anwhile.
A golden Rolls-Royce was speeding down the highway.
Aiden Fordham sat in the back seat, his face dark enough to drip water; he had never been this anxious.
The phone had just rung, Keegan Lindsey’s voice urgent.
"President Fordham, we’ve found it!"
"Emberfall Village, an unfamiliar van entered early this morning!"
"Our people have tracked the exact location!"
A location ssage was sent to Aiden Fordham’s phone.
[Location Sharing: Abandoned Farm, Emberfall Village]
Less than two kiloters away from his current location.
"Step on it!" Aiden Fordham roared at the driver.
The driver floored the accelerator.
...The man took two black, bat-like creatures with sharp teeth from a cage.
He slowly approached Stella Grant, reassuring her, "It’s very ta, don’t be afraid, you did very well earlier. Humans can coexist with animals."
Stella desperately shook her head, instinctively backing away, feeling a wave of nausea; blood had pooled on the ground, her face pale as paper.
Woof woof woof!
A weak beam of light shone through the window, followed by fierce barking.
The man’s face suddenly darkened, feeling a sense of interruption and displeasure.
Wasn’t the target heading to Rivena? How did anyone manage to find this place?
He put away the bat creatures, swiftly grabbed a cara, picked up the cage, and ran out!
Before leaving, he turned off the lights and closed the door.
It was deep into the night, and ordinarily, no one would notice this little hut, especially as her wound continued to bleed...
Stella crawled in the dark, making muffled sounds, inching towards the door.
The door suddenly slamd open.
Then, with a "pop," the room lit up, the light piercing.
Stella shrunk back in fear.
Aiden Fordham’s face appeared at the door, outlined distinctly against the light.
The scene before him made his heart stop.
Stella’s jacket had lost several buttons, her left arm was bloody, and there was a large pool of blood on the ground.
The bright red was startling and shocking.
His heart felt as though an invisible hand was cruelly squeezing it, suffocating pain, guilt, overwhelming fear, instantly engulfing him.
He swiftly removed his coat, striding forward to tightly wrap the trembling her.
Body warmth seeped through the fabric.
Seeing the tape on her mouth, he reached out, carefully peeling it away.
Her lips were swollen, marked by the torn tape.
Her hands and feet were bound by rough ropes, which he gently untied, a blood-red fire dragon stabbing his eyes.
"Don’t be afraid, I’m here!" His voice was dry, trembling without even realizing it, "I’m sorry, Stella, I ca late."
He kept repeating, trying to soothe her, also trying to calm his own racing heart.
"Don’t... touch... !" Stella struggled to say, her complexion as white as paper, large tears fell, hot on his hand.
Aiden Fordham realized, at this mont, the taste of heartache; he lifted her up horizontally, turning to rush outside.
She was light, like a feather.
Passing through the doorway, he didn’t pause, nor did he look back, but his voice was icy cold.
"Dig three feet, drag them out for ."
"Alive to see them, dead to see their bodies."
The car shot like an arrow towards the nearest hospital.
The car was thick with the stench of blood, pungent.
Aiden Fordham found gauze and antiseptic from the car’s first aid kit, swiftly tending to the deep wound on her arm.
His fingers and clothes stained with her blood, sticky, warm.
Carefully cleaning, bandaging, his motions as gentle as can be, yet still causing her body to tremble slightly.
Once wrapped, he checked elsewhere.
"Where else does it hurt?" he asked, suppressing his voice.
Stella’s mind was foggy, as though through thick cotton, her face pale as paper, dazed.
Aiden Fordham reached out, fingertips trembling, buttoning her jacket, his touch against her cold skin stoking the raging fire in his heart.
Touching her?
He wanted those bastards to be unable to live or die!
Shattered into pieces! Ground to dust!
Stella weakly closed her eyes, leaning against him, limp, near unconscious.
"Step on it!" Aiden Fordham roared, tightening his arms around her.
From the mont he found her, his nerves had not dared to relax for a second; he feared if he let go, she would disappear.
He didn’t know why he felt such intense emotions, perhaps because of the lost child.
All along, she bore such pain alone, and now injured, making him regret deeply!
Finally, the car arrived at the hospital, stopping steadily at the ergency entrance.
Aiden Fordham carried Stella, almost kicking the car door open, sprinting inside.
"Doctor! Hurry!"
His shout echoed in the vacant ergency hall.
Doctors and nurses rushed over, pushing a gurney, "What happened?"
"External injury, left arm is a knife wound, excessive blood loss, had a car accident earlier too." Aiden Fordham succinctly explained, carefully placing Stella on the gurney.
Doctors swiftly examined her, lifting her jacket, frowning at the wounds, even the experienced doctor furrowed their brows.
"Wounds are deep, prepare for cleaning and stitching imdiately!"
"Patient has lost blood, check blood pressure, prepare for transfusion!"
Orders issued swiftly, nurses busily attending.
Stella was pushed into the ergency treatnt room.
Aiden Fordham stayed at the door, watching the door close, separating them.
He leaned against the cold wall, her blood scent lingering on him.
Ti passed slowly, each second like torture.
Inside ca the sounds of doctors and nurses busy, instrunts clashing, and... Stella’s suppressed gasps.
A while later, a nurse rushed out.
"Sir, the patient is allergic to anesthesia; she said no anesthesia, just stitch directly."
Aiden Fordham stood upright suddenly, "What did you say?"
He rushed to the treatnt room door, pushing it open.
The doctor held a needle clamp, ready to stitch the longest cut on her arm.
Stella leaned in the chair, looking paler than before, cold sweat covering her forehead.
She looked at the doctor, moving her lips, her voice soft yet exceptionally clear, "Just stitch, I can bear it."
Aiden Fordham’s heart contracted again; she was actually allergic to anesthesia.
Suddenly recalling Vivi Sterling’s words, "She fainted from pain during surgery."
His heart felt heavy, stepping forward, he asked, "Is there anything that can replace anesthesia, anything to reduce... her pain?"
The doctor appeared troubled, "Sir, she does indeed have an allergy record; forced use poses great risks."
Stella closed her eyes briefly, opening them again, calm or maybe numb, "Doctor, proceed."
The doctor said no more, "Alright, I’ll try to be gentle. If you really can’t endure, just shout out."
The wound was too long and deep, the needle pierced her flesh.
Stella’s body tensed sharply, she bowed her head firmly, biting her lower lip until blood oozed.
The other hand tightly clenched, fingernails almost embedding in her palm, yet not making a sound.
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