"Brother, why are you hurt?"
Before Emma could get a clear look at Amelia's face, she heard her hoarse cries. The moment she entered the ward, Amelia threw herself into Liam's arms and refused to let go.
Emma stared at Amelia, a vein throbbing in her temple. For a second, she genuinely wanted to leap out of bed, grab that brother-obsessed woman, and toss her out of Liam's embrace.
But seeing the old man leaning on his crutch and Benjamin walk in, Emma forced herself to suppress the urge.
"What happened? Was I supposed to find out from outsiders that you'd been shot?" The old man slammed his crutch against the floor several times, the sharp thuds echoing through the room. The only sound breaking the silence was Amelia's endless sobbing.
"It was just an accident. Besides, I'm fine. I was planning to check out today."
Facing the old man's fury, Liam's tone remained flat, as if he weren't the one who'd been injured at all.
"What? Brother, how can you leave the hospital? I won't allow it." Amelia's eyes were red, swollen like a rabbit's. It was clear Liam's injury had hit her hard.
"I said I'm fine. Stop crying." Liam barely held back his irritation as he tried to comfort her.
"Brother, please, just stay in the hospital." Amelia looked so delicate and pitiful that any other man would have softened. But Liam remained unmoved.
Then Amelia spotted Emma sitting on the bed, and her face twisted with anger.
"It's all your fault. That hateful woman—you're the reason my brother got hurt."
"Amelia, apologize to your sister-in-law. This has nothing to do with her." Liam's voice turned sharp as he cut off Amelia's accusations.
Amelia shot him a wounded look, then turned her head away, refusing to apologize.
"It really is because of me. So, Liam, even if it's just to put my mind at ease, please stay in the hospital for a few days. Wait until Dr. Owen says you can leave. Okay?" Emma ignored Amelia's attitude and actually agreed with her. She, too, insisted Liam remain hospitalized.
After everyone in the room pleaded with him, Liam finally gave in. But only because he knew Dr. Owen would soon tell them his condition didn't require hospitalization at all.
Emma decided to go out and buy Liam some breakfast. Amelia insisted on going with her. As they left the ward and walked to a corner near the stairwell, Amelia stopped behind Emma.
Emma turned around. Before she could react, Amelia's palm came crashing down. A moment of numbness, then a searing pain spread across Emma's cheek. Amelia must have put all her strength into that slap. Emma nearly stumbled and rolled down the stairs.
"I'm warning you. Don't let my brother get hurt because of you again. Next time, it won't be as simple as a slap." Amelia's eyes burned with cold fury.
Emma covered her stinging cheek with one hand. She felt guilty about Liam getting hurt, but she wasn't about to let Amelia slap her for free.
So before Amelia could spit out another threat, Emma grabbed a fistful of her long hair and yanked her forward. Two sharp slaps rang out. They weren't as fierce as Amelia's, but Emma made sure they landed.
"I don't want Liam to be in danger either. But it's not your place to lecture me, let alone teach me a lesson." Emma's voice was ice-cold.
Amelia's eyes blazed with even more fury. She glared at Emma, who showed no sign of backing down. If she'd had a knife in her hand, she would have carved Emma's face bloody.
"Emma, you'll regret those two slaps." Amelia's voice was barely a whisper, squeezed through her red lips.
"I never regret anything I do. Say what you want. I'll be waiting to see how you make me regret it." Emma turned and walked downstairs without looking back.
Even without turning around, she could feel Amelia's resentful gaze boring into her back. Amelia probably wanted to kill her with her eyes.
Too bad she couldn't.
The sharp smell of disinfectant in the air made Adrian open his eyes on the operating table. The anesthetic in his abdomen had worn off, and the pain was slowly becoming clear. For someone who walked the line between life and death every day, it was nothing he couldn't handle.
When he got up from the table, he didn't see Elijah. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Elijah must have gone to work.
Hungry, Adrian left the enclosed space to find food. In the study, he noticed a picture frame on the desk. Two young girls smiled from the photo. The girl on the left had a simple ponytail and a plain face, but her features were delicate and beautiful. Her eyes were clear, as if washed by spring water. They made you believe such a pure gaze would never know trouble, that darkness could never touch her.
The boy beside her had melancholy eyes. Even though he was handsome, he seemed destined to live in the shadows.
"A woman like that... no wonder you could never forget her." Adrian stared at the girl in the picture, thinking of the woman from last night. Years had passed, but her face seemed untouched by time. She was still as clean and beautiful as in this photo.
That was why Adrian understood why the boss hadn't let him tell Elijah the truth about harming Emma. If Elijah found out, he might betray the organization.
Now, as Adrian looked at the woman in the picture, he suddenly felt that if he'd known a girl like her when he was young, he wouldn't have wanted to hurt her either.
Beautiful things always made people want to keep them. Even those who lived in darkness were doomed never to see the sunlight.
That was why he'd hesitated for a moment when he pulled the trigger yesterday. That hesitation meant Liam, who'd blocked the bullet for Emma, only got shot in the shoulder. Otherwise, the bullet would have hit much closer to his heart.
Adrian's aim was never that bad. Even with his own injury, he'd deliberately held back.
Cold-blooded as he was, he didn't really want to kill Emma. He never understood why the boss needed to kill her just to destroy Liam. Even if Liam cared about Emma, she was just a woman. He'd blocked a bullet for her, maybe he'd grieve for a while if she died. But he wouldn't fall apart.
In Adrian's opinion, the plan was a bit excessive.
So, how were those two slaps?