The moment the door closed behind us, Isabelle''sposed facade cracked.


    "Caspian," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "go back in there."


    Caspian Kane paused, his expression unreadable. "Miss Ashworth?"


    "Make him suffer." Her words were ice. "Everysh Liam endured, return it tenfold. Keep him alive—but make him wish he wasn''t."


    I tried to speak, to tell her vengeance wasn''t necessary, but pain consumed me. My legs buckled, and darkness edged my vision.


    "Go," Isabelle ordered. "I''ll get Liam to the hospital myself."


    Caspian nodded once before turning back. As the door closed behind him, I heard Gage''s first scream.


    "I''ve got you," Isabelle whispered, her arm around my waist surprisingly strong as she guided me toward the waiting car.


    Each step was agony. Blood trailed behind us, marking our path through the dimly lit corridor.


    "Almost there," she encouraged, her voice cracking with emotion. "Just a little further."


    I focused on her face—the determined set of her jaw, the fierce protectiveness in her eyes. Even in my suffering, I marveled at how quickly she''de to care for me.


    The car ride passed in fragments. Isabelle''s hand squeezing mine. Her urgent voice directing the driver. The world spinning when I tried to open my eyes.


    "Stay with me," she pleaded, pressing a cloth to my wounds. "We''re almost at the hospital. Don''t you dare give up now."


    I wanted to reassure her, to tell her I wasn''t going anywhere, but my body betrayed me. Consciousness slipped away despite my desperate fight to hold on.


    ---


    Beeping machines greeted my brief returns to awareness. White walls. Masked faces. Urgent voices.


    "Blood pressure dropping!"


    "Start another IV!"


    "How is he still alive?"


    And always, Isabelle''s voice,manding and desperate: "Save him. Whatever it costs, save him."


    Pain and darkness swallowed me again.


    ---


    "A medical miracle," a doctor was saying when I next surfaced. "By all rights, he should be dead."


    "But he''ll recover?" Isabelle''s voice, tight with worry.


    "His body has sustained trauma that would kill most men," the doctor replied. "The wounds from that spirit whip damaged not just his flesh but his very life essence. Yet his body is fighting back in ways I''ve never seen. It''s as if he has some innate healing ability that''s keeping him alive."


    "How long until he wakes?"


    "Days. Maybe weeks. We simply don''t know."


    Darkness imed me once more before I could signal I was listening.


    ---


    Time lost meaning. Pain became my constantpanion, ebbing and flowing like a crimson tide. Sometimes I''d catch glimpses—nurses changing bandages, doctors checking charts.


    And Isabelle. Always Isabelle.


    She rarely left my side. Through my haze, I watched her working from aptop beside my bed, taking calls in hushed tones, sending Caspian on various errands. All while her hand remained on mine, a warm anchor in my sea of pain.


    Once, I heard her arguing with someone on the phone.


    "I don''t care what Grandfather says. I''m not leaving him."


    A pause.


    "Then tell Corbin toe remove me himself. I''d like to see him try."


    Another pause.


    "This isn''t negotiable. Liam is under our protection. Under my protection."


    Her loyalty stunned me. I drifted away again,forted by her fierce defense.


    ---


    When I finally managed to stay conscious for more than fleeting moments, it was night. The hospital room was dim, lit only by a smallmp beside my bed.


    Isabelle sat in the chair next to me, her head resting near my hand. She''d fallen asleep watching over me. The sight of her—vulnerable, exhausted, yet still here—made my chest tighten with emotion.


    I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry. The small movement of my fingers was enough to wake her.


    Her head snapped up, eyes instantly alert. When she saw me looking back at her, relief washed over her face.


    "Liam," she whispered, leaning closer. "You''re awake."


    I managed a weak nod.


    She immediately reached for a cup of water with a straw, holding it to my lips. The cool liquid soothed my parched throat.


    "How long?" I rasped after a few sips.


    "Four days." Her voice wavered slightly. "The doctors weren''t sure you''d..."


    She didn''t finish the sentence, but she didn''t need to.


    "What happened to Gage?" I asked.


    A shadow crossed her face. "Caspian ensured he experienced every pain he inflicted on you. The formation has been destroyed. The Veridia City Martial Guild received a very clear message about touching what belongs to the Ashworth family."


    I raised an eyebrow at "belongs to," and she blushed slightly.


    "You know what I mean," she said, straightening in her chair.


    I tried to smile, but even that small movement sent pain shooting through my face. Isabelle winced in sympathy.


    "Don''t push yourself," she said, gently adjusting my pillow. "The doctor said you needplete rest."


    "Why are you here?" I asked. The question had been burning in my mind since I first saw her rescue me.


    Isabelle looked down at her hands. "Where else would I be?"


