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.

growled, nudging the man's head with the

name, and you'll face

you can walk free and live a

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

"But...

promised another after the job! We

the assassin

tossed it to Axel after

to

find a way to unlock this phone." Sean nodded

"Thank you, Mr.

was escorted away, the silence returning to the ward as if the commotion had

they had helped Alyssa out, a sense of unease lingered in Axel's gut as an oppressive premonition weighed heavily on

making his

constricting as

was a text

a gut

vision blurred, and he nearly

She wrote, "Goodbye, Axel.

I'm leaving Solana City.

try to

if you hear news about me or you manage to find out where I am, I won't see you." A wrenching pain tore

he typed

you, Amber? Tell me." A long

there was

He wasn't satisfied.

unshed tears, Axel bombarded

was as if he had

am? Can you avoid seeing me just because you don't want

you love me?

its words acold and sharp knife that

don't think

just a ray of light that happened to appear in

me what the light

gave me a feeling that I've never

will never disappear,

feel anything for you

is all that I'm able

love me, don't approach me