Sweet Hatred
Chapter 152: Blur

Chapter 152: Blur

KAEL

The sound of the jet was low and steady, almost soothing. But there was nothing soothing about the silence sitting between us.

She was quiet. Too quiet.

Aria hadn’t said a word since Olivia’s call came through. Not when I helped her pack. Not when we got in the car. Not even when we took off in the jet I summoned in record time. Her body was here, curled up in the seat beside me, arms folded tightly across her chest like they were the only things holding her together.

But her mind? Her soul? Somewhere else entirely.

The moment I saw her face go pale, when I heard Olivia’s voice on speaker say the words vomited blood, something in me cracked wide open. I’d seen Aria freeze before—hell, I’d made her freeze before but this was different. It was fear. Raw, pure, unfiltered. And it shook me down to my marrow.

I didn’t waste time.

I called the oncologist I had on speed dial, a woman I trusted, one of the best in the country. Dr. Kiera Liem. I told her to take over personally, to make sure Aria’s mother had every scan, every test, every possible inch of care. She told me they were running the full panel—CTs, PET scans, MRIs. They’d admitted her into the emergency oncology ward and stabilized her for now. But we’d have to wait. Hours, maybe.

I hate waiting. But I hate seeing Aria like this more.

She stared out the window now, her eyes blank, lashes fluttering once—twice—like she wanted to cry but didn’t know how. And I watched her, helpless.

The woman whom I’d teased. Who argued with me. Who climbed into my bed and laid her heart bare, piece by trembling piece.

She shed a tear for me when I told her about my mother. She held me without words when I didn’t know how to ask for it. She made me laugh. Made me want.

And now she was breaking. Slowly. Quietly. Internally.

And I had no idea how to hold her together.

God. I love her.

I think I’d loved her since the moment she looked me in the eye after I ruined her life and still had the nerve to glare at me like I was the idiot. But now it was worse. Or deeper. Or maybe just real.

Every moment we’d spent the past week, her laugh, her sleep-heavy smile in the mornings, the way she touched my arm when I wasn’t looking, it had all just added up to something I couldn’t ignore anymore.

I wanted her. I wanted her so badly, it felt like punishment.

And it terrified me.

What if she ended up like Ivan? What if I loved her so much, and fate decided it was too much for me to have? What if I lost her?

And worse, what if loving her more than Ivan was the real betrayal?

God. That thought alone could’ve killed me. But it didn’t stop me from craving her. From needing her. Even then. Even when she wasn’t looking at me, even when her fingers twitched against her arm like she was spiraling slowly into that quiet abyss I knew all too well.

I wanted to reach for her. I wanted to tell her she wasn’t alone. That I’d be there. No matter what happened. No matter how it ended.

But she seemed so far away.

And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t know if I could bring someone back from the dark.

But hell, I would’ve burned everything I owned to try.

I watched her for too long before I spoke.

She hadn’t moved in nearly ten minutes. Her eyes were open, but distant... like she wasn’t even seeing the clouds we were flying through, just the horror waiting at the end of this flight.

And still, she didn’t cry.

That scared me more than anything.

"Aria," I said, quietly. My voice came out rougher than I intended.

She didn’t look at me. Her fingers just clenched a little tighter around her arms.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "I spoke to Dr. Liem. Your mom is in good hands. They’ve started every scan—CT, PET, MRI. They’re not wasting a second. I made sure of that."

Nothing. Not even a twitch. Just more silence, and the faint sound of the engine humming above us like a lullaby for the damned.

I shifted closer. "She’s going to get the best care. No matter what. I swear it, Aria."

Still nothing.

Fuck.

I reached out slowly, almost afraid she’d flinch. She didn’t. My hand found her hair, tangled and soft, and I ran my fingers through it carefully. She leaned in. Not much, barely an inch. But it was enough. Enough to make my chest crack open.

She was shaking.

I didn’t say anything else. I didn’t need to.

I just pulled her against me, arms wrapping around her shoulders, and stroked her head as she rested against my chest like she didn’t know how to stand upright anymore.

Minutes passed.

My palm moved gently, again and again through her hair. I didn’t rush her. I just held her.

And then, barely audible, muffled against my shirt—

"Thank you."

I closed my eyes.

It wasn’t much. Just two words. But the way she said them, broken, small, like she didn’t have the energy to fight me anymore—god, it undid me.

She didn’t even realize it.

But she could’ve asked me for anything in that moment.

And I would’ve given it to her.

^^^

We landed fast.

Too fast.

Everything was a blur, security, the car, the gates of the hospital flying open like they’d been waiting for us. Aria hadn’t spoken since the jet. She just held onto my sleeve like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

We walked into the ward area, and I spotted them immediately.

Olivia was curled against a tall man I assumed was Michael. Her face buried in his chest, his hand stroking her back as she sobbed. It was the kind of grief that sounded like it had no bottom.

But when she heard our footsteps, her head snapped up.

And the moment she saw her sister, she broke away from him and ran.

"Aria!"

She collided with her, arms wrapping tight, sobs ripping out of her throat like a wounded animal. Aria’s hands trembled as they tried to hold her steady, whispering something too quiet for me to hear. Her lips kept moving, her voice shaking as she asked what was happening—but Olivia couldn’t answer. She just cried harder.

I felt useless.

And I hated it.

I glanced over at Michael, he looked tired too. Red eyes. Jaw clenched.

I leaned in low to Aria’s ear. "I’ll go find Dr. Liem. Get the details."

She didn’t say anything.

But she gave a tiny nod, barely noticeable.

Good enough.