Zack shut his eyes and buried his face in his palms. Another bad news he was very aware of, the ‘another’ Bryan was referring to.
“He lost a lot of blood,” Bryan said, his expression solemn. “He couldn’t make it during the surgery.”
“This is getting out of hand, who is toying with me,” Zack’s voice trembled in anger. He was so tempted to strike the glass table in front of him. “We just lost Edmond and now… Louis,” he clenched his fist, his mind drifted to the state of Ivy. If Louis couldn’t make it, then how serious is Ivy’s condition? He could only hope there would be no serious complications in her health.
Bryan noticed his mood had shifted to worry. “Don’t worry, sir, she will get through this,” he assured. “She is a strong woman.” If he could place his hand on Zack’s shoulders to comfort him in this desperate situation, he would have, but he opted to offer words of encouragement instead.
“I know she will,” Zack responded, assuring himself. He lifted his face, feeling more determined than ever. The pang in his heart was slowly wearing off due to releasing all his pent up anger and frustration. He let out a silent sigh, with more resolve to protect the woman he had learned to love and cherish. He took a deep breath and sat up on the sofa. He turned to Bryan, his eyes flashing with willpower to never let the danger prevail again.
“Bryan, I want you to be guarded at all times; I can’t afford for you to get hurt in the process. I don’t want another death,” he said, his voice unwavering.
Bryan nodded affirmatively, not wanting to go against his boss’s wishes. Apparently, the issue had gotten to this point. A juncture where the unpredictable could come to devour and accomplish anything, leaving them to bear the aftermath. Initially, it was Ivy who needed protection, but it seems the mastermind was ready to wipe off anyone who gets in his way. He appreciated Zack’s consideration; it pained him two of his colleagues had lost their lives in the process, and he didn’t want to end up with that fate.
“Can I go now, sir?” he said, ambiguously requesting permission. Zack waved dismissively, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular as his mind tugged him to check on Ivy. Why was he feeling scared to face her? For sure, he wants to see her, assure her he would always be there for her, but still, he was kind of angry at himself…
He snapped out of it and departed the penthouse. When he got to the hospital, he was informed by a nurse she was out of surgery. Thankfully, she wasn’t in any kind of danger. He hastened to meet her, his feet colliding on the tiles as he made a stride to the ward. The moment he got to the door, he was hesitant, his hand trembling slightly on the doorknob, not from fear but of sheer anger. His jaw clenched, inwardly berating himself for letting his guard down. If Isabelle and Edmond could be targeted by the monster, how was his dear wife not on the list? Just because nothing horrific had happened to her since after her abduction does not mean he should let his guard down, even in the slightest. His guilt was overwhelming, surging his body to repel against his hesitation. He pushed the door opened, his gaze trailed from the floor up to the bed.
Her pale face came into focus, her eyelids were drooped, veiling her face with a calm yet alert serenity compelling him to break through the thorns of guilt and anger piercing him relentlessly.
He sat beside her, his gaze never faltering from her face. Observing how innocent she looked while asleep, he caressed her cheek, and a feeling of relief washed over him. At least he didn’t lose her, despite her being on the brink of death. With the damage and wreckage he saw at the scene of the accident, he could imagine the severity of the danger that swallowed her, but she made it, thankfully.
A slight relief washed over him; slowly he allowed himself to relax a bit as he gazed at her face.
Time ticked by, and Zack remained seated by her side. He wanted to be the first person she set her eyes on when she wakes up. He felt he owed it to her. His mind kept recalling how scared she sounded before the unpleasant happened and wished to give her a sense of safety when she regained consciousness.
His eyes caught the sight of her lips twitching. He leaned in slowly to check if she was finally awake, but she wasn’t. Her face contorted, her eyebrow quirking while her chest heaved up weakly.
“Ivy,” he called her, stroking her hair. She seemed to be regaining consciousness or maybe she was having a nightmare. “Ivy… Ivy…” he raised his voice a bit, but there was no response. After a few seconds, a faint hum escaped her lips, a gentle vibration that seemed to match the rhythm of her ragged breathing.
As she stirred, Zack noticed the faintest glimmer of recognition in her eyes. “Ivy, can you hear me?” he asked, his voice gentle. Her eyelids fluttered but quickly shut tight. Suddenly, her body tensed, and a faint whisper escaped her lips: “Zack…”
“Yes,” he responded almost immediately, stroking her hair to calm her. “Ivy, wake up. I’m here.
Her eyes sagged open and her disoriented gaze fell on Zack’s face, her mind instantly recalled the situation she was in before passing out. Her eyes began to well up as the tension she felt was still fresh on her mind.
“Zack…” Her voice cracked, her gaze steady on him. “I want a hug.”
Zack quickly wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to himself. He could hear her sobbing muffledly under his embrace.
He patted her back as she nestled herself deeper into his arms. “I have never felt this scared in my entire life, Zack,” her voice quivering as she sobbed. “I thought I was going to die.”
“You’re safe now, Ivy.” Zack hugged her more tightly and let her sob on his shoulders.
After a few minutes, she pulled away from his embrace and wiped the tears from her face. She sniffed, her jaw tensed as her eyes flickered with fierce determination.
“I have decided, I am ending this, and please don’t stop me.”