I opened my eyes slowly, like my eyelids weighed a thousand pounds.

For a second, I didn't know where I was. All I saw was white. Too white. Harsh, blinding. The kind of white that made me feel cold instantly, a chill that seeped into my skin, tightened around my chest, and reminded me I wasn't home.

I blinked a few times until things came into focus.

A stiff bed. Rough sheets.

The sharp smell of disinfectant hanging in the air.

A hospital.

I was lying there in a pale blue gown, my arms exposed. I felt vulnerable. Fragile. Like anything could break me all over again.

My hand was wrapped in bandages.

And then I saw him.

Adrian Sterling stood by the window, leaning against the frame.

His tall figure cast a long shadow against the stark white room.

For a moment, I thought I was imagining him. That maybe the trauma was messing with my head.

But no.

He was there. Still. Silent. Like a statue carved from dark stone.

"Boss?" My voice came out as a weak whisper, rough and barely recognizable.

He turned slowly. His eyes met mine.

That intense, piercing gaze slid over me like a cold blade.

I couldn't believe he was there in a hospital, with me.

My head throbbed, and everything felt off, like my mind was still trapped in the echo of last night's horror.

Adrian Sterling watched me in silence for a few seconds.

I noticed the exhaustion on his face. The dark circles under his eyes. The tension in his jaw.

And then his hands.

His knuckles were bruised, split open, red and raw.

Like he had hit something with everything he had.

Or someone.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his voice low, unreadable as ever.

"I… last night…" I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. My throat closed up with every attempt.

And then every detail and every second came rushing back.

The air left my lungs in one sharp breath. I pushed myself up slightly, covering my mouth as a sob slipped out.

"Oh my God… what did I do?"

Adrian Sterling exhaled slowly, like he had been waiting for that question.

"What happened last night… shouldn't have happened," he said, his tone blunt. "But what's done is done. Do you know what you did, Vanessa?"

I went still.

My skin prickled. My breathing shook.

I nodded slowly, a knot tightening in my throat.

"I… I did it, yes…" I swallowed hard. "Did I kill him?"

He looked away for a moment, like he was choosing his words carefully. Then he sighed.

"He's not dead. But he might wish he were. He's in bad shape. They're going to try to save his…" He stopped, his expression hardening. "They might not. In short, you're about to make him a eunuch."

My heart dropped violently.

I couldn't breathe.

I stared at my hands, like I could still feel the glass in them.

"He… he tried to hurt me," I whispered. "I just… I had to defend myself…"

"It's fine," he cut in coldly. "Don't justify it. What's done is done."

That tone… that distance.

For a moment, I wondered if this man had blood in his veins… or ice.

Did anything affect him? Did anything actually matter to him?

I didn't know.

And in that moment, I didn't care.

Silent tears slid down my cheeks.

I didn't know if I was crying for what I had done, for what they had almost done to me, or for the way my life had just shattered into pieces.

The door opened without warning.

A doctor walked in, a folder in his hands. His expression was professional, detached—completely untouched by what I felt.

"You're fine, Vanessa Hart," he said, glancing over the papers. "I've signed your discharge. And your boss has already covered the bill. You can leave today."

I nodded without speaking. I looked at Adrian Sterling, searching his face for something.

I didn't even know what.

Maybe the smallest hint of empathy. Something human.

The doctor left.

I turned back to my boss.

He adjusted his jacket and said, as if it were nothing,

"I'll pay Alexander Merchant a generous compensation for what you did. Now calm down… and go home."

His words hit me hard.

Like everything had been reduced to money. Paperwork. Silence.

I slowly got out of bed, my legs unsteady. I looked him straight in the eyes, even though my heart trembled.

"I quit."

My voice came out firm. So firm it surprised even me. Like someone else had spoken through me.

For the first time, I saw Adrian Sterling truly caught off guard. His brow lifted slightly.

"What did you say?"

"I quit, Mr. Sterling," I repeated, holding his gaze. "I want my severance. And I trust you'll handle the compensation for Mr. Merchant. After all… you're the one who took me to that place. Right?"

Silence filled the room.

He didn't argue.

He didn't say anything at all.

But that was enough for me.

I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I leaned against it for a few seconds, taking a deep breath.

My body was still trembling. I felt lightheaded.

Like everything had turned into a nightmare that refused to end.

I got dressed quickly, clumsily. My regular clothes felt heavier than the hospital gown. More real. More painful.

When I stepped back out, Adrian Sterling was gone.

On the table, there was a folded check and a note written in his precise handwriting.

"Your severance."

I opened it.

Almost a million dollars.

A million… that could never buy back my peace of mind. A million that wouldn't erase what I had lived through.

A million that probably meant nothing to him.

But to me…

It meant saving my sister's life. It meant moving forward and breathing again.

I exhaled slowly, tightening my grip on the check.

Then I walked out of the room without looking back.

Down the hallway, each step felt like I was leaving behind a broken piece of myself… even though I knew that wound wouldn't heal easily.

I told myself I'd find another job. That I would be okay. That I had to be okay.

But the moment I stepped outside the hospital, the cold air hit me hard, sending a chill down my spine.

And suddenly…

I felt like someone was following me.

The thought alone made my blood run cold.

My hands turned clammy. My heart started racing again, just like last night.