handed them to Charlotte. He would go to any lengths for her!"Oh, and do you know why your medical records disappeared from the hospital?" Charlotte asked, her voice thick with implication.Tessa whipped around to face her. "You did that?"She remembered opening up to Ethan about her eye condition, only for him to accuse her of lying.Charlotte smiled. "It wasn't me, of course. I don't have the kind of pull to wipe your medical records from the hospital. Only Ethan could manage something like that."Her voice dripped with feigned sympathy as she continued, "You gave him your whole heart, and this is how he repays you. How pathetic. He knew about your condition. But he just didn't care."And as for deleting your records? He didn't want Mr. Ziegler Senior digging into uncomfortable questions later. You're so smart. How did you miss it?""Are you serious?" Tessa's mouth filled with
