Semua Bab Be Mine Again, Dear Wife: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Harper stood in the doorway of Summer's room, fully dressed for the Hemsworth dinner in a simple black silk blouse tucked into high-waisted trousers, her hair swept into a loose chignon, her small gold hoop earrings catching the light. The kids were ready. The bags were packed, the car seats had been checked, and everything else was in place. But she wasn't moving yet. Her phone sat heavy in her pocket, the message from L replaying in her head. Why now? Was it because she'd started letting Malakai close again? Was it a trap? She watched Malakai across the room. He sat on the edge of Summer's bed in a white button-down and black slacks, his injured leg stretched out in front of him. Summer knelt between his knees, fidgeting while he patiently worked her wild curls into a slick braided ponytail. Every few seconds he winced when he shifted his weight. Harper's chest tightened. Seeing the way he ignored his own pain to make Summer's hair perfect just hit differently. Summ

Malakai braced one hand on the cool porcelain of the sink, the other pressed flat against the mirror. His reflection stared back. He was pale, sweat dripping down his temples, his eyes dilated.The migraine had escalated from sharp pulses to a full, roaring tide that drowned every coherent thought. His bad knee throbbed in time with his heartbeat, each throb sending fresh nausea rolling up his throat. He'd already thrown up twice. There was nothing left but bile.His vision narrowed at the edges. The room felt smaller, the walls pressing in. Sounds warped until even his own ragged breathing sounded like it came from someone else.He knew this feeling.He'd felt it before in flashes he could never quite remember afterwards.Dissociation.It was creeping in now, like cold water rising around his ankles.He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe through it.'Feel the tile under your feet. Hear the water drip. Count your breaths. One... two... three...'But the counting felt d

Malakai's eyes widened, his pupils dilating further in the harsh bathroom light."What?" He rasped. He couldn't believe what was happening. No, this couldn't be real. There was just too much at stake.The migraine answered immediately. Pain jabbed at his left eye, blinding him. The room spun, a hot wave of nausea rolling up his throat.He swayed dangerously, and Andrei lunged forward, his arms catching him just as his body went limp sideways. Malakai's shoulder hit Andrei's chest hard.Gently, Andrei lowered him to the floor, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other bracing his back."Easy, easy," Andrei muttered, his voice laced with worry. "I've got you. Breathe. Just breathe."Malakai's breathing turned ragged. He gripped Andrei's shirt, his trembling fingers twisting the fabric. His unfocused eyes fluttered, rolling back slightly. Then the gray fog rushed in, swallowing him whole.When his eyes opened again, they were different.The confusion was gone. It was re

A crystal wine decanter lay in pieces on the floor. Red wine pooled like blood across the Persian rug. Eliana had risen halfway from her chair, her face pale. Sonya gripped the edge of the table. Nolan was already on his feet. Simon stood beside him, his expression thunderous. Karen’s eyes were wide. And Oliver was tense.Reyes held both hands up, but his eyes were locked on Harper."Daniel?" she breathed, confusion crashing over her."What are you doing here?"The chuckle that rolled out of him was low, guttural, and devoid of humour."I know," he said. "The face is... disorienting. I understand."He tilted his head just enough for the light to catch his high cheekbones."My old face didn't survive the fire," he continued, his tone flat. "I had third-degree burns and inhaled too much smoke. They told me I'd never speak again, let alone look like this. But I was always good at surviving things I wasn't supposed to."His gaze slid to Simon. The older man had gone gray. His hand

The next morning at Horizon Care, Harper moved through her rounds with smiles that took extra effort to display. She'd slept so well in Malakai's arms, she even felt guilty about it. It wasn't supposed to happen. She was beginning to regret letting him stay in her house. Malakai had definitely seduced her with his voice and his body last night.She stopped at Mr. Callahan's room later that morning. An eighty-seven-year-old man with end-stage congestive heart failure, his oxygen on low flow. He was propped up in bed, his eyes bright despite the oxygen mask. He always smiled when she walked in."Afternoon, Doc," he rasped. "You look like you wrestled a bear last night."Harper managed a small smile as she checked his pulse oximeter."Something like that. How's the breathing today?""Like I'm sucking air through a straw," he said, tapping the nasal cannula. "But I'm still here. That counts."She adjusted his IV drip and listened to the crackling in his lungs, the usual symphony o