The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 683

It hurt. A piercing agony that stole my breath and made my heart stutter to a halt.

It turned out I hadn't unlocked the entire memory earlier. Now, every horrific detail materialized with crystal clarity.

I was so young then. I remembered my mother holding me tightly. My father sat across from us, a gun pressed right against his nose, as a man bellowed, "Dr. Hayes, this is your last chance. Are you going to sign or not? Look closely. Your life and your family's lives all depend on your next decision."

"I've said this countless times. I won't sign," my father replied. Even in that deadly moment, his face remained composed, his tone calm. "I have a responsibility to thousands of patients and to the public. I will absolutely not sign this, even if it kills me."

"You can die, fine, but are you really going to watch your wife and daughter go down with you?" The man shifted the gun instantly, aiming it straight at my mother and me.

That was the first and only time I had ever stared down the barrel of a gun. A real weapon was nothing like a toy. Even though I was just a child who didn't fully comprehend its deadly power, the terrifying black muzzle sent chills down my spine. I instinctively buried my face in my mother's embrace, unable to even cry, my small body trembling violently.

Yet, I heard my mother's gentle but resolute voice. "My husband and I are one. I will follow his lead to the very end. You don't need to abandon your principles for us."

My father's voice chimed in right after. "Selena, are you scared?"

He was asking me.

How could I not be terrified?

But for some inexplicable reason, under the tender gazes of my parents, I lifted my head. My fingers were gripping my mother's dress so hard I nearly tore the fabric, yet I shook my head vigorously, trembling all over.

No matter how paralyzed with fear I was, I had to be brave for them. I believed in my father. I believed he was making the right choice, the most important choice.