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หน้าหลัก / Romance / Twisted vows / When the Dust Settles (chapt. 161)

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When the Dust Settles (chapt. 161)

ผู้เขียน: Stone
last update ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-11-02 02:46:55

Darkness pulled me under like a relentless current, drowning out every sound—gunfire fading into a distant rumble, Nikolai’s voice becoming just echoes I couldn’t grasp.

Then… silence.

When I finally came back from the void, I was met with the soft beeping of a heart monitor and a heavy weight of reality settling back into my bones.

I blinked my eyes open slowly. A soft yellow light glowed above me. Sterile walls surrounded me, medical machines hummed softly, and the sharp smell of disinfectant hit my nostrils.

A hospital.

I turned my head—and there he was.

Nikolai.

Asleep in a chair beside my bed, his head hung low, one arm heavily bandaged and stained with blood. His other hand was gripping mine, strong even in his unconscious state.

Seeing him alive—breathing—was a wave of relief mixed with heartache.

How many times had I nearly lost him?

Before I could say anything, the door creaked open. Luca walked in, his usually calm demeanor showing signs of exhaustion.

His gaze f
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    By the time dawn broke over the city, we already had a plan. Not the polished, ideal sort you see in movies — more like a jagged list of options held together by anger and urgency. But hey, it was ours, and that’s what mattered. The med bay was filled with the smell of antiseptic and strong coffee. Nikolai looked pale but determined, his eyes showing pain and an unusual sort of determination. The surgery team had done what they could; they had removed the bullet, but his recovery was going to take time. He wasn’t going to lie in bed like some helpless thing, so he was up bright and early, tapping away on a tablet, plotting our next move like a general who had everything on the line. I slid into the chair next to him, clutching a hot paper cup. “You sure you should be moving that arm?” He glanced at me, grinning crookedly. “You’re always telling me to stop being so dramatic. Lead by example, right?” I snorted in response. “When did I ever give you advice worth following?”

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