Chapter 157 CHAPTER 158

Chapter 157 CHAPTER 158
CHAPTER 158
NARRATOR

After Knox carried Yael out of the warehouse, the room fell into a heavy silence. Grey was on his knees, hands cuffed behind his back, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. Two of Aaron’s men held him in place. Aaron stood a few feet away, breathing hard, his eyes locked on the man who had hurt his sister for years.

Grey looked up and smirked through the blood. “She’s mine, you know. She’ll always be mine. No matter what you do, she’ll never forget me.”

Aaron’s jaw clenched so tight it hurt. Without a word, he stepped forward and drove his fist straight into Grey’s face. The sound of bone cracking echoed in the empty warehouse.

“You piece of shit,” Aaron growled. “You touched my sister. You shot her. You kidnapped her. You tortured her for three days.”

He punched Grey again, harder this time. Grey’s head snapped back. Blood sprayed across the concrete floor.

One of Aaron’s men stepped forward cautiously. “Boss… maybe we should—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Aaron snapped. He grabbed Grey by the collar and yanked him closer. “You think you can break her? You think you can own her? She is my sister. My blood. And you put your hands on her.”

Grey laughed weakly, spitting blood. “She begged me in the end. Just like she used to. She’s weak. She’s always been weak.”

Aaron’s eyes went black with rage. He slammed his fist into Grey’s stomach, then his face, over and over. Each punch landed with a sickening thud. Grey’s head lolled, but Aaron didn’t stop.

“You will never touch her again,” Aaron snarled between punches. “You will never speak her name again. You will never even think about her again.”

Grey gasped for air, his face a bloody mess. “She… she cried for you. Begged me to stop. Said her brother would come. But you were too late.”

Aaron roared and hit him again, harder than before. “You think you can break me with words? I will end you.”

He kept punching until Grey’s head hung limp. Blood covered Aaron’s knuckles and splattered his shirt. His breathing was ragged, his eyes wild.

One of his men finally spoke up. “Aaron… he’s unconscious. If you keep going, you’ll kill him.”

Aaron stepped back, chest heaving. He wiped blood from his face with the back of his hand.

“Take him to the warehouse on the east side,” he ordered, his voice cold and deadly. “The one with the soundproof room. Chain him up. I want to have a long talk with him later. Do not let him die. Not yet.”

The men nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”

They dragged Grey’s limp body away. Aaron stood there for a moment, staring at the blood on the floor. Then he turned and ran.

He sprinted out of the warehouse and jumped into the nearest SUV. His hands were shaking as he started the engine.

“Yael,” he whispered to himself. “Hold on. I’m coming.”

He drove like a madman toward the hospital, breaking every speed limit. His mind kept flashing back to the sight of Yael in Knox’s arms — weak, hurt, barely conscious. The thought made his stomach twist.

When he reached the hospital, he parked crookedly and ran inside. The waiting room was full of familiar faces. Maya, Jordan, and Liam were already there. Knox was pacing like a caged animal, his clothes still covered in dust and blood.

Aaron rushed straight to Knox. “Where is she? How is she?”

Knox looked up, his eyes red and exhausted. “They took her into surgery. She was unconscious when I brought her in. She lost a lot of blood. She was beaten… hurt bad.”

Aaron’s voice cracked. “Did she wake up at all? Did she say anything?”

Knox shook his head. “She passed out in my arms right after I got her out.

Aaron ran a hand through his hair. “This is my fault. I should have found her faster. I should have doubled the guards more. I should have—”

Maya stood up and walked over to him. She grabbed his bloody hands. “Aaron, stop. You did everything you could. You found her. You got her out. She is alive because of you and Knox.”

Aaron’s eyes were glassy. “She’s my little sister, Maya. I promised I would always protect her. And he had her for three days. Three fucking days. I can’t stop thinking about what he did to her.”

Jordan spoke softly. “She is strong. She fought him. She held on until you got there. You have to believe she is going to be okay.”

Liam nodded. “The doctors said she is stable. They are working on her now. We just have to wait.”

Aaron looked at Knox. “You carried her out. You got to her first. Thank you.”

Knox’s voice was rough. “I would have burned the whole city down to find her. I’m not leaving this hospital until she wakes up.”

Aaron nodded. “Neither am I.”

They all sat down together in the waiting room. The tension was thick. Every time a doctor walked by, they all looked up hopefully.

After what felt like hours, a doctor finally came out.

“She’s out of surgery,” the doctor said. “She had some internal bleeding and multiple fractures, but we stopped the bleeding. She is stable for now. She is still unconscious, but she is fighting.”

Aaron let out a shaky breath. “Can we see her?”

The doctor nodded. “One at a time. She needs rest.”

Aaron looked at Knox. “You go first. You brought her here. She needs to see you when she wakes up.”

Knox nodded gratefully and followed the doctor. Aaron sat back down, his hands still covered in Grey’s blood.

Maya took his hand gently. “She is going to be okay, Aaron. She is strong. Just like you.”

Aaron stared at the floor. “I hope so. I really hope so.”

The waiting continued. The fear was still there, but so was the hope
. Yael was alive. She was fighting. And they were all there, waiting for her to wake up.