Chapter 65 — The Recovery
Morning light slowly entered the hospital room.
Soft.
Quiet.
Almost peaceful.
After the chaos of the previous night, the hospital floor had finally calmed.
Machines hummed gently beside the bed.
And on that bed lay Lyra.
Bandages wrapped around her shoulder and ribs where the bullet had been removed.
Nine hours of surgery had saved her life.
But recovery would take time.
A lot of time.
---
Lyra Wakes
Lyra's fingers moved first.
A small twitch.
Then another.
Her eyelids slowly opened.
The white hospital ceiling came into focus.
For a moment she looked confused.
Disoriented.
Then memory rushed back like a storm.
The cliff.
Kevin.
The gunshot.
The fall.
Her breathing quickened.
"Easy."
A calm voice spoke beside her.
Lyra turned her head slowly.
Alex was sitting beside her bed.
He looked like he hadn't slept for days.
Dark circles under his eyes.
His hand tightly holding hers.
The moment she looked at him…
His shoulders dropped in relief.
"You're awake."
His voice was quiet.
Almost fragile.
Lyra tried to speak.
Her throat was dry.
"Alex…"
The word barely came out.
Alex quickly poured water and helped her drink.
"Slow."
She took a small sip.
Then looked around the room.
The rest of the group was there.
Care.
Cole.
Joong.
Nova.
Ben.
JJ.
Keifer.
Percy.
Honey.
Rakhi.
Freya.
Endrix.
Aries.
Ella.
Cin.
Daisy.
And Ash.
Everyone had gathered the moment the monitors signaled she was awake.
Care stepped closer first.
Her voice gentle.
"You scared the hell out of us."
Lyra gave a weak smile.
"I noticed."
Nova folded her arms.
"You were lucky."
Ben nodded beside her.
"Very lucky."
Cin added quietly,
"If the bullet had been one centimeter deeper…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Lyra understood.
She looked down at the bandages.
Then back at everyone.
"You guys saved me."
Nova shrugged slightly.
"That's what surgeons do."
But everyone knew it wasn't just surgery.
It was family.
Alex gently squeezed her hand.
"You rest."
Lyra looked at him carefully.
"You look terrible."
Alex actually laughed a little.
"That's because you almost died."
Lyra's expression softened.
"I'm sorry."
Alex immediately shook his head.
"No."
His voice was firm.
"You don't apologize for surviving."
The room fell quiet.
Because everyone knew exactly who she had saved.
---
Ash
Across the hallway in another hospital room…
Ash sat on the edge of her bed.
Silent.
Her eyes swollen from crying.
Her hands shaking.
Kevin's face kept replaying in her mind.
Every memory.
Every moment.
Every promise.
Now it all felt like poison.
She whispered quietly to herself,
"How could I not see it…"
The door opened softly.
Care walked in.
Behind her came Daisy.
And Nova.
Ash wiped her eyes quickly.
"I'm fine."
Care didn't believe that for even a second.
She sat beside her.
"You don't have to pretend."
Ash's voice cracked.
"I loved him."
The words came out broken.
"I trusted him with everything."
Her shoulders began shaking again.
"And he used me to destroy everything."
Care pulled her into a hug.
Ash finally broke down completely.
Her cries filled the room.
Daisy placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You were manipulated."
Nova added quietly,
"That wasn't your fault."
Ash shook her head.
"It feels like it is."
Because the truth was…
Betrayal hurt worse than physical wounds.
---
Alex Returns
Later that morning the hospital doors opened again.
Alex and Joong walked in quickly.
They had just returned from Sydney.
The Lucas Company crisis had been stabilized.
The stolen shares were recovered.
The financial damage contained.
But Alex hadn't cared about any of that.
The moment the situation was stable…
He had taken the first flight back.
Now he stood outside Lyra's room.
Almost afraid to go inside.
Joong placed a hand on his shoulder.
"She's alive."
Alex nodded.
But his hands were still shaking.
Finally he opened the door.
Lyra looked up immediately.
And smiled.
That was all it took.
Alex walked straight to her and held her carefully.
"Don't ever scare me like that again."
Lyra whispered softly,
"I'll try."
Across the room Joong leaned against the wall with relief.
Care gave him a small nod.
The Lucas Company had survived.
But more importantly…
Lyra had survived.
---
Midnight
That night the hospital became quiet again.
Most of the group had finally gone back to the hotel to rest.
Only a few remained.
Cole.
Ben.
Nova.
Care.
And Ash.
Ash couldn't sleep.
She sat on a chair near the window staring outside.
London lights glowing in the distance.
Her mind was still trapped in the past.
Cole noticed.
He quietly walked over and sat beside her.
For a while neither spoke.
Then Ash whispered,
"I feel stupid."
Cole shook his head.
"No."
Ash's voice broke again.
"I loved someone who planned to destroy us."
Cole looked at her seriously.
"Loving someone isn't stupidity."
Ash wiped her tears.
"It still hurts."
Cole sighed softly.
"Yeah."
Ash looked at him.
"You knew."
Cole nodded slowly.
"I had a feeling something was wrong."
Ash looked down.
"I didn't listen."
Cole leaned back in the chair.
"You were in love."
Ash suddenly began crying again.
The emotions finally overwhelming her completely.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her body shaking.
"Everything feels empty…"
Her voice faded.
And suddenly—
Ash's body went limp.
She collapsed sideways.
But before she hit the floor—
Cole caught her.
"Ash!"
Ben rushed over immediately.
Nova checked her pulse.
"She fainted."
Care appeared beside them instantly.
"Stress and emotional shock."
Ben nodded.
"She'll wake up soon."
Cole gently placed her back on the bed.
His expression soft.
Almost protective.
Because to him…
Ash was like a little sister.
---
The Decision
Ash woke up an hour later.
The room was dim.
Care and Cole still sitting beside her.
She looked at them quietly.
Then took a deep breath.
"I'm done."
Care raised an eyebrow.
"With what?"
Ash's voice became calm.
"Letting Kevin control my life."
Cole crossed his arms.
"Good."
Ash looked straight ahead.
"I won't waste another tear on him."
Her eyes hardened slightly.
"I'm starting again."
Care smiled faintly.
"That's the Ash we know."
Ash nodded slowly.
"I'll focus on work."
"On building something better."
Cole smirked slightly.
"That's the spirit."
Ash leaned back against the pillow.
The pain was still there.
The betrayal still fresh.
But for the first time since the cliff…
She felt something different.
Strength.
Because sometimes the only way forward…
Was to rebuild yourself.
From the ruins.