<h4>Chapter 325: Chapter 325 Stubborn Protectors</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    I sat in that stiff hospital chair, watching the monitors beep in perfect rhythm. It felt like forever.


    When Cassian’s eyes finally fluttered open almost an hourter, I nearly jumped out of my seat in relief.


    He blinked a few times, groggy and clearly in pain.


    Then he reached up and touched the bandage on his forehead, wincing as his fingers brushed over one of many injuries.


    For a second, I thought he might pass out again. Instead, he gave a shakyugh.


    "Seriously? I can’t catch a break," he said with a grin, grimacing through the pain. "Old wounds barely healed, and now I’m collecting new ones. Somebody out there really wants me gone."


    I blinked, stunned he could joke at all. He looked like hell.


    Sebastian, standing nearby with arms crossed, didn’t smile. "Maybe hold off on the jokes until you’re not fresh off a hit attempt," he said, cool and clipped.


    I had to admit, Cassian’s attitude was insane.


    He was covered in bandages, probably still on some assassin’s hit list, and yet he was cracking jokes like nothing happened.


    Harper, Yvonne, and I just looked at each other.


    We were still trying to process the fact that he almost died.


    He caught our expressions and gave us azy smile. "Rx. I’m fine. I saw the caring early. Kinda figured something like this might happen, so I aimed for the trees. Once he made his move, I jumped out. They’ll need to try harder if they actually want me dead."


    He made it sound like he just stepped over a puddle, not jumped out of a car going 70 miles an hour.


    Tang gave him a thumbs up. "You’re getting better at this, man. Although next time? Work on thending."


    "Next time?" I snapped. "Are you freaking kidding me? There shouldn’t be a next time!"


    Cassian didn’t answer me. He just turned to Tang, like focusing on the joke was easier."Alright, so how do Ind better?"


    Tang didn’t hesitate. He actually started demonstrating right there in the hospital room. "Okay, so if you tuck and roll like this, you spread out the impact..."


    Everyone watched this little survival ss with growing disbelief.


    Sebastian finally walked over and smacked Tang lightly on the back of the head. "Knock it off."


    Tang paused, rubbing the spot with a sheepish grin.


    "Don’t be such a buzzkill, Sebastian," Cassian called from the bed. "The guy’s sharing useful life skills!"


    He looked like hell, but somehow he still gave off the vibe that he could jump up and take on ten guys.


    Sebastian stayed stone-faced. "Yeah? Betterndings so you can die more gracefully?"


    Cassian grinned wider. "Exactly. Nothing says ‘nice try’ like sticking thending, walking away, and flipping them off. "


    He winced mid-sentence, pressing a hand to his side. The pain was getting to him, no matter how much he tried to hide it.


    I could see through the act.His jokes were just armor.


    "Cassian," I said softly, "you can’t keep doing this. Even the strongest need a break sometimes. You have to find a way to stop this for good."


    His smile slipped. "You think I don’t want that, Cecilia?" His voice was rough, worn-out. "She’s been building her power for decades. And my uncle? He’s just making everything worse. Together, they’re a freaking disaster."


    The moment he said "uncle," I felt myself stiffen.


    Sebastian noticed. Without a word, he slipped his arm gently around my shoulders. "We’ll deal with it. Eventually. But it’s not going to be easy."


    An silence settled over the room.


    The monitors kept beeping, filling the gap no one wanted to speak into.


    Cassian leaned back against the pillows, clearly still in pain.


    Harper and Yvonne looked at each other, then at me.


    "We should go," Harper said gently. "Let the guy rest."


    Sebastian had already arranged a car. They said their goodbyes and slipped out quietly, leaving the rest of us in the dim hospital room.


    Author’s pov


    Cassian checked himself out of the hospital that same night, ignoring the doctor’s advice.


    He had nned to stay in Denver for six days to recover from the previous attack. But after this new one, Sebastian wasn’tfortable sending him back to Colorado Springs.


    If someone was bold enough to go after him here, Colorado Springs would be even worse.


    As for Locke Industries business, Zane would have to step up.


    This whole mess came from his wife, Maggie. The fallout shouldn’tnd on Cassian’s shoulders.


    The next morning, two uniformed officers showed up to question Cassian.


    Sebastian and Cecilia were already at the office, so Liam and two security guards were handling things at the house.


    Liam called Sebastian first.


    Then, just to be safe, he took one of the guards downstairs to check the officers’ IDs before letting them in.


    This wasn’t their first time talking to Cassian.


    They’d actually been here just a few days ago, right after the airport incident.


    And just like before, Cassian was at the center of it all.


    During the first investigation, Cassian had pointed the finger at Maggie.


    But when the suspect turned out to be a mentally ill stranger with no connection to Maggie , the cops dismissed his theory.


    Now another attacker, supposedly random, just happened to be a recently released ex-con who went after Cassian on a quiet highway?


    Even the cops looked like they weren’t buying it.


    "I already told you everything," Cassian said, scowling from the couch in a ck robe. "But you’re not gonna believe me anyway, so what’s the point?"


    His voice was sharp, his mood worse.


    "Just write it off as me having the worst luck in America and move on."


    He had exined the situation clearly, more than once.


    But the police hadn’t found anything useful.


    Worse, they acted like he was paranoid, like this was all in his head.


    As if people don’t actually get targeted in the real world.


    "Mr. Locke, we do take this seriously," the older officer said, trying to calm the tension. "And yeah, the coincidence is hard to ignore. But we still need proof. This assassinationwork you mentioned... sounds a little Hollywood, if we’re being honest."


    Cassian let out a dryugh. No humor in it.


    "I’ve already said what I needed to say," he replied, waving them off. "If you want to investigate it properly, great. If not, don’t waste my time."


    The younger officer stiffened. "Hey, watch the attitude."


    But the older one ced a hand on his partner’s arm. "We’ll follow up on what you shared, Mr. Locke," he said. "Try to rest. We won’t bother you again for now."


    Liam showed them out without another word.