The man crouched beside her, fingers pressing against her neck.
A low curse slipped from his lips. "Still alive''.
His jaw tightened. His hand hovered just for a second over her throat. It would be easy. One squeeze, and it would all be over. Or maybe dump her body where no one would ever find it.
But then,
The low roar of an engine.
His head snapped up.
A sleek black Bentley rounded the corner, speeding toward them.
"Shit," he muttered through gritted teeth. No time.
He bolted upright, ran to his car, slammed the door, and peeled off into the distance.
The Bentley came to a smooth stop beside her broken body.
Two tall men stepped out.
Their eyes followed the car speeding off in the distance.
"No plates," one muttered, jaw tight. "Clean hit."
The other man said nothing. His teeth snapped together in a hard, audible grit, rage tightening every line of his face.
Without wasting a second, he rushed over and knelt beside her, fingers moving expertly to her neck.
"Is she…?" the other asked.
"She's still breathing. We're taking her to the hospital. Now."
Just as he spoke, he froze. A thin trail of tears slipped from the corners of Videl's eyes.
He stared, stunned. "Videl…? Hang in there. You will be alright."
More tears rolled down her cheeks. She had been motionless, but she wasn't unconscious. She had heard every word the man earlier had said. Her chest ached.
She had given up on Eric and the Walkers, but it seemed they weren't satisfied. They wanted her dead too.
In her mind, she cried out silently.
'Diana… give me a second chance. I swear by you, I will make them pay.'
Her body grew still as darkness claimed her.
...
The steady beep of machines echoed faintly in the background.
Videl stirred, her eyelids heavy as she slowly opened them. The harsh scent of antiseptic filled her nose. Every inch of her body ached, but the pain only confirmed one thing.
She was still alive.
Bright white lights blurred her vision until her eyes adjusted. A hospital room.
She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her side made her wince. The memories came crashing in, flashes of the car, the voice cold and cruel.
Make sure she doesn't survive.
Her jaw clenched. Those bastards!
"You're awake," a calm voice said.
She turned her head slowly.
A doctor stood at her bedside, holding a chart. But it wasn't him her gaze lingered on.
It was the man beside him.
Those beautiful amber eyes met hers.
Dawn Dixon.
CEO of Dixon Enterprises Inc, one of the most powerful companies in South Town.
And… the man she had unknowingly given herself to the night she was drugged.
Heat rushed to her cheeks. She quickly looked away, flustered.
The doctor spoke again, his voice steady. "You're very lucky, Miss Fredericks. You were moments away from death. If Mr. Dixon hadn't gotten you here when he did…" He shook his head. "You wouldn't have made it."
Videl's hands trembled slightly against the bedsheet. She swallowed hard.
Her eyes returned to Dawn. She remembered his voice in the chaos. The warmth in it. The calm.
He had saved her. Again.
"Thank you, Mr. Dixon," she said softly. "You saved me. Twice."
Dawn's brow lifted slightly. "Twice?"
She glanced away again. Of course he knew what she meant. And what he thought she meant.
It wasn't that simple.
The first time was that night. The night she had been drugged and nearly taken by strangers. Dawn had stepped in just in time. He had tried to take her to the hospital, but by then the drug had taken full control. Her mind was hazy. Her actions weren't her own. She had begged him. Clung to him.
Even though what happened after hadn't been planned, he had still saved her.
Her eyes softened as they met his again.
"Even if we… even if that happened, you still saved me."
She hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper.
"So… how do I repay you?"
Dawn didn't answer right away. His eyes lingered on her, unreadable. Beside them, the doctor seemed to sense the shift in the air and quietly slipped out of the room, leaving the two alone in a silence that felt heavier than words.
Finally, his deep voice broke through.
"You want to repay me?"
Videl nodded slowly. "I don't want to owe you anything. So tell me, Mr. Dixon… how do I repay you?"
Dawn tilted his head, a small flicker of amusement or was it something darker?crossing his face.
"Can I ask you for anything, as repayment?"
His tone was casual, but Videl's breath caught.
She didn't know why, but something about the way he asked made her chest tighten. Like the question wasn't as simple as it sounded. Like whatever he was about to ask would change everything.
But then again… she owed him her life.
If it wasn't for Dawn, she wouldn't be alive right now.
Her fingers curled into the blanket as she met his gaze.
"Yes," she said, her voice steady. "Anything… as long as it's within my power, I'll do it."
Dawn took a slow step forward. Then another.
He didn't stop until he was right in front of her, the space between them shrinking until it felt like the air itself had shifted.
He leaned slightly, placing one hand on the bed, just beside her. His other hand followed, caging her in not forcefully, but enough to make her breath hitch.
His eyes never left hers.
They were sharp. Intense. Serious.
But beneath that cool, unreadable surface… there was something else.
Something that made her heart pound wildly against her chest.
"I want you, Videl Fredericks," he said, voice low and deliberate.
Her eyes snapped wide in disbelief, lips parting in shock.
But Dawn wasn't finished.
"Be my woman."