Amanda
Bang!
The distant sound echoed, leaving stillness in its wake.
My eyes widened at the scene;
The bloody stranger, the speeding car just a few meters away, and my racing heart, all a reminder of how fragile life really was.
My mind spun with countless thoughts, rushing in all at once as my arms tightened on the steering wheel.
I should just drive away, pretend I saw nothing. But my body didn't listen.
Not when my feet betrayed me, my arms fumbled on the car door, and in the next moment, I was already at the hospital waiting for news.
Any news, just not bad news.
My hopes flared as my eyes narrowed on the hollow, eerie passageway leading to the ER ward.
My heart pounded with desperation, the way one would for a loved one, or any close relative, struggling to pull through that fragile string between life and death.
Every second tucked itself with dread of the unknown. My eyes drifted back to the lobby as I rested my back against the well-crafted pillar.
"Please stay with me."
"Don't give up yet."
I imagined my eyes locking into those unfamiliar sets of eyes, holding so much hope for him as he fought through.
Those words I would least expect from anyone, at least not my kind.
Not when I was termed the traitorous, wolfless, and worthless daughter.
What do I say?
My life was worse, and more.
The impromptu crack of the door jolted me, and I hurried over.
The doctor appeared, his gaze unreadable, a warning signal I refused to acknowledge.
"Doctor…" My voice cracked as I stared at him.
He shook his head, his hands dipping into the blue overall with faint bloodstains from the stranger.
"I'm sorry," he said, turning to take a file from a nurse.
My stomach dropped. Hope drained away, replaced by dread. Every ounce of courage I had shattered.
He finally looked at me.
"From the report… I'm afraid…" He paused, still shaking his head.
My chest tightened.
Why did it hurt so much when I barely even knew this man?
"Any relation to the patient?" he suddenly threw the question that knocked me off balance.
My knees buckled, but I summoned courage.
"Not really, but I brought him," my voice wavered.
"Oh, really."
He raised his brows, his eyes looming behind me.
The heavy sound of feet clicking against the tiled floor made me turn.
My veins stiffened as my eyes met those of a tall, unfamiliar figure approaching, followed by two men, one dressed in the livery of a guard.
His neatly black hair rested slightly over his forehead, every strand refusing to leave its place. His features and presence screamed Alpha even without a declaration.
That wasn't what glued my eyes to his like a statue, but something else, something too real to acknowledge.
They were twins.
The stranger I had just saved bore the same striking resemblance to him, except for a slight difference in the way their hair was neatly arranged.
"How is he?"
His sharp voice cut through my thoughts, and I sniffed, releasing the breath I never knew I was holding.
"He's just hanging on, but there's an issue," the doctor reported after a slight bow.
The faint scent of camellia hitting my nostrils sent a shocking signal through me. An awareness that they had just moved past me like I never existed.
Not even a turn in my direction. Not even a simple thank you. Or was that why I was worried?
Standing there, wrestling with my thoughts, whether to go after them, slide back to the pillar, or better still, return to my car.
That was the better comfort, away from the worries.
My eyes drifted back to the narrow hallway, the emptiness enveloping me, cradling my spine as the doctor's report all glared toward something bad.
Perhaps bad news.
An empty sigh left my lips as I stumbled back to the driveway where my Benz was parked.
Sliding into the seat, my head rested on the steering wheel as my thoughts wandered to hours ago.
The heated conversation with Keira, Dad's one-sided judgment, the silent drive to cool my head, at least for the longest time I could buy myself out of the walls of that building that bore so much pain and agony.
The same building that had encrypted a hollow in my heart. That which would never change, no matter how hard I tried to please everyone.
I was never the cherished daughter. Keira had always been, and would always be. I was just a spare to hold onto during the long years of waiting until they finally got theirs.
I sniffed, blinking down tears I never knew had gathered.
The thoughts of the stranger stole the moment from my agony.
Down that empty street, I had watched as a car knocked down an individual by the roadside.
Whoever it was should have stopped to help, but he never did, and my heart, it never could just let me drive past without offering a helping hand, at least to the dying stranger.
The dripping of his blood never left my subconscious, a quick reminder that we only had one life to live.
I sucked in air, assuring myself that no matter what, I wasn't going to let my family break me. I was going to fight for what's mine. What had always been mine to keep, Neto.
My high school crush and boyfriend.
The loud clapping of thunder stole the moment from my thoughts as I turned on the engine of the car.
But as I drove out of the hospital compound, my heart betrayed me once more. My thoughts lingered on what issue the doctor might have meant.
Just maybe I should wait to see how he was doing. Maybe I should just walk back in and hear it myself.
But no—instead, I drove off.
Not when the unknown Alpha, whose brother I had saved, never acknowledged my presence, even when he found the doctor with me.
But wait, what was an Alpha doing all alone on the street with no guards, no car, just casual joggers and a white polo that clung to his frame even as he lay unconscious?
The silver-colored gate appearing in the distance reminded me I was back home. Back to the place it all began. Back to the misery I was trying to run away from.
Just for a second, I thought the world would give us chances to choose. I would have had a better option other than being the adoptive daughter of the Moores.
A title, without a promise.
I gulped, driving into the compound, but paused as I caught sight of the scene before me.
There they were, my dad, mum, and Keira at the side of the door. Two strangers stood opposite them in conversation but halted when they noticed my presence.
Eyes turned in my direction.
The familiarity struck me like a thunderstorm. He was the one, same as with the unknown Alpha from the hospital moments ago.
How did he get here, and what was he looking for?
Or perhaps they had come to appreciate my kind gesture to save one of theirs?
If so, I was far from acknowledging their presence as well.
I hissed, stepping forward, ignoring the cold stare from the people I called family. Just as I turned the handle of the door, a hand clutched mine.
Stunned, I turned, meeting the grimaced look of the other stranger dressed as a guard.
"I'm sorry, but you have to come with us," he announced.
Before I could hold onto the meaning of his words, my knees buckled as I was dragged along like a common criminal…