Chapter 164

Chapter 164
{Ronan’s POV}

“You scares me. You know that right?” I muttered to an unconscious Lisa.

I sat at her bedside, my palms pressed against the mattress as if anchoring her there with me. The steady rise and fall of her chest, faint but present, was the only thing stopping my heart from splitting open.

Tubes ran from her arms, machines hummed in the background, but all I saw was her face.

“Lisa,” I whispered. “I’m sorry… I should have stopped this. I should have been there.”

The words were useless, nothing more than air, but I said them anyway. I bent closer, wishing her to hear me, wishing her to fight her way back. For a moment, there was no sign she could. Then her lashes trembled. Slowly, painfully, her eyes opened.

An almost physical sigh of relief escaped me. She blinked, unfocused at first, then her gaze settled on me. A tear rolled down her cheek and she tried to speak, though her voice cracked before words could form.

“No,” I said firmly, brushing the tear away with my thumb. “Don’t strain yourself. It’s enough that you’re awake. We’ll talk when you’re stronger.”

“Sorry for actually waking you up so soon. Just needed to know you were alright.” I added.

She shook her head faintly, desperate to say something now. Her lips parted, but before she could force the words out, the nurse appeared.

“Sir, we need to move her to ICU,” she said briskly. “You’ll have to wait ten to twenty minutes before you can see her again.”

I wanted to protest, but the nurse was already guiding the bed toward the door. Lisa’s hand clutched weakly at mine, slipping away as they wheeled her out. Her eyes stayed on me until the doors closed.

I dragged a hand over my face, exhaling through clenched teeth. The silence after her departure felt heavier than the machines. I needed focus, and there was only one way to keep from falling apart. Action.

I called Colt. He picked up on the first ring. “Status?” I demanded.

“We ran the plates,” he answered without hesitation. “Truck was purchased under Bryan's name three weeks ago. No rentals. No third-party cover. It was his vehicle.”

My blood ran hot. ‘Bryan.’

Again. And again. These snakes always found a way to creep into our peace. Our lives. They never stay buried. Why?!

I pressed my hand against the cold window, fury burning under my skin. “So it wasn’t an accident.”

Colt said flatly. “Not a chance… We’re already tracing his movements after the hit. The location was a bit secluded, but we have some leads.”

“Good,” I growled. “Find him. I don’t care how long it takes. I want him brought to me alive.”

Colt hesitated. “There’s something else. Lisa’s phone survived the crash. It was found near the backseat. A little banged up, but intact.”

My gut twisted. If her phone had anything on it — messages, proof of what she’d been hiding — it could explain so much. “What’s on it?”

“I can’t say.” Colt started.

“I don’t mean this in an ‘I don't know’ way. I mean it's not my place… You’ll need to hear it from her.”

Before I could respond, the nurse returned. “You may see her now. Keep it brief if you can, she needs rest.”

I ended the call and forced my hands steady. 

Inside the ICU, she lay against white sheets, pale but breathing stronger than before. Her gaze found me the moment I stepped in. Her lips trembled, and when I took her hand, her fingers clung to mine like she feared I might vanish.

I could tell she was just as hurt but her leaving, as I was. It must've taken everything for her to leave. Whatever the reason.

“I need to tell you something,” she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, but her determination burned clear.

“I was about to ask the same,” I said, seating myself at the edge of the bed. “Colt confirmed who was behind the truck. But he also said you have something I need to hear.”

I paused for a bit. Then continued. “Why did you leave?”

Her chest rose shakily as she drew in a breath. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes. “Lena,” she said finally.

“She blackmailed me… She has evidence of the marraige contract. She said she’d expose it to the Council, making you ineligible for succession. She said the only way to stop her was if I… left.”

The words clawed at me, but I held my composure, squeezing her hand. “And you listened to her?”

She sobbed quietly. “I thought disappearing was the only way to protect you. I thought… if I removed myself, she wouldn’t have anything to use against you.”

“Lisa,” I said, leaning closer, “you are not disposable. You do not get to sacrifice yourself for me.”

Her tears spilled freely, and she tried to apologize, but I hushed her, brushing damp hair from her forehead.

Every instinct in me screamed to leave her side, to hunt Lena down, to rip Bryan apart with my bare hands. But her trembling hand on mine anchored me.

“You listen to me,” I said softly. “Succession, Council, King — none of it matters if you’re not here. I’ll deal with Bryan, and I’ll deal with Lena, but not at the cost of leaving you. You come first.”

She blinked at me through her tears, disbelief and relief warring in her eyes. “You’d give that up? For me?”

“In a heartbeat.” I kissed her knuckles.  “Titles are nothing. You’re everything.”

Her sobs quieted, and she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I told her. “Save your strength. Heal. Leave the rest to me.”

Inside, my wolf snarled, pacing for blood. ‘I will relish putting him through hell.’

Bryan would regret the day he crossed her path. Lena would choke on her own schemes. I would not rest until both learned what it meant to threaten what was mine.

But outwardly, I stayed calm. I kept my hand on hers, refusing to let her feel the storm raging beneath my skin.

When the nurse came to usher me out, I kissed her forehead and whispered, “Rest. I’ll be here when you wake again.”

As I stepped into the corridor, my mind was already hunting. Bryan had made his move. Lena had tried to break Lisa with fear. Both thought they could slip through the cracks. They had no idea what awaited them.

I would bury them both if that was what it took. But for now, my place was here. With Lisa.

And so I stayed.