Paramedics rushed in and lifted Andy, who was still coughing up blood, onto a stretcher. A police officer shouted up the stairs, "To the person upstairs—listen up! Surrender now, and you might receive a lighter sentence!"
There was a brief silence from above, then a rough voice called out, "He fell on his own! It had nothing to do with me!"
The truth was, Andy had been trying to kill Lila. In their struggle, he slipped and fell. The man hadn't planned on taking someone's life—he only wanted the money. When the officers reached him, he didn't resist.
But when Kieran's eyes fell on Lila, who was collapsed on the ground, blood seeping from the back of her head, his usual calm expression turned dark and menacing.
…
When Lila came to, it was already 9:00 pm. The moment she stirred, a splitting pain at the back of her head hit her hard.
Andy hadn't held back—he had swung to kill.
The dizziness and nausea made her stomach churn, and the slightest movement sent waves of pain through her abdomen.
When she heard faint voices outside the room, she called out, "Kieran..."
Her voice was weak, dry, and hoarse, but the voices outside halted instantly. A second later, the door swung open. Kieran strode in, his eyes dark with worry, anger still simmering beneath his concern. "Lila."
"What's all the commotion outside?" Lila pressed her fingers to her temples, hoping to ease the throbbing ache.
Kieran gently helped her sit up. "Andy's mother is here."
Lila's expression tensed. she took a moment to steady her breathing before saying, "Don't listen to them. I just want to hold them legally accountable. Kidnapping, extortion, attempted murder—Andy's guilty of all of it.
"Has Andy still not come to? What happened exactly?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: too late for a second chance novel (Lila and Dorian)