Chapter 165 Mystery Woman
"Liam! Wake up!!"
The voice echoed like it was traveling through a long, empty tunnel. It was sharp, urgent—familiar.
"Liam, please... wake up!"
He coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth and onto the cold floor beneath him. His chest burned like fire, his lungs screaming for breath. Slowly, painfully, his eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Vanessa. Her face hovered above him, panic and desperation etched into every inch of her expression. Her usually perfect blonde hair was messy, strands clinging to her face as if she had run through a storm to get to him.
His lips trembled. "L-Lana..." His voice was almost inaudible, dry, broken.
Vanessa leaned in closer. "What? What are you saying?"
"Lana... s-she’s... I locked her... inside," he rasped. "She’s in the last room. Safe..."
Vanessa understood immediately. Without wasting time, she gently lifted him, sliding his heavy, broken arm over her shoulders. The moment she supported his weight, she felt it. His body wasn’t just bruised—it was shattered. Bones poked out under his skin, and his breathing was ragged and shallow. She clenched her jaw. There was no time for emotion now.
"Just hang on," she whispered.
Liam said nothing. His eyes barely remained open. Each step was a battle, and the hallway blurred around him. Pain consumed every cell of his body. Still, he guided Vanessa with a shaky finger until they stood before the final door at the end of the corridor.
Vanessa stared at it. "This one?"