Chapter 175: Critical III.
Lawrence.
"Who would dare use such a cruel, calculated method to eliminate Theresa?"Lurgard demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous, dark growl, as his knuckles turned stark white as he clenched his fists so tightly his entire arms trembled with suppressed rage. He turned to us, his eyes wide with a mix of fury and agonizing bewilderment. "Why her? What on earth did she ever do to them to deserve something this vile?"
"That person had better start running for their dear life!" Leonard spat out, his jaw so tight his teeth gritted together with a sickening crunch. A murderous aura seemed to roll off him in waves. "Because once I get my hands on that bastard, I swear to God, it is over for them. There won’t be enough left of them to bury."
I felt that exact same burning, chaotic fury tearing through my own blood, but unlike them, I couldn’t even find a way to vent it.
My mind was completely clouded and consumed by one overwhelming, suffocating priority: Theresa’s safety.
The rage was there, festering beneath the surface, cold and lethal. Whoever was responsible for this nightmare had better spend every second on their knees praying that she survives.
Because if she doesn’t, I won’t just kill them. I will butcher them into pieces and scatter their remains across different countries, severing every last piece so thoroughly that they won’t even have a chance at reincarnation.
I forced the dark thoughts down, tearing my attention back to the urgent matter at hand. "What exactly do you need our permission for?" I asked immediately, my voice sharp as my eyes flicked toward the heavy, closed doors of the room where Theresa lay fighting for her life.
’Hang on, Theresa,’ I muttered inwardly, every beat of my heart turning into a desperate prayer. ’Please... just hang on.’
"I need you to make a choice," the doctor repeated, his tone grave, unyielding, and devoid of any comforting warmth.
"Can you just speak already?" Lurgard snapped, his patience completely evaporating as he took an aggressive step forward.
The doctor held his ground, taking a breath before unleashing the crushing blow. "The baby might not survive," he finally revealed, letting the horrifying words shatter the air between us. He looked each of us dead in the eye before adding the final, devastating truth. "But if you insist that we try to save the baby, then we might lose both of them."
I froze.
It had actually reached this point.
The grim reality of the situation crashed over me, heavy and suffocating. I really could not believe it—could not fathom how a single morning had unravelled into such a cruel, agonizing nightmare.
My knees buckled beneath the sudden weight of the doctor’s words, and I immediately grabbed hold of the wall behind me, digging my fingers into the cold plaster just to ensure I didn’t collapse onto the floor.
My mind whirled in frantic, desperate circles. I had made a clear, unbreakable promise to Theresa that I would protect her pup.
Over time, that promise had grown into something far deeper; I had honestly come to accept the child as my own. How could I now just sign away its existence?
This was a brutally hard decision to make in this horrific moment, an impossible choice that felt like tearing my own soul in half.
"I don’t care about the baby! Do everything in your power to save Theresa!"
The words cut through the heavy air as both Lurgard and Leonard echoed the command in dark unison, their voices perfectly aligned in their ruthless certainty.
I slowly turned to look at them in total disbelief, my jaw tight and my heart hammering in my chest. It was so terrifyingly easy for them to make a choice. To them, the answer was stark and simple, untouched by the weight of the pledge I was carrying.
"Look here, doctor!" Lurgard snapped, stepping forward and aggressively grabbing the doctor’s arm to hold his unwavering focus. "She can always make more babies in the future..." He paused, letting a heavy, dark promise hang in the space between them. "...with us!" he added, his voice steady and unyielding.
Beside him, Leonard gave a slow, deliberate nod, signalling his grim, absolute agreement without uttering a single word. His expression remained cold and immovable, every feature set in unwavering resolve.
There wasn’t the slightest flicker of hesitation in his eyes, nor any sign that his decision could be changed. The silent exchange between them carried a crushing sense of certainty that needed no further explanation.
The cold finality of their united stance struck me like a blade driven straight through my chest, sending a sharp wave of horror crashing over me.
My heart lurched violently, and instinctively, I began shaking my head over and over, refusing with every fibre of my being to accept the fate they seemed determined to seal.
No. I couldn’t accept it. I wouldn’t accept it.
My breathing turned uneven as I squeezed my eyes shut so tightly that they ached, desperately trying to shut out the nightmare unfolding before me.
The darkness behind my closed eyelids offered no comfort, yet I clung to it anyway, unable to bear the sight of their faces or the unwavering certainty written across them. Looking at them made everything feel far too real, far too final.
More than anything, I couldn’t live with the thought of surrendering the life I had sworn to protect. The very idea was unbearable, crushing every ounce of strength I had left.
"Save both of them!" I blurted out, the desperate plea tearing violently from my throat before I even realised I had spoken.
The words escaped with raw urgency, carrying every ounce of my refusal to accept any other outcome.
The instant my voice faded, a suffocating silence descended over the corridor. It swallowed every sound whole, stretching heavily through the air until the stillness itself became almost impossible to endure.