chapter 88
Chapter 88
The hospital corridor was quiet in the way only hospitals ever were at night–too clean, too bright, and heavy with the faint scent of disinfectant that clung to the lungs. Adrian stood near the glass wall of the intensive care unit, his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the unmoving figure on the bed inside.
Machines hummed softly around the woman. Lines ran from her arm, her chest rose and fell with mechanical steadiness, and a thin monitor traced her heartbeat in green lines that Adrian found himself counting without meaning to.
Beside him, Kai leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his usual careless expression replaced with something far more alert.
They had been standing there for nearly an hour.
Three men walked past them.
They moved with purpose but not urgency, their footsteps light, their shoulders straight. To anyone else, they would have looked like ordinary visitors or late–night staff. But Adrian felt it the moment their eyes met his.
It wasn’t hostility.
It was recognition.
The men slowed just a fraction as they passed, their gazes brushing over Adrian like unseen hands testing the surface of water. One of them held his stare a moment longer than necessary, then looked away and continued down the corridor.
Kai straightened instantly.
“Did you feel that?” he asked under his breath, stepping closer to Adrian.
Adrian didn’t look away from the glass. “Yes.”
“What kind of feeling was it?” Kai pressed.
Adrian exhaled slowly. “The kind that doesn’t belong in a hospital.”
Kai frowned. “You think they-”
“I don’t know,” Adrian cut in quietly. “But something’s wrong. I just can’t tell what yet.”
Kai’s jaw tightened. He glanced down the corridor where the men had disappeared, then back at Adrian. “I’ll check something. I won’t be long.”
Before Adrian could respond, Kai turned and walked away, his footsteps fading quickly.
Adrian remained where he was.
He shifted his weight and leaned slightly closer to the glass, his reflection faintly overlaying the woman’s pale face. Guilt pressed against his chest again, familiar and unwelcome.
He hadn’t meant to hit her.
The memory replayed without mercy–the sudden movement, the impact, the sickening sound, the blood. No matter how many battles he had fought or lives he had saved in another lifetime, it didn’t change the fact that tonight, his hands had caused this,
His phone vibrated.
He pulled it out and frowned at the screen.
Reyes.
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chapter 88
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He answered quietly. “You shouldn’t be calling me.”
“I’m already here,” her voice replied calmly. “And I’m disguised. They won’t let me in–it’s past visiting hours.”
Adrian’s brows knit. “Stay where you are. I’ll come out.”
He took one last look at the woman in the bed, then turned and headed toward the reception area.
Miss Reyes stood near the desk, dressed plainly, her hair tucked beneath a simple hat, a pair of glasses resting on her nose. She looked nothing like the powerful director the city feared. But the worry in her eyes was real and unguarded the moment she saw Adrian.
“What happened?” she asked immediately. “Why are you here?”
Adrian stopped in front of her. “It was an accident.”
Her gaze sharpened. “You don’t get involved in accidents.”
“This one involved me,” he replied evenly.
She studied his face for a moment, then lowered her voice. “Why didn’t you heal her?”
Adrian didn’t answer right away.
“I tried,” he said finally. “But her injuries weren’t something I could override without causing more damage. She needed proper
medical intervention.”
Reyes frowned. “You’re saying even you couldn’t-”
“I could have forced it,” Adrian interrupted. “But it would’ve been reckless.”
She inhaled slowly, nodding once. “Should we move her? Somewhere safer. Somewhere with better oversight.”
Adrian considered it. “Not yet. Let’s see how she responds to treatment tonight. If there’s no improvement by morning, we
transfer her.”
Reyes glanced back toward the corridor, then at Adrian again. “You look unsettled.”
Adrian’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I hit her.”
The words landed between them.
Reyes stiffened. “You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
She searched his expression, perhaps expecting excuses, deflection, anything–but found none.
“You didn’t run,” she said quietly.
“I brought her here myself.”
Reyes exhaled, something between relief and concern. “The city won’t care about intentions if this turns ugly.”
“I know.”
Silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant beep of monitors and the soft murmur of nurses behind the desk.
Reyes folded her arms. “Are you hurt?”
“No.”
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“Are you sure?” she insisted.
Adrian nodded. “I’m fine.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“You’ve made enemies,” she said after a moment. “Power like yours doesn’t go unnoticed. Hospitals are… convenient places for coincidences.”
Adrian met her gaze. “You’re worried.”
“I’d be irresponsible not to be,” she replied. “Especially when you insist on carrying everything alone.”
Adrian’s expression softened just slightly. “I don’t intend to ”
Reyes hesitated, then asked more gently, “How are you feeling?”
The question caught him off guard.
“I’ve survived worse,” he said.
“That’s not an answer.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
