Chapter 81 What Exactly Has She Gone Through?
The fire in William's chest blazed hotter. The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed that he had ever worried for her.
A woman who walked willingly toward her own death was not worth another glance.
His fists tightened until his knuckles ached. Isabella deserved to die... but she did not deserve the release of death.
He would not let her find Beatrice in some imagined heaven. He would make her live, and he would make that life hurt. Every breath would be a reminder of the world's cruelty.
"Get out. And do not ever stand in front of me again."
Lester exhaled, relief loosening the knot in his chest. He had feared William would blame him, which was why he had come in person to explain. If William had decided to hold him responsible, it would have been a disaster.
Still, Lester could not shake the question — Isabella had always fought to survive. She had endured more than most could bear. Why would she suddenly run into the woods?
In the grainy surveillance audio, she had been calling someone's name. Was she lured?
He shook his head. It was not his concern. The Blackthorn Compound was safe, and that was enough.
Isabella remained unconscious for five full days before her eyes finally opened.
The sharp sting of antiseptic filled her nose instantly.
She let out a faint breath. Pain gripped her body, a cruel reminder — she was still alive.
It was like waking from a long, strange dream. In it, Beatrice had come to take her away.
But why had she not gone with her?
The door clicked open. A nurse stepped in, her eyes going wide with relief. "Ms. Tudor, you are awake... I was so afraid..."
It was the same nurse who had cared for her before — the only warmth Isabella had felt in the hospital.
She tried to speak, but the effort drained her before the words could form.
The nurse came to her bedside, voice soft with concern. "Do not talk. You are very weak. Your injuries were severe — several bones were nearly shattered. The city's top specialists rushed here, and even some from abroad flew in to pull you back from the edge."
Isabella blinked slowly. Her mind was scattered, fragments of memory drifting without forming a whole.
"Your friend Amara came twice. She asked me to take special care of you."
Isabella blinked again in silent thanks. She did not want anyone visiting. People who came too close to her never met a good end.
"You must be in so much pain. Rest. You will get better in time."
Her gaze slid to the window. The sky was a clear, unbroken blue, sunlight sharp and bright.
It had been a long time since she had seen a day so clean.
Twice she had been locked away in darkness, her mind fraying more each time.
Even as the nurse spoke, her words reached Isabella only in pieces. Her memory felt like it was fading at the edges.
Two days later, she could manage a few words, though the nurse noticed she sometimes stammered.
The doctors called it the shadow of trauma. With injuries like hers, survival itself was a miracle.
In the next room, a nurse changing a patient's bandages could not help but talk. "Did you see the woman next door? I just changed her dressings. I nearly fainted — there is not an inch of unbroken skin. They say wolves attacked her. She was out for five or six days before waking. Lucky did not even begin to cover it."
"You mean Isabella? She has been hurt more than once. Not long ago she came in with two stab wounds — heard she did it to herself. If they had gone deeper, she would be gone."
Thomas's eyes widened. He grabbed the nurse's wrist. "What did you just say? Isabella? The one next door?"
He had been recovering in the hospital for weeks, but his mind had never left her.
Even though Isabella had driven a surgical blade into him, he knew it had not been her true intent.
If she had not acted then, William would have killed him.
She had done it to protect him.
But his injuries had been grave. He had nearly died before reaching the hospital.
His grandfather had forbidden him from crossing William again, placing guards to cut him off from the outside world.
He had not expected to hear that Isabella was now gravely hurt.
The nurse flinched at his sudden grip, and Thomas released her at once. "I am sorry. Please — tell me what happened to her."
Thomas was known for his calm manners. His cooperation had earned the staff's trust. She did not hold back.
"A week ago, she came in covered in wounds — blood everywhere. Wolves, they said. Her bones were exposed in several places. It was horrific.
"Mr. William Spencer brought in every top expert in the city. Even foreign doctors flew back. She needed multiple transfusions. They fought for her life for ten hours straight. She woke yesterday."
Thomas's chest felt like it had been struck hard. Breathing hurt. "And the two stab wounds?"
The nurse shook her head. "I do not know. The people who brought her mentioned the Blackthorn Compound. We asked her, but she would not say. It cannot be good."
Blackthorn Compound. Wolves.
What had she gone through in that time?
Thomas clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay composed. If the guards sensed anything, they would report to his grandfather — and then he would be powerless.
"I see. Thank you."
The nurse sighed. "Her case is the worst in the hospital. Everyone knows."
Everyone but him. And now that he did, he could not let it go.
He had to find out the truth. He could not let her be hurt again.
At three in the morning, the hospital was silent.
Thomas had behaved so well that the guards had grown lax. One was asleep on the sofa, too deep to hear him slip away.
He eased into the room next door, pushing the door open without a sound.
The woman on the bed breathed so lightly it was as if each breath might be her last.
She was swathed in bandages from head to toe. Her forehead and cheeks were marked with cuts, hiding most of her face.
His hand trembled as he reached out. He could not imagine what had been done to her.
"Isabella... what happened to you?"
What could hurt her this badly, yet keep her here?
He had to find a way to save her.
He would not let her harm herself again. And he would not leave her with William.
She had to leave.
Footsteps sounded at the door. Thomas's face tightened. If it was William, Isabella would be moved instantly — and he would lose his chance to see her.
If it was his grandfather's men, they would drag him away.
His fists clenched, ready to hide. But the door swung open, revealing a familiar figure.
"Ambrose?"
"Thomas?"
They stared at each other, surprise flashing in their eyes.
Thomas gestured toward the hallway. They needed to talk outside.
Ambrose's gaze lingered on the bed before he reluctantly stepped away.
On the rooftop, the two faced each other, astonishment still sharp in their expressions.
"When did you get back?" they asked at the same time.