CHAPTER 301: CHAPTER 301: DOES IT HURT?

"..."

Under the earnest gaze of Tanya Sinclair, Dr. Thorne finally nodded slowly.

Tanya felt as if all the blood in her body had solidified. She closed her eyes, released her grip on the car door, and forced herself to remain calm as she thanked Dr. Thorne.

"I understand. Thank you, Dr. Thorne."

Tanya didn’t know how she got into the car; she numbly fastened her seatbelt.

She had doubted the reason for her awakening but found no answer.

In the end, she could only explain it as a medical miracle, as there have been one or two inexplicable precedents.

Turns out it wasn’t heaven’s pity for her, but Declan Pierce.

From start to finish, it was Declan Pierce who kept saving and protecting her!

’Tanya darling, you know nothing about me.’

In her ears, the man’s serene voice seemed to resurface.

He gave her everything yet asked for nothing in return.

He didn’t even want her to know...

Tanya rested her head on the steering wheel, suddenly overwhelmed with a heartache so intense.

Phoenix Court, bedroom.

The room was dark, with curtains tightly drawn, leaving only a crack in the glass door leading to the terrace, through which a shaft of moonlight streamed in.

It became the room’s sole light source.

Declan Pierce lay on the bed, watching that single ray of light, numerous specks of dust floating within it.

Declan closed his eyes again and lay there for a while, caught in a half-sleeping nightmare.

In his dream, there was a sacred white, Tanya like a sleeping princess, lying on a velvet bed, but soon blood spilled from beneath her, staining the bed red, continuously spreading until it reached his feet, covering his hands...

Declan woke with a start.

That ray of moonlight still quietly lingered in place, as the night deepened.

The phone suddenly rang.

In the boundless silence, the ringtone became exceedingly sharp.

Declan looked at the caller ID, for a moment thinking he was still dreaming.

He answered, "Tanya?"

On the other end, Tanya’s voice was somewhat unsteady, "Open the door."

Declan: "?"

He hesitated for only half a second, "Wait for me."

Declan hurried downstairs, opened the door, and saw Tanya’s slender figure standing at the bottom of the steps.

Her clothes were filthy, dirt smudged on her face, looking every bit like a little ragamuffin.

Upon seeing him, Tanya’s eyes glistened with tears.

Declan’s face fell; he casually picked up a baseball bat behind the door, "Who bullied you..."

Before he finished, Tanya suddenly ran and lunged at him. Declan’s right leg hadn’t fully recovered, and with a baseball bat in one hand, he was caught off guard by Tanya’s momentum, causing him to stagger back two steps before stabilizing.

The baseball bat fell to the ground, and looking at the little ragamuffin in his arms, Declan couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Miss, you’re getting dirt all over me."

As he spoke, his body suddenly stiffened.

Warm liquid seeped through his shirt, penetrating his skin, surging impudently until it scalded into the depths of his heart, causing a lethal spasm.

"Declan..." Tanya raised her head slowly, eyes bloodshot, her vision blurred with tears, unable to see his face clearly. Many words caught in her throat.

After a while, she murmured, trembling, as she asked, "Did it hurt when you saved me?"

Drawing blood from Zeke Pierce was to sustain life, to sustain a living person; it was already torturous enough.

But saving her, it was to bring back a living dead...how much blood was drawn from him, how much pain did he endure?

"..." Clever as Declan was, he understood Tanya’s meaning almost instantly.

She knew.

He just didn’t mention it to her but wouldn’t lie to her.

With gentle fingers, Declan wiped the tears from her face.

"Not really painful, honestly."

Watching her gradually regain consciousness made it all worthwhile.

Tanya’s tears fell even more fiercely.

She raised her hand, tremblingly caressing Declan’s face, as if trying to feel every inch of his bones, to see clearly what kind of soul resided beneath this sacrificial skin for her.

"Why are you so foolish? If I didn’t find out, would you never have told me for the rest of your life?"

"Saving you is my choice. It’s not a bargaining chip for your love." Declan’s dark eyes gazed at her, always unreserved in front of her, "Besides, I believe you will fall in love with me one day, sooner or later."

Seeing Tanya about to shed tears again, he slightly raised an eyebrow, teasing her half-jokingly, "Princess, if you keep holding onto me, I’ll really assume you like me."

Before Tanya could reply, Declan held her shoulders, gently pushing her away.

He didn’t have the confidence to hear the answer.

"How did you end up like this?" Declan steered the conversation back to the beginning.

Tanya: "...The car broke down half a kilometer from here. I ran over; there are too few streetlights in this area. I was in a hurry and fell. But I’m not hurt."

Declan: "..."

He had Tanya sit on the sofa, poured her a glass of water, and made a call for someone to bring over a set of clean clothes.

After hanging up, Declan sat on the sofa beside Tanya.

Tanya: "By the way, I’ve arranged things with Zeke. Starting tomorrow, he’ll begin drinking the medicine I prepared. In three weeks at most, I’ll be able to develop the best treatment for you! Then you won’t have to be his blood bag anymore!"

Under the light, her eyes shone brightly, intently gazing at him.

Declan could almost clearly see his reflection in her eyes.

His Adam’s apple moved slightly, and suddenly, he leaned forward, one hand on the sofa, drawing closer to her...