Chapter 22
I’d been resting at home for days, but the heaviness in my chest hadn’t gone away.
Adrian’s death might’ve passed, but the image of him stepping in front of that bullet taking the shot for me–kept looping in my mind like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
That was when Blake finally uncovered the truth: Lillian was behind it all.
They found her hiding in an abandoned train station on the outskirts of the city, huddled up with a group of homeless men. She was filthy, her clothes tattered, clutching a nearly empty shopping bag and a crumpled stack of cash–her last lifeline.
She never expected the men she’d hired would open fire… let alone accidentally kill Adrian.
When Blake’s team cornered her, she didn’t resist. Her face was frozen in terror and panic, shouting desperately, “It wasn’t me! I just wanted to scare her–I never told them to kill anyone! It was their fault, not mine!”
But no one believed her.
All five captured gunmen gave the same testimony: Lillian had hired them to kill me. The plan failed, and Adrian took the bullets instead.
The shooters were thrown behind bars, while Lillian–charged with attempted murder and involuntary manslaughter–was handed over to the courts.
The outcome was inevitable.
Her trial would take place in the fall, but the verdict was already clear: no escape.
I didn’t testify. I sat through the sentencing quietly and left halfway through.
Blake stayed by my side the whole time, postponing his upcoming deployment just to make sure I was okay.
But I couldn’t explain the anxiety that lingered in my chest.
Adrian’s death had been an accident–one that shouldn’t have even happened. Fate had clearly veered off from what it once was. And yet… I couldn’t shake the fear that things would repeat again. That the nightmare I thought I’d escaped might still be waiting.
It wasn’t Adrian’s death I feared anymore.
It was the thought of losing Blake–like in my past life–all over again.
I couldn’t survive it this time. I needed him too much.
As I sat with those thoughts swirling in my head, there was a soft knock on the window.
I looked up to find Blake smiling outside, his face glowing under the amber evening light.
“You look like you’re about to cry,” he teased gently. “Wanna come drink with me, Princess? I’ve got wine and some really bad jokes.”
He held up a bottle of red and grinned at me.
The moment shattered my composure. My eyes instantly welled up.
Startled, Blake climbed through the window, rushing to wipe away my tears with both hands.
“Whoa–hey, what’s this? Did I make you cry with my charm? Should I stay with you every day now, just to keep the tears flowing?”
I nodded. Then I shook my head. My voice was soft, almost a whisper. “When are you leaving?”
He checked the schedule on his phone. “Five days. Can’t push it back anymore.”
My stomach twisted.
“And when will you be back?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
15.4%
11’s Doagina
Chapter 22
He smirked a little, already knowing what I feared. “If everything goes smoothly–three months. If it doesn’t
He didn’t finish.
He didn’t need to. We both knew how war worked. There were never any guarantees.
I clenched my fists, then looked up at him with all the courage I had.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
Blake froze.
Then he burst out laughing.
I scowled. “I’m serious! Even if it’s dangerous, I want to be there–with you. Even if-”
He didn’t let me finish.
He cupped my face with both hands, leaned in, and kissed me softly, gently, like sealing a promise.
“Wait for me here,” he murmured. “I swear, I’ll come back to you.”
