Isabel’s POVI kneeled next to Emerson’s crumpled body. My hands trembled as they pressed against his bleeding wound. The blood was everywhere—dark, warm, and terrifyingly fast. A desperate panic rose in my throat as I looked around the dimly lit terrain. We were isolated, surrounded by danger. Silas Kane’s men could be lurking around every corner.Emerson’s breaths were shallow, his face pale. “Stay with me,” I whispered hoarsely.My mind raced. We were miles from help, but I couldn’t leave him here to die. He had saved me, shielded me with his own body. And yet, the lingering doubts whispered cruel truths. How could I care for someone who had caused me so much pain? But could I bear the thought of losing him?Emerson groaned softly, pulling me out of my spiral. I shook my head to focus. “On the other side of the silos,” he had said earlier. That’s where Michael would be waiting.I scanned my surroundings frantically and spotted an old sheet crumpled in a dusty corner. It wasn’t muc
Isabel’s POVThe hospital waiting room was an unrelenting purgatory. Its silence was broken only by the occasional murmur of voices. The harsh fluorescent lights bathed everything in a cold, artificial glow. The smell of antiseptic clung to the air. My hands, still stained with Emerson’s blood, were trembling slightly in my lap. No matter how much I had tried to scrub them clean in the bathroom earlier, the stains seemed etched into my skin.And yet, there was something else. Something clawing at the edges of my mind, whispering a truth I didn’t want to acknowledge. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as indifferent to Emerson’s survival as I wanted to believe.I clenched my hands into fists, trying to suppress the thought. He was a man who had caused me immeasurable pain. A man who had lied, betrayed, and abandoned me. But when I saw him bleeding out, his life slipping away, it was as if all that hatred had been eclipsed by something far more primal—a desperate hope that he would survive.
Isabel’s POVMichael stood in the doorway, his face shadowed by hesitation. His brows knit together as though he were weighing the consequences of speaking. I could see the struggle written plainly in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed as he wrestled with his thoughts.Robert shifted uncomfortably beside me, his disapproval palpable. “Michael,” he interjected, his voice firm. “This can wait. Isabel is about to undergo surgery. She doesn’t need—”“No,” I interrupted, my voice steadier than I expected. “Let him speak.”Robert gave me a look of deep concern but relented. He leaned back in his chair with a resigned sigh. Michael took a breath, stepping further into the room. His expression was apologetic.“I’m sorry, Isabel,” Michael began, his voice low. “I hesitated to bring this up, especially now. But after everything that happened, you deserve to know the truth—about Lilith, about your father, and about what started this whole nightmare.”A chill ran down my spine at his words. I
Isabel’s POVThe room was silent, the air thick with unspoken tension. Michael and Robert stood before me, their gazes cautious. As though they were afraid their words had already done enough damage. My thoughts whirled, every revelation settling like a stone in my chest. The betrayal. The misunderstandings. The years of pain.Finally, I broke the silence. My voice was quiet but steady. “Please tell him…”Michael’s brows furrowed. “Tell who?”“Emerson,” I clarified, my gaze meeting his. “If he’s sincere about making things right, then he can’t keep risking his life like this. It’s not just his life anymore. He’s living for Liam now, too.”Michael nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll tell him.”But that wasn’t enough. “And Michael?” I added, my tone sharper. “Make sure he listens. He needs to understand that his recklessness doesn’t only affect him.”“I’ll do my best,” Michael assured me, though there was a flicker of doubt in his expression.Robert cleared his throat, cutting through the h
Isabel’s POVI didn’t wait for Robert to finish his sentence. Before he could utter another word, I was already out the door, my hospital gown flapping as I moved. The only thing in my mind was my father, lying vulnerable in his hospital bed. Lilith’s threats from before echoed in my head. Her chilling smile and those venomous words.I had thought her death was the end, but I was wrong.Even in death, she remained relentless. Lilith had always been calculated and cruel—why wouldn’t she have a plan set in motion?I pushed through a throng of medical staff who tried to stop me. Their protests fell on deaf ears. My only thought was reaching my father before it was too late.Their voices were white noise. Their hands pulling at my arms were only fleeting distractions. I couldn't stop. I wouldn’t stop.“Ms. White, you’re not well enough!” one nurse called, panic lacing her tone.“You’ll collapse!” another added.I couldn’t hear them. My body acted on instinct. My legs carried me forward ev
Emerson’s POVI woke to a dull, pounding ache in my abdomen. The sensation dragged me out of a foggy, restless unconsciousness. My first instinct was to sit up, but the sharp sting in my side reminded me of the blade Lilith had plunged into me.Lilith. The memory slammed into me—her crazed smile, the sickening thud of her collapsing body, and Isabel’s worried cries. Isabel.Her name echoed in my mind, sharp and consuming. It drowned out everything else. A surge of panic shot through me, chasing away the pain that throbbed in my abdomen. The only thing that mattered now, was finding her.I stumbled out of my hospital room, my hand pressed to my side as if that alone could keep me upright. Each step was an effort. The fear coursing through my veins made me move faster than I should have.I reached her ward, my heart pounding in my ears. The sterile hallway stretched around me, a blur of white and fluorescent light. I knocked on the door with trembling hands, leaning heavily against the
