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
Lilith’s POVAt first, there was only darkness. A deep, endless abyss of darkness.Was I… dead? The thought clawed at my mind. No. There was too much pain. Dead people didn’t feel pain.Then, I noticed voices floating around me. They sounded faint and garbled, like a distant conversation submerged underwater."Vitals are stable for now.""Prep the next injection.""Is she conscious? Increase the dosage if necessary."My entire body screamed in protest, every nerve ablaze. I could feel tubes piercing my skin. They constricted my movement, tethering me to something sinister.Blinking against the blinding light above me, I squinted to take in my surroundings. The air was damp and carried a faint metallic tang that reminded me of blood. The walls were dark, almost black, and slick with condensation. As if the place itself was alive, breathing. Machines beeped methodically around me, and shadows moved beyond the sterile glow of overhead lights.A group of people dressed like doctors hovere
Isabel’s POVDays passed, stretching into an unspoken eternity, and Emerson’s condition could no longer be kept from Liam and Elena.One afternoon, I was sitting by Emerson’s bed, my hand gently brushing his, when the door to the hospital room creaked open. My heart skipped a beat."Liam, Elena, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion. I hadn’t expected them today, and the sight of their small faces brought a surge of overwhelming love and guilt.Eric stood behind them, his expression apologetic, his eyes soft with understanding. “They begged me, Isabel. They wouldn’t stop asking to see him... I couldn’t say no anymore.”Liam’s face was drawn, his usual bright energy dimmed with concern. Elena clung to her brother, her eyes wide with fear as they both hesitated in the doorway.Before I could say anything else, another figure appeared behind them, stepping into the room. My heart stopped for a moment as I looked up to see Emerson’s mother, Estelle, walking towards
Isabel’s POVA month had passed. One whole month, and still, no sign of life from Emerson. The machines beside his bed beeped steadily. A monotonous rhythm that I had come to know too well. A rhythm that seemed to mock the stillness of his body. I sat by his side every day, watching him, praying for some miracle—some sign that he was still there, still fighting. But each time I whispered his name, there was nothing. Nothing but the soft hum of hospital machinery.“Emerson,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite my attempts to sound steady. “Don’t you want to be with me? If you wake up, I promise we can live happily as a family of four.”I meant it, every word of it. The thought of a future with him, of raising our children together, was the only thing that kept me going. I needed him to hear me. I needed him to wake up.But Emerson remained unresponsive.He looked like a prince charming, trapped in an eternal dream—strangely peaceful. I combed his dark hair back neatly after gently
Isabel’s POVThe world blurred—shouts, chaos, the metallic scent of blood thick in my nostrils. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I clung to Emerson, his labored breaths hot against my skin.I didn’t dare move. The slick warmth of his blood drenching me was unnerving. His chest rose and fell in erratic, shallow breaths. But then, amid the cacophony of battle, a stunned silence emerged. Orders were shouted. Weapons clicked into position. Something had changed. I forced myself to glance up from Emerson’s chest, my pulse hammering.Alistair stood frozen, his face contorted in pain. Blood dripped from his hand—the very hand that had been pointing a gun at me just seconds before. His grip slackened, and the weapon tumbled to the ground.A sniper.Alistair’s men immediately scattered, taking defensive positions, frantically searching the area. But before they could react, several of them suddenly dropped to the ground.They were convulsing violently, frothing at the mouth. One by one, the
Isabel’s POVMy wrists ached from the tight ropes binding my hands behind my back as I was shoved forward. The rough ground beneath my boots felt unsteady, my knees weak with exhaustion. The air smelled of blood, gunpowder, and sweat. The night was still alive with distant gunfire, but here, in the heart of the enemy’s grasp, there was only the sound of my ragged breathing and Alistair’s mocking laughter.“Stop resisting, Emerson,” he drawled, his voice filled with smug amusement. “You’re in over your head. Oh—look who finally decided to join us.”Emerson was holding back several opponents, bruised and bloodied from the fight. His head snapped up at Alistair’s words.He turned, and when his eyes landed on me, something in his face shifted. Shock, then rage, then a devastating kind of fear. He lunged forward, but a guard was faster. A rifle butt slammed into Emerson’s ribs. The sickening crack echoed in the night, and he crumpled to the ground, gasping for air."Emerson!" I screamed,
