The Moretti farmhouse was silent.
Too silent.
Even though the land stretched wide with green fields and a calm forest line in the distance, the air inside the house felt heavy and suffocating. It had been three days since the incident, three days since Kieran had ripped Rosa and her men apart with bullets, three days since he had carried Alena's broken body away from hell.
But here, in this silence, it felt like hell had followed them.
Kieran sat at the edge of the wide oak bed, his sharp brown eyes locked on the fragile figure lying still. Alena. Pale. Motionless. Her chest rose and fell faintly, the only sign that life hadn't abandoned her completely. Her body was hooked up to drips and monitors, the soft hum and occasional beep the only sound in the room.
She hadn't woken once since that day.
She was in a coma.
Kieran had arranged everything before bringing her here. Medical equipment, private doctors, everything she needed. He had spared no expense. But none of that stopped the words of the doctor from echoing in his mind like a curse.
"Her left thigh bone is fractured. There are multiple bruises inside her vagina. Her internal organs are damaged. And her vocal cords bruised badly, from screaming too long, too hard. We'll do everything we can, but it's not just the physical injuries, it's the shock… the trauma… she went through; it's uncertain if or when she'll regain consciousness."
His jaw had clenched so hard that day he thought his teeth might crack.
Now, as he sat watching her, the rage had dulled into guilt that was eating him alive.
He reached forward, placing his large palm gently over her frail hand. It was cold, unresponsive. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb as if willing warmth back into it.
"Wake up, Alena," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Why are you doing this to me? Look around you, you've been rescued. You're free, Alena. You finally have the freedom you always wanted."
His throat closed. His lips trembled. Tears stung his eyes until they spilled down his cheeks.
"You don't have to live in that filth anymore, Alena." His voice cracked, and he broke down, shoulders shaking. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm so fucking sorry for not protecting you when you needed me most. Sorry for not keeping my promise. Sorry for everything."
He lowered his head until his forehead pressed against her lifeless hand. His breath came out in shudders. "Punish me, hit me, curse me, kill me if you want. But don't stay silent like this. Don't leave me in this torture. Please, please respond. I won't be able to live with this guilt if something happens to you. Please… wake up, Alena… please."
As he was crying his heart out, the machine beside her suddenly started beeping wildly. Kieran's head snapped up, panic ripping through him. The numbers spiked, then dropped. Her pulse was fluctuating erratically.
"Doctor!" His voice thundered as he stumbled up, his body moving faster than his brain. He tore the door open and shouted into the hall, "Doctor!"
The lady doctor, who seemed in her 30s, rushed in, and two nurses followed her heels.
"What happened?" she asked, already moving to Alena's side.
Kieran's breath came heavy, uneven. "The machine. It started beeping. Her pulse, it's dropping—"
The doctor checked swiftly, her expression grim. "Her pulse rate's falling."
"No," Kieran's face went red, his chest pounding painfully. Aiden appeared at the doorway, eyes sharp with worry, but Kieran didn't even register him.
"Do something!" Kieran roared, his voice breaking as he watched the faint line falter. The nurses worked quickly. The doctor prepared the defibrillator.
"Clear!"
"3, 2, 1"
Alena's fragile body jerked from the shock. No response.
Again.
"3, 2, 1"
Kieran's heart felt like it was being ripped open. His knees went weak, but he refused to sit, refused to blink. He couldn't afford to blink.
On the third attempt, the machine steadied. Her pulse climbed back, her breathing shallow but consistent.
The doctor let out a breath of relief. "She's stable again."
Kieran exhaled sharply, finally realizing he'd been holding his breath until his chest hurt. He turned to the doctor, his eyes desperate. "Is there any improvement? When will she wake up?"
The doctor looked at him softly, pity laced in her professional calm. "It cannot be predicted, Mr. Moretti. It's not just her physical injuries. The mental shock she suffered… It's deep. We cannot say anything until it happens. All we can do is wait and pray. But don't worry, I'll try my best."
Kieran's shoulders dropped. He nodded slowly, then turned his gaze back to Alena's face, still, pale, too quiet. He brushed his thumb across her cheekbone, whispered one last time, "Please wake up…" before forcing himself to leave the room.
Two weeks later.
The farmhouse had become a prison of silence.
There was no improvement. No change. Alena lay still, day after day, as though trapped between life and death.
Kieran hadn't set foot in the Moretti mansion since the night he brought her here. He ate little, slept less. His men came to him with updates, but his attention always returned to the room upstairs. To her.
Even Aiden stayed at the farmhouse now, quietly handling things on the outside so his boss wouldn't break entirely.
Kieran's routine was simple. Ten times a day, sometimes more, he came to her bedside, sat at the edge of the bed, and talked. Sometimes apologies. Sometimes, desperate pleas. Sometimes, silence. Just staring at her face. And every time, he left broken.
This evening was no different.
He entered quietly, the golden dusk bleeding through the windows. Sitting on the corner of the bed, he took her cold hand in his again. His thumb brushed over her knuckles as he whispered, "How are you, Alena?"
Silence.
"You're really enjoying making me suffer, aren't you?" His lips curved bitterly, a dry chuckle escaping.
His voice softened. "You once told me you'd leave this city the moment you got freedom. Well, I gave it to you. But look at you. You're still here. Lying here for two weeks, not leaving. Don't you want to go?"
No response.
Kieran shook his head with a weak laugh. His tone turned teasing, as though trying to provoke her spirit back. "Don't tell me… you've fallen in love with me, and that's why you don't want to leave me now?"
And then, her fingers twitched.
Kieran froze. His eyes blinked rapidly, disbelief flooding him. "Alena?" He squeezed her hand, leaning close. "Are you listening to me?"
Her hand moved again, faint but undeniable.
Kieran's heart kicked against his ribs. He leaned in, his face close to hers. "Look at me. Open your eyes, Alena. Can you hear me?"
Slowly, painfully, her lashes fluttered. Her eyes blinked open, struggling to adjust to the dim light.
Kieran's smile spread instantly, wide and trembling. "You're awake… You're awake," he whispered. His voice cracked, tears gathering in his eyes. "Can you hear me? You're safe now. Look at me."
Her pupils shifted toward him, weak but aware, trying to process together where she was.
"You're at my place," Kieran said quickly, reassuringly. "You were rescued. You're safe now. Nobody is going to touch you ever again. You're a free bird, Alena."
Her lips parted, her voice hoarse, barely audible. "…Am I alive?"
Kieran's heart broke all over again at her question. His vision blurred with tears. He cupped her face gently. "Yes," he whispered, his voice breaking. "You're alive. You're free."
She blinked slowly, her eyes empty, lost.
He kissed her forehead, lingering. "Stay here. I'll call the doctor." He rushed out, shouting for the doctor, his voice echoing down the hallway.
The doctor came quickly with her nurses, checking Alena's pulse, her pupils, her breath. "How are you feeling, dear?" the doctor asked softly.
Alena barely responded, her eyes unfocused, lips dry.
"It's alright," the doctor soothed. "Don't stress yourself. Just rest." She noted down the readings, then gave a small smile. "You're out of danger now. You made it, Alena. I'm proud of you."
Kieran and Aiden stood nearby, watching her, relief on their faces just to see her blinking. Alive.
And then, so faint, it could have been the whisper of the wind. Alena spoke.
"Kill me already. I don't want to live."
Her words stabbed the air, colder than any silence before.