Emerson’s POVAs I stared at Robert, a bitter mix of anger and frustration churned within me. The man was a walking contradiction—so self-righteous yet willing to play dirty when it suited him. Hypocritical, just like… me.I still remembered our conversation a few days ago, his unwavering confidence as he had backed me into a corner.“What do you want?” I had asked him, trying to mask the unease in my voice.“Hand over Isabel’s father,” he had replied without hesitation.The audacity of it had been enough to stun me into silence. He claimed Mr. White was my last leverage over Isabel, accusing me of using her father to control her. That was laughable, but not entirely untrue. His conditions weren’t exactly something I’d used against her. But I couldn’t deny how much of a liability he had become.Robert, though, had offered a trade: If I let him take over Mr. White’s care, he wouldn’t tell Isabel that I had let Lilith go. At the time, I had expected him to take the credit for it. That
Isabel’s POVThe first thing I felt was the dull ache in my body—a reminder of how fragile life had become. The second was the warmth of sunlight seeping through the blinds. And the third… voices. Faint, low, tense voices.My eyelids fluttered open.. The sterile white walls of the hospital room greeted me. Two figures stood beside my bed—Emerson and Robert. They were speaking in hushed tones. But their strained expressions said more than words ever could. I shifted slightly. The movement immediately caught their attention. Both men turned to me. Their faces reflected a mix of relief and concern.“You’re awake,” Robert said softly, moving closer. Emerson lingered, his arms crossed, his jaw tight.“What… happened?” I asked, my voice hoarse. My fingers instinctively went to my head, brushing over my scalp. No surgical bandages. A pang of worry shot through me. “Didn’t I… have the surgery?”Robert hesitated, exchanging a glance with Emerson. The air was thick with something unspoken, an
Isabel’s POVThe first thing I felt was the dull ache in my body—a reminder of how fragile life had become. The second was the warmth of sunlight seeping through the blinds. And the third… voices. Faint, low, tense voices.My eyelids fluttered open.. The sterile white walls of the hospital room greeted me. Two figures stood beside my bed—Emerson and Robert. They were speaking in hushed tones. But their strained expressions said more than words ever could. I shifted slightly. The movement immediately caught their attention. Both men turned to me. Their faces reflected a mix of relief and concern.“You’re awake,” Robert said softly, moving closer. Emerson lingered, his arms crossed, his jaw tight.“What… happened?” I asked, my voice hoarse. My fingers instinctively went to my head, brushing over my scalp. No surgical bandages. A pang of worry shot through me. “Didn’t I… have the surgery?”Robert hesitated, exchanging a glance with Emerson. The air was thick with something unspoken, an
Emerson’s POVAs I stared at Robert, a bitter mix of anger and frustration churned within me. The man was a walking contradiction—so self-righteous yet willing to play dirty when it suited him. Hypocritical, just like… me.I still remembered our conversation a few days ago, his unwavering confidence as he had backed me into a corner.“What do you want?” I had asked him, trying to mask the unease in my voice.“Hand over Isabel’s father,” he had replied without hesitation.The audacity of it had been enough to stun me into silence. He claimed Mr. White was my last leverage over Isabel, accusing me of using her father to control her. That was laughable, but not entirely untrue. His conditions weren’t exactly something I’d used against her. But I couldn’t deny how much of a liability he had become.Robert, though, had offered a trade: If I let him take over Mr. White’s care, he wouldn’t tell Isabel that I had let Lilith go. At the time, I had expected him to take the credit for it. That
Emerson’s POVI woke to a dull, pounding ache in my abdomen. The sensation dragged me out of a foggy, restless unconsciousness. My first instinct was to sit up, but the sharp sting in my side reminded me of the blade Lilith had plunged into me.Lilith. The memory slammed into me—her crazed smile, the sickening thud of her collapsing body, and Isabel’s worried cries. Isabel.Her name echoed in my mind, sharp and consuming. It drowned out everything else. A surge of panic shot through me, chasing away the pain that throbbed in my abdomen. The only thing that mattered now, was finding her.I stumbled out of my hospital room, my hand pressed to my side as if that alone could keep me upright. Each step was an effort. The fear coursing through my veins made me move faster than I should have.I reached her ward, my heart pounding in my ears. The sterile hallway stretched around me, a blur of white and fluorescent light. I knocked on the door with trembling hands, leaning heavily against the
