HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 961

The hospital corridor was filled with the sharp scent of antiseptic. Cale's footsteps echoed down the nearly deserted hallway, blending with the occasional rattle of a passing gurney and the beeping of monitors from behind the doors of the treatment rooms. Ever since leaving the villa, he had kept his foot on the gas pedal without truly realizing how he had made it there.

The only words that kept replaying in his mind were what Daven had told him a few dozen minutes earlier.

Naomi was shot...

The moment he arrived outside the intensive care unit, his steps finally came to a halt.

Chris sat in one of the metal chairs lined up outside the ICU doors. His elbows rested on his knees while his hands were clasped so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. The shirt he was wearing was still covered in dried bloodstains. Whether it was his own blood or Naomi's, Cale couldn't bring himself to guess.

Beside him, Daven stood leaning against the wall, his face just as pale. The man who could usually lighten any atmosphere now simply stared at the floor without saying a single word.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Chris slowly lifted his head. Their eyes met.

"How's Naomi?" Cale finally asked. His voice came out hoarse, much quieter than he had imagined.

Chris didn't answer right away. He merely shifted his gaze toward the tightly closed ICU doors, as though all of his hope had been left behind on the other side of them.

Several seconds passed before his lips finally moved.

"The doctor said she made it through the critical stage," Chris replied quietly.

Cale closed his eyes for a moment. The breath that had been caught in his chest finally escaped slowly. Thank God. But the relief lasted only an instant.

"But..." Chris continued softly.

That single word was enough to make Cale's heart tighten once again.

"The bullet hit a vital organ. The surgery successfully stopped the bleeding, but Naomi lost too much blood." Chris swallowed before continuing. "She still hasn't regained consciousness."

The corridor fell silent once again. The only sounds were the beeping of monitors through the walls and the footsteps of medical staff passing by.

"The doctors still can't say when she'll wake up," Daven added quietly. "What they do know is... they're trying to find a compatible donor as quickly as possible."

Cale unconsciously clenched his fists. He stared at the ICU doors for a few moments before turning back to Chris. "Where's Brandon?"

The answer came so quickly that it sounded like a lie he wasn't even trying to hide.

Cale didn't challenge it. He had known Brandon far too long to believe those two words.

For a while, they sank back into silence.

"I'm sorry. I... failed to protect her." Brandon's voice finally broke the silence. He lowered his head, his hands gripping each other tightly in his lap. "That bullet should've hit me."

Cale let out a quiet breath. "Falcon pulled the trigger."

Brandon slowly shook his head. "Even so, Naomi was still the one he targeted." He lifted his head. For the first time since Cale had entered the room, anger mixed with regret was clearly visible in his eyes.

"This all started with Silas," Cale said quietly.

The room fell silent once again.

"I don't know which came first. Whether Falcon became obsessed with getting Naomi and then met Silas, or whether they met first. In the end, they worked together, and this is how it all turned out." His voice began to tremble. "None of this should have happened, Mr. Cale. She shouldn't have had to take that bullet, should she?"