Isabel’s POVAt first, Emerson and I managed to escape the building, slipping into the shadows like ghosts. The night was thick around us, swallowing our hurried footsteps as we navigated through the wreckage of Alistair’s camp. The distant gunfire and shouts of battle echoed behind us. But just as we reached the edge of the compound, the world seemed to shift.From the darkness, figures emerged—silent and predatory, their weapons gleaming under the pale moonlight. They moved like shadows given form, their presence an unspoken promise of violence. My breath caught in my throat as a dozen, no, more than two dozen enemies surrounded us, blocking every escape route. The sheer hatred in their eyes sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. These weren’t just guards; they were fanatics, men who thrived in the chaos of bloodshed and terror.Emerson moved instinctively, stepping in front of me, gun raised. “Stay close,” he murmured, barely audible over the wind. I nodded, steadying my grip
Sebastian/Elias’ POVScarlet’s scream echoed through the dimly lit room, raw with disbelief and fury. “You’re lying!” she spat, her eyes blazing with denial. The restraints binding her wrists rattled as she struggled, but I didn’t move to stop her. There was no point—her fight wasn’t with me. It was with the truth.I let out a slow breath, pulling a small, timeworn pocket watch from my coat. The silver casing had dulled over the years, but the engraved initials remained clear. I clicked it open and held it out to her, revealing a faded family photograph inside.“My father gave this to me before he died,” I said evenly, my voice softer than before. “He cared about you, Scarlet. No matter what you believe, you were never forgotten.”Her breath hitched. For a moment, the fire in her eyes flickered, replaced by something rawer—uncertainty. “How could it be?” she murmured, barely more than a whisper.All the pieces had finally clicked into place as Scarlet unraveled her story. The tangled
Scarlet’s POVTelling my story, I was flung back into the past. Lost in the grip of memories that had never truly left me. The present moment faded, and I found myself reliving those painful years. As vivid and raw as the day they had happened.I had been young, hopeful, foolish. Despite the years of neglect, I had still wanted my parents' love. But when I overheard them denying my very existence, something inside me snapped.Disheartened, I had returned to the countryside, burying myself in my studies. Medicine became my refuge, my salvation. I dedicated myself to understanding the human body—not just how to heal it, but how to manipulate it, how to break it. My hands, once weak and trembling from years of frustration, became steady, precise instruments of control.The first time I killed a lab mouse, something dark and exhilarating bloomed inside me. Power. The ability to decide whether something lived or died. The ability to take control of what had always been out of my grasp.
Elias’ POVI watched from the shadows as Isabel and Emerson disappeared into the night, their figures swallowed by the chaos of battle outside. I clenched my fists and tried to push down the sharp, aching weight that settled in my gut.Maybe it had been foolish to think I ever stood a chance with Isabel. Emerson had always been the one she turned to in the end. The one she trusted in the heat of battle. The one she looked at with that fierce determination in her eyes. And me? I was just a shadow lingering on the edges of her world, never quite stepping into the light.A slow clap echoed through the dimly lit room."Are you just going to let them go?" Scarlet’s voice slithered through the shadows like a snake.I turned away from the exit, my expression unreadable as I faced the woman bound to the chair before me. Her wrists were tied behind her back, her face partially obscured by strands of disheveled hair. Even restrained, she exuded a sickening confidence, her smirk unwavering.I m
Isabel’s POVI had to stop Margot.There was no time to think, no time to call for backup—just raw instinct and the desperate need to prevent her from making a terrible mistake. My boots pounded against the forest floor as I sprinted after her, weaving through the pine trees in pursuit. I knew why she was doing this. I understood the desperate, reckless pull of wanting to save someone you love. But charging straight into enemy territory? Alone? It was suicide.“No!” I hissed under my breath, pushing my legs harder.Margot moved swiftly, her figure barely a shadow in the dim light. She reached the edge of the enemy’s perimeter and, without hesitation, hoisted herself up onto a low window ledge. She pulled her body through with practiced agility. She was inside before I could even call her name.Damn it.I skidded to a halt near the building, pressing myself against the rough exterior. The compound was crawling with patrols. My heart pounded as I scanned the area, calculating the be