Semua Bab Bound By Blood: The Step-Brothers' Temptation: Bab 311 - Bab 320

_Amelie’s POV_When I opened my eyes, I didn’t know where I was at first. For a moment, everything looked white and blurry. The air smelled too clean. The ceiling was too bright. My head felt heavy, like I had slept for days.What was happening? I was currently in my apartment, but why? My brain right now was disoriented. Shouldn't I be at work right now? Then I turned my head and saw him — Luca — asleep on the couch with one arm over his eyes. His jacket was thrown somewhere on the floor.Why was Luca in my apartment?If he was here, does that mean Matteo and Nico…Nico… I sat up with a gasp, my heart dropping to the bottom of my chest. That was when it all came back in a rush.The hospital. The accident. The blood. Nico.My throat went dry.Nico. I looked around slowly, that when when I noticed the tray of food on the table. It looked cold now. Luca had prepared that for me to eat. I hadn’t touched it before falling asleep. I didn’t even remember lying down.Was I that tired

_Amelie’s POV_The sound changed.It was small at first — just a shift in rhythm, the steady beeping breaking pattern.My breath caught.For a second, I thought I imagined it.Then it happened again.Beep.Pause.Beep.Faster now.I froze. My heart jumped to my throat. “Nico?”He was waking up. Everything after that happened so fast.One nurse shouted something, another ran in through the ICU doors. I stood there, rooted in place, my pulse thundering.It was happening. Something was happening.Oh, God please. Help him. I turned to Matteo, who had been sitting beside me, and his head snapped up too. He was already on his feet, his voice low but strained. “What’s going on?”No one answered him.They were all too frenzied to stop an answer, but I hoped they would save him. Inside, I could see them — the nurses, the doctor — moving around Nico’s bed. Pulling wires, pressing buttons, shouting instructions I couldn’t hear through the glass.I pressed my hand against it, trying to steady

_Amelie’s POV_I hadn’t moved from the chair outside his room.Not once since he miraculously came back to life. I thought if I did, something was going to happen, and I was trying to prevent that. Hours had passed since the chaos, since the world nearly ended for me and then didn’t.Now it was just quiet.Too quiet.Nico lay behind the glass, pale but alive. The steady beep of the monitor was the only thing keeping me sane.I could still hear the echo of it in my head.Beep. Beep. Beep.Proof of life.It was better than nothing. Better than him being dead. I’d lost count of how many cups of cold coffee I’d left untouched. I didn’t even know what time it was anymore. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that flatline again.I heard someone walking towards me but I didn’t bother to check who. “Don’t you have work?” Luca’s voice was rough with exhaustion. “You work here, don’t you?”I didn’t turn to face him. My eyes stayed on Nico. “I can’t leave him

_Amelie’s POV_The question slipped out before I could stop myself.“Are you pretending to lose your memories so I can move on with my life?”The second the words left my mouth, the air in the room changed.I had the chance to turn around and leave. I had the chance to act like I didn't say anything. But I needed to know the answer. And I needed it right now. Because if I was right. Nico would really be acting quite selfishly. Nico looked up slowly, his expression unreadable. The glow from the monitor cast shadows across his face, making his features seem colder.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said quietly. His voice was weaker than usual, but something about it still sent a chill down my spine.The last time I got a feeling like this from Nico was when they had kidnapped me. Everything changed after that.“You don’t remember me?” I asked again, almost whispering.He hesitated. “No.”I took a shaky step forward. “It’s me. Amelie. You know me.”We grew up together. Ther

_Amelie’s POV_I don’t know how long I sat on the floor crying. My nose was red and puffy and my eyes had gotten swollen.All because of one man.When had he gotten a girlfriend? Was she there all this while and he ruined my relationship with Elias? What sort of a mean joke would that be? I picked up a paper roll from the floor and blew my nose, crumbling the paper and tossing it along with the rest of the used paper rolls.I was a mess right now. My hair was scattered. I hadn't showered.My face was puffy and I probably stink. This wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. The image of him choking me crossed my mind and a new wave of tears came bursting out. He didn't even act like he wanted to remember me. How many times does this have to happen to me? First they left me. Then he came back and destroyed my relationship with Elias. Then he made me realize I still loved him. He had made hurt me over and over and over.I felt stupid for crying over Nico. After everything he had done to