Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 338

**Collapsed 338**

**Chapter 338**

**AUTHOR’S POV.**

The first sensation that pierced through Alina’s haze was the cacophony of voices.

There were so many of them, overlapping in a frantic symphony that felt both urgent and strangely familiar.

“Alina? Can you hear me?”

“Oh thank God, she’s awake—”

“Sweetheart, how do you feel?”

“Doctor, is this normal?”

Her eyelids felt as if they were weighed down by invisible anchors, yet she summoned every ounce of strength to pry them open. The ceiling loomed above her, stark white and unyielding—a sterile expanse that felt both alien and suffocating. Almost immediately, the sharp scent of antiseptic invaded her senses, unmistakable and jarring.

A hospital.

As Alina shifted slightly, a throbbing pain radiated through her head, and her eyes struggled to adjust to the light. Faces began to materialize, initially blurred and indistinct, then coming into painful clarity.

Luna was the closest, her eyes rimmed with red, mascara smudged as if she had been crying and scrubbing at her face repeatedly. Beside her stood Damien, his jaw clenched tight, worry etched deeply into his features. Darius occupied the foot of the bed, his posture rigid, arms crossed defiantly, as if he were holding himself together through sheer force of will.

And then there was Cassian.

He lingered slightly apart, leaning against the wall, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made her skin crawl.

The room buzzed with their overlapping voices, creating a whirlwind of concern.

“Alina, sweetheart, are you okay?”

“Do you know where you are?”

“You scared us half to death.”

“Can you hear me?”

“Are you in pain?”

Her head spun, the words colliding against her chest until breathing felt like a laborious task.

“Stop,” she managed to croak out, her voice weak, barely more than a whisper, but it was sufficient to hush the chaos.

The room fell into an uneasy silence, thick with tension.

Alina swallowed hard, her throat parched, and looked around again, this time more deliberately. Her eyes darted from face to face, urgency swelling within her.

“No,” she murmured, panic creeping into her voice. “No, no… where is he?”

Luna leaned in closer, her expression softening. “Who, baby? Who are you looking for?”

“Lucian. Where’s Lucian?” Alina’s voice trembled as she attempted to push herself up from the bed, desperation flickering across her features.

Cassian’s hand instinctively curled into a fist at his side, a small yet controlled movement that belied the sharp anger simmering just beneath the surface. How could she inquire about another man when she was supposed to be marrying him?

“What are you talking about?” Luna asked gently, though confusion had already infiltrated her tone. “Lucian isn’t here.”

Alina shook her head vehemently, her breathing quickening with each passing moment. “No. He is. I know he’s here. He brought me. He—” She tugged weakly at the sheets, trying to rise fully. “He was right here. I saw him. He brought me here.”

“Alina.” Darius stepped closer, his tone firm and unyielding. “Compose yourself.”

She met his gaze, frustration igniting within her. “I am composed! I know what I saw.”

“There is no Lucian here,” Darius insisted, his voice clipped and precise. “You’re confused.”

“I’m not confused!” she snapped, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. “He was the one who found me. He carried me. He—”

Luna placed a gentle hand on Alina’s arm, her touch soothing yet firm. “Sweetheart, please calm down. The doctor told us—” She hesitated, weighing her words carefully. “The man who brought you in was a good Samaritan.”

Alina stared at her, bewildered. “What?”

“The doctor said he was an elderly man,” Luna continued softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “An older bystander who saw you collapse and brought you to the hospital.”

Alina’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s not true.”

“It’s what we were told,” Luna replied, though uncertainty flickered across her features like a candle in the wind.

“No.” Alina shook her head more vigorously now, her heart racing. “No, no, no. I know what I saw. Lucian brought me here. He was there. I touched his face. I heard his voice.”

Darius exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. “This is enough.”

“It’s not enough!” Alina shot back, defiance lacing her words. “I’m not imagining this.”

His voice was smooth, almost too gentle, like a soft caress.

“Alina,” he said softly, stepping forward just enough to be seen. “Calm down, okay? This is for your own good.”

Her eyes snapped to him, fury igniting within.

The moment their gazes locked, something ugly twisted in her chest.

“Shut the fuck up,” she spat, her words laced with venom. “And stay out of my goddamn business.”

The room fell into a tense stillness, the air thick with unspoken words.

Cassian’s smile faltered for just a fraction of a second before he regained his composure, smoothing it back into place.

That brief distraction was all the doctor needed.

Alina felt the cold rush of the sedative enter her IV, a chill spreading through her veins.

“No—” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Her limbs grew heavy almost instantly, eyelids fluttering like the wings of a trapped butterfly.

“Don’t—” she slurred, her voice fading. “I’m not—”

Her body sagged back against the bed, and consciousness slipped away like sand through her fingers.

Darius exhaled slowly, turning to Cassian with a mixture of frustration and resignation. “I apologize for her behavior.”

Cassian smiled politely, though the warmth didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s understandable. She’s been through a lot.”

As the clock ticked on, Luna sank into the chair beside the bed, clutching Alina’s cold hands, tears sliding silently down her cheeks.

She was just grateful her daughter was alive.

The next time Alina opened her eyes, she found herself in her own bed at Evergreen Mansion.

Safe.

But empty.

And Lucian was gone.