Chapter 210

Simon's face went pale, and he yelled, "It's gunfire! Get down!"

Everyone on our side hit the ground instantly, and Royce pushed me down too.

Brandon, scared out of his mind, dropped like a rock.

But I kept my eyes on Aria, who was right in the line of fire.

"No! Aria!"

She was completely exposed, in serious danger.

I wanted to get up, to take that bullet for her, but I couldn't move.

More shots rang out, all aimed at the two people at the cave entrance.

I saw Shirley turn and wrap herself around Aria, shielding her.

A split second later, a bullet zipped through the air and hit Shirley.

She shuddered, swayed, and then collapsed.

It felt like forever before we dared to lift our heads.

Simon scanned the area and said, "Shooter's gone. We can get up."

I rushed forward, pulling Shirley's body aside.

She was already starting to stiffen. When I moved her, I found Aria in her arms.

Aria looked terrified, not crying, just staring wide-eyed.

A bullet had gone through Shirley's back and was stopped by her hand before it could reach Aria.

Shirley had saved her.

I bent down and picked Aria up. Simon's team was already searching for the shooter.

Savannah stood by me, keeping watch. It felt safer now.

Aria finally started crying when she recognized my scent.

I looked down at Shirley's lifeless body, feeling a mix of emotions.

I should thank her for saving my child, but if it weren't for her, Aria wouldn't have been in danger in the first place.

I only glanced at her twice before walking away with Aria.

Someone like her wasn't worth my time.

Royce stepped forward and took Aria from my arms. "I'll take her," he said.

I nodded and followed him.

Brandon finally got up, looking around nervously before coming over.

"How's the kid?" he asked.

I just stared at him, not saying a word.

Realizing he wasn't welcome, Brandon awkwardly walked away.

We got on a bus that took us to the police station to give our statements.

There was still a gunman on the loose, after all.

After finishing up at the station, we headed back to the hotel.

I put Aria to bed and watched her sleep for a long time.

I couldn't believe I had her back. It felt like a dream.

If I woke up and she wasn't there, I would lose it.

I lifted the blanket to touch her little feet and pinch her cheeks.

Only after confirming she was really there did I finally relax.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

I opened it to find Royce standing there. "How's the kid?" he asked.

"She probably hasn't had a decent meal in days. I got some food for her. Can you feed her?"

I glanced at the food in his hands, about to thank him, but everything went black, and my legs gave out.

The last thing I saw was Royce's terrified face and his hands reaching out to catch me.

When I came to, I was in a hospital bed.

I instinctively reached for the side of the bed, but Aria wasn't there. Panic set in. "Where's Aria? Where's Aria?"

Royce, who had been dozing off by my bed, woke up immediately and grabbed my hand. "Aria's still at the hotel. You fainted, so I brought you here."

His deep, gentle voice calmed my fears.

I looked at him, "What's wrong with me?"

"You were really stressed and haven't been eating well. You had low blood sugar and fainted."

"They gave you some glucose. You're recovering now, but you need to eat regularly from now on."

I nodded, "Can I go back to the hotel? I need to see my child."

Royce nodded and held my hand, "I know you're worried. We'll go back as soon as you finish this IV."

I nodded and sank into the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Royce gently pinched my earlobe, the warm touch bringing me back to reality.

He asked, "Want an apple?"

I shook my head.

But he insisted, putting the apple in my hand, "Remember what I said? You have low blood sugar. Eat this for some vitamin C and sugar."

I didn't move, but he calmly said, "Do you want me to feed you?"

"Not with your hands."

Not with his hands?

My gaze moved from Royce's tired face to his slightly blood-stained lips.

He seemed to notice my gaze, his lips curling slightly, as if giving me a hint.

I quickly took the apple from his hand and started eating.

As I ate, I suddenly realized something, "Did they find the shooter?"

Royce shook his head, "No, we think it was someone sent by Renee."

"That person was ruthless, aiming to kill."

"We only found some footprints and a few shell casings at the scene."

"They're doing ballistic analysis on the casings and the bullet from Shirley's body to see if they can identify the gun."

I nodded.

Thinking about what had happened in the woods, my body couldn't stop trembling.

If the shooter had been more accurate, they might have hit my child. The peace I had now wouldn't exist, leaving me with endless nightmares.

I was sure I would never be happy again.

All my happiness would vanish with my child's departure.

But fortunately, there were no "ifs." We succeeded in saving the child.

And it happened within the seven days Royce had mentioned.

I couldn't help but look up at him and quietly said, "Thank you."

His eyebrows moved slightly, and he just looked at me, "No need to thank me."

I tugged at the blanket, knowing what Royce wanted to say, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

After this experience, my standards had started to waver.

Would I really be this stubborn for the rest of my life?

Knowing that Royce and I liked each other, yet still torturing ourselves.