Chapter 165 Mystery Woman

"Liam! Wake up!!"

The voice echoed like it was traveling through a long, empty tunnel. It was sharp, urgent—familiar.

"Liam, please... wake up!"

He coughed violently, blood spilling from his mouth and onto the cold floor beneath him. His chest burned like fire, his lungs screaming for breath. Slowly, painfully, his eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Vanessa. Her face hovered above him, panic and desperation etched into every inch of her expression. Her usually perfect blonde hair was messy, strands clinging to her face as if she had run through a storm to get to him.

His lips trembled. "L-Lana..." His voice was almost inaudible, dry, broken.

Vanessa leaned in closer. "What? What are you saying?"

"Lana... s-she’s... I locked her... inside," he rasped. "She’s in the last room. Safe..."

Vanessa understood immediately. Without wasting time, she gently lifted him, sliding his heavy, broken arm over her shoulders. The moment she supported his weight, she felt it. His body wasn’t just bruised—it was shattered. Bones poked out under his skin, and his breathing was ragged and shallow. She clenched her jaw. There was no time for emotion now.

"Just hang on," she whispered.

Liam said nothing. His eyes barely remained open. Each step was a battle, and the hallway blurred around him. Pain consumed every cell of his body. Still, he guided Vanessa with a shaky finger until they stood before the final door at the end of the corridor.

Vanessa stared at it. "This one?"

He nodded weakly.

There was a small hidden panel beside the door. Vanessa helped him lean in, and with a trembling hand, Liam pressed his palm against it. A blue scan swept over his hand. BEEP!

The door hissed and clicked open.

Lana had been standing just behind it, trying to pry it open with a metal pipe she found in the corner. She froze when the door swung wide. Her tear-streaked eyes widened in horror as she saw him.

"Liam!"

The pipe clanged to the floor as she rushed forward. She had prepared herself for the worst... but not this. Not the sight of his body hanging limp, blood soaking every inch of his clothes, his face barely recognizable beneath the bruises and swelling. Her hand flew to her mouth, choking back a scream.

Vanessa was strong, but Liam’s weight was slipping from her. Lana quickly moved to the other side, wrapping his arm over her own shoulder. Together, the two women held him up, his feet dragging.

"I’m sorry... I’m so sorry..." Lana sobbed. "This is my fault, I shouldn’t have stayed here—"

"He can’t hear you," Vanessa whispered. "He’s... barely conscious."

Liam’s eyes had gone blank, staring into nothingness.

His system blinked weakly inside him.

DING!

> [Critical Health!!!]

[Regeneration ×2 Activated]

But even with regeneration running at double speed, the injuries were far too severe. Internal bleeding. Cracked ribs. A broken arm. Dislocated shoulder. His face was a bloody mess. His skin was pale, sweat soaking his hair, his pulse dangerously faint.

He wasn’t healing fast enough.

"He needs a hospital," Vanessa said through her gritted teeth. "Lana, come on—we’ll take my car."

They half-ran, half-carried Liam outside, his feet dragging along the floor. His blood left a trail behind them, streaks across the hallway, smudges on the wall.

Outside, the night was silent and cold. The breeze hit their skin like a slap. They reached Vanessa’s car and were about to open the door when—

VROOOM!!!

A roaring V8 engine cut through the night as a sleek car pulled up sharply in front of them. The door slammed open.

Lilith stepped out.

She was radiant even in the night—dangerous and beautiful, with her golden-blonde hair tied back and eyes glowing with cold fury. But her elegance vanished the instant she saw Liam.

Her pupils shrank. Her expression shattered.

"What the hell happened here?!" she demanded, voice sharp with rage and fear.

Her heels clicked rapidly as she stormed over, eyes locked on Liam’s battered frame.

He hung lifelessly between Lana and Vanessa, blood soaking the front of his shirt, dripping down onto their clothes. One of his arms was bent unnaturally, his breathing shallow, barely audible. His lips were pale and trembling.

Lilith’s perfect face twisted, her usual calm and power burning away into pure fury and helplessness.

"Who did this to him?" she whispered—no, growled. Her hands clenched into fists, her voice trembling.

