CHAPTER 8

Julian's POV

My eyes slowly fluttered open that early morning, the dull light of the room greeting me.

The moment I tried to move, a sharp pain shot through my body, like fire spreading under my skin.

As my eyes scanned the room, it took a moment for me to realize where I was in a hospital.

The steady beeping of machines and the smell of antiseptic confirmed it.

I blinked, confused, my mind still foggy. That’s when I noticed someone beside me. They weren’t on the bed, but they were close, slumped in a chair next to me.

Slowly, and with great effort, I shifted, my body protesting every movement, to get a better look. Who could it be?

My heart skipped when I saw the familiar face. Ruby. Her soft breathing told me she was fast asleep.

“What... What is she doing here? How is this even possible?” I thought, my mind racing.

As I stared at her, bits and pieces of what happened began to flood my mind. The memories were hazy at first, but they started to come together, each one hitting me like a punch.

I felt a stab of pain, not just in my body but in my mind, as I tried to remember everything clearly.

“I’m supposed to be dead…” I mumbled to myself, my voice barely a whisper. The thought was chilling, like ice running down my spine.

How could this be real? I was shot in the head. I should be gone. And yet, here I was, alive, with pain coming from somewhere else, an injury I couldn’t fully understand.

I raised my trembling hand to my head, expecting to feel a thick bandage wrapped around it, but there was nothing.

No bandage. No blood. Just my skin. Confusion flooded in my mind. How was this possible? I was sure I’d been shot in the head.

My gaze drifted back to Ruby, still asleep beside me. Something about her was off, but I couldn’t figure out what. Then, it hit me.

Ruby had been crippled for years,ever since her wedding. She hadn’t been able to walk for so long, yet here she was, sitting next to me like nothing was wrong. Like she had never been hurt.

“How...?” My thoughts were racing, my heart pounding in my chest. “What’s happening to me?”

Was this all in my head? Was I trapped in some strange dream? Desperately, I shut my eyes tight, trying to wake myself up, trying to force this strange reality away.

But when I opened them again, nothing had changed. Ruby was still there, still whole. Still impossible.

My hand, trembling with uncertainty, stretched out toward her, needing to feel if she was real.

I reached for her head, but just as my fingers were about to touch her, she stirred.

My heart jumped, and I quickly jerked my hand back, pretending to be asleep, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

I could hear her breathing, soft but uneven, like she was carrying a heavy burden. Then, she spoke, her voice quiet and filled with regret.

“I’m sorry I put you through all this,” Ruby whispered, almost like she was confessing something.

My mind spun. What did she mean? What was she apologizing for? Was she the reason I was here, lying in this hospital bed?.

“Did Ruby... cause this?” I thought, my mind reeling.

The pieces weren’t fitting together, but somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever had happened, Ruby was tied to it. But why?

“I shouldn’t have let you join me in taking revenge,” Ruby continued, her voice barely a whisper.

Revenge? What was she talking about? My heart raced, confusion swirling through my mind.

I had never even spoken to her properly before,how could I have been involved in any kind of revenge with her? None of this made sense.

The more I tried to piece it together, the more tangled everything became.

I kept my eyes shut, pretending to still be asleep, hoping she would say more, hoping she would explain.

But the silence stretched on, heavy and tense. She didn’t say another word, just sat there quietly, as if she was lost in her own thoughts.

My mind was spinning. I needed answers, and I couldn’t just lie here anymore, waiting.

I decided to stop pretending. Slowly, I opened my eyes and sat up, turning my head to face her.

I didn’t speak right away, just stared at her, hoping that my silence would push her to explain more.

But as soon as Ruby’s eyes met mine, her eyes widdened, Her expressions were mixed with happiness, part guilt, part sadness, and something else.

“Julian? You are awake?” She stuttered, astonishment tinged in her tone.

“How are you feeling now?” she asked, her voice soft but filled with worry. Her face was tense, and I could see the concern in her eyes.

She was genuinely worried about me, but that only made me more confused.

“I’m fine, but how come you’re here?” I asked, my voice low as I searched her eyes, desperately looking for answers.

Something wasn’t right, and I needed to know what was going on.

Ruby’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she couldn’t believe I’d even asked.

“Why shouldn’t I be here? You had an accident because of me, and you expect me to just walk away?” Her voice was sharp, almost defensive, but there was a layer of guilt beneath it.

Accident? What was she talking about? I wasn’t in an accident,I was shot. I could still feel the pain, the memory of it, clear in my mind.

I tried to dig deeper into what had happened, to remember every detail, but nothing about an accident came to me.

The more she talked, the more my mind swirled with confusion, like I was missing some crucial piece of the puzzle.

Ruby kept going on about how she shouldn’t have involved me in her revenge, that she never should have let me join her in whatever twisted plan she had.

Finally, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Take revenge on who?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

There was no hesitation,I needed answers, and I needed them now.

But instead of explaining, Ruby just stared at me, her face a mix of shock and confusion.

It was like I had asked something that made no sense to her, like I should already know the answer.

Her reaction threw me off, and I could feel the tension in the room thickening with each passing second.

Without saying a word, she stood up, her movements stiff and tense, and walked out of the room.

I watched her go, still reeling from her strange reaction. Why had she looked at me like that? What was she hiding? My thoughts raced, trying to make sense of it all, but the more I tried, the less I understood.