We were Born to Die

Chapter 18

I stayed there with Min-Woo, my heart weighed down with guilt as heavy as a stone. His once vibrant presence now reduced to a mere shell, breathing but barely alive. Every hour felt like an eternity, each breath he took a reminder of my folly. It was my fault that he lay there, bearing the scars of his sacrifice to save me. Tears flowed freely from my eyes, tracing rivers down my cheeks, as I sat beside him, my hand clasped in his.

The room was dim, the only sound the rhythmic beeping of the machines monitoring his fragile state. My head rested on the edge of his bed, exhaustion pulling at my bones like an anchor. I was lost in a sea of regret, drowning in the knowledge that I was the reason for his suffering.

A soft touch brushed against my head, so gentle that it was almost imperceptible. I blinked, the effort feeling like shards of glass scraping against my eyelids. But when I opened my eyes, the pain was momentarily forgotten as I beheld Min-Woo looking back at me. My vision blurred with tears, but his presence was a beacon in the darkness. Without hesitation, I threw myself into his embrace, the floodgates of my emotions bursting open. His hand moved in a soothing caress, comforting me in my despair.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault," I choked out between sobs, the words a mantra of my remorse. But Min-Woo silenced me with a gentle shush, his eyes filled with understanding and forgiveness.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Ryder and Zane rushed in, their faces a mix of relief and worry. Ryder stumbled to his knees, overcome with emotion, while Zane steadied him with a supportive hand. I tore my gaze away from Min-Woo, my heart wrenching at the sight of their concern. But Min-Woo held onto my hand, anchoring me to him as if afraid to let me go.

The room swelled with chatter and laughter as more people trickled in, but my attention remained fixed, stubbornly anchored on Enrico. Salvatore was absent, off on one of his mysterious business ventures, leaving Daniella, Enrico, and the rest of us to fill the space with our presence. Enrico's words echoed in my mind, haunting me with their indifference. His gaze, those piercing green eyes, held no emotion, and yet, to me, they spoke volumes.

The doctor had assured us he would be fine, but the healing process would demand time and rest. Suddenly, Min-Woo's voice shattered the casual conversation. "So, who's going to take my place?" His question hung in the air, unexpected but pressing. I felt a twinge of curiosity mingling with the apprehension gnawing at my gut.

Daniella's response hit me like a blow to the chest. "I can't handle the mojo action, so it better be Enrico," she declared casually, her words slicing through the room, stealing the air from my lungs.

I couldn't. The mere thought of teaming up with Enrico, the one person I harbored such intense animosity towards, sent a shiver down my spine. "I'm not in for that," I blurted out, my voice wavering slightly as all eyes turned to me, their gazes heavy with expectation and scrutiny.

Enrico's response was swift, his tone laced with an edge of hostility that sent a chill down my spine. "It's not your choice to make," he retorted, his eyes flashing with a fire of disdain that burned into my soul, laying bare the depths of his loathing for me.

I stood my ground, facing Enrico with a fire burning in my eyes. "I do have," I insisted, drawing closer until our noses nearly touched. My heart raced as I locked gazes with him, refusing to back down. "Zane can be my new partner," I declared, casting a glance at Zane, whose sudden pallor betrayed his unease.

But Enrico shattered my hopes with his next words, revealing yet another secret. "Zane can't fight hand to hand or even hold a gun," he divulged, his voice matter-of-fact, as if he were merely stating the weather. "And you are stuck with me," he added, his demeanor shifting to one of boredom.

A retort formed on my lips, but I faltered, unable to conjure up a valid excuse. "I won't," I protested weakly, my resolve waning in the face of Enrico's dominance. "I can handle missions alone," I asserted, though the words sounded feeble even to my own ears.

Enrico loomed over me, his presence commanding and intimidating. "Oh, you don't," he countered, his voice low and dangerous. "You are stuck here with me, Cara Mia," he whispered into my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine as he pushed me away.

Anger surged within me, fueled by defiance and resentment. "I'm no f*****g Cara Mia," I spat out, my words dripping with venom. "And as I've told you before," I continued, meeting his gaze head-on, "you may own their lives, but you don't own mine."

Something flickered in Enrico's emerald eyes, a fleeting moment of vulnerability that I almost missed. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a cold, unyielding mask. With a sharp turn, he pivoted on his heels and left the room, leaving me to grapple with the aftermath of my outburst. As the weight of my words settled upon me, I turned to face the others, a pang of guilt gnawing at my insides. Their hurt expressions mirrored my own inner turmoil, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had let them down.

I dashed out of the room, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum echoing in the silence of the hallway. Each step down the stairs felt like a sprint towards safety, away from the tension that suffocated the air in the room I had just left. But before I could reach the bottom, before I could breathe the relief I desperately sought, I was halted by an unexpected force.

Strong hands, like steel traps, ensnared my throat, pulling me back with a force that sent shockwaves through my body. My back collided with the cold, unforgiving wall, the impact jolting me, but my gaze remained locked on those haunting green eyes - Enrico's eyes.

They were like mirrors reflecting the darkness within, the same darkness that lurked in the depths of his soul, the darkness that had stolen away our happiness, leaving only shadows in its wake.

"Don't you ever f*****g say that again in front of them," his voice growled in my ear, a menacing undertone that sent shivers down my spine. His breath, warm and intoxicating, brushed against my lips, sending a wave of conflicting emotions crashing over me.

I tried to protest, to speak, but his grip tightened around my neck, cutting off any sound that dared to escape my lips. His words sliced through the air like a knife, each syllable laden with a threat that left me trembling in his grasp.

"When will you learn to keep that pretty mouth shut?" he sneered, his fingers constricting around my throat, squeezing the air from my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath.

In that moment, he was a devil incarnate, his presence commanding and terrifying, leaving no room for defiance or escape. There was no other explanation for the darkness that consumed him, the darkness that threatened to consume us all. And then, as swiftly as he had appeared, he was gone, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and the echo of his words ringing in my ears. "Don't forget about our next mission," he called out.