Masuk∆NO POV∆"Can we go outside today?"Ariana's hopeful voice filled the hospital room before either man had finished their breakfast.The morning sunlight spilled through the large windows, bathing the room in a warm glow that felt strangely comforting after the terrifying night they had survived. The color had finally returned to Ariana's cheeks, although the dark circles beneath her eyes remained, reminding everyone that her recovery was only beginning.The doctor smiled while checking her chart."If your vitals stay stable for another hour, you can spend thirty minutes in the hospital garden. No running, no excitement, and absolutely no arguing with your brother.”Ariana's eyes sparkled. "I never argue…. He is the one who argues with me every time.”Ezekiel folded his arms across his chest."You even argued with the nurse just a day earlier because she wouldn't let you eat chocolate…. Why act as if you're innocent?” "I was negotiating, it can't be called as arguing." Ariana shrugge
"You're both exhausted. One of you needs to rest."The doctor's voice carried the quiet firmness of someone who had repeated the same instruction countless times over the years.Neither Zachary, nor Ezekiel moved.Ariana slept peacefully beneath the thin hospital blanket, her small body surrounded by monitors that rose and fell in steady rhythm. The frantic rush that had filled the intensive care unit only hours earlier had finally settled into silence, leaving behind little more than the soft beeping of machines and the distant footsteps of nurses making their nightly rounds.Ezekiel remained seated beside the bed, his fingers loosely wrapped around his sister's hand. The dried stains on his sleeves had been washed away in the hospital restroom, but nothing could erase the image that refused to leave his mind, Ariana coughing into her palms, crimson spreading across the white sheets while she apologized for frightening him.That apology haunted him far more than the blood."I'll re
∆NO POV∆"Doctor, what's happening to her?"Ezekiel's voice broke as he stumbled into the emergency department, his eyes immediately finding the familiar hospital room that had become a second home over the years.The sight waiting for him there stopped him cold.Doctors and nurses surrounded Ariana's bed while one of the nurses hurriedly adjusted the oxygen mask covering her face. Blood stained the corner of her lips and the front of her hospital gown, while another nurse quickly replaced the towels that had already turned crimson.For several terrifying seconds, Ezekiel couldn't move, his mind refused to process what his eyes were seeing.Only an hour ago, he had been sitting silently in Maddison's apartment, pretending to read messages on his phone while trying not to think about Zachary.Then the hospital had called, everything after that became a blur, the drive, the traffic lights, the elevator, the corridor, and now this."Mr. Ezekiel, please step back and give us some space."
"Do you think a hunger strike is going to magically make Ezekiel appear in front of you?"Ryan looked up sharply at the familiar voice.Zachary stood near the doorway, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat as his gaze drifted toward the untouched tray of food resting on the table beside the window.The meal had gone cold hours ago.Neither of them needed Ryan to confirm that he hadn't touched it, for several seconds, Ryan simply stared at him before looking away."I'm not hungry."Zachary stepped farther into the room and glanced at the tray once more."Clearly."The room fell silent.Outside, rain continued to strike against the windows while the old clock somewhere deeper in the mansion ticked steadily through the silence.Ryan remained seated near the window, his shoulders tense as he watched droplets race one another down the glass.Eventually, Zachary pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down."I expected better from someone who spent an entire evening lecturing me a
∆NO POV∆"No,” Ryan immediately shook his head. “That's exactly what you're misunderstanding…. Almost everyone who isn't aware of the truth misunderstands Zeke, but that's not the plan of Zeke.” His answer came without the slightest hesitation. "Zeke never wanted Zachary behind bars. What he wanted was for Zachary to stay alive…. He just wanted to keep Zachary safe.” The room grew noticeably quieter."Raymond wasn't interested in an arrest," Ryan stated, his expression hardening at the mention of the most cunning man. "He wanted Zachary eliminated, and Zeke knew it…. That's why he involved Headquarters in the first place."Understanding slowly began to appear on Sorin's face."The arrest was never the goal," Ryan explained patiently. "It was a shield. Headquarters would follow procedures, regulations, and legal protocols. They would arrest Zachary, process him, and within a matter of hours he'd hav
∆NO POV∆"How is he?"The question came the moment Zachary stepped into the mansion.Rainwater still clung to the shoulders of his coat, and the cold night air followed him through the entrance hall as he removed his gloves with slow, and deliberate movements.Sorin, who had been leaning lazily against one of the pillars near the staircase, straightened slightly at the question.For a brief moment, he simply watched Zachary, then he understood. "You mean the prisoner?"Zachary didn't answer, since it's very easy to understand even without an answer, Sorin let out a quiet breath before shaking his head."Stubborn."Zachary's expression remained unreadable.Sorin folded his arms across his chest and continued, "Whoever he is, whatever his character is…. One thing is for sure,he's incredibly devoted to your man.” That finally caught Zachary's attention. "Huh?""The idiot is willing to die before saying a single thing that might hurt Ezekiel…. He isn't afraid of danger, but afraid of us
∆EZEKIEL∆"If you want to win against someone like him, you need to know him first." Madison’s voice echoed in my head as I stood outside the restricted records room, staring at the biometric scanner like it had personally insulted me.The agency building felt colder than usual that morning, as if
∆EZEKIEL∆"Open the damn door, Zeke.... I know you’re inside." Madison’s voice crashed through the silence of my apartment along with the violent pounding that rattled the door on its hinges.I didn’t move.I lay flat on my back, staring at the ceiling that hadn’t changed in three days, watching t
∆EZEKIEL POV∆"I'm on my way!"That's all I managed to say before I hung up the call and the rest is history.Before I could even think about how I managed to rush out of the hotel room with scattered dressing like a hooligan, the cab pulled to a stop outside the location Ryan had sent. Police tap
∆EZEKIEL POV∆"Ah… Ummm... No...." Yelps like moans escaped my lips. "Take it easy, it hurts. Don't push hard," I continued the broken plea. What replied me are heavy breaths and I tried thrashing under the iron-like hold pinning him down. "Shut up and lift your hips," A voice ordered from behin







