Chapter 198. Drystan’s grip on the wheel tightened as the nurse pushed the wheel into the hospital.His heart slammed against his chest as he watched Rosealba on the roller, fighting for her life.“Stay with me,” Drystan said, hands holding firmer onto her bloodied hands.“Emergency…” the nurses said, and as the sensor in the hospital picked it up, they pushed Rosealba’s wheel into the emergency room.“Sir…” a nurse stood, blocking the emergency room.“You are not allowed in the emergency room.”Drystan’s jaw twitched, muscles locking.“That’s my wife…” he said, looking across the room. They were already lifting Rosealba onto the hospital bed.“We know, sir. But this is our rule, and you will have to follow it.”Drystan’s shoulders dropped. He stood still, unable to say a word, but his heart screamed with everything it had. Silent chaos echoed in his chest. It was screaming and cursing, questioning the universe, demanding answers—demanding mercy.Words that cursed him, and words that
Chapter 197.Lina moved. Once.She tore herself away from Don Viterro’s grip and knocked the gun out of his hand.“Rosealba,” she called in a broken voice, diving forward to grab the already falling Rosealba.Drystan moved swiftly—instinctively—catching Rosealba from behind before she could hit the ground.His hands gripped her tightly, almost desperately, pulling her bloodied self closely into him, as if holding her could somehow undo it all.“Sunshine…” he called out, his voice rough with disbelief, palm cupping her cheeks into his, like maybe if he cradled her close enough, she wouldn’t leave him.Rosealba’s face twitched, pain slicing through her system like hot glass.“It hurts…” she whispered, her voice barely there, trembling on the edge of nothingness.Drystan held her closer, his entire body trembling. His hands moved helplessly around her face, not knowing where to soothe first, not knowing how to stop the blood, not knowing how to save her.Lina stared at Drystan, pain slam
Chapter 196.Rosealba’s eyes found her quickly. And right there—she stood, staring back at her with an expression so sharp, Rosealba could read every damn apology, pain, and guilt hiding beneath those eyes.Her gaze trailed down Lina’s body. And for once, something inside her loved the sight of a lady holding a gun.Seeing Lina with a gun should’ve made her hate her. It should’ve made her heart ache, made her want to scream, to poke at every open wound. It should’ve burned like betrayal. But none of that happened. Instead… her heart smiled. A soft, quiet kind of smile. A strange wave of gratitude stirred inside her, something she didn’t know she still had left.What shocked her more was that Drystan hadn’t come alone. Eric. Rocco. Lina. A few others she didn’t recognize. They were all here.Because of her.Her chest tightened.“You bastard,” Don Vittero growled, his fingers curling into a fist.“How dare you play so smart?”Drystan’s brows raised slightly. “Seize him,” he ordered, voi
Chapter 195.Drystan’s steps faltered, legs halting.His jaw clamped at the sound of that, veins twitching against his temple.He tilted his head right, easing his neck.Then slowly, he turned around, hands still holding onto Rosealba like she would slip away if he held her any looser.The room was still, heavy with tension. Silence rang louder than sound. The air itself seemed to pause as he turned, his body shielding hers, protective in a way that felt desperate.“I dare,” Don Viterro said, eyes flickering with something dark.Drystan… fingers twitched. But stood still, anger crawling gently from within.It was a slow rise. Like smoke seeping through cracks. His muscles stayed still, but the fire beneath them boiled hotter with every breath.His eyes swept around Don Viterro. Anger boiling hot in his veins.This monster. This same monster that wanted to auction his sunshine for a price she was worth more than. It was clear. He was still the same man that her parent had wanted to auc
Chapter 194.Their eyes locked.Like war. Like prayer. Like something ancient that refused to die.Time didn’t stop—it collapsed. The air turned heavy, the room faded, and the auction hall vanished into a blur of shadows and breath. It was just them now. Two broken hearts trapped in a moment too loud to escape from.Her body stilled.Her lashes trembled.Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Nothing moved—except her chest, rising and falling in soft, panicked waves.Her fingers twitched at her side. A small movement, but enough to give her away. Enough to betray the calm she pretended to wear.Because the look in his eyes—God—the look in his eyes wrecked her.Pain. Regret. Ache.It was all there, clinging to his pupils like he had been drowning in it.So much of it. Pain that reached down her spine and sank deep into her bones. Pain that made her fingers twitch, small and helpless at her sides.So loud in his silence. So violent in the stillness of his stare.Her heart slam
Chapter 193. The light hit Rosealba’s face first—warm, heavy, too bright. The scent of cigars, expensive whiskey, and something older… something rotting beneath the polished wood—wrapped around her like smoke.She was led to the center of the room.A raised platform. No more than two steps above the floor, but it felt like a stage. A cross.Silence fell over the room.The men sat straighter now. Eyes locked onto her. Mouths slightly parted. They leaned forward, some tilting their heads, appraising her like a painting.One of them smirked. Another let out a low whistle.Rosealba kept her eyes forward. Her lips didn’t part. She refused to cry. Even if she got bidded by Don Viterro, she would run away to a place far away where she could gather every damn money and give it back to him.Her limbs trembled slightly, but her spine stayed stiff. The air clung to her skin like oil, suffocating, heavy with male lust and cold anticipation. She could feel their gazes cutting through her like gla