When the Silence Screams

How was he not dead? 

Evelyn Carter had seen Liam Hart lying in a pool of blood when the peacekeeping forces came to rescue them. He had been shot; she saw it with her own eyes. 

She could've helped him that day, but she didn't. 

To her, Liam had been nothing but a monster, part of the terrorist group that had held them captive. All she wanted was to escape, to survive. So she made her choice: she left him behind. 

From that moment on, the look in his eyes—pleading for help as life leaked away—had haunted her dreams. 

Now, here he was. Alive. Very much alive. 

"You can't run from me anymore, Evelyn," Liam growled, his voice dark and low, as if he wanted to devour her whole. 

Panic surged in Evelyn's chest. Driven by fear, she lunged forward while he was distracted and sprinted for the place she once called home. 

Lijing Bay. 

The old government residential complex hadn't changed much. It still had no elevators, and her family had lived on the third floor. 

Motion-sensor lights flickered on and off as she dashed up the stairs. For a moment, she forgot that her parents were dead. 

In her mind, home still meant safety. 

She reached the door, fists pounding against it as she silently screamed for help. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Not even a whisper. 

The aphasia had stolen her voice after she witnessed one of her team members executed—shot in the head at point-blank range by those ruthless militants. 

Now, all she could do was hit the door again and again, until her hands throbbed. 

Footsteps echoed behind her. 

Tears streamed down her face. 

She couldn't scream. 

She couldn't call for help. 

Mom… Dad… please… save me. 

But no one answered. 

She stared at the blackened scorch marks on the doorframe. Adrian hadn't lied. The fire had happened. Her parents were gone. 

"Go on, Evelyn," Liam said, approaching the stairs behind her. "Scream. Call for help. See if anyone cares enough to come." 

She turned to face him, her back pressing into the cold wall. The hallway lights flickered. 

Terror gripped her body like a vise. She wanted to run, but her legs refused to move. 

"Shout," Liam insisted, his voice sharper this time. "Aren't you scared? Then say something." 

But Evelyn didn't respond. 

Instead, she dashed toward the hallway window without hesitation. 

She'd rather die than be retaken. 

Before she could climb out, Liam's arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her back into his chest. 

"Sh*t—Evelyn!" His voice cracked as he held her tight. "Damn it, I didn't mean to scare you! I just wanted you to speak!" 

He pulled off his hoodie, his expression no longer cruel, but anxious. Frantic. 

But Evelyn trembled uncontrollably in his arms. She wasn't listening anymore. Her mind had completely shut down. 

"Listen to me!" Liam snapped, frustration lacing his voice. "You think what happened to you was an accident? Your team being taken by Lukas wasn't random!" 

That stopped her. 

Evelyn froze, her eyes slowly rising to meet his. Disbelief clouded her face. 

What was he saying? 

"Lukas and his men were infected with the PX-virus. Your medical team was targeted because you're specialists. I have proof that someone from your hospital gave them your location. It was an inside job," Liam explained, his breath uneven. 

"Evelyn! Are you here?" Adrian's voice rang out from downstairs, filled with panic. 

He'd noticed she was missing—and somehow, he knew she would come back here. 

Liam grabbed Evelyn by the shoulders. "Don't trust anyone at your hospital," he said grimly. 

With that, he turned and leaped out of the hallway window. 

From the third floor. 

The man was insane. 

"Evelyn!" Adrian finally appeared at the top of the stairs, panting heavily. The moment he saw her, he rushed forward and pulled her into his arms. 

"I'm so sorry. Let's go home," he whispered, hugging her tightly, as if he never wanted to let go. 

But Evelyn didn't move. 

That place wasn't her home anymore. 

Adrian's eyes scanned her tear-streaked face. Seeing the pain in her expression, he suddenly lifted his hand and slapped himself hard. 

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Hit me if you want to. Just… don't keep this all bottled up." 

He hit himself again. Then again. 

As if he would keep hitting himself until she said something. 

But Evelyn didn't stop him. She just collapsed into sobs, screaming without sound. Her body shook violently, as though the grief and betrayal finally cracked her open. 

Adrian cupped her face with both hands, panic flashing in his eyes. But then—relief. 

She was crying. 

That meant something. 

Even her psychologist had told him that. Expressing emotion, even without speech, meant she might be on the road to healing. 

"Evelyn… I was so shocked when you came back. I didn't know how to react. Please… just give me time. I'll fix everything, I promise. I'll protect you now. I won't let anyone hurt you again," Adrian said hoarsely, holding her as if trying to keep her from breaking. 

"Do you know… how much you mean to me?" 

His voice cracked. 

But to Evelyn, those words felt empty. 

If she meant that much… then why had everything gone so wrong? 

Why had he let it all happen? 

"I want to talk to you. Just… come home with me, okay?" Adrian pleaded, stroking her hair. 

Maybe he was sincere. 

But Evelyn wasn't listening anymore. 

Liam's voice still echoed in her mind: 

Don't trust anyone at your hospital. 

Everything she had been through—the kidnapping, the torture, the silence, the loss of her parents—was not fate. 

It wasn't just bad luck. 

It was a betrayal. 

Planned. Targeted. 

Deliberate. 

And someone had sold her out.