Chapter 10

"But he—" Amelia's words halted as she tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill. "We can't just leave him behind." 

Marco fell silent for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, but we have to be careful." 

When they returned, Dominic was already leaning against a tree, blood seeping from his shoulder. Two men dressed in black lay lifeless on the ground not far from him, but it seemed that three others had managed to escape. 

"Dominic!" Amelia ran to him, her eyes welling with tears. 

"I'm fine," Dominic murmured, though the pain in his voice was evident. 

"No, you're not!" Amelia snapped, pressing a cloth against his wound. "We need to get you somewhere safe. Your wound needs to be treated immediately." 

Dominic tried to smile despite his exhaustion. "You know, you're incredibly stubborn." 

Amelia shot him a sharp look. "And you take too many risks." 

Blood continued to seep from Dominic's shoulder, despite Amelia's desperate attempt to stop the bleeding with a torn piece of her clothing. His breaths grew heavier, cold sweat dripped from his forehead, but his gaze remained sharp and alert. They couldn't stop now. Not when Victor knew they were still alive. 

Marco helped support Dominic as they made their way toward the main road. Amelia's mind raced, searching for a solution. They couldn't go to a hospital—it was too risky. If Victor had informants among the medical staff, Dominic would be in even greater danger. His hospital room could easily become a death trap. 

"We need to find a safe place," Amelia muttered, scanning their surroundings. 

Marco nodded. "I know someone in the next district. He's a former doctor, now running an underground clinic. He won't ask too many questions." 

Amelia agreed immediately. Right now, there was no better option. 

They managed to flag down an old taxi passing by. The driver, a man in his fifties with a weary face, glanced at Dominic, who was barely conscious in the back seat, but said nothing. Perhaps he was used to seeing things like this in the dark, forgotten corners of the city. 

During the ride, Amelia held Dominic's hand tightly. She had never felt this scared before. She had lost so much in her life, but losing Dominic was not something she could accept. 

Dominic slowly opened his eyes, looking at Amelia as she fought to keep herself from crying. In a weak voice, he said, "I'm still here, Amelia. Don't cry." 

Amelia shook her head, biting her lip to suppress a sob. "Idiot! You could have died!" 

Dominic let out a faint chuckle despite his pain. "I've nearly died so many times, but it seems fate refuses to let me go just yet. Proof of that is—I'm still here." 

Amelia wanted to be angry at his words, but more than that, she was grateful he was still alive. 

The taxi stopped in front of a small building on a dimly lit street corner. There was no sign, just an old wooden door with a single yellow light hanging above it. Marco knocked three times, paused, then knocked twice more. 

The door cracked open slightly, revealing an older man in his sixties with a thick white beard and sharp, suspicious eyes. 

"Marco?" he asked in a low voice. 

Marco nodded. "We need your help, Doc." 

The man glanced at Dominic, still half-conscious, then sighed and opened the door wider. "Come in. Quickly." 

Inside, the place looked more like a home than a clinic. There was no advanced medical equipment, just a worn-out wooden table with a few basic tools and shelves filled with bottles containing unknown substances. 

The doctor instructed them to lay Dominic down on a small bed in the corner of the room. Amelia stood beside him, watching anxiously as the doctor began his examination. 

"You're lucky the bullet missed any vital organs," the doctor said as he worked swiftly to clean the wound. "But you still need rest for a few days." 

Dominic groaned as the doctor stitched him up without anesthesia. 

"Don't move," Amelia warned, still holding Dominic's hand firmly, occasionally stroking it gently. 

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally finished. "He needs to stay here for the night. I can keep him safe, at least until he regains some strength." 

Marco exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Doc." 

Amelia pulled up a chair next to Dominic's bed and sat down, showing no intention of leaving his side. Dominic turned his head to her, his eyes softening at her unwavering presence. 

"Amelia, you don't have to stay up all night. You need rest too," he murmured. 

"Shut up and sleep," Amelia replied firmly, though concern still shone in her eyes. 

Dominic let out a weak laugh before giving in and closing his eyes. Within minutes, his breathing evened out as he drifted into sleep. Amelia couldn't stop staring at him, remembering every struggle they had endured together. 

When she first met Dominic, she never imagined he would become someone so important to her. He had been a threat, a mystery, and at the same time, her protector. And now, he was injured because he had fought to keep them alive. 

The next morning, Dominic looked slightly better, though still weak. But his determination never wavered. 

"I just got word," he said grimly. "Victor has put out a kill order. He wants us dead before sunset today." 

Amelia felt her blood turn cold. "He's moving that fast?" 

Marco nodded. "Not just the three of us. Rebecca is also a primary target. She might be the only one who can take Victor down legally, and he knows it." 

Dominic straightened up despite the pain. "Then we have no choice. We have to strike first." 

Amelia looked at him in shock. "You can't be serious. You can't even stand properly!" 

Dominic smirked. "Victor won't stop until one of us is dead, Amelia. If we hide, we're giving him time to grow stronger. But if we attack first... we can throw him off balance." 

Marco nodded in agreement. "I can reach out to some people who want to see Victor fall. If we gather enough evidence and release it to the media before he can stop it, we can corner him and make his downfall inevitable." 

Amelia still looked unsure. "But how can we be sure Victor won't find us before we're ready?" 

Dominic locked eyes with her, his gaze unwavering. "Because this time, we're going to play it differently. We won't hide from anyone. We'll make him think he's already won … until the very last moment when everything crumbles beneath him." 

Amelia knew this was a dangerous gamble. But she also knew it was their only chance to truly be free from Victor's threat and save their lives. 

She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Alright. Let's bring him down once and for all." 

Dominic smirked, though the pain was still evident in his eyes. "That's what I wanted to hear."