A KISS IN THE DARK : EMPIRE OF OBSESSION のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

"Well, you seem to have forgotten basic responsibility," Maddison shot back immediately, walking straight toward the table without hesitation. "Even if you're a chief here, do you think this behaviour of yours can be justified?" The tension in the room shifted dramatically. This was no longer internal. This was something public. Something dangerous.Maddison stopped in front of the table, his gaze locking directly with Raymond’s. "Do you even understand what your reckless decisions just caused?" Raymond’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Before raising your voice at me, I prefer you give an explanation, Mr. Maddison." Maddison let out a short, and humorless breath before speaking, his voice steady but heavy with accusation. "Ezekiel is in the hospital." The room froze completely. A few officers exchanged shocked glances."Injured? How does it happen to someone who disappeared all of a sudden from the middle of operation?" Raymond asked, his tone carefully neutral.Maddison laughed once, s

∆EZEKIEL POV∆"Ezekiel… open your eyes."That voice reached me from somewhere far away, cutting through the fire, through the smoke, through the sound of collapsing walls and screaming voices.For a moment, I still couldn’t tell what was real.The flames were everywhere. That little boy was crying. The man was burning while shielding him. And that lullaby… God, that lullaby wouldn’t stop echoing inside my head, soft and broken, like it had carved itself into my bones.My chest suddenly tightened painfully, and a broken gasp tore out of me as my eyes flew open violently."Fire…!"My entire body jerked upward instinctively before unbearable pain exploded through my shoulder and chest, tearing me apart from the inside."Ahh!" A strong arm immediately wrapped around me before I could fall from the bed."Easy."That voice is deep, low and familiar... It is none other than Zachary.My vision blurred badly for several seconds as I struggled to breathe properly. Everything looked hazy and di

∆EZEKIEL POV∆"You’re not leaving this room."The moment those words left Zachary’s mouth, irritation immediately surged through me.That's the same dialogue he has been repeating from the past one week though I'm recovering well... He is acting more like a strict father not allowing me to leave the bed even for a second.I stared at him from the edge of the bed, already dressed despite the dull ache spreading through my shoulder and chest. The stitches still pulled painfully every time I moved too quickly, but after being trapped inside this room for days, I was officially losing my mind."You do realize I’m not dying anymore, right?" I asked dryly while reaching for the jacket laying beside me.Zachary, who had been standing near the window while speaking to someone on the phone moments ago, finally turned fully toward me. His expression remained calm, unreadable as always, but after spending enough time around him, I had started noticing the tiny changes he probably thought nobod

∆EZEKIEL POV∆"What kind of psychopath chains an injured person to a bed?"The very first thing I heard that morning was the soft metallic clink near my ankle, reminding me that yesterday there hadn’t been some fever-induced hallucination. Zachary had actually chained me to the bed like some mentally unstable criminal who mistook concern for imprisonment.I glared at the restraint again in disbelief while carefully sitting upright against the pillows. Morning light spilled through the massive windows, calm and warm, in complete contrast to my growing irritation."Unbelievable…" I muttered under my breath before tugging the chain again out of pure stubbornness.Bad idea.Sharp pain shot through my shoulder immediately, making me hiss through clenched teeth. "Arghhhh!" Wonderful. Now I was injured, trapped, and annoyed before breakfast.Just then the door opened.Zachary walked inside carrying a tray of food like this was the most peaceful domestic morning imaginable. His black shirt

∆EZEKIEL POV∆"You’re staring again." Zachary pulled my cheeks, as if he is eagerly waiting for my recovery, and that imagination alone made me nearly drop the tablet in my hands. I frowned immediately and looked away from him toward the rain-covered windows."I’m not.""Hm."That single sound alone carried enough disbelief to annoy me.I shifted slightly against the pillows while narrowing my eyes at him. "Why do you always answer like some emotionally unavailable villain in a drama?""Because I am one." "That’s not something to be proud of."He ignored that completely and continued watching me with that same calm expression that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking half the time.Unfortunately for me, my eyes betrayed me again, because they kept drifting toward his mouth.Then toward the dragon tattoo partially visible beneath the rolled sleeves of his shirt.Then lower.Very unfortunate decisions overall, a faint smirk slowly appeared on Zachary’s lips, and that only