Chapter 1050:
Alarmed, Rhys stood and approached her quickly, his hand resting gently on her back.
âHeâll pull through.
Have faith.
Heâs stronger than this!â
âHeâ¦â Harlee struggled to speak, her voice raw and broken.
After a long pause, she managed to ask, âHow did he end up shot? How bad is it?â
âHe stepped in for Ritchie, taking the bullets meant for himâ¦â Rhys said.
Harleeâs heart sank, and for a moment, words eluded her.
From her own experience on the front lines, she knew that running from an outer position to shield someone in the center would mean being hit repeatedly.
Five or six bullets at least. It was nothing short of miraculous that Bart was still alive. The fact that none of the shots had struck any vital organs was simply beyond astonishing.
âI want Matteo and those traitors to suffer!â Harlee declared, each word deliberate and firm.
âIâll stand with you,â Rhys replied without hesitation.
Harlee looked deeply into his eyes and then acted as if she hadnât heard his words.
âLeave. I need to rest.â
Rhys appeared unsurprised, as though heâd expected her rejection. Turning to go, he tossed a sharp remark over his shoulder.
âIf youâre so determined not to sleep, I wonât hesitate to join you in bed.â
Harlee didnât respond. She tilted her head, watching as he strode off without a backward glance. Was that a threatâor something else? How quickly things had changed.
At 3 a.m., Harleeâs eyes snapped open in the pitch-black room.
Her stomach churned violently. Throwing off her blanket, she bolted for the bathroom, heaving over the sink.
When there was nothing left in her stomach, she leaned against the counter, her breathing shallow and uneven. It took ages for her body to settle before she sank to the floor, drained. She thought sheâd recovered from Rhysâ betrayal and was no longer depressed, but it seemed her wounds had only been buried, not healed.
Seeing Ritchieâs amputated legs and hearing that Bart was comatose was unbearable. The anguish stole her sleep, and when she did doze, nightmares jolted her awake, leaving her dry-heaving again. The pain felt like drowning.
An unrelenting tide dragged her under, cutting off air and leaving her gasping for relief. She reached for a shore she couldnât see, her chest burning with the effort. It was excruciatingly painful.
Harlee clutched at her heart, as though to stop it from breaking further.
A quiet sound drew her attention, and a moment later, she was lifted effortlessly off the floor.
Harlee didnât resist.
Her eyes empty, she rested in the arms of the man holding her.
Rhys gazed at her in silence, his expression darkened by sorrow.
Had this been how she fought back the depression caused by his accident, when most had assumed he was dead, during the past three years? A pang of guilt struck him.
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