Isabel’s POVI didn’t wait for Robert to finish his sentence. Before he could utter another word, I was already out the door, my hospital gown flapping as I moved. The only thing in my mind was my father, lying vulnerable in his hospital bed. Lilith’s threats from before echoed in my head. Her chilling smile and those venomous words.I had thought her death was the end, but I was wrong.Even in death, she remained relentless. Lilith had always been calculated and cruel—why wouldn’t she have a plan set in motion?I pushed through a throng of medical staff who tried to stop me. Their protests fell on deaf ears. My only thought was reaching my father before it was too late.Their voices were white noise. Their hands pulling at my arms were only fleeting distractions. I couldn't stop. I wouldn’t stop.“Ms. White, you’re not well enough!” one nurse called, panic lacing her tone.“You’ll collapse!” another added.I couldn’t hear them. My body acted on instinct. My legs carried me forward ev
Isabel’s POVThe room was silent, the air thick with unspoken tension. Michael and Robert stood before me, their gazes cautious. As though they were afraid their words had already done enough damage. My thoughts whirled, every revelation settling like a stone in my chest. The betrayal. The misunderstandings. The years of pain.Finally, I broke the silence. My voice was quiet but steady. “Please tell him…”Michael’s brows furrowed. “Tell who?”“Emerson,” I clarified, my gaze meeting his. “If he’s sincere about making things right, then he can’t keep risking his life like this. It’s not just his life anymore. He’s living for Liam now, too.”Michael nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll tell him.”But that wasn’t enough. “And Michael?” I added, my tone sharper. “Make sure he listens. He needs to understand that his recklessness doesn’t only affect him.”“I’ll do my best,” Michael assured me, though there was a flicker of doubt in his expression.Robert cleared his throat, cutting through the h
Isabel’s POVMichael stood in the doorway, his face shadowed by hesitation. His brows knit together as though he were weighing the consequences of speaking. I could see the struggle written plainly in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed as he wrestled with his thoughts.Robert shifted uncomfortably beside me, his disapproval palpable. “Michael,” he interjected, his voice firm. “This can wait. Isabel is about to undergo surgery. She doesn’t need—”“No,” I interrupted, my voice steadier than I expected. “Let him speak.”Robert gave me a look of deep concern but relented. He leaned back in his chair with a resigned sigh. Michael took a breath, stepping further into the room. His expression was apologetic.“I’m sorry, Isabel,” Michael began, his voice low. “I hesitated to bring this up, especially now. But after everything that happened, you deserve to know the truth—about Lilith, about your father, and about what started this whole nightmare.”A chill ran down my spine at his words. I
Isabel’s POVThe hospital waiting room was an unrelenting purgatory. Its silence was broken only by the occasional murmur of voices. The harsh fluorescent lights bathed everything in a cold, artificial glow. The smell of antiseptic clung to the air. My hands, still stained with Emerson’s blood, were trembling slightly in my lap. No matter how much I had tried to scrub them clean in the bathroom earlier, the stains seemed etched into my skin.And yet, there was something else. Something clawing at the edges of my mind, whispering a truth I didn’t want to acknowledge. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as indifferent to Emerson’s survival as I wanted to believe.I clenched my hands into fists, trying to suppress the thought. He was a man who had caused me immeasurable pain. A man who had lied, betrayed, and abandoned me. But when I saw him bleeding out, his life slipping away, it was as if all that hatred had been eclipsed by something far more primal—a desperate hope that he would survive.
Isabel’s POVI kneeled next to Emerson’s crumpled body. My hands trembled as they pressed against his bleeding wound. The blood was everywhere—dark, warm, and terrifyingly fast. A desperate panic rose in my throat as I looked around the dimly lit terrain. We were isolated, surrounded by danger. Silas Kane’s men could be lurking around every corner.Emerson’s breaths were shallow, his face pale. “Stay with me,” I whispered hoarsely.My mind raced. We were miles from help, but I couldn’t leave him here to die. He had saved me, shielded me with his own body. And yet, the lingering doubts whispered cruel truths. How could I care for someone who had caused me so much pain? But could I bear the thought of losing him?Emerson groaned softly, pulling me out of my spiral. I shook my head to focus. “On the other side of the silos,” he had said earlier. That’s where Michael would be waiting.I scanned my surroundings frantically and spotted an old sheet crumpled in a dusty corner. It wasn’t muc
Isabel’s POVThe deafening gunshot echoed in my ears. For a moment, I was sure it was over. My eyes shut tightly, bracing for the inevitable. This was how it all ended—alone, betrayed, and broken.But… the pain never came.Instead, there was silence, punctuated by the dull thud of something—or someone—hitting the ground. Slowly, I opened my eyes, heart racing.Lilith had fallen to her knees before me, her face frozen in shock. Her wide eyes seemed to reflect disbelief. Her body was trembling. The woman who had always seemed untouchable—impeccably perfect, cold and calculating, an unshakable force of destruction—was now crumpling before me. Lilith, the woman who had orchestrated so much pain, who had relentlessly sought to destroy my life, my family, my children, was dying. For a moment, it felt surreal. As though fate’s cruel wheel had finally shifted in my favor. The sight before me was almost jarring: her impeccably styled raven hair still clung to its carefully sculpted waves, he