Chapter204 I won’t let you go to prison.

Chapter204 I won’t let you go to prison.
Aliya POV
I reached over and placed my hand gently on Patrick's arm. "You don't need to throw your life away for this. Nikolai has already set the perfect trap for them. I'll walk out of that courtroom completely cleared. Just save your strength and focus on getting better."
Patrick gave me a weary smile. "You know my condition isn't something that's going to get better, Aliya."
"Don't say that.You need to take care of yourself. Nova's going to need you around to play with her when she gets older."
The bitter smile that crossed his face made my heart ache. I could see the resignation in his eyes, the way he'd already accepted his fate. But I couldn't accept it. Not when I'd already lost so many people I cared about.
"Alright," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I promise I'll try."
I wanted to say more, to somehow convince him that there was hope, but the words stuck in my throat. Instead, I squeezed his hand once before standing up. "Good. Now get some rest. Doctor's orders."
"Yes, ma'am."
The moment I stepped out of Patrick's room, I found Nikolai waiting in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"What were you talking about in there for so long?" he asked as we started walking toward the exit together.
"Just friend stuff," I replied. "Nothing important."
That was apparently the wrong answer.
Nikolai's hand suddenly found my waist, his fingers digging in slightly as he pulled me closer to him. "Friend stuff that takes that long to discuss?"
"Nikolai, stop being ridiculous." I tried to push his hand away, but the sadness that had been building up inside me all day suddenly overwhelmed my composure.
A worried expression immediately crossed his face."Hey, what's wrong? Why do you look so upset?"
"Patrick's condition is so much worse than I realized. How did I miss it? I'm supposed to be a doctor, for crying out loud. I should have seen the signs."
Nikolai's arms came around me immediately, pulling me against his chest. "This isn't your fault," he said softly, his hand stroking my hair. "You can't blame yourself for this."
"But I don't want to watch another person I care about die," I whispered into his shirt, breathing in his familiar scent. "Why is it that even when I get a second chance at life, I still can't protect the people I want to protect? Patrick's so sick, and he's still running around trying to help me instead of taking care of himself."
"Hey, don’t dwell on it," Nikolai yanked me into his embrace and crushed his lips against mine. The air was torn from my mouth, making me dizzy and breathless.
I melted into him, letting myself take comfort in his strength and warmth.
When we broke apart, he gathered me fully into his arms, my head resting against his chest where I could hear his steady heartbeat. The sound was oddly soothing, grounding me in the present moment.
"Don't think about it anymore," he murmured into my hair. "You've had too much stress today. Let's go home so you can take a hot bath and get some sleep."
I didn't protest when he lifted me up and carried me to the car. The exhaustion was bone-deep, and I found myself grateful for his strength. As he settled me into the passenger seat, I caught sight of my reflection in the window. I looked as drained as I felt.
The drive home was quiet, with Nikolai occasionally reaching over to squeeze my hand or stroke my arm. I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I knew, he was carrying me up the stairs to our bedroom.
"I can walk," I mumbled against his shoulder.
"I know you can," he replied. "But you don't have to."
He set me down gently on the bed and began running a bath for me.
"Thank you," I said when he came back to help me out of my clothes.
"For what?"
"For taking care of me. For not pushing when I'm being weird and emotional. For just... being here."
He cupped my face in his hands, thumb brushing away a tear I didn't realize had fallen. "You don't need to thank me for that. This is what we do for each other."
The bath helped, as did the simple routine of getting ready for bed. Nikolai held me as I fell asleep, his arms wrapped securely around me like he was protecting me from the world.
The next morning, sunlight streaming through the bedroom windows woke me up. I blinked a few times, feeling more rested than I had in days, before focusing on Nikolai, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed beside me, typing rapidly on his laptop.
The sight of him working so early made me smile despite everything. His hair was slightly messy from sleep, and he was wearing just a t-shirt and boxers, looking more relaxed than his usual put-together self.
I reached out and poked his abs playfully. "Why are you working so early? What's got you so busy?"
Nikolai glanced down at me with a small smile, his fingers never stopping their movement across the keyboard. "I'm preparing for the second trial. It's in seven days."
I sat up abruptly, suddenly wide awake. The peaceful morning mood evaporated as reality crashed back in. "Seven days?"
He set his laptop aside and leaned over to give me a quick kiss, his hand cupping the side of my face. "I'm not going to let you set foot in that prison, my luna queen."