When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 282

Nelly shoved Brody away, her hands shaking. He finally lost his strength and stumbled, crashing into the wall behind him.

"Brody!" Sheila darted over, pushing past Nelly, her voice trembling. "You're bleeding... Your wound's open again!"

Nelly glanced over and saw blood quickly soaking through Brody's shirt, turning it a deep, angry red.

"I'm fine..." Brody tried to get up, but he was unsteady. He tried to push Sheila away, but this time she clung to his arm and refused to let go.

Nelly stayed calm, almost cold, as she told a nearby bodyguard to get the doctor.

"Brody, let's just go back to your room, okay? We can talk when you're feeling better..." Sheila pleaded, desperation in her voice.

But Brody only stared at Nelly, his eyes fixed on her, stubborn and intense, like he was waiting for something from her.

Nelly didn’t waver. She stared at him with the same steady, unfeeling gaze, completely unmoved by how weak he looked.

Sheila hesitated, clearly torn, but finally turned to Nelly, softening her tone for Brody’s sake. "Ms. Stewart, please... Can you talk to him? Don't argue with him right now. He needs you."

"I heard he got hurt because of you, isn't that true?"

The truth was, hardly anyone knew how Brody had gotten injured. Sheila and Tina had tried grilling Alan, but all they learned was that Brody had gone to the Capital with Nelly, and came back hurt. It was a gunshot wound. If anyone started digging, Nelly would probably be dragged into the police station for questioning, too. So from the moment Brody woke up, he refused to let anyone investigate, clearly trying to protect her.

"Nelly."

Brody stopped her again. He brushed Sheila aside and took a heavy step toward Nelly, pressing one hand hard against the bleeding wound on his chest. His knuckles were white, but he forced himself to stand tall, refusing to let her see even a hint of weakness.

"I don't care what Tina says. This is about us. No one else gets to decide."

He stepped closer, voice dropping to a low, rough whisper. "Everything I said to you in the underground city, I meant it. I’ve already died once. I don’t want to fight with you anymore."

Nelly's lashes trembled. She forced herself to look straight at his blood-soaked shirt, determined not to show any emotion at all. But in her mind, the image kept playing of him back in the underground city, throwing himself between her and danger without a single moment’s hesitation.