Chapter 8
Austin eventually felt a pang of guilt. Nervously avoiding Courtney’s gaze, he gripped her hand tightly
your current situation, if you
“Courney, maybe you don’t understand, but I need to protect you. Vera’s father is the director of our hospital. Given your want to stay at the hospital, we can’t afford to offend them,” he said
Courtney looked down at Austin and pulled her hand away with determination.
“I know it’s hard for you to accept this disparity, but Courtney… you’re back now, and we need to move forward with our lives,” Austin said…
“I promise, when we have the capability and strength to fight back. I’ll make it right for you. I won’t let you be a mistress forever,” he murmured. Trying to comfort her.
Seeing Courtney remain silent, Austin assumed she agreed. He pulled her into his arms tightly. “I know you understand me. In this society, we’re all forced to compromise in some way. We don’t have connections or influence. We can’t protect anything on our own.”
Courtney sat there carelessly, the strange feeling spreading like a cold wave that drenched her entirely. It had only been live years, but Austin had become so unfamiliar that she was now afraid of him
“Get some rest. You’re safe here,” Austin marmured, leaning in as if to kiss her, bur Courtney instinctively turned her head away
Austin froze for a moment, but with no time to explain, he stood and left in a hurry. He was too anxious to pacify both sides.
The room fell silent, a silence that made Courtney uncomfortable.
In Zomlonia, she hadn’t had a single peaceful night’s sleep in five years, Gunfire, screams, cries, and the pervasive stench of despair and blood filled. the air.
She had witnessed too much slaughter, too much cruelty. The flames of war raged on smoke constantly in the air.
Whenever the closed her eyes, the memories of the past five years played out in her mind.
On the day she was captured, she was dragged by the terrorists and thrown into a tent. This one looks good. Take her for the boss, one of the terrorists said
Just when Courtney was at her most desperate, one of her colleagues hail rushed in, risking everything to knock out the man on top of her. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along, running for their lives.
Even though they both knew none of them would escape, he said, “Courtney, hang in there. We have to survive and make it back. Austin is waiting for you”
“Courtney! Run“” he shouted.
A gunshot rang out. A bullet grazed Courtney’s ear and struck her colleague squarely in the forehead.
The screams of her other colleagues, the cries of her mentor, were still vivid in her mind. Courtney could never forget that from that day on, she could no longer utter a single word.
The name of the colleague who died saving her was Mark Hoffman. He hadn’t lived long enough to tell Courtney that he loved her.
“Courtney, have you ever considered that Austin might not be as perfect as you think?” Mark had once tried to bring it up during their drive to their
destination.
But back then, Courtney was deeply in love with Austin. “Maybe everyone has flaws, but I can accept all of his,” she said.
At that time, Courtney
y loved Austin so much.
A flicker of hesitation flashed in Mark’s eyes. “Courtney, if Austin ever did something to betray you, would you forgive him?”
Courtney looked at Mark in surprise. “What are you trying to say?”
“I wasn’t planning to tell you, but Courtney. Fcan’t keep you in the dark. On the day we joined Henisburg General Hospital, wasn’t Austin supposed to come home? He…
A sudden crash cut Mark off. Their car was violently struck and overturned across the desert sands.
Courtney heard gunshots and explosions. Then came a deafening ringing in her ears and dizziness, which lasted for half a minute,
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Chapter 8
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By the time she regained consciousness, the entire medical team had already been taken hostage by Lucas,
In the bathroom, Courtney Hood under the hot water of the shower, letting it pour down on her body relentlessly,
She hugged herself tightly, slowly sinking to the floor, forcing herself not to recall those memories.
The water washed away her silent tears, but not the pain. The memories lingered in her mind, unrelenting and unforgiving.
Thinking back to what Mark had said, Courtney finally understood. What Mark had been trying to tell her then must have been about Austin and
VERL
No wonder Vera’s child was already five years old. From the pregnancy to the birth, Vera and Austin must have been involved long before Courtney left Henisburg,
At that time, she and Austin had just gotten married.
It was hard for Courtney to comprehend how the same Austin, who once ran across the entire city during rush hour just to propose to her on time, could have betrayed her so soon after their vows.
The pain was excruciating. It felt like her heart was being torn apart
This anguish was far worse than any physical pain she had endured. She banged her head against the shower wall, hating herself for not dying out
there.
Suddenly, she heard a faint sound. Courtney’s overwhelming sorrow was instantly replaced by fear.
She quickly turned off the shower, her entire body trembling as she wrapped herself in a towel and inched toward the door.
The doorway was empty, Courtney let out a shaky breath of relief.
“Leaving your hotel room door unlocked? Courtney, you’re really bold. That familiar chilling va
voice came from behind her.
Courtney froze, her entire body stiffening. She turned sharply, fear nearly causing her to collapse
Hayden frowned, stepping forward to catch her Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close into his embrace.
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