Ethan''s expression changed instantly from anger to concern. Before I could fall,


    he scooped me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest.


    I tried to struggle, but my strength had abandoned me. "Put me down," I


    whispered, my


    weak and trembling.


    voice


    "Olivia Winters," Ethan said in a low voice, "I don''t care what that pendant is, it doesn''t matter to me. But you, do you have to make me call Dr. Reba Winters


    to give you a sedative before you calm down and stop making a fuss?"


    < Chapter 73. Shattered Memor


    +8 Points >


    I met his impatient gaze, a sharp pain stabbing at my heart. How could he say it didn''t matter?


    Of course, Lily had never mattered to Ethan when she was alive, let alone her ashes now.


    Seeing that I had finally quieted down, Ethan carried me back to the Recovery Chamber. I didn''t struggle anymore; I was too exhausted, too weak to fight. The warmth of his body


    against mine felt like a cruel reminder of what we once had, of what might have been if he had


    loved our daughter as I did.


    Back in the chamber, Ethan ced me gently on the bed. His phone rang with Victoria''s


    distinctive ringtone, but to my surprise, he didn''t answer it. Instead, he turned and left the


    room, presumably to retrieve the healing supplies Maxwell Chen had brought. (Ethan''s POV)


    I took Dr. Harold Bet''s Rare Healing Salve from Maxwell at the door and returned to the


    Recovery Chamber. Olivia was restless in her sleep, her brow furrowed with distress. I


    assumed she was still shaken from the robbery, unaware of the true source of her turmoil.


    I walked quickly to the bedside and took her hand in mine. Her skin felt cold and fragile, like


    thin paper that might tear at the slightest pressure.


    "Don''t be afraid, I''m here," I murmured, my voice softening instinctively. "Sleep well."


    These words had alwaysforted her in the past. Whenever she was afraid, my touch would instantly calm her. But now, they had no effect. She remained agitated, her breathing shallow


    and uneven.


    I frowned, growing increasingly concerned. After a moment of hesitation, I got up and called


    Dr. Reba Winters.


    The doctor arrived promptly, her face professionally neutral as she administered a sedative to Olivia. Within minutes, Olivia''s breathing evened out, and she fell into a peaceful sleep.


    I watched as the lines of pain and distress smoothed from her face. Gently, I wiped away the tear stains from the corners of her eyes, my expression unreadable even to myself.


    After a moment, I looked away, turning up the heat in the room before returning to her bedside. With careful movements, I began unbuttoning her hospital gown. Under the influence of the sedative, Olivia remained unconscious, unaware of my actions.


    I gently removed her clothes, revealing her injuries once again. The sight made my eyes burn with rage. Her pale skin was mottled with bruises, dark purple and ck against her basterplexion. My heart clenched painfully, a strange feeling I''d been experiencing more and moretely.


    < Chapter 73 Shattered Memor


    +8 Points >


    The fury within me was almost uncontroble. I wanted to tear Darius Reed apart with my bare hands for daring to harm her.


    "Olivia Winters, what are you trying to do? Why have you be so stubborn?" I muttered, my tone harsh despite the gentleness of my touch.


    If she hadn''t resisted, if she had just gotten into the car with me, she wouldn''t


    have been in danger. She wouldn''t be lying here now, broken and bruised.


    I opened the jar of Dr. Harold Bet''s Rare Healing Salve, the pungent herbal scent filling the


    room. With careful movements, I began applying the medicinal ointment to her bruises, my fingers working methodically to disperse the blood clots beneath her skin.


    For the first time, my hands explored almost every inch of her skin, devoid of any lust. As I


    applied the salve, my gaze lingered on her bruised and battered body, my eyes filled with an


    unspoken tenderness that contradicted my recent coldness toward her.


    I didn''t understand why she had be so fixated on that pendant, why she would risk her


    life for it. But seeing her like this, so vulnerable and broken, awakened something protective


    within me that I thought had died long ago.


    (Victoria''s POV)


    I stood frozen in the doorway, watching the scene unfold before me with a mixture


    of jealousy


    and disbelief.


    Ethan''s hands moved across Olivia''s skin with a tenderness he rarely showed me, despite all


    my efforts to win his affection. His face, usually so guarded around me, was open and


    vulnerable as he tended to his true mate''s injuries.


    The sight made my stomach twist with envy. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, I could neverpete with the bond between Ethan and Olivia.