Nathan’s eyes grew to the size of golf balls, and his body went rigid with fear as he gawked between Adrian and the lead soldier, who looked ready to inflict serious harm.And the lead soldier wasted no time in advancing towards him.Natalie instantly shot up from her seat beside Nathan’s bed. “Wait!” she cried as she stretched out her hand to stop the soldier from coming closer.But the scathing glare he threw her way shot a chill of fear up her spine, and before she knew it, her hand had dropped to her side.“Please, just listen to me,” She tried again in a more quiet voice, but the soldier shoved her aside without a second thought. She nearly stumbled, but quickly steadied herself by holding onto the wall nearby.The soldier reached Nathan’s bedside and Nathan shrunk back into the mattress as though that would somehow save him. His wide eyes frantically flashed to Adrian.“Don’t do this, I beg you!” He stammered in a trembling voice. “Tell him to stop! I’m sorry!”Adrian didn’t s

Adrian pushed his chair back and properly relaxed into it, then he entwined his fingers as he arched a brow at the two astounded men. “Yes, me. Surprise!”Robert and Liam still had their jaws to the floor and their brows lost in their hairlines as they struggled to believe what they were seeing.Rhea stood off to the side, and even though her expression and posture seemed controlled on the outside, within her she was doubling over in laughter.And it took every ounce of strength not to let it show.Robert blinked once. Then again, and again. He even furiously rubbed his eyes to ensure he wasn’t hallucinating.Liam’s face had drained of all color and he just gawked at Adrian as though he were in a daze.Adrian watched them with quiet amusement and made no attempt to snap them out of their reverie. He was clearly enjoying the comical sight.It took a few more seconds before Robert shook his head, finally managing to regain his composure. But Liam was yet to find his own, which now seem

Tristan and Natalie remained in the car due to the intense apprehension they felt, but after a few moments of stalling, they mustered up courage and finally stepped out.Natalie clutched onto Tristan’s arm to support her unsteady legs as they cautiously approached the burly man guarding the entrance.“H-hi, uhm…we’re here to p-pick up an inmate. Please,” Tristan managed to stumble out the words, though his heart remained in his mouth.The officer didn’t respond at first as his gaze remained straight ahead. Then slowly, as though their presence just registered, he turned to them.His expression was stone-cold as he gave them a once over. “And who are you?” He demanded bluntly. “Haven’t you been told? No inmate ever leaves Hades?”Tristan forced down the tremor crawling into his voice. “I…I…we actually have permission. The Chief Warden is a…friend, and he agreed to release one of the inmates for us.”The officer stared blankly at Tristan, and the intensity of his stare made the young ma

Regina rushed towards Anita’s bed, her entire body bubbling with excitement. Without hesitation, she snatched her daughter’s hand from Adrian’s and pushed him away. Then she took his place by Anita’s side.Adrian said nothing as he quietly stood off to the side and watched the mother-daughter reunion.“Oh, my child,” Regina gushed, her eyes crinkling at the corners with pure joy as she pulled Anita in for a hug. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you awake again.” Her expression softened as she stroked Anita’s hair. “I was so worried and scared you wouldn’t come back to us.”Anita leaned into her mother’s embrace as she hugged her back and inhaled the familiar scent of her hair. “How could I leave without saying goodbye?” She murmured against her mother’s hair whilst fighting back tears.The hug lasted for a few seconds before they pulled apart. And Regina smiled warmly as she wiped the tears that slipped from the corner of Anita’s eyes. “Thank you for not leaving us.”Anita r

Adrian was silent for a few seconds, then as though Doctor Arnold’s words just registered, some color returned to his face.“Pregnant?” He repeated, still trying to confirm that he hadn’t heard wrong. “As in…carrying a child?”Doctor Arnold’s smile remained on his lips. “Precisely, Young Master. Though I’ll need to run a test to confirm it.”Adrian clapped his hands together, and pressed them against his lips as his eyes glistened. “What a bittersweet moment. On one hand, my wife might be pregnant. And on the other, she has lost her ability to walk. How would she react to this?”Doctor Arnold sighed empathetically. “I don’t know. But we can only hope the joy of the pregnancy softens the blow of the other news.”The room went silent as Adrian wrestled with the conflicted emotions within him, while Doctor Arnold went back to monitoring the images on the computer.About half an hour later, the MRI was complete, and Anita was slid out of the machine.Her gaze flickered suspiciously betwe