    "With your family. Following orders. Staying away from the dangerous nobody who keeps causing trouble."


    She met my gaze, something fierce and determined in her eyes.


    "Is that what you think? That I''d abandon you after everything you''ve done for me?"


    I shrugged slightly, immediately regretting the movement as painnced through my shoulders. "It would be the smart thing to do. I''m a liability to you now."


    "Then I choose to be stupid," she replied firmly. "I''m exactly where I want to be."


    Afortable silence fell between us. I studied her face in the softmplight—the dark circles under her eyes, the slight messiness of her usually perfect hair, the wrinkles in her designer clothes that suggested she hadn''t changed in days.


    "You''ve been here the whole time," I realized aloud.


    She nodded. "I couldn''t leave you."


    "Your grandfather must be furious."


    A small, rebellious smile yed at her lips. "Grandfather has opinions about many things. I''m learning when to respectfully disagree."


    "That sounds dangerous," I said, trying to shift into a morefortable position.


    Isabelle immediately stood to help me, her hands gentle but sure as she adjusted my pillows and checked my bandages.


    "What''s dangerous," she said quietly as she worked, "is pretending not to care when you do. What''s dangerous is watching someone you..." She paused, then continued more softly, "Someone important to you suffer and doing nothing."


    Her words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning. When she finished helping me adjust, she didn''t return to her chair, instead perching carefully on the edge of my bed.


    "I pushed you into the spotlight," she confessed, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I pulled you into my world without considering the consequences. This—" her hand gestured to my injured body, "—is my fault."


    "No," I said firmly, gathering strength to reach for her hand. "My choices. My consequences."


    She entwined her fingers with mine, careful not to disturb the IV. "Why did you do it? Why risk everything for someone you barely know?"


    The question hung between us. How could I exin that from the moment I met her, something had changed in me? That her quiet strength and hidden vulnerability had awakened something protective and fierce in my soul?


    "I know enough," I said simply.


    Isabelle''s eyes searched mine, looking for something deeper. Whatever she saw made her smile sadly.


    "Grandfather has summoned me back to Veridia City," she said after a moment. "I''ve dyed as long as I can, but there are... family matters that require my attention."


    My heart sank, though I tried not to show it. Of course she had to go. The Ashworths didn''t tolerate disobedience for long.


    "When?" I asked.


    "Tomorrow morning." She squeezed my hand. "Caspian will stay to ensure your security, and I''ve arranged for the best doctors to oversee your recovery."


    I nodded, unable to speak past the disappointment tightening my throat.


    Isabelle leaned closer. "This isn''t goodbye, Liam. I''ll return as soon as I can."


    "The Ashworths have ns for you," I said, voicing the fear that had been growing since I learned of her family''s power. "Marriage alliances, business partnerships... they won''t let you waste time on someone like me."


    "Someone like you?" She raised an eyebrow. "You mean the man who saved my life? Who defied the Veridia City Martial Guild? Who survived torture that would kill most cultivators?" <q ss="in-imprint-a">The original source is *.</q>


    Her hand reached out to gently touch my face, careful to avoid the bruises.


    "I think you underestimate both yourself and me," she whispered.


    In that moment, with her eyes reflecting the softmplight and her touch feather-light against my skin, I believed her.


    "I''ll wait for you in Veridia City," she promised. "Once you''ve healed,e find me. There are people there who can help us both understand the power that''s awakening in you."


    She nced at her watch and sighed reluctantly. "I should let you rest."


    Isabelle stood, smoothing her skirt. "I''lle say goodbye before I leave in the morning."


    As she turned toward the door, panic gripped me. The thought of her walking away, of returning to a world that would try to separate us forever, was suddenly unbearable.


    With every ounce of strength I had left, I reached out and caught her wrist.


    "Don''t go," I whispered, my voice barely audible.


    Isabelle froze, then slowly turned back to me. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks now, catching themplight like diamonds.


    "Liam," she breathed, returning to my bedside.


    "Please," I managed, my grip on her wrist embarrassingly weak.


    She sat back down, bringing my hand to her lips. "My stubborn, impossible man," she whispered against my fingers.


    "Stay," I said, fighting to keep my eyes open as exhaustion threatened to pull me back under.


    Isabelle wiped away her tears with her free hand and nodded. "All right," she said softly. "I''ll stay. Grandfather can wait another day."


    Relief flooded through me. I tried to thank her, but darkness was closing in again.


    Thest thing I felt was Isabelle gently stroking my hair, her voice a soothing murmur as she promised, "Rest now. I''ll be here when you wake."


    With a faint smile, I surrendered to healing sleep, secure in the knowledge that she would keep her word. For now, that was enough.