NovelUSAAlways 6 Zev couldn't be alive. It wasn't possible. Kelly had seen him shot, his body collapsing into a pool of blood when the peacekeeping forces arrived. She could have saved him. She didn't. To her, Zev was nothing more than a criminal, a dangerous member of a terrorist organization. All she had wanted was to get away. So, she had left him behind. From that day forward, the desperate look in his eyes had haunted her dreams. "You can't run from me, Kelly." Zev's voice was low, carrying a quiet menace that sent a chill through her. Something in her snapped. Summoning all the strength she could muster, she turned and bolted toward home. Silverglow Bay was an old residential complex built for officials and their families. It had no elevator, and her apartment was on the third floor. The motion-sensor lights flickered on and off as Kelly sprinted toward her home. At that moment, she forgot her parents were gone. Her instincts told her that hwas still the safest place. She pounded on the door, her mouth opening, but no sound cout. She wanted to scream for her parents, but she couldn't. Her aphasia had begun the day she watched a colleague get shot in the head right before her eyes. The merciless terrorists had executed him for attempting to escape. Footsteps echoed on the stairs. Kelly's breath hitched as fear gripped her, but still, no words would come. Dad, Mom... save me! Kelly screamed in her heart, slamming her fists against the door with desperation. No one responded. Her gaze fell on the charred marks across the doorframe. Reality hit her like a tidal wave-Eric hadn't lied. Her parents were gone. "Go on, Kelly. Shout for help. See if anyone comes to save you," Zev taunted, drawing closer until she was cornered. Terror swallowed her whole. All she wanted was to get away. "If you're scared, just say something... anything," he pushed, his voice low and insistent. But instead of answering, Kelly bolted toward the corridor window. She would rather die than fall into his hands. Just as she reached it, Zev yanked her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her. His voice sounded a little nervous, "D*mn it ... Kelly! I was wrong! I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to hear you speak..." He pulled back his hood, hurriedly trying to explain. But Kelly trembled violently, no longer hearing his words. Her mind was fixed on one thought-she had to end her life. Zev's voice rang out, filled with urgency, "Kelly! Lucas didn't just randomly kidnap your medical team-it was planned!" Kelly froze. Her mind, clouded by fear, slowly started piecing things together. She turned toward Zev, her expression full of shock. What is he saying? "Lucas' group was dealing with a massive outbreak of a lung virus. Your team specializes in this field. Someone at your hospital fed him information-" Zev continued. But before he could finish, a voice interrupted him. "Kelly? Are you here?" Eric's worried call echoed from downstairs. Realizing she hadn't gone anywhere else, he had correctly guessed she would be here. Zev's expression darkened. "Kelly, don't trust anyone at your hospital." Then, without another word, he leaped out of the corridor window. Kelly's breath caught. That was the third floor. He was insane. "Kelly!" Eric reached her, panting, and immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry. Let's go home." But Kelly didn't move. She stood frozen, her head shaking slightly. That place wasn't her hanymore. Seeing her tear-streaked face, Eric felt his heartache and slapped himself hard. "This is all my fault. Kelly, hitif you want." He struck his face repeatedly. If she didn't stop him, it seemed he would just keep going. She didn't stop him. But she couldn't hold it in any longer- her cries erupted, raw and broken. "Kelly "Eric cupped her face, surprised. The fact that she was making any sound at all, even if it was just crying, was a good sign. As a neurosurgeon, Eric had consulted specialists after Kelly's sudden loss of speech. Her silence wasn't just emotional trauma-it was reactive aphasia. "Kelly, I'm sorry," Eric murmured, his arms tightening around her. "You cback so suddenly I didn't know how to react. Just givea little time, okay? I'll take care of everything. I won't let anything happen to you again." His voice wavered with emotion, "You mean so much to me." Kelly's sobs grew uncontrollably. Her chest ached, and the world around her blurred as if she could barely breathe. Eric claimed she was important to him. Why did that sound so absurd? "Chwith me, Kelly. We need to talk," his voice was thick with emotion. Maybe he was being sincere. But Kelly didn't want to hear it anymore. Zev's warning echoed in her head, "Don't trust anyone at your hospital." Her team had been kidnapped. She had suffered for five long years. Her parents had died, their grievances unresolved. Everything she had once held dear was gone. And now, she finally understood the nightmare she had endured hadn't been a coincidence. It had all been planned from the start.
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