Vanessa stared at her, shaking her head slightly. "We don’t know yet. I couldn’t see his face before he escaped."

Lilith looked down at Liam’s broken body again.

She gently placed her fingers under his chin and tilted his head up. His eyes barely opened—just a sliver.

"Lilith..." he whispered, barely audible.

"I’m here, Liam," she said, brushing his bloody hair back. Her voice cracked for the first time in a long time. "I’ve got you."

The pain in her chest was unbearable. This wasn’t just some soldier or pawn. This was him. Her Liam.

And someone had tried to kill him.

Her eyes narrowed into burning slits. Whoever had done this was going to die screaming.

Lilith’s fingers hovered just beneath Liam’s jaw, feeling the faintest flutter of life. His body twitched once, weakly, like a dying flame clinging to its last flicker.

Then, her voice rang out—cold, firm, and absolute.

"No hospital."

The words cut through the tension like a blade.

Both Vanessa and Lana snapped their heads toward her, their faces painted with disbelief.

"What?!" Vanessa’s voice was sharp with frustration. "He’s dying!"

Lana’s brows furrowed, eyes wide. "Are you out of your mind? He needs emergency surgery—now!"

Lilith didn’t flinch. Her expression didn’t change. She stood still, like a statue carved from steel and fury.

"No hospital," she repeated. "They’ll kill him the moment he gets admitted."

The air went quiet. For a second, the only sounds were the whistling night breeze and Liam’s ragged, shallow breaths.

Then, from between his lips, a hoarse, broken whisper escaped.

"...Listen to her..."

The girls turned to him in shock.

His eyes weren’t even open anymore, but his voice had just enough weight to stop them from protesting. He sounded like every syllable hurt. Like breathing itself was a punishment.

Vanessa and Lana looked back at Lilith, uncertain and confused.

Lana took a wary step forward, eyeing the mysterious woman in black from head to toe. She was gorgeous, commanding—and a stranger. "Who... are you?" she asked, not with fear, but suspicion. "Why should we trust you?"

Lilith turned to meet her gaze, and for a second Lana felt like she was staring into the eyes of something inhuman.

Lilith didn’t blink. "I’m the one who’s going to save his life. That’s all you need to know right now."

Vanessa, holding up Liam’s weight on her shoulder, shot a glance between both women before speaking. "Fine. Where do we take him then?"

Lilith walked toward her car without missing a beat. "My house."

She turned the door open and glanced back at them.

"Liam comes with me."

Vanessa hesitated—but only for a breath. She looked down at Liam again, at the blood dripping from his fingertips, staining the ground below. He had asked them to trust her. And Vanessa knew what real fear looked like—Lilith wasn’t afraid of the situation. She understood it. That scared her more than anything.

"...Alright," Vanessa muttered, nodding.

They moved quickly, with Lilith opening the door. Carefully, gently, they laid Liam on the smooth leather interior. His body slumped into the seat, limp and motionless.

Lilith got into the driver’s seat, her eyes focused like a sniper.

Vanessa didn’t waste time either. She opened her own car door and slipped inside, motioning for Lana to do the same.

As they both buckled in, Lana turned to Vanessa. "Are we really doing this? Letting her take him? What if this is a mistake?"

Vanessa’s knuckles tightened around the wheel. "It’s not. He told us to trust her."

"But who is she—?"

"Someone powerful," Vanessa said under her breath, not looking at Lana. "You could feel it too, right?"

Lana didn’t answer. She could feel it too. That woman—Lilith—radiated something dark and dangerous.

Lana looked out the windshield at the car roaring ahead of them. Something told her Lilith didn’t want Liam to die. And right now, that was enough.

VROOOM!!!

Lilith’s engine came alive with a deep growl as she tore off into the night, tires screeching against the pavement. The back of her car gleamed beneath the streetlights, and within seconds, she was several car lengths ahead.

Vanessa fired up the police cruiser and followed close behind, her sirens off but her speed matching Lilith’s with practiced ease. The city lights blurred past them as they moved through the streets like shadows.

Lilith mind was racing.

How the hell did this happen? Who got through his defenses?

And if Liam died—

No.

He wouldn’t.

She wouldn’t let him.

****

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