He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 803

"I'm here. I'm right here."

Looking at her pale, delicate face, a wave of unbearable heartache crashed into Julian's chest, clogging his throat so tightly he could barely breathe.

In all their time together, he had never seen her look so fragile, so broken.

And the only reason she was in this hell was because she was with him.

The thought flooded him with such intense guilt and agony that, for the first time in his life, he genuinely wanted to tear the people responsible apart with his bare hands.

He gently cupped the back of her head, leaning in to press his forehead against hers. His Adam's apple bobbed as he choked out the words, "You're safe now. It's over. Scarlett, I'm so sorry. I failed to protect you."

The overwhelming intimacy of the gesture threw her off guard, but she didn't have the strength to pull away. "Don't blame yourself. This was a premeditated trap..."

"I know. I found out that Heath Sheridan is actually Kane Stetson's man."

Julian hadn't expected her to already know the truth. His dark eyes widened in shock. "Heath... told you everything?"

Scarlett nodded weakly, trying to push herself up.

Seeing her struggle, Julian immediately slid his arm behind her back, effortlessly supporting her weight.

Noticing her cracked, dry lips, he grabbed the insulated thermos he had prepared hours ago. Inside was a warm, soothing herbal tea, kept at a perfect temperature.

He unscrewed the cap and brought it carefully to her lips.

Parched, she drank deeply, gulping it down until the burning thirst finally subsided.

For all these hours, he had been so consumed by her safety that he hadn't even bothered to get a basic bandage for himself.

Her chest tightened with sharp distress. She tried to sit up, frowning. "Julian, your hands..."

"I'm fine. It's just a few scratches. I'm a man, I can take it." He brushed it off instantly.

He shifted slightly, carefully adjusting her head so she could rest more comfortably against him. "Don't think about anything right now. Just focus on healing."

"I promise you, the truth will come to light. Your brother and I are handling it. You don't need to worry about a thing."

Scarlett wanted to force herself up to clean his wounds, but her body felt entirely drained, soft as cotton and entirely devoid of strength.