Chapter 184
Chapter 184:
Tears pricked my eyes, hot and stinging. I looked at Braydon — at the way he sat there, claiming a space he hadn’t earned. “He just… left p>
“I’m here,” Braydon whispered, leaning closer, his thumb stroking my knuckles. “I haven’t left your side. I’ve been here the whole time, Adella p>
I wanted to pull my hand away, but my limbs felt made of stone. A heavy, suffocating silence settled over the room, broken only by the steady beep of the heart monitor. He was weaving a narrative, brick by brick, trapping me in a version of reality where he was the hero and Dallas was the indifferent monarch.
The door flew open with enough force to bounce off the wall.
Braydon jumped, his grip on my hand tightening painfully. I flinched and turned toward the doorway.
Azalea Sterling stood there, her chest heaving, her eyes blazing with a fury that could scorch the earth. She looked like a storm given human form — wild hair, tear-streaked face, and a snarl that exposed her teeth.
“You,” she spat, pointing a trembling finger at Braydon. “Get away from her p>
S𝗵𝘢𝗿е 𝘺o𝘶𝗋 𝘵𝗁o𝗎𝗴𝗁𝘵𝘴 on
“Azalea,” Braydon started, rising and puffing out his chest in a weak attempt at dominance. “She needs rest. You can’t just barge in here p>
“Rest?” Azalea laughed — a harsh, broken sound. She stormed into the room, ignoring him completely, her gaze locking onto mine. “Do you have any idea what happened last night, Adella p>
I stared at her, confusion warring with the pain in my skull. “Braydon said Dallas left because his duty was done p>
“Duty?” Azalea’s voice cracked on the word. “He’s dying, Adella! He has pneumonia because he dove into that freezing river for you! He fought a rogue underwater to get to you p>
My breath hitched. “What p>
“He broke your rib giving you CPR!” Azalea stepped closer, her eyes pleading with me to understand. “He breathed life back into you when you were dead. He didn’t leave because he didn’t care — he collapsed. And you let this coward sit here and take the credit p>
I looked down at my chest, at the bandages hidden beneath the hospital gown. The agony in my ribs suddenly made sense. It wasn’t just an injury — it was proof. Dallas had broken me to save me.
I turned my gaze to Braydon. He was pale, his eyes darting around the room like a trapped rat.
“You said you helped,” I whispered, my voice trembling with a sudden, violent rage.
“I called for help,” Braydon stammered, backing away. “I was there, Adella. I p>
“Get out,” I snarled. The force of it surprised even me. “Get out of my room. Now p>
Braydon opened his mouth to argue, but one look at Azalea — who appeared ready to shift and tear his throat out — made him reconsider. He grabbed his jacket and fled, the door clicking shut behind his cowardice.
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by my ragged breathing.