Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 298

**TITLE: Collapsed 298**

**AUTHOR’S POV.**

Violet emerged from the depths of her unconsciousness as if she were a swimmer breaking the surface of a turbulent sea, gasping for air, disoriented and flailing in an unfamiliar world.

Her eyelids shot open, revealing a ceiling that was entirely alien to her. The dim light cast an eerie glow, and the sterile scent of antiseptic filled her nostrils, sharp and clinical. A soft, rhythmic beeping resonated close to her ear, a sound that felt both foreign and ominous. The sheets beneath her were crisp and tightly tucked, almost suffocating in their precision. A wave of panic surged through her chest, constricting it like a vice.

Her breath hitched, stuttering in her throat, as her eyes darted around the room in a frantic search for familiarity.

This wasn’t her room.

This wasn’t anywhere she recognized.

How did she end up here?

The throbbing in her head grew louder, a relentless roar that made her press a trembling hand to her temple, desperate for relief. Then, she felt it—a sharp tug at her wrist. An IV line. The realization crashed over her like a tidal wave, splitting her sanity in two.

“No… no, no… what is this?!” she screamed, her voice raw and scraping against her throat as if it were a physical entity. Her legs thrashed beneath the blanket, a primal instinct to escape. “Where am I?! Somebody help! Somebody… help me!”

Her voice climbed higher, a pitch of hysteria that echoed off the sterile walls, reverberating her terror back to her.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a force that made her heart race even faster.

Lucian charged in first, his presence a storm of tension, concern etched sharply into his features. Right behind him was Ace, his eyes wide with shock, a mix of surprise and alertness twisting his face.

“Violet… hey, hey… calm down. You’re okay,” Lucian said, his voice dropping to a low, firm tone, the kind he used when everything around him was falling apart and he needed to keep it together.

But Violet was beyond listening. Her hands clawed at the IV line, ripping at the tape with frantic desperation, trying to tear it from her skin.

In an instant, Lucian lunged forward, catching her wrist in a grip that was gentle yet unyielding, preventing her from causing herself harm.

“Let go of me!” she screamed, her voice bouncing off the walls like a wild animal trapped in a cage. “Let go of me! Who are you?! What am I doing here?! Who are you?! Let go!”

Ace froze mid-step, his expression morphing into one of disbelief, as if someone had slapped him across the face.

“Uh… boss… she obviously knows who we are. What the hell?” he stammered, bewildered.

But Violet was deaf to their attempts at reassurance. The panic that engulfed her drowned out everything else, leaving her in a chaotic whirlwind of fear.

“Don’t touch me, don’t touch me, don’t touch me!” she cried out, jerking violently against Lucian’s grip. Her entire body shook with such intensity that the bed rattled beneath her.

Lucian’s jaw tightened, a flicker of pain crossing his features as he absorbed the terror radiating from her.

“Violet… stop. You’re hurting yourself. Hey… look at me,” he urged, his voice softening, desperate to reach her through the fog of her fear.

But she didn’t respond. She couldn’t.

Her breathing turned sharp and rapid, a dangerous rhythm that filled the air with tension.

Ace muttered a curse under his breath, stepping forward with a sense of urgency.

“Boss,” he murmured, concern lacing his voice, “she’s going to attract the whole damn building. Someone’s going to think we abducted her.”

Before Lucian could respond, Ace moved behind her, pressing two fingers to a pressure point beneath her jaw—

In an instant, Violet went limp, her body surrendering to the darkness.

Lucian exhaled sharply, a mix of annoyance and worry etching deeper lines into his brow as he gently laid her back against the bed, careful not to jostle her.

Lucian occupied the chair closest to her bed, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped tightly together in a display of barely contained tension. Ace leaned against the wall near the window, arms folded, his gaze flickering between Lucian and Violet as if tracking the unspoken tension that hung thick in the air.

Time dragged on, each minute stretching into eternity.

Every sound that escaped Violet in her slumber—a soft sigh, a restless shift—sent Lucian into a state of heightened alertness. Ace noticed, of course; he noticed everything. A smirk played on his lips each time, but he chose not to comment further.

Lucian, however, appeared oblivious to Ace’s silent observations.

Or perhaps he was simply pretending.

Finally, the moment arrived when Violet stirred awake again.

This time, when her eyes fluttered open, she didn’t bolt upright. Instead, she blinked slowly, bleary-eyed, as if she were surfacing from the depths of a murky ocean. Her fingers curled weakly against the crisp sheets, the reality of her surroundings slowly sinking in.

Ace straightened immediately, his voice low but urgent. “She’s awake.”

Lucian didn’t need the warning; he was already leaning forward, his breath caught in his chest, anticipation mingling with concern.

This time, both men maintained a respectful distance. The air felt delicate, as if one wrong move could shatter her fragile state once more.

Violet blinked again, turning her head slightly—

And then her gaze met Lucian’s.

In that fleeting moment, recognition flickered in her eyes.

It was soft. It was certain.