Can’t Win Me Back

The hospital corridor was eerily silent in the dead of the night.

The lone nurse on duty drowsed at the nurses' station, oblivious to the flashing red light from the malfunctioning surveillance camera down the hall.

A figure clad in a white doctor's robe and mask darted past the station, his movements purposeful.

He carefully scanned his surroundings before pushing open the door to Natalie's ward and slipping inside.

The patient lay curled up in bed, seemingly fast asleep.

The intruder crept closer, a glint of steel catching the dim light as he drew a dagger from his sleeve.

He raised the weapon high and stabbed the person on the bed.

All of a sudden, his vision went dark.

Unexpectedly, the person on the bed leaped up and threw the blanket over his head! Panic surged through the assassin.

He flailed wildly with the dagger, ripping the blanket free.

But before he could react further, the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against his forehead froze him in place.

"Don't move.

Not unless you want your head to be blown off." Under the dim light, Axel's eyes glinted with a dangerous glint.

A cynical smile played on his lips, sending shivers down the assassin's spine.

The ward door burst open, revealing Sean and Xavier leading a team of men who quickly surrounded the intruder.

"Are you alright, Mr.

Axel?" Sean inquired, his voice laced with concern.

Axel clicked his tongue.

"I didn't even attack him.

All it took was a blanket to take this fool down." With a practiced ease, Axel disarmed the assassin.

He sneered.

"Sir, you can barely fight, yet you're trying to be an assassin? Try harder next time.” The assassin's face was drained of color.

His knees buckled, and he crumpled to the floor in a heap.

nudging the man's head with

hired you? Reveal his name, and you'll

prison, you can walk free

can't guarantee that you'll be able to walk out of this ward with all your limbs intact otherwise."

over the phone! I've never met him in person!" the man stammered, sweat drenching

"But...

have his number and our message history! He wired a million to my account two days ago and promised another

assassin

tossed it to Axel after

to

to unlock this phone." Sean nodded firmly in

"Thank you, Mr.

returning to the ward as if the

helped Alyssa out, a sense of unease lingered in Axel's gut

his phone vibrated, making

as he read the words

was a text

were a gut punch, sharp

so much that his vision blurred, and he nearly lost

She wrote, "Goodbye, Axel.

I'm leaving Solana City.

try to find

find out where I am, I won't

fingers trembled as he typed

Amber? Tell me." A long time

there was no

He wasn't satisfied.

stinging with unshed tears, Axel

as if he had

you avoid seeing me just because you don't want to? Do you think you can control me?" "You're the only one I want in my life, Amber!"

love me?

back almost immediately, its words acold and sharp knife that sliced through his heart and made it

replied, "I don't think that's

ray of light that happened to appear in my world

me what the light

feeling that

disappear, but

anything for you

is all that I'm able to

love me, don't approach me