Chapter 254: It wasn’t you
The elevator doors slid open at the ground floor, and Killian strode out into the main lobby. A sleek black sedan was already idling at the curb outside the glass entrance.
Dozens of corporate employees and security guards froze in their tracks, their curious, shocked gazes drifting toward their CEO as he carried a blood-stained woman through the main doors.
Everyone in Ravencourt knew of Lady Eloise’s standing with the Alpha heirs. Zayne stood by the rear passenger door, his face draining of all color at the gruesome sight of Eloise’s neck and Killian’s drenched suit. He quickly pulled the door wide open, allowing Killian to slide into the back seat while cradling her body.
The driver slammed his foot on the accelerator, the engine roaring as the car tore through the city streets. As the glass towers blurred past the tinted windows, Killian stared down at his bloodied hands, his thoughts turning into an absolute, tangled mess.
********
Over at the central medical research facility, an emergency protocol was triggered without warning. Yuki stood near the back of the conference room, staring at Kieran in complete dumbfounded silence.
Just moments ago, Kieran had been calmly leading a high-level briefing with the general research department, analyzing a strange injury case involving a border warrior.
The case had been turning increasingly serious, but right in the middle of a sentence, Kieran had suddenly snapped his mouth shut and stood up from his chair. Yuki watched in utter confusion as he announced an immediate level-one medical emergency.
The head of the research department, a stern woman in her fifties named Daisy Snowfang, stood up so fast her chair screeched against the floorboards. Her face turned pale.
"I will contact the facility manager immediately to authorize the Ravencourt special trauma team. They will be in position shortly." She turned around, her sharp voice cutting through the room. "Meeting dismissed. Everyone clear the hall!"
The room erupted into sudden movement as researchers and doctors scrambled for the exits. Yuki quickly trailed behind Clara, Kieran’s senior research assistant and institute nurse, who was hurriedly keeping pace behind Kieran’s long, urgent strides. Yuki leaned in close, whispering to Clara beneath the din of the hallway.
"What is going on? What does level-one mean?" She asked.
Clara shot her a brief, solemn look. "It’s a restricted emergency protocol. It is only activated when a member of the Alpha family or their direct inner circle requires critical, life-saving intervention."
Yuki’s face went pale as her gaze darted to Kieran’s rigid back. She wondered who could possibly be injured. Kieran was moving with the swift, calculated urgency he brought to every emergency case she had witnessed so far, but something about his posture was wildly off.
His long fingers were clenched into tight, bloodless fists at his sides, and a subtle, dangerous tension radiated from his shoulders. He didn’t just look focused—he looked deeply, intensely pissed off.
Curiosity gnawed at Yuki as she followed the medical team down the private elevators toward the emergency bay. When they arrived at the rear ambulance entrance, a specialized trauma unit was already standing by in full surgical gear.
A moment later, a sleek sedan bearing the gold Ravencourt royal crest tore through the security gates, its tires screeching as it ground to a violent halt. The medical team rushed forward in a synchronized wave, pulling the doors open.
A heavy, metallic stench of fresh blood instantly hit Yuki’s nostrils, making her stomach turn. She watched as Killian stepped out of the back seat, his dark windbreaker and white collared shirt completely soaked in deep red stains. In his arms, he held a pale, limp girl.
*Eloise...* Yuki’s eyes widened in sheer shock.
Eloise was quickly transferred onto the waiting gurney, her head rolling back as doctors immediately applied pressure dressings and wheeled her frantically through the double doors
. Kieran, his facial expression remaining dark and utterly pissed, fell into step beside the gurney, barking out sharp medical directives as the entire crowd swarmed into the trauma center. Within seconds, the chaotic entry bay cleared out, leaving the area in eerie silence. Only two people remained standing under the harsh fluorescent lights—Yuki and Killian.
Yuki frowned, her green eyes narrowing as she looked at Killian, who stood near the curb covered in blood. "Why aren’t you going in after your girlfriend?" she asked, her voice carrying a cold edge before she added the question burning in her chest. "And more importantly... what did Eloise do this time?"
She knew from bitter experience that Eloise being in danger always spelled bad news for hrr. Yuki felt an instinctive knot of anxiety twist in her gut, wondering which twisted scheme had backfired now.
’ I’ve already rejected them and stayed out of their way—this can’t possibly be pinned on me this time.’
Killian let out a low, smooth chuckle, the sound completely out of place given his blood-soaked appearance. "This has nothing to do with you, Yuki."
Yuki released a long, dramatic breath of relief, clasping a hand over her chest. "Thank the Goddess," she murmured.
Killian’s lips twitched with a faint, cynical amusement. He turned his head toward the closed doors of the emergency wing, a strange, unreadable glint flickering deep within his piercing blue eyes.
"On Eloise’s birthday..." Killian started out softly, his voice low and deliberate. "Did you actually destroy those presents?"
Yuki blinked, caught entirely off guard by his sudden question. She scoffed, her tone turning instantly aggrieved and defensive. "Why are you bringing that up now? I didn’t touch those damn presents! That night, someone ruined my dress with wine, and while I was sent upstairs to change, those boxes were smashed. I still have no idea how they managed to edit that security video to make it look like I was the one who did it!" She rolled her eyes, letting out a bitter laugh. "Not that it matters why I’m telling you this—you never believed a single word I said anyway."
Killian’s lips curved into a subtle, dark smirk, though he didn’t offer a direct defense. He took a step closer, looking down at her youthful face with an unreadable expression.
"Xavier Velmore is a good bet for you, Yuki," Killian said quietly, his voice smooth and surprisingly even. "At the very least, he will pull you completely out of the political mess our father and your sister created."
Yuki stared at him, thoroughly puzzled by his sudden shift. But hearing him constantly act like a benevolent guardian, repeatedly advising her to choose someone else, triggered an immediate flare of irritation in her chest. She clenched her fists at her sides, glaring up at his towering frame as she spat back,
"Of course he’s a good match! At least Xavier isn’t completely blind like some people around here!"