Chapter 227 The Fire That Burns Within
The jet flew steadily high in the night sky, slicing through clouds. Inside the luxurious private jet, the mood was anything but peaceful. Liam lay unconscious on a sleek hospital bed bolted to the floor, his body pale, skin clammy with sweat, and his veins pulsing with a faint, red glow that had no business being there.
Ella stood over him, her arms crossed tightly under her chest, her eyes burning holes through his motionless figure. Then her gaze shifted sideways—and her expression darkened even more.
Just a few meters away, Ann was crouched on the floor. She hadn’t moved since they carried Liam in. Her head was bowed, her hands trembling slightly as they rested on her thighs, her eyes locked on Liam like she was staring at the ghost of her own guilt. She hadn’t shed a single tear since the jet took off, but it wasn’t strength—it was devastation.
Ella’s lips twitched in restrained fury as she slowly turned to Lana. Her voice came out sharp, disbelieving. "You’re telling me... she did this?"
Lana’s face tightened. She nodded slowly, her voice low. "Yes. She stabbed him."
Ella looked like she had just been slapped. She took a step forward, glaring down at Ann like she was trying to make sense of the madness. "How the fuck is someone forced to do something like this?!" she snapped, her voice slicing through the room like a whip.
Lana stepped forward, shielding Ann with her body just a little. "It’s not that simple," she said, trying to remain calm. "It wasn’t really her fault, Ella. She was compelled to do it."
"Compelled?" Ella echoed with a sneer. "You mean mind controlled?"
Lana nodded, grim. "Exactly. I saw it my own eyes."
Ella went quiet for a moment. Then her brows pulled together as the weight of Lana’s words sank in. She’d seen enough in the underworld to know what compulsion was. it was an insidious, twisted ability that robbed people of their will and used them like puppets. Exogens—Experimental beings, twisted by power and hatred—were appearing more and more lately.
She looked down at him again. The strongest person she’d ever met. The one man who always seemed untouchable. Seeing him like this made her stomach churn.