Leo turned to his men, his voice flat and commanding. "Take him. Keep him alive."

His men moved quickly, dragging Nicolas’s limp body away. Nicolas’s protests were weak, his struggles futile, his eyes wide with disbelief. He tried to speak, tried to shout, but the words came out as choked gasps. His hands clawed at the floor as they pulled him, leaving faint streaks of blood on the polished wood. His head lolled to the side, his eyes still fixed on Dominique’s crumpled form.

Bella stared at Leo, her heart pounding. She had never seen him like this, so cold... so deadly. His gray eyes were like ice, his jaw set in a hard line. Then she looked back at Dominique, who lay crumpled on the floor, his blood pooling beneath him, staining the floor a deep, dark red.

"We need to get him down," Leo said, his voice softer now. He knelt beside Bella, his eyes scanning Dominique’s wounds with practiced efficiency. His hands moved quickly, pressing against the gash on Dominique’s neck, trying to slow the bleeding. The wound was deep, the edges jagged, and blood still seeped through his fingers. "The ambulance is coming. We need to move him."

Bella’s hands were shaking as she pressed a cloth against Dominique’s neck, trying to help. "Stay with us, Dom. Please stay with us."

Hazel appeared in the doorway.

Her face was pale, her eyes wide. She had been looking for Dominique, searching for him, thinking something had happened, and now she saw him, bleeding, barely conscious, his life slipping away through the wound in his neck. The sight of him like that, so still and pale, made her heart stop.

Her eyes went blank.

She just stood there, frozen, her gaze fixed on his face. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her hands hung limp at her sides. The world around her seemed to fade, leaving only Dominique’s pale face and the blood pooling beneath him.

"Hazel," Bella said, her voice urgent. "Hazel, snap out of it! We need to get him down!"

Hazel blinked.

She moved.

She crossed the room in three strides and knelt beside Dominique, her hand finding his, squeezing tightly. Her fingers were cold and trembling. She could feel his pulse, weak and thready, beneath her touch.

"You’re going to be okay," she whispered, her voice breaking into a choke. "You’re going to be okay. Do you hear me?"

Dominique’s eyes fluttered open. He looked at her, and a faint smile touched his lips. His eyes were glassy and unfocused but he still recognized her.

"Hey... Hazel..." he breathed.

"Don’t talk," she said fiercely, her eyes burning with tears. "Just save your strength."

"Can’t... let you... have the last word..." he whispered, his voice fading.

Leo and his men lifted Dominique carefully, carrying him down the stairs. Bella followed close behind, her hand on his shoulder, whispering words of encouragement.

"You’re going to be fine, Dom. Just stay with us. Stay awake."

Hazel walked beside him, her hand still gripping his, her eyes never leaving his face. She didn’t speak. She couldn’t. Her throat was too tight.

The ambulance arrived moments later.

They loaded Dominique in, and Hazel climbed in beside him, her hand still holding his. The paramedics worked around her, their movements quick and efficient. One of them pressed a sterile bandage against Dominique’s neck, while another checked his vitals.

The ambulance tore through the city streets, its sirens wailing, its lights flashing red and blue against the dark sky. Inside, the paramedics worked frantically, their voices sharp and urgent.

Dominique lay on the stretcher, his face pale, his breathing shallow. Blood still seeped from the wound on his neck, staining the white bandages they had pressed against it. His eyes were closed, his body limp. His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths.

"His pulse is weak," one paramedic said, her voice tight. "We’re losing him."

"Keep pressure on the wound!" another shouted. "We need to stop the bleeding!"

Hazel sat in the corner of the ambulance, her hands gripping the edge of the seat, her knuckles white. She had refused to let go of Dominique’s hand, even when the paramedics had to work around her.

"You’re going to be okay," she whispered. "You’re going to be okay. Don’t you dare leave me."

Dominique’s fingers twitched, just slightly.

Hazel squeezed his hand harder. "I’m here. I’m not going anywhere."

The paramedic looked at her. "Ma’am, we need you to stay calm. We’re doing everything we can."

Hazel nodded, but she didn’t let go.

Leo’s car followed close behind, its headlights cutting through the darkness. Bella sat in the passenger seat, her hands clasped in her lap, her eyes fixed on the ambulance ahead. The red and blue lights flickered against the night sky, casting eerie shadows across the road.

"He’s going to be okay," Leo said, his voice rough and hoarse.

Bella nodded, but she couldn’t stop shaking. "I know. I know he is. But what if—"

"Don’t," Leo said firmly. "Don’t think like that."

She looked at him. His gray eyes were fixed on the road, his jaw tight. She could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands gripped the steering wheel. His knuckles were white.

She reached over and placed her hand on his arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Leo was silent for a moment. Then he said, his mask of coldness melting like ice. "I don’t know. I’ve never... I’ve never seen him like that. He’s always so loud, so full of life. Seeing him so still..." He trailed off, his voice catching.

Bella squeezed his arm. "He’s going to be okay. He has to be."

Leo nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. His eyes stayed fixed on the ambulance ahead.

At the hospital, the emergency team was waiting.

They rushed Dominique through the doors, his stretcher wheels squeaking against the floor. Doctors and nurses surrounded him, their voices sharp and urgent. The fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor were harsh and bright, casting pale shadows on the walls.

"Blood pressure dropping!"

"We need to get him into surgery now!"

"Who’s the family?"