Chapter 150

[Third-Person’s POV]

I will give Evelyn her space once the sedative has worn off and she’s able to wake up on her own.

But, until then, Alexander was going to watch after her to ensure that she slept through the remainder of the night. Which would be no more than an hour since the sun looked as though it was going to peek above the horizon at any given moment.

It pained him to think that they had spent the entire night in that hellhole. But it wasn't something they had any choice in. The Alpha was just glad to be back within his own secure borders.

Alexander had waited patiently for the staff to come back with the chair he’d requested; and, in the meantime, he went over to the windows to adjust the blinds. As exhausted as he was, he had no real intention of sleeping.

There was far too much on his mind for that to be possible. While, yes, he was feeling murderous and vengeful. There was an even more prominent feeling that was rushing to the surface. An emotion Alexander hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years.

Pure anguish.

He turned his head when he heard the soft knock at the door. Allowing the staff to quietly place the chair down near the side of the bed, Alexander made sure to shut and lock the door behind them.

Once he knew the two of them were alone, he had given himself permission to do something he hadn’t done in countless years.

Alexander cried. He felt the tears he’d been holding back so direly that the entire night flooded his eyes. Soon they grew into wet trails, streaking down the sides of his face. That particular sensation of sorrow burned a hole deep in his chest where his heart was.

He hadn't bothered to wipe away any of it, knowing that it would have been a useless endeavor. The tears kept coming as his mental walls began to crumble to dust.

Alexander had been known far and wide as the Ruthless Warlord whose unyielding confidence and stone-cold resolve would always guarantee to win him everything. He’d won numerous battles that resulted in wondrous gains.

Yet, at that very moment, he couldn’t identify with such a character.

He’d been struck down where it hurt the most and it tormented him like a restless spirit.

Alexander believed himself to be a failure.

He hadn’t gotten to her in time and because of it, she ended up paying the price.

“I’m so sorry,” he cried. “Please, forgive me.”

Alexander was willing to beg for her forgiveness even though it was something he wasn’t sure he fully deserved. Through his blurry vision, he watched the peaceful breaths enter and leave Evelyn’s lungs with each rise and fall of her chest. It was peaceful, almost hypnotic.

She’s safe now. Nothing can hurt her.

That was until she’d wake up and recount everything that had happened...Reality would prove to be a heartless bitch. And there was nothing he could do that would essentially ease the blow.

His gaze was, naturally, drawn to the white gauze that was currently wrapped around two-thirds of her head.

His heart ached for her. He truly believed that these lasting hours were going to be the calm before the storm. There was no telling how Evelyn would react once the medication wore off and she became fully self-aware.

Evelyn wasn’t a vain person. Her beauty was natural and usually accompanied by small amounts of makeup from time to time. She never harped greatly on her appearance the way that most other women did.

However, would that change once the bandages were removed?

[Evelyn’s POV]

Warm...

I didn’t have the slightest clue as to what was going on. All that I did know was that the cycle had stopped. The endless shocks of consciousness ended along with the ongoing waves of pain that were too horrible to bear.

Now, I just felt an overpowering numbness as though I’d been drugged. I wasn’t sure where I was and for the time being, I didn’t care. I let myself sink into the softness that surrounded me.

However, the only thing that did make me a bit questionable was the strange sound that echoed off the walls. Someone was sniffling. Crying?

It sparked my interest; but, I didn’t possess the energy to fight against the pull that was insisting I rest.

Sleep now. Investigate later.

...

I wasn’t sure how many hours had passed since my last short spout of awareness. This time, I was able to crack my eyes open and glance around at my surroundings. My heart immediately jolted in my chest when I discovered I could only see out of one eye...

What the hell is going on?

Suddenly, my mind was flooded with clips from the last moments that I could remember before all the pain started. I was trapped on a table...Isabella was ranting...Her punching and striking me...Fiona emerged from the shadows...The blade...

A sharp breath escaped from my lips. I honestly would have thought that it had all been a bad dream but then I was struck with a massive pain that shot through me. It stretched from the top of my head and traveled all the way down my body, settling mainly in my lower chest and right side of my face.

I tried to push myself up but immediately cringed at the unexpected pain that spiraled in my wrist. I attempted to place more of my weight on my other arm and had better luck.

A raspy voice spoke out. “Evelyn.”

I struggled to glance around to find the source of the sound. The mattress dipped beside me and soon I was encapsulated by a pair of large arms. Alexander.

“W-What’s going on? What h-happened? Oh, God,” I whimpered. “W-Why can’t I see?”

“It’s alright,” he said softly. “It’s going to be alright. Hang on, I’m going to get you some water.”

I felt the bed shift again and heard the sound of footsteps padding across the room. A short moment passed before Alexander returned and placed the water glass in my good hand. He guided the rim of the glass to my lips and coaxed me to take a tentative sip.

The cool water felt like heaven over my dry tongue and sore throat. I ended up drinking half the glass before coming up for air.

“Tell me what happened,” I said. “Why can’t I see out of my other eye?”

My vision in my one eye started to finally clear up. Alexander wore a distressed, guilt-ridden look that did nothing to help settle my nerves.

“Evelyn, when I found you down in that horrible room, you were on the brink of death,” he explained weakly. “I had my doctor come and heal you the best he could. According to what he found, you have a badly sprained wrist and a few broken fingers. At least two broken ribs, but the worst of it all happened to the right side of your face.”

I slowly lifted my hand to my right cheek only to find that part of me wrapped in a thick layer of gauze. My breathing hitched as the grizzly memory of Fiona hanging over me with that nasty blade in her head flashed through my mind.

My mouth twisted into a sneer. “Fiona.”