Page 77 of Ruthless Kings of Obsession

The silence that follows feels heavy enough to crush bones. Even Eva seems to grow more still in her sleep, as if some part of her consciousness recognizes the story being told.

"Save my parents," I continue, each word feeling like glass in my throat, "or save the girl who'd stood by me through everything. The one person who never gave up on me, even when I betrayed her again and again."

The bows crumple slightly in my clenched fist as the full weight of that moment comes rushing back – the heat, the smoke, the split-second decision that would haunt me forever.

"The choice that defines you," Matteo says softly, understanding in his voice. "The moment that shapes everything that comes after."

A single tear falls onto the crushed bows in my hand, and I realize I'm crying. Actually crying for the first time sincethat day, finally letting myself feel the full magnitude of what happened.

"I went after Eva," I admit, the words falling like stones into still water. "I thought... God, I actually thought I had enough time to save everyone. The fire had only spread to certain areas, and I knew the building's layout perfectly. Figured I could shut down specific halls, create barriers to control the spread."

The crushed bows in my hand feel like evidence of all my failures as I continue. "I knew exactly which room held my parents. All I had to do was find Eva first, make sure she wasn't trapped in the wrong sections. Then I could..." My voice catches. "Then I could save them all."

Rain continues its steady rhythm against the windows as I force myself to continue. "I found her in my main lab. And of course – of course – my selfless Pigtails wasn't trying to save herself. Wasn't even chasing after Domino anymore." A broken laugh escapes me. "She was gathering all my research notes. Years of work on cancer treatments, experimental protocols, everything I'd dedicated my life to understanding. She cared more about saving that than herself."

My head drops, the weight of memory too heavy to bear. "We made it out just before the whole building went up. But my parents..." The words stick in my throat. "The lab, the research, my parents – everything burned to ash. Everything."

Silence fills the hospital room, broken only by the steady beep of monitors and Eva's soft breathing. No one seems to know what to say in the face of such loss.

Finally, Matteo asks quietly, "Then why make her forget? The fire, your involvement – why erase all of that?"

I lift my head, meeting his gaze with a bitter smile. "Because Domino found out about my parents' debts. All those experimental treatments, the private medical care – it hadn'tcome cheap. There were loan sharks involved, people you don't want knowing your weaknesses."

"He threatened you," Zander observes from his bed, voice carrying dangerous understanding.

"Said he'd make sure those debts found me," I confirm. "Would destroy any chance I had of attending medical school, of continuing my research, of solving anything ever again." My laugh holds no humor. "I'd already lost my parents. The thought of losing my only chance to continue their work..."

"So you agreed to use your experimental drug on Eva," Ares concludes, his perfect features arranged in careful neutrality.

"The choice seemed simple at the time," I say softly. "Use what was left of the serum to make her forget me, forget everything about that night."

"Does the medicine use some specific hypnosis technique?" Ares asks, scientific curiosity evident in his tone. "To target certain memories?"

I shake my head. "It works on trauma. That first trial dose made her forget Domino because he was her current source of psychological damage. After the fire..." I glance at Eva's sleeping form. "It made sense to administer it when the trauma was fresh. She'd forget the immediate traumatic event and anyone closely associated with it – mainly me and my family."

"But she remembered pigtails," Zander observes, his hand still gentle in Eva's hair.

"Yeah," I look at her current hairstyle with a sad smile. "Guess she did."

"Could her memories be returning?" Matteo asks carefully. "Now that you're back in her life?"

"I'm not sure," I admit. "I used the last of the serum that night, so I couldn't measure proper dosage or long-term effects. And after that..." My hands clench around the bows again."Prescott pulled her out for homeschooling. I never saw her again until now."

"What about your empire?" Ares asks suddenly. "I had no idea your family was involved in the society."

The laugh that escapes me sounds hollow even to my own ears. "Domino took that too, in the end. Leighton bought everything for pennies after the fire. Left me parentless, empire-less – completely fucking useless."

"What?" Matteo sits forward, genuine shock crossing his features.

"Had to start from scratch," I explain, moving restlessly near the windows again. "Left town, rebuilt myself piece by piece. Only came back because of a full scholarship to Leighton University." My reflection shows a twisted smile. "Ironic, right? Leaving the place that destroyed you only to return to the people who took everything."

"Fuck me," Ren whistles low. "You either have a heart of gold or a serious concussion. No way in hell I could dine with the motherfucker who ruined my life like that."

"Maybe I just believe in karma," I say quietly, watching Eva curl closer to Zander in her sleep. "In vengeance served cold. In waiting for the perfect moment to reclaim what's mine." My smile grows sharper. "Maybe I'm just patient enough to wait for my own happy ending."

The room falls silent as they process everything I've revealed. Outside, the rain continues its steady pattern, marking time like tears against glass.

Everything I've lost, everything I've sacrificed – it all led to this